59
2 CHROICLES 9 COMMETARY EDITED BY GLE PEASE The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon 1 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan— with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. BARES, "The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference, from which it varies but little, and to which it adds nothing. CLARKE, "The queen of Sheba - See all the particulars of this royal visit distinctly marked and explained in the notes on 1Ki_10:1-10 (note). The Targum calls her queen of Zemargad. HERY 1-12, "This passage of story had been largely considered in the Kings; yet, because our Saviour has proposed it as an example to us in our enquiries after him (Mat_12:42 ), we must not pass it over without observing briefly, 1. Those who honour God he will honour, 1Sa_2:30 . Solomon had greatly honoured God, in building, beautifying, and dedicating the temple; all his wisdom and all his wealth were employed for the making of that a consummate piece: and now God made his wisdom and wealth to redound greatly to his reputation. The way to have both the credit and comfort of all our endowments and all our enjoyments is to consecrate them to God and use them for him. 2. Those who know the worth of true wisdom will grudge no pains nor cost to obtain it. The queen of Sheba put herself to a great deal of trouble and expense to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and yet, learning from him to serve God and do her duty, she thought herself well paid for her pains. Heavenly wisdom is that pearl of great price which is a good bargain to purchase by parting with all that we have. 3. As every man has received

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2 CHROICLES 9 COMMETARYEDITED BY GLE PEASE

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon

1 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomonrsquos fame she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions Arriving with a very great caravanmdashwith camels carrying spices large quantities of gold and precious stonesmdashshe came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind

BARES The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE The queen of Sheba - See all the particulars of this royal visit distinctly marked and explained in the notes on 1Ki_101-10 (note) The Targum calls her queen of Zemargad

HERY 1-12 This passage of story had been largely considered in the Kings yet because our Saviour has proposed it as an example to us in our enquiries after him (Mat_1242) we must not pass it over without observing briefly 1 Those who honour God he will honour 1Sa_230 Solomon had greatly honoured God in building beautifying and dedicating the temple all his wisdom and all his wealth were employed for the making of that a consummate piece and now God made his wisdom and wealth to redound greatly to his reputation The way to have both the credit and comfort of all our endowments and all our enjoyments is to consecrate them to God and use them for him 2 Those who know the worth of true wisdom will grudge no pains nor cost to obtain it The queen of Sheba put herself to a great deal of trouble and expense to hear the wisdom of Solomon and yet learning from him to serve God and do her duty she thought herself well paid for her pains Heavenly wisdom is that pearl of great price which is a good bargain to purchase by parting with all that we have 3 As every man has received

the gift so he ought to minister the same for the edification of others as he has opportunity Solomon was communicative of his wisdom and willing to teach others what he knew himself Being taught of God freely he had received and freely he gave Let those that are rich in wisdom as well as wealth learn to do good and be ready to distribute Give to every one that asketh 4 Good order in a family a great family especially in the things of God and a regular discharge of the duties of religious worship are highly expedient and to be much admired wherever found The queen of Sheba was exceedingly affected to see the propriety with which Solomons servants attended him and with which both he and they attended in the house of God Davids ascent to the house of the Lord was also pleasant and interesting Psa_424 5 Those are happy who have the opportunity of a constant converse with such as are knowing wise and good The queen of Sheba thought Solomons servants happy who continually heard his wisdom for it seems even to them he was communicative And it is observable that the posterity of those who had places in his court were willing to have the names of their ancestors forgotten and thought themselves sufficiently distinguished and dignified when they were called the children of Solomons servants (Ezr_255 Neh_757) so eminent were they that it was honour enough to be named from them 6 We ought to rejoice and give God thanks for the gifts graces and usefulness of others The queen of Sheba blessed God for the honour he put upon Solomon and the favour he did to Israel in advancing him to the throne 2Ch_98 By giving God the praise of the prosperity of others we share in the comfort of it whereas by envying the prosperity of others we lose the comfort even of our own The happiness of both king and kingdom she traces up to the fountain of all bliss the divine favour it was because thy God delighted in thee and because he loved Israel Those mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good will of God as our God 7 It becomes those that are wise and good to be generous according to their place and power The queen of Sheba was so to Solomon Solomon was so to her 2Ch_99 2Ch_912 They both knew how to value wisdom and therefore were neither of them covetous of their money but cultivated the acquaintance and confirmed the friendship they had contracted by mutual presents Our Lord Jesus has promised to give us all our desire Ask and it shall be given youLet us study what we shall render to him and not think any thing too much to do or suffer or part with for him

JAMISO 1-4 2Ch_91-12 The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon She admires his wisdom and magnificence

when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon mdash (See on 1Ki_101-13) It is said that among the things in Jerusalem which drew forth the admiration of Solomonrsquos royal visitor was ldquohis ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo This was the arched viaduct that crossed the valley from Mount Zion to the opposite hill In the commentary on the passage quoted above allusion was made to the recent discovery of its remains Here we give a full account of what for boldness of conceptions for structure and magnificence was one of the greatest wonders in Jerusalem ldquoDuring our first visit to the southwest corner of the area of the mosque we

observed several of the large stones jutting out from the western wall which at first seemed to be the effect of a bursting of the wall from some mighty shock or earthquake We paid little regard to this at the moment but on mentioning the fact not long after to a circle of our friends the remark was incidentally dropped that the stones had the appearance of having once belonged to a large arch At this remark a train of thought flashed across my mind which I hardly dared to follow out until I had again repaired to the spot in order to satisfy myself with my own eyes as to the truth or falsehood of the suggestion I found it even so The courses of these immense stones occupy their original position their external surface is hewn to a regular curve and being fitted one upon another they form the commencement or foot of an immense arch which once sprung out from this western wall in a direction towards Mount Zion across the Tyropoeon valley This arch could only have belonged to the bridge which according to Josephus led from this part of the temple to the Xystus (covered colonnade) on Zion and it proves incontestably the antiquity of that portion from which it springsrdquo [Robinson] The distance from this point to the steep rock of Zion Robinson calculates to be about three hundred and fifty feet the probable length of this ancient viaduct Another writer adds that ldquothe arch of this bridge if its curve be calculated with an approximation to the truth would measure sixty feet and must have been one of five sustaining the viaduct (allowing for the abutments on either side) and that the piers supporting the center arch of this bridge must have been of great altitude - not less perhaps than one hundred and thirty feet The whole structure when seen from the southern extremity of the Tyropoeon must have had an aspect of grandeur especially as connected with the lofty and sumptuous edifices of the temple and of Zion to the right and to the leftrdquo [Isaac Taylorrsquos Edition Of Traillrsquos Josephus]

KampD 1-12 The visit of the queen of Sheba Cf 1Ki_101-13 - This event is narrated as a practical proof of Solomons extraordinary wisdom The narrative agrees so exactly in both texts with the exception of some few quite unimportant differences that we must regard them as literal extracts from an original document which they have used in common For the commentary on this section see on 1Ki_101-13

COFFMAN (We have thoroughly discussed this visit of the queen of Sheba to Solomon in our Commentary on First Kings pp 129-137 and there is little that we wish to add here) To summarize (1) Sheba was most likely that Ethiopia over which Haile Selassie was the ruler during this century (2) Solomon evidently was Haile Selassies ancestor through this Ethiopian queen

PARKER 1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Song of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions [or riddles A very pointed sentence indicating a deeper truth and leading to thought (Comp Ezekiel 172) This Wisdom of Solomon couched in apothegms and riddles in which Solomon not only distinguished himself but had an

encounter with Hiram of Tyre was quite a familiar exercise with the Arabs] at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels [bearing the products of her land] that bare spices [the spices of Arabia were famous in all ages Sheba is mentioned in Ezekiel 2722 as trafficking with Tyre in chief of all spices and precious stones and gold ] and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Song of Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

2 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not [not of the mysteries of religion and of the worship of God but only of questions the meaning of which lay not on the surface but was deeply hidden for it was not Solomons religious character but his Wisdom of Solomon that brought her to JerusalemmdashKeil]

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the Wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built

4 And the meat of his table and the sitting [Heb standing] of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers [or butlers] also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord there was no more spirit in her

The Queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard questions ( 2 Chronicles 91)

SOLOMON grows in influence in glory As we had already said whether he may yet play the fool remains to be seen Praise no man until he is dead In the meantime we can only speak in modified compliments even when treating the case of Solomon But he certainly advanced in social status of a moral kind He was visited by the queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba is a model to all inquirers It was not enough for her to have heard of the fame of Solomon and to have admired him at a distance as a unique genius her admiration excited her interest and even her suspicion and being a woman of penetrating mind she desired to put riddles and enigmas whereby she could test the proverbial wisdom of Solomon This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says Prove me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other book This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit himself It is his complaint that we do not ask him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is

necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if he condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power It is on the literary record of the world that Jesus Christ has had more hard questions put to him than any other teacher ever had Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which his mission fills Even were we to put what appears to us a simple question he would show us that there are no simplicities in human thought and human education he would instantly take up the filament and thread of our inquiries and connect these with the very centre and life of the universe The simplest flower is rooted on the earth and the earth is rooted in the sun and the sun and his whole system are rooted in some higher relations of things Thus all processes and organisations go back to the eternal throne so the violet in its retirement and modesty may claim to be part of the household and treasure of God Let it never be supposed that hard questions are to be put only outside the Bible that profound exciting discussion is not possible within the four corners of revelation the contrary is the fact outside the Bible the Church outside everything that is involved and signified by the name of Christ there is nothing but superficiality evanescence and the merest trifling The Church of God should be full of the brightest minds of the very greatest intellects that ever led the civilisation of the world No man need go out of the Bible or out of the Church to find the best food for the mind or to discover problems most worthy of human intellect and genius It is recorded that Solomon told the queen all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not The queen was astounded by what she heard and what she saw She declared that the half had not been told her This is precisely the result of gospel inquiry When men enter into the purpose of Christ and begin to comprehend what it is that Christ wants to do in the world they are filled with holy amazement acknowledging at once not only the tenderness of his pity but the vastness of his mind and the comprehensive range of his outlook Statesmen have been more astounded by his propositions than any other men great warriors and conquerors have stood in simple astonishment before the revealed policy and purpose of the Son of God the greater the minds the greater the tributes which have been paid to Jesus Christ Without going into what may be called the piety or the sentiment of his claim the mere idea that he purposes the sovereignty of the world the government of all men through all time and through all the generations is a conception which invests his mind with claims to be considered as amongst the greatest statesmen leaders and rulers of the world There was about Solomon something indicative of greatness his palace was great the temple was great the service of which he was the centre was elaborate and costly the meat of his table the sitting of his servants the attendance of his

ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord all indicated great pomp and splendour So surrounded Solomon required to be mentally gifted intellectually brilliant in order to preserve in any suitable degree the harmony between himself and his kingly state It was different with Jesus Christ he had not where to lay his head in his environment there was nothing but bareness poverty simplicity this also was in exquisite harmony with the fitness of things for Jesus Christ set up claims with which nothing could compare that is of an earthly kind It was better that no attention should be attracted by his surroundings that he should stand forth in an almost naked simplicity before the ages and that dispensing with all accessories he should fix the attention of the world upon his mind his purpose his love In a palace education we should expect refinement and intellectual resources of many kinds but in the cottage at Nazareth and in all the homes of Christ if we had found anything to account for his greatness it would have by so much detracted from our religious amazement the background of his material poverty seemed but to show in greater vividness the wealth of his spiritual nature Bring all your questions to the Son of God Go and tell Jesus everything and ask him everything in a childlike tender loving patient spirit put all your inquiries to the condescending Son of Prayer of Manasseh and you will find when he replies to you that you will be constrained to exclaim Behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

BI 1-12 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The spirit which prompted the visit

1 A spirit of curiosity

2 A spirit of inquiry

3 A spirit of restlessness

4 A spirit of self-sacrifice

She undertook a long and risky journey A reproof says Christ to indifference and stupidity concerning Himself

II The mutual inter- course during the visit

1 Solomon answered her questions

2 Received her gifts

III The impressions received from the visit

1 She was astonished at the magnificence of Solomon

2 She was surprised at the wisdom of Solomon

3 She was confirmed in her belief concerning Solomon

Faith exercised will be greatly strengthened This just the resultmdash

1 Of honest search after truth

2 Of personal intercourse with Christ

3 Of engagement in Godrsquos service (J Wolfendale)

Hard questions

This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says ldquoProve me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other bookrdquo This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit Himself It is His complaint that we do not ask Him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if He condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The Queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which His mission fills (J Parker D D)

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The meeting together of these representatives of two different nations had the happy effect of drawing closer the bonds or unity

II The beneficial effect which the exhibition or the works of national industry may have upon the thoughtful and well-governed mind The things seen by the Queen of Sheba did much to correct and enlarge her mind far more than all her previous intelligence and inquiry

III The spectacle of works of art and manrsquos device vast multiform and beautiful reflects as in a mirror the wondrous powers of manrsquos mind As we turn from the statue to the mind that sketched and the hand that chiselled out the wonderful design so let us turn from man with all his wonderful skill and give to God the glory The Queen of Sheba returned to her home with higher thoughts of God than she had before

IV The impressive spectacle of Solomrsquos devotion The Queen admired ldquothe ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo Some understand these words of a magnificent communication which Solomon had prepared

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 2: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

the gift so he ought to minister the same for the edification of others as he has opportunity Solomon was communicative of his wisdom and willing to teach others what he knew himself Being taught of God freely he had received and freely he gave Let those that are rich in wisdom as well as wealth learn to do good and be ready to distribute Give to every one that asketh 4 Good order in a family a great family especially in the things of God and a regular discharge of the duties of religious worship are highly expedient and to be much admired wherever found The queen of Sheba was exceedingly affected to see the propriety with which Solomons servants attended him and with which both he and they attended in the house of God Davids ascent to the house of the Lord was also pleasant and interesting Psa_424 5 Those are happy who have the opportunity of a constant converse with such as are knowing wise and good The queen of Sheba thought Solomons servants happy who continually heard his wisdom for it seems even to them he was communicative And it is observable that the posterity of those who had places in his court were willing to have the names of their ancestors forgotten and thought themselves sufficiently distinguished and dignified when they were called the children of Solomons servants (Ezr_255 Neh_757) so eminent were they that it was honour enough to be named from them 6 We ought to rejoice and give God thanks for the gifts graces and usefulness of others The queen of Sheba blessed God for the honour he put upon Solomon and the favour he did to Israel in advancing him to the throne 2Ch_98 By giving God the praise of the prosperity of others we share in the comfort of it whereas by envying the prosperity of others we lose the comfort even of our own The happiness of both king and kingdom she traces up to the fountain of all bliss the divine favour it was because thy God delighted in thee and because he loved Israel Those mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good will of God as our God 7 It becomes those that are wise and good to be generous according to their place and power The queen of Sheba was so to Solomon Solomon was so to her 2Ch_99 2Ch_912 They both knew how to value wisdom and therefore were neither of them covetous of their money but cultivated the acquaintance and confirmed the friendship they had contracted by mutual presents Our Lord Jesus has promised to give us all our desire Ask and it shall be given youLet us study what we shall render to him and not think any thing too much to do or suffer or part with for him

JAMISO 1-4 2Ch_91-12 The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon She admires his wisdom and magnificence

when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon mdash (See on 1Ki_101-13) It is said that among the things in Jerusalem which drew forth the admiration of Solomonrsquos royal visitor was ldquohis ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo This was the arched viaduct that crossed the valley from Mount Zion to the opposite hill In the commentary on the passage quoted above allusion was made to the recent discovery of its remains Here we give a full account of what for boldness of conceptions for structure and magnificence was one of the greatest wonders in Jerusalem ldquoDuring our first visit to the southwest corner of the area of the mosque we

observed several of the large stones jutting out from the western wall which at first seemed to be the effect of a bursting of the wall from some mighty shock or earthquake We paid little regard to this at the moment but on mentioning the fact not long after to a circle of our friends the remark was incidentally dropped that the stones had the appearance of having once belonged to a large arch At this remark a train of thought flashed across my mind which I hardly dared to follow out until I had again repaired to the spot in order to satisfy myself with my own eyes as to the truth or falsehood of the suggestion I found it even so The courses of these immense stones occupy their original position their external surface is hewn to a regular curve and being fitted one upon another they form the commencement or foot of an immense arch which once sprung out from this western wall in a direction towards Mount Zion across the Tyropoeon valley This arch could only have belonged to the bridge which according to Josephus led from this part of the temple to the Xystus (covered colonnade) on Zion and it proves incontestably the antiquity of that portion from which it springsrdquo [Robinson] The distance from this point to the steep rock of Zion Robinson calculates to be about three hundred and fifty feet the probable length of this ancient viaduct Another writer adds that ldquothe arch of this bridge if its curve be calculated with an approximation to the truth would measure sixty feet and must have been one of five sustaining the viaduct (allowing for the abutments on either side) and that the piers supporting the center arch of this bridge must have been of great altitude - not less perhaps than one hundred and thirty feet The whole structure when seen from the southern extremity of the Tyropoeon must have had an aspect of grandeur especially as connected with the lofty and sumptuous edifices of the temple and of Zion to the right and to the leftrdquo [Isaac Taylorrsquos Edition Of Traillrsquos Josephus]

KampD 1-12 The visit of the queen of Sheba Cf 1Ki_101-13 - This event is narrated as a practical proof of Solomons extraordinary wisdom The narrative agrees so exactly in both texts with the exception of some few quite unimportant differences that we must regard them as literal extracts from an original document which they have used in common For the commentary on this section see on 1Ki_101-13

COFFMAN (We have thoroughly discussed this visit of the queen of Sheba to Solomon in our Commentary on First Kings pp 129-137 and there is little that we wish to add here) To summarize (1) Sheba was most likely that Ethiopia over which Haile Selassie was the ruler during this century (2) Solomon evidently was Haile Selassies ancestor through this Ethiopian queen

PARKER 1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Song of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions [or riddles A very pointed sentence indicating a deeper truth and leading to thought (Comp Ezekiel 172) This Wisdom of Solomon couched in apothegms and riddles in which Solomon not only distinguished himself but had an

encounter with Hiram of Tyre was quite a familiar exercise with the Arabs] at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels [bearing the products of her land] that bare spices [the spices of Arabia were famous in all ages Sheba is mentioned in Ezekiel 2722 as trafficking with Tyre in chief of all spices and precious stones and gold ] and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Song of Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

2 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not [not of the mysteries of religion and of the worship of God but only of questions the meaning of which lay not on the surface but was deeply hidden for it was not Solomons religious character but his Wisdom of Solomon that brought her to JerusalemmdashKeil]

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the Wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built

4 And the meat of his table and the sitting [Heb standing] of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers [or butlers] also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord there was no more spirit in her

The Queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard questions ( 2 Chronicles 91)

SOLOMON grows in influence in glory As we had already said whether he may yet play the fool remains to be seen Praise no man until he is dead In the meantime we can only speak in modified compliments even when treating the case of Solomon But he certainly advanced in social status of a moral kind He was visited by the queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba is a model to all inquirers It was not enough for her to have heard of the fame of Solomon and to have admired him at a distance as a unique genius her admiration excited her interest and even her suspicion and being a woman of penetrating mind she desired to put riddles and enigmas whereby she could test the proverbial wisdom of Solomon This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says Prove me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other book This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit himself It is his complaint that we do not ask him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is

necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if he condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power It is on the literary record of the world that Jesus Christ has had more hard questions put to him than any other teacher ever had Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which his mission fills Even were we to put what appears to us a simple question he would show us that there are no simplicities in human thought and human education he would instantly take up the filament and thread of our inquiries and connect these with the very centre and life of the universe The simplest flower is rooted on the earth and the earth is rooted in the sun and the sun and his whole system are rooted in some higher relations of things Thus all processes and organisations go back to the eternal throne so the violet in its retirement and modesty may claim to be part of the household and treasure of God Let it never be supposed that hard questions are to be put only outside the Bible that profound exciting discussion is not possible within the four corners of revelation the contrary is the fact outside the Bible the Church outside everything that is involved and signified by the name of Christ there is nothing but superficiality evanescence and the merest trifling The Church of God should be full of the brightest minds of the very greatest intellects that ever led the civilisation of the world No man need go out of the Bible or out of the Church to find the best food for the mind or to discover problems most worthy of human intellect and genius It is recorded that Solomon told the queen all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not The queen was astounded by what she heard and what she saw She declared that the half had not been told her This is precisely the result of gospel inquiry When men enter into the purpose of Christ and begin to comprehend what it is that Christ wants to do in the world they are filled with holy amazement acknowledging at once not only the tenderness of his pity but the vastness of his mind and the comprehensive range of his outlook Statesmen have been more astounded by his propositions than any other men great warriors and conquerors have stood in simple astonishment before the revealed policy and purpose of the Son of God the greater the minds the greater the tributes which have been paid to Jesus Christ Without going into what may be called the piety or the sentiment of his claim the mere idea that he purposes the sovereignty of the world the government of all men through all time and through all the generations is a conception which invests his mind with claims to be considered as amongst the greatest statesmen leaders and rulers of the world There was about Solomon something indicative of greatness his palace was great the temple was great the service of which he was the centre was elaborate and costly the meat of his table the sitting of his servants the attendance of his

ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord all indicated great pomp and splendour So surrounded Solomon required to be mentally gifted intellectually brilliant in order to preserve in any suitable degree the harmony between himself and his kingly state It was different with Jesus Christ he had not where to lay his head in his environment there was nothing but bareness poverty simplicity this also was in exquisite harmony with the fitness of things for Jesus Christ set up claims with which nothing could compare that is of an earthly kind It was better that no attention should be attracted by his surroundings that he should stand forth in an almost naked simplicity before the ages and that dispensing with all accessories he should fix the attention of the world upon his mind his purpose his love In a palace education we should expect refinement and intellectual resources of many kinds but in the cottage at Nazareth and in all the homes of Christ if we had found anything to account for his greatness it would have by so much detracted from our religious amazement the background of his material poverty seemed but to show in greater vividness the wealth of his spiritual nature Bring all your questions to the Son of God Go and tell Jesus everything and ask him everything in a childlike tender loving patient spirit put all your inquiries to the condescending Son of Prayer of Manasseh and you will find when he replies to you that you will be constrained to exclaim Behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

BI 1-12 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The spirit which prompted the visit

1 A spirit of curiosity

2 A spirit of inquiry

3 A spirit of restlessness

4 A spirit of self-sacrifice

She undertook a long and risky journey A reproof says Christ to indifference and stupidity concerning Himself

II The mutual inter- course during the visit

1 Solomon answered her questions

2 Received her gifts

III The impressions received from the visit

1 She was astonished at the magnificence of Solomon

2 She was surprised at the wisdom of Solomon

3 She was confirmed in her belief concerning Solomon

Faith exercised will be greatly strengthened This just the resultmdash

1 Of honest search after truth

2 Of personal intercourse with Christ

3 Of engagement in Godrsquos service (J Wolfendale)

Hard questions

This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says ldquoProve me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other bookrdquo This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit Himself It is His complaint that we do not ask Him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if He condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The Queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which His mission fills (J Parker D D)

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The meeting together of these representatives of two different nations had the happy effect of drawing closer the bonds or unity

II The beneficial effect which the exhibition or the works of national industry may have upon the thoughtful and well-governed mind The things seen by the Queen of Sheba did much to correct and enlarge her mind far more than all her previous intelligence and inquiry

III The spectacle of works of art and manrsquos device vast multiform and beautiful reflects as in a mirror the wondrous powers of manrsquos mind As we turn from the statue to the mind that sketched and the hand that chiselled out the wonderful design so let us turn from man with all his wonderful skill and give to God the glory The Queen of Sheba returned to her home with higher thoughts of God than she had before

IV The impressive spectacle of Solomrsquos devotion The Queen admired ldquothe ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo Some understand these words of a magnificent communication which Solomon had prepared

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 3: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

observed several of the large stones jutting out from the western wall which at first seemed to be the effect of a bursting of the wall from some mighty shock or earthquake We paid little regard to this at the moment but on mentioning the fact not long after to a circle of our friends the remark was incidentally dropped that the stones had the appearance of having once belonged to a large arch At this remark a train of thought flashed across my mind which I hardly dared to follow out until I had again repaired to the spot in order to satisfy myself with my own eyes as to the truth or falsehood of the suggestion I found it even so The courses of these immense stones occupy their original position their external surface is hewn to a regular curve and being fitted one upon another they form the commencement or foot of an immense arch which once sprung out from this western wall in a direction towards Mount Zion across the Tyropoeon valley This arch could only have belonged to the bridge which according to Josephus led from this part of the temple to the Xystus (covered colonnade) on Zion and it proves incontestably the antiquity of that portion from which it springsrdquo [Robinson] The distance from this point to the steep rock of Zion Robinson calculates to be about three hundred and fifty feet the probable length of this ancient viaduct Another writer adds that ldquothe arch of this bridge if its curve be calculated with an approximation to the truth would measure sixty feet and must have been one of five sustaining the viaduct (allowing for the abutments on either side) and that the piers supporting the center arch of this bridge must have been of great altitude - not less perhaps than one hundred and thirty feet The whole structure when seen from the southern extremity of the Tyropoeon must have had an aspect of grandeur especially as connected with the lofty and sumptuous edifices of the temple and of Zion to the right and to the leftrdquo [Isaac Taylorrsquos Edition Of Traillrsquos Josephus]

KampD 1-12 The visit of the queen of Sheba Cf 1Ki_101-13 - This event is narrated as a practical proof of Solomons extraordinary wisdom The narrative agrees so exactly in both texts with the exception of some few quite unimportant differences that we must regard them as literal extracts from an original document which they have used in common For the commentary on this section see on 1Ki_101-13

COFFMAN (We have thoroughly discussed this visit of the queen of Sheba to Solomon in our Commentary on First Kings pp 129-137 and there is little that we wish to add here) To summarize (1) Sheba was most likely that Ethiopia over which Haile Selassie was the ruler during this century (2) Solomon evidently was Haile Selassies ancestor through this Ethiopian queen

PARKER 1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Song of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions [or riddles A very pointed sentence indicating a deeper truth and leading to thought (Comp Ezekiel 172) This Wisdom of Solomon couched in apothegms and riddles in which Solomon not only distinguished himself but had an

encounter with Hiram of Tyre was quite a familiar exercise with the Arabs] at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels [bearing the products of her land] that bare spices [the spices of Arabia were famous in all ages Sheba is mentioned in Ezekiel 2722 as trafficking with Tyre in chief of all spices and precious stones and gold ] and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Song of Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

2 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not [not of the mysteries of religion and of the worship of God but only of questions the meaning of which lay not on the surface but was deeply hidden for it was not Solomons religious character but his Wisdom of Solomon that brought her to JerusalemmdashKeil]

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the Wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built

4 And the meat of his table and the sitting [Heb standing] of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers [or butlers] also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord there was no more spirit in her

The Queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard questions ( 2 Chronicles 91)

SOLOMON grows in influence in glory As we had already said whether he may yet play the fool remains to be seen Praise no man until he is dead In the meantime we can only speak in modified compliments even when treating the case of Solomon But he certainly advanced in social status of a moral kind He was visited by the queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba is a model to all inquirers It was not enough for her to have heard of the fame of Solomon and to have admired him at a distance as a unique genius her admiration excited her interest and even her suspicion and being a woman of penetrating mind she desired to put riddles and enigmas whereby she could test the proverbial wisdom of Solomon This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says Prove me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other book This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit himself It is his complaint that we do not ask him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is

necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if he condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power It is on the literary record of the world that Jesus Christ has had more hard questions put to him than any other teacher ever had Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which his mission fills Even were we to put what appears to us a simple question he would show us that there are no simplicities in human thought and human education he would instantly take up the filament and thread of our inquiries and connect these with the very centre and life of the universe The simplest flower is rooted on the earth and the earth is rooted in the sun and the sun and his whole system are rooted in some higher relations of things Thus all processes and organisations go back to the eternal throne so the violet in its retirement and modesty may claim to be part of the household and treasure of God Let it never be supposed that hard questions are to be put only outside the Bible that profound exciting discussion is not possible within the four corners of revelation the contrary is the fact outside the Bible the Church outside everything that is involved and signified by the name of Christ there is nothing but superficiality evanescence and the merest trifling The Church of God should be full of the brightest minds of the very greatest intellects that ever led the civilisation of the world No man need go out of the Bible or out of the Church to find the best food for the mind or to discover problems most worthy of human intellect and genius It is recorded that Solomon told the queen all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not The queen was astounded by what she heard and what she saw She declared that the half had not been told her This is precisely the result of gospel inquiry When men enter into the purpose of Christ and begin to comprehend what it is that Christ wants to do in the world they are filled with holy amazement acknowledging at once not only the tenderness of his pity but the vastness of his mind and the comprehensive range of his outlook Statesmen have been more astounded by his propositions than any other men great warriors and conquerors have stood in simple astonishment before the revealed policy and purpose of the Son of God the greater the minds the greater the tributes which have been paid to Jesus Christ Without going into what may be called the piety or the sentiment of his claim the mere idea that he purposes the sovereignty of the world the government of all men through all time and through all the generations is a conception which invests his mind with claims to be considered as amongst the greatest statesmen leaders and rulers of the world There was about Solomon something indicative of greatness his palace was great the temple was great the service of which he was the centre was elaborate and costly the meat of his table the sitting of his servants the attendance of his

ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord all indicated great pomp and splendour So surrounded Solomon required to be mentally gifted intellectually brilliant in order to preserve in any suitable degree the harmony between himself and his kingly state It was different with Jesus Christ he had not where to lay his head in his environment there was nothing but bareness poverty simplicity this also was in exquisite harmony with the fitness of things for Jesus Christ set up claims with which nothing could compare that is of an earthly kind It was better that no attention should be attracted by his surroundings that he should stand forth in an almost naked simplicity before the ages and that dispensing with all accessories he should fix the attention of the world upon his mind his purpose his love In a palace education we should expect refinement and intellectual resources of many kinds but in the cottage at Nazareth and in all the homes of Christ if we had found anything to account for his greatness it would have by so much detracted from our religious amazement the background of his material poverty seemed but to show in greater vividness the wealth of his spiritual nature Bring all your questions to the Son of God Go and tell Jesus everything and ask him everything in a childlike tender loving patient spirit put all your inquiries to the condescending Son of Prayer of Manasseh and you will find when he replies to you that you will be constrained to exclaim Behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

BI 1-12 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The spirit which prompted the visit

1 A spirit of curiosity

2 A spirit of inquiry

3 A spirit of restlessness

4 A spirit of self-sacrifice

She undertook a long and risky journey A reproof says Christ to indifference and stupidity concerning Himself

II The mutual inter- course during the visit

1 Solomon answered her questions

2 Received her gifts

III The impressions received from the visit

1 She was astonished at the magnificence of Solomon

2 She was surprised at the wisdom of Solomon

3 She was confirmed in her belief concerning Solomon

Faith exercised will be greatly strengthened This just the resultmdash

1 Of honest search after truth

2 Of personal intercourse with Christ

3 Of engagement in Godrsquos service (J Wolfendale)

Hard questions

This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says ldquoProve me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other bookrdquo This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit Himself It is His complaint that we do not ask Him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if He condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The Queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which His mission fills (J Parker D D)

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The meeting together of these representatives of two different nations had the happy effect of drawing closer the bonds or unity

II The beneficial effect which the exhibition or the works of national industry may have upon the thoughtful and well-governed mind The things seen by the Queen of Sheba did much to correct and enlarge her mind far more than all her previous intelligence and inquiry

III The spectacle of works of art and manrsquos device vast multiform and beautiful reflects as in a mirror the wondrous powers of manrsquos mind As we turn from the statue to the mind that sketched and the hand that chiselled out the wonderful design so let us turn from man with all his wonderful skill and give to God the glory The Queen of Sheba returned to her home with higher thoughts of God than she had before

IV The impressive spectacle of Solomrsquos devotion The Queen admired ldquothe ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo Some understand these words of a magnificent communication which Solomon had prepared

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 4: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

encounter with Hiram of Tyre was quite a familiar exercise with the Arabs] at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels [bearing the products of her land] that bare spices [the spices of Arabia were famous in all ages Sheba is mentioned in Ezekiel 2722 as trafficking with Tyre in chief of all spices and precious stones and gold ] and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Song of Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

2 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not [not of the mysteries of religion and of the worship of God but only of questions the meaning of which lay not on the surface but was deeply hidden for it was not Solomons religious character but his Wisdom of Solomon that brought her to JerusalemmdashKeil]

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the Wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built

4 And the meat of his table and the sitting [Heb standing] of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers [or butlers] also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord there was no more spirit in her

The Queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard questions ( 2 Chronicles 91)

SOLOMON grows in influence in glory As we had already said whether he may yet play the fool remains to be seen Praise no man until he is dead In the meantime we can only speak in modified compliments even when treating the case of Solomon But he certainly advanced in social status of a moral kind He was visited by the queen of Sheba

The queen of Sheba is a model to all inquirers It was not enough for her to have heard of the fame of Solomon and to have admired him at a distance as a unique genius her admiration excited her interest and even her suspicion and being a woman of penetrating mind she desired to put riddles and enigmas whereby she could test the proverbial wisdom of Solomon This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says Prove me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other book This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit himself It is his complaint that we do not ask him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is

necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if he condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power It is on the literary record of the world that Jesus Christ has had more hard questions put to him than any other teacher ever had Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which his mission fills Even were we to put what appears to us a simple question he would show us that there are no simplicities in human thought and human education he would instantly take up the filament and thread of our inquiries and connect these with the very centre and life of the universe The simplest flower is rooted on the earth and the earth is rooted in the sun and the sun and his whole system are rooted in some higher relations of things Thus all processes and organisations go back to the eternal throne so the violet in its retirement and modesty may claim to be part of the household and treasure of God Let it never be supposed that hard questions are to be put only outside the Bible that profound exciting discussion is not possible within the four corners of revelation the contrary is the fact outside the Bible the Church outside everything that is involved and signified by the name of Christ there is nothing but superficiality evanescence and the merest trifling The Church of God should be full of the brightest minds of the very greatest intellects that ever led the civilisation of the world No man need go out of the Bible or out of the Church to find the best food for the mind or to discover problems most worthy of human intellect and genius It is recorded that Solomon told the queen all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not The queen was astounded by what she heard and what she saw She declared that the half had not been told her This is precisely the result of gospel inquiry When men enter into the purpose of Christ and begin to comprehend what it is that Christ wants to do in the world they are filled with holy amazement acknowledging at once not only the tenderness of his pity but the vastness of his mind and the comprehensive range of his outlook Statesmen have been more astounded by his propositions than any other men great warriors and conquerors have stood in simple astonishment before the revealed policy and purpose of the Son of God the greater the minds the greater the tributes which have been paid to Jesus Christ Without going into what may be called the piety or the sentiment of his claim the mere idea that he purposes the sovereignty of the world the government of all men through all time and through all the generations is a conception which invests his mind with claims to be considered as amongst the greatest statesmen leaders and rulers of the world There was about Solomon something indicative of greatness his palace was great the temple was great the service of which he was the centre was elaborate and costly the meat of his table the sitting of his servants the attendance of his

ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord all indicated great pomp and splendour So surrounded Solomon required to be mentally gifted intellectually brilliant in order to preserve in any suitable degree the harmony between himself and his kingly state It was different with Jesus Christ he had not where to lay his head in his environment there was nothing but bareness poverty simplicity this also was in exquisite harmony with the fitness of things for Jesus Christ set up claims with which nothing could compare that is of an earthly kind It was better that no attention should be attracted by his surroundings that he should stand forth in an almost naked simplicity before the ages and that dispensing with all accessories he should fix the attention of the world upon his mind his purpose his love In a palace education we should expect refinement and intellectual resources of many kinds but in the cottage at Nazareth and in all the homes of Christ if we had found anything to account for his greatness it would have by so much detracted from our religious amazement the background of his material poverty seemed but to show in greater vividness the wealth of his spiritual nature Bring all your questions to the Son of God Go and tell Jesus everything and ask him everything in a childlike tender loving patient spirit put all your inquiries to the condescending Son of Prayer of Manasseh and you will find when he replies to you that you will be constrained to exclaim Behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

BI 1-12 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The spirit which prompted the visit

1 A spirit of curiosity

2 A spirit of inquiry

3 A spirit of restlessness

4 A spirit of self-sacrifice

She undertook a long and risky journey A reproof says Christ to indifference and stupidity concerning Himself

II The mutual inter- course during the visit

1 Solomon answered her questions

2 Received her gifts

III The impressions received from the visit

1 She was astonished at the magnificence of Solomon

2 She was surprised at the wisdom of Solomon

3 She was confirmed in her belief concerning Solomon

Faith exercised will be greatly strengthened This just the resultmdash

1 Of honest search after truth

2 Of personal intercourse with Christ

3 Of engagement in Godrsquos service (J Wolfendale)

Hard questions

This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says ldquoProve me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other bookrdquo This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit Himself It is His complaint that we do not ask Him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if He condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The Queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which His mission fills (J Parker D D)

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The meeting together of these representatives of two different nations had the happy effect of drawing closer the bonds or unity

II The beneficial effect which the exhibition or the works of national industry may have upon the thoughtful and well-governed mind The things seen by the Queen of Sheba did much to correct and enlarge her mind far more than all her previous intelligence and inquiry

III The spectacle of works of art and manrsquos device vast multiform and beautiful reflects as in a mirror the wondrous powers of manrsquos mind As we turn from the statue to the mind that sketched and the hand that chiselled out the wonderful design so let us turn from man with all his wonderful skill and give to God the glory The Queen of Sheba returned to her home with higher thoughts of God than she had before

IV The impressive spectacle of Solomrsquos devotion The Queen admired ldquothe ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo Some understand these words of a magnificent communication which Solomon had prepared

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 5: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if he condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power It is on the literary record of the world that Jesus Christ has had more hard questions put to him than any other teacher ever had Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which his mission fills Even were we to put what appears to us a simple question he would show us that there are no simplicities in human thought and human education he would instantly take up the filament and thread of our inquiries and connect these with the very centre and life of the universe The simplest flower is rooted on the earth and the earth is rooted in the sun and the sun and his whole system are rooted in some higher relations of things Thus all processes and organisations go back to the eternal throne so the violet in its retirement and modesty may claim to be part of the household and treasure of God Let it never be supposed that hard questions are to be put only outside the Bible that profound exciting discussion is not possible within the four corners of revelation the contrary is the fact outside the Bible the Church outside everything that is involved and signified by the name of Christ there is nothing but superficiality evanescence and the merest trifling The Church of God should be full of the brightest minds of the very greatest intellects that ever led the civilisation of the world No man need go out of the Bible or out of the Church to find the best food for the mind or to discover problems most worthy of human intellect and genius It is recorded that Solomon told the queen all her questions and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not The queen was astounded by what she heard and what she saw She declared that the half had not been told her This is precisely the result of gospel inquiry When men enter into the purpose of Christ and begin to comprehend what it is that Christ wants to do in the world they are filled with holy amazement acknowledging at once not only the tenderness of his pity but the vastness of his mind and the comprehensive range of his outlook Statesmen have been more astounded by his propositions than any other men great warriors and conquerors have stood in simple astonishment before the revealed policy and purpose of the Son of God the greater the minds the greater the tributes which have been paid to Jesus Christ Without going into what may be called the piety or the sentiment of his claim the mere idea that he purposes the sovereignty of the world the government of all men through all time and through all the generations is a conception which invests his mind with claims to be considered as amongst the greatest statesmen leaders and rulers of the world There was about Solomon something indicative of greatness his palace was great the temple was great the service of which he was the centre was elaborate and costly the meat of his table the sitting of his servants the attendance of his

ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord all indicated great pomp and splendour So surrounded Solomon required to be mentally gifted intellectually brilliant in order to preserve in any suitable degree the harmony between himself and his kingly state It was different with Jesus Christ he had not where to lay his head in his environment there was nothing but bareness poverty simplicity this also was in exquisite harmony with the fitness of things for Jesus Christ set up claims with which nothing could compare that is of an earthly kind It was better that no attention should be attracted by his surroundings that he should stand forth in an almost naked simplicity before the ages and that dispensing with all accessories he should fix the attention of the world upon his mind his purpose his love In a palace education we should expect refinement and intellectual resources of many kinds but in the cottage at Nazareth and in all the homes of Christ if we had found anything to account for his greatness it would have by so much detracted from our religious amazement the background of his material poverty seemed but to show in greater vividness the wealth of his spiritual nature Bring all your questions to the Son of God Go and tell Jesus everything and ask him everything in a childlike tender loving patient spirit put all your inquiries to the condescending Son of Prayer of Manasseh and you will find when he replies to you that you will be constrained to exclaim Behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

BI 1-12 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The spirit which prompted the visit

1 A spirit of curiosity

2 A spirit of inquiry

3 A spirit of restlessness

4 A spirit of self-sacrifice

She undertook a long and risky journey A reproof says Christ to indifference and stupidity concerning Himself

II The mutual inter- course during the visit

1 Solomon answered her questions

2 Received her gifts

III The impressions received from the visit

1 She was astonished at the magnificence of Solomon

2 She was surprised at the wisdom of Solomon

3 She was confirmed in her belief concerning Solomon

Faith exercised will be greatly strengthened This just the resultmdash

1 Of honest search after truth

2 Of personal intercourse with Christ

3 Of engagement in Godrsquos service (J Wolfendale)

Hard questions

This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says ldquoProve me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other bookrdquo This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit Himself It is His complaint that we do not ask Him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if He condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The Queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which His mission fills (J Parker D D)

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The meeting together of these representatives of two different nations had the happy effect of drawing closer the bonds or unity

II The beneficial effect which the exhibition or the works of national industry may have upon the thoughtful and well-governed mind The things seen by the Queen of Sheba did much to correct and enlarge her mind far more than all her previous intelligence and inquiry

III The spectacle of works of art and manrsquos device vast multiform and beautiful reflects as in a mirror the wondrous powers of manrsquos mind As we turn from the statue to the mind that sketched and the hand that chiselled out the wonderful design so let us turn from man with all his wonderful skill and give to God the glory The Queen of Sheba returned to her home with higher thoughts of God than she had before

IV The impressive spectacle of Solomrsquos devotion The Queen admired ldquothe ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo Some understand these words of a magnificent communication which Solomon had prepared

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 6: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord all indicated great pomp and splendour So surrounded Solomon required to be mentally gifted intellectually brilliant in order to preserve in any suitable degree the harmony between himself and his kingly state It was different with Jesus Christ he had not where to lay his head in his environment there was nothing but bareness poverty simplicity this also was in exquisite harmony with the fitness of things for Jesus Christ set up claims with which nothing could compare that is of an earthly kind It was better that no attention should be attracted by his surroundings that he should stand forth in an almost naked simplicity before the ages and that dispensing with all accessories he should fix the attention of the world upon his mind his purpose his love In a palace education we should expect refinement and intellectual resources of many kinds but in the cottage at Nazareth and in all the homes of Christ if we had found anything to account for his greatness it would have by so much detracted from our religious amazement the background of his material poverty seemed but to show in greater vividness the wealth of his spiritual nature Bring all your questions to the Son of God Go and tell Jesus everything and ask him everything in a childlike tender loving patient spirit put all your inquiries to the condescending Son of Prayer of Manasseh and you will find when he replies to you that you will be constrained to exclaim Behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

BI 1-12 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The spirit which prompted the visit

1 A spirit of curiosity

2 A spirit of inquiry

3 A spirit of restlessness

4 A spirit of self-sacrifice

She undertook a long and risky journey A reproof says Christ to indifference and stupidity concerning Himself

II The mutual inter- course during the visit

1 Solomon answered her questions

2 Received her gifts

III The impressions received from the visit

1 She was astonished at the magnificence of Solomon

2 She was surprised at the wisdom of Solomon

3 She was confirmed in her belief concerning Solomon

Faith exercised will be greatly strengthened This just the resultmdash

1 Of honest search after truth

2 Of personal intercourse with Christ

3 Of engagement in Godrsquos service (J Wolfendale)

Hard questions

This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says ldquoProve me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other bookrdquo This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit Himself It is His complaint that we do not ask Him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if He condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The Queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which His mission fills (J Parker D D)

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The meeting together of these representatives of two different nations had the happy effect of drawing closer the bonds or unity

II The beneficial effect which the exhibition or the works of national industry may have upon the thoughtful and well-governed mind The things seen by the Queen of Sheba did much to correct and enlarge her mind far more than all her previous intelligence and inquiry

III The spectacle of works of art and manrsquos device vast multiform and beautiful reflects as in a mirror the wondrous powers of manrsquos mind As we turn from the statue to the mind that sketched and the hand that chiselled out the wonderful design so let us turn from man with all his wonderful skill and give to God the glory The Queen of Sheba returned to her home with higher thoughts of God than she had before

IV The impressive spectacle of Solomrsquos devotion The Queen admired ldquothe ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo Some understand these words of a magnificent communication which Solomon had prepared

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 7: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

1 Of honest search after truth

2 Of personal intercourse with Christ

3 Of engagement in Godrsquos service (J Wolfendale)

Hard questions

This is what the Bible itself asks for in effect the Bible says ldquoProve me put me to the test under all circumstances of triumph joy need fear and see if I have not within me a better answer than can be found in any other bookrdquo This is the criticism to which Jesus Christ is always willing to submit Himself It is His complaint that we do not ask Him questions enough the assumption of course being that all inquiries are put in a reverent and faithful spirit There is a question-asking to which the Bible will pay no heed and there is a question-asking which Christ will regard as impious and frivolous Whatever we really want to know with our hearts whatever is necessary for us to know Jesus Christ is willing to answer When we bring our riddles and enigmas to Christ they must be riddles and enigmas that express the very agony of desire To our speculation or curiosity Christ may have nothing to say or if He condescend to speak to us it may be in tones of rebuke and repulse Do not be afraid to put hard questions to Christ The Queen of Sheba did not put any flippant questions to Solomon she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which it was possible to propound The meaning of this is that we are to ask the very hardest questions which our soul wishes to have answered always remembering that there are some questions which need not be answered in time and which indeed could not be answered to our present incomplete or depraved capacity and power Properly considered it may be impossible to put any easy questions to Christ within the range of the scope which His mission fills (J Parker D D)

The Queen of Shebarsquos visit to Solomon

I The meeting together of these representatives of two different nations had the happy effect of drawing closer the bonds or unity

II The beneficial effect which the exhibition or the works of national industry may have upon the thoughtful and well-governed mind The things seen by the Queen of Sheba did much to correct and enlarge her mind far more than all her previous intelligence and inquiry

III The spectacle of works of art and manrsquos device vast multiform and beautiful reflects as in a mirror the wondrous powers of manrsquos mind As we turn from the statue to the mind that sketched and the hand that chiselled out the wonderful design so let us turn from man with all his wonderful skill and give to God the glory The Queen of Sheba returned to her home with higher thoughts of God than she had before

IV The impressive spectacle of Solomrsquos devotion The Queen admired ldquothe ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordrdquo Some understand these words of a magnificent communication which Solomon had prepared

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 8: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

between his palace and the courts of the temple while others explain them of the cheerful and fervent solemnity with which he worshipped showing that his heart was deeply engaged in the hallowed and hallowing service (S Bridge M A)

Heart communing

We have in Christ one greater than Solomon

I We ought to communicate with Him of all that is in our heart Neglect of intercourse with Jesusmdash

1 Is very unkind

2 Betrays the sad fact of something wrong

3 Shows a want of confidence in His love sympathy and wisdom

4 Will be the cause of uneasiness in ourselves

5 Will involve the loss of counsel and help

6 Is greatly aggravated by eagerness to tell our troubles to others

II We need not cease communing for want of topics

1 Our sorrows

2 Our joys

3 Our service

4 Our plans

5 Our success and failures

6 Our desires

7 Our fears

8 Our lives

9 Our mysteries

III Nor shall we cease communing for want of reasons Intercourse with Christmdash

1 Is ennobling and elevating

2 Consoling and encouraging

3 Sanctifying and refining

4 Safe and healthy

5 Delightful and heavenly (C H Spurgeon)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 91 There is little in this chapter but what is related in 1 Kings 10 in the notes on which the reader will find it explained at large

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 9: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

ELLICOTT (ii) SOLOMONrsquoS WISDOM WEALTH AND GLORY HIS DEATH

(a) THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (2 Chronicles 91-12)

Comp 1 Kings 101-13

The Hebrew text coincides with Kings allowing for a few characteristic alterations the chief of which will be noticed

(1) And when the queen of Sheba heardmdashNow the queen of Sheba had heard Kings was hearing

The fame of SolomonmdashKings adds a difficult phrase (ldquoas to the name of Jehovahrdquo) which the chronicler omits

Hard questionsmdashRiddles enigmas LXX αἰνίγmicroασιν (Judges 1412)

At JerusalemmdashAn abridgment but not an improvement of Kings The Syr agrees with the latter

Gold in abundancemdashThe chronicler has substituted a favourite expression for the ldquovery much goldrdquo of Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 91 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company and camels that bare spices and gold in abundance and precious stones and when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart

Ver 1 And when the queen of Sheba] See on 1 Kings 101 Saba forte α σεβοmicroαι for the plenty of frankincense and sweet odours there

GUZIK 1-4 2 CHRONICLES 9 - MORE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SOLOMON

A Solomon hosts the Queen of Sheba

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 10: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

1 (2 Chronicles 91-4) The Queen of Sheba comes to Jerusalem

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions having a very great retinue camels that bore spices gold in abundance and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart So Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table the seating of his servants the service of his waiters and their apparel his cupbearers and their apparel and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD there was no more spirit in her

a The Queen of Sheba Sheba (also known as Sabea) was where modern day Yemen is today (Southern Arabia) We know from geography this was a wealthy kingdom with much gold spices and precious woods History also tells us that they were known to have queens as well as kings

i This was a long trip - up to about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) She probably came as part of a trade delegation (1 Kings 102-5) but there is no doubt that she was highly motivated to see Solomon and his kingdom

b To test him with hard questions Because Solomon was internationally famous for his wisdom the Queen of Sheba came to test this great wisdom

c Having a very great retinue This queen traveled in the manner of queens - with a large royal procession heavily laden with gifts and goods for trade

c When she came to Solomon she spoke with him about all that was in her heart Solomonrsquos kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom The Queen of Sheba had great -and seemingly difficult - questions and Solomon answered all her questions

i ldquoThe hard questions were not just riddles but included difficult diplomatic and ethical questions The test was not an academic exercise but to see if he would be a trustworthy business party and a reliable ally capable of giving helprdquo (Wiseman)

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 11: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

ii ldquoBring your hard questions to Christ He is greater than Solomonrdquo (Meyer)

d When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food on his table there was no more spirit in her This Queen was obviously familiar with the world of royal splendor and luxury Yet she was completely overwhelmed by the wisdom of Solomon and the glory of his kingdom

i ldquoWhat happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of artrdquo (Clarke)

PULPIT The writer is about to take his leave of Solomon and the glowing memories of his golden reign and whether he designed it or not he has done so in a most dramatically successful manner in this chapter and especially in the episode that narrates the ever-memorable visit of the Queen of Sheba contained in the first twelve verses of this chapter (parallel 1 Kings 101 - 13)

2 Chronicles 91

The parallel shows very little variation on this narrative In its first verse it adds the words (Authorized Version) concerning the Name of the Lord (ie to the glory of God) after the words the fame of Solomon Sheba This was the name of a descendant of Cush a Hamite (Genesis 107 1 Chronicles 19) also of a son of Joktan a Shemite (Genesis 1028 1 Chronicles h 22) also of a son of Jokshan Abrahams son by Keturah (Genesis 253 1 Chronicles 132) It is quite uncertain who of these constituted or preponderated in the country of Sheba here referred to This is probably Saba the capital of Yemen an important province of Arabia west of the Red Sea north of the Indian Ocean and extending upward nearly to Idumaea The city was reputed splendid the country wealthy and long as the most southerly inhabited part of the world If it were as is believed first occupied by Cushites it was afterwards peopled also by Joktanites and Jokahanites as above In addition- to the two celebrated allusions to it ever memorable see as other references Job 619 Psalms 7210 Psalms 7215 Isaiah 606 Jeremiah 620 Ezekiel 2722 Ezekiel 2723 Ezekiel 3818 Matthew 1242 Luke 1131 The hard questions consisted in riddles ( 142) and enigmas and primitive casuistry in which the Arabians found some considerable portion of their mental gymnastics These no doubt bore some mild cousinly relationship to the proverbs and songs of Solomon and his treasures of botanical and natural history facts (1 Kings 429-32) Spices Hebrew here as also in the parallel This word is used twenty-one times and in מיםa slightly varied form (as in the ninth verse of this same chapter) nine more

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 12: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

times It is almost always translated (Authorized Version) by this same word spice or spices (except Exodus 3023 2 Chronicles 1614 Esther 212 Isaiah 324) There are other Hebrew words for spices such as נכ7ת (Genesis 3725 Genesis 4311) סמים (Exodus 307) רקח (So Luke 82 Ezekiel 2410) but the spice or spices designated by our present word and the exact name or nature of which cannot be certainly pronounced upon was in great request for domestic ecclesiastical funeral (2 Chronicles 1614) and other purposes and was a chief export from Arabia Syria and Persia Gold in abundance Of course it is not necessary to suppose that the gold that came either now from Sheba or even from Ophir was obtained from the immediate region as seen before there may have been a special market or emporium for them there Precious stones These were used for sacred purposes and for domestic and dress ornaments and were graven upon in early times by the Hebrews The chief of those mentioned in the Old Testament are the carbuncle sardius topaz (Exodus 3910 Ezekiel 2813) diamond emerald sapphire (Exodus 3911) Ezekiel 2813) agate amethyst ligure (Exodus 3912) beryl jasper onyx (Genesis 212 Exodus 396 Exodus 3913 Ezekiel 2813) ruby (Job 2818 Proverbs 315) chrysolite chrysoprasus (Ezekiel 2813) The precious stones which the queen brought are likely enough however to have comprised other varieties (including the pearl from the Persian Gulf) such as Pliny describes and see in particular 1 Chronicles 292 Ezekiel 2716 and the art Stones Precious in Smiths Bible Dictionary 31382 All that was in her heart The expression simply means all that she had so desired to get information upon since she had heard of the fame of Solomon

2 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for him to explain to her

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 92 And Solomon told her all her questions and there was

nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not

Ver 2 And Solomon told her all her questions] Which were not of those curious

and frivolous ones condemned by St Paul but weighty and necessary concerning

God and his providence concerning sin good works life eternal ampc questions also

political and moral

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 13: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon as well as the palace he had built

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 93 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of

Solomon and the house that he had built

Ver 3 Had seen the wisdom of Solomon] 1 Kings 104

4 the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed

ELLICOTT (4) And his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lordmdash

Kings ldquoAnd his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lordrdquo The

LXX Syr and Vulg here agree with Kings and the Arab reads ldquothe altar on

which he offeredrdquo In all other passages the word used in our text (lsquoalicircyacirch) means

not ascent but upper chamber it is likely therefore that in the present instance it

is merely an error of transcription for the term occurring in Kings (lsquoocirclacirch ldquoburnt-

offeringrdquo)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 94 And the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants

and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel his cupbearers also and their

apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD there was

no more spirit in her

Ver 4 And their apparel] 1 Kings 105

PULPIT The meat of his table (see 1 Kings 422 1 Kings 423) Translating our

thoughts rather violently into modern language we might picture the queen

inspecting the kitchens of the palace and remember that the kitchens of an Oriental

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 14: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

court did the work not of an individual table but of those of a very large

domestic and official retinue much more these of Solomon now Keil and Bertheau

however with others refer this expression to the set-out of one meal-table (as eg

that of a modern banquet wedding breakfast or the like) where both the

abounding lading of the table and the ample variety of the courses and the rich

foreign or home fruits in season or out of season and the furnishing and decorating

of the table all come in to add their contribution of effect and they quote not

inaptly our 2 Chronicles 920 elucidated by 1 Kings 1021 This was a daily glory

with Solomons palace-establishment The immediate connection and the contents of

this verse though difficult favour this direction of explanation as will be seen in the

succeeding clauses The sitting of his servants The word here used ( מושב ) occurs

forty-three times and is rendered in the Authorized Version thirty-two of these

times as habitation or dwelling Of the remaining eleven times one or other of

those words would be almost the synonym of the word used and in every ease the

rendering dwelling if kept to the general idea of a dwelling or resting-place more

or less temporary would not be inappropriate or inconsistent with the evident drift

of the connection only here and in the parallel is the inconvenient rendering

sitting adopted by the Authorized Version Hence we disagree with Professor Dr

Murphys explanation the sitting ie in council of his chief officers What the

nature of the location (to use a term least specific) of the servants pointed to here is

nevertheless still not quite clear It is evidently placed in some antithesis with the

standing (ie the standing-place) here rendered inadequately or incorrectly the

attendance of his ministers The attendance ie the station ( מעמד ) (see the four

other occurrences of this word 1 Kings 105 1 Chronicles 2328 2 Chronicles

3515 Isaiah 2219) Of his ministers Hebrew משרתיו participle of a piel verb שרת

This word in an amazing majority of the hundred occurrences of it expresses

ministry of sacred service of some kind It may indeed be said that the present

passage with only one or two others are doubtful in this meaning or character of

explanation To our next clause referring to their apparel we find in the parallel

mention as here of the cupbearers though the matter of their apparel is not

included as it is here Part of the difficulty of the verse arises from the consideration

that up to this point the contents of the successive clauses of it may compose possibly

enough a sharp graphic description of the daily banquet scene An apt reference to

similar description of Arabian banquets is given in the Speakers Commentary as

to be found in vol it pp 213-215 of Ancient Monarchies Our next clause

however brings us back into difficulty by its reference to Solomons ascent by which

he went up into the house of the Lord (1 Chronicles 2616 with our Exposition

Pulpit Commentary) apparently so unseasonably nor are we much helped by

reading with the Septuagint the burnt offerings which he offered at the house of

the Lord The obscurity and lack of coherence are not formidable indeed and

perhaps may be with moderate satisfaction set down again to the account of the

occasionally careless selection of the compilers from the material of the older work

Possibly the allusion in our 1 Kings 1011 to the terraces or stairs or highways to

the house of the Lord and to the kings palace may hold some clue to the ascent

being adverted to here

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 15: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

5 She said to the king ldquoThe report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true

ELLICOTT (5) Of thine actsmdashLiterally words LXX περὶ τῶν λόγων σου We might render matters affairs

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 95 And she said to the king [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom

Ver 5 It was a true report] Praeclare de ipso loquitur Lipsius conqueritur - an Iustus ipse viderit - desiisse homines non mode laudanda facere sed laudare (a) Praise worthy persons are not to be defrauded of their due praises If any virtue if any praise [Philippians 48]

PARKER 6-9 2 Chronicles 95-9

5 And she said to the king It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine Acts and of thy wisdom

6 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me for thou exceedest the fame that I heard

7 Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do judgment and justice

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

[These words says Canon Barry are clearly from some contemporary document They breathe at once the spirit of Oriental compliment and a certain seriousness of tone as of a mind stirred by unusual wonder and admiration It is worth notice that they touch but lightly on external magnificence and prosperity and go on to dwell emphatically on the wisdom of Solomon as a wisdom enabling him to do judgment and justice and as a gift from Jehovah his God The acknowledgment of Jehovah of course does not imply acceptance of the religion of Israel It expresses the belief that Hebrews as the tutelary God of Israel is to be held in reverence proportionate to the extraordinary glory which he has given to the nation (see 1 Kings 57)]

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 16: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

That is an honest verdict that is a fair magnanimous judgment The utility of it is in the fact that this would be the verdict of every other religion that came so to say to visit Christianity Change the term from Solomon to Christ from the queen of Sheba to the heart of the pagan world and that heart come honestly to see for itself to listen to Christmdashnot to contend with him or to interrupt him but simply to yield itself to the spell of his eloquencemdashwhat would the verdict be Precisely the verdict of the queen of Sheba in reference to the wisdom of Solomon Other religions would say We have our greatness we have our Wisdom of Solomon we have our morality we are thankful for what our religion has done for our nation we are not ashamed of it India has no occasion to be ashamed of its religion There are teachings in Confucius the great philosopher of China which any man might be proud to quote and to apply to his own daily conduct Yet when they came to visit Christ they would listen they would say He does not look like what he claims to be there is no beauty that we should desire him he is a root out of a dry ground he is without form or comeliness his face is marred more than any mans yet he talks wondrouslymdashBlessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Except a man be converted and become as a little child he cannot see the kingdom of God He took up little children in his arms and blessed them and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven He said he gave his flesh for the hunger of the world and his blood for its thirst He said he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them He took the bearded Pharisees and shook them all with moral indignation and called them hypocrites He went with sinners and sat down with them and made their houses sanctuaries He said to the lost Go and sin no more begin again tomorrow morning and nothing shall be said about yesterday Never man spake like this man Buddha Confucius and all the Oriental writers and all the dreamers of ethics would say He is a wondrous man his words are gracious not only are his words gracious but his tonemdashfor the tone is the Prayer of Manasseh not the wordmdashhis tone is a mystery of wisdom and love

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 95-8) The reaction of the Queen of Sheba

Then she said to the king ldquoIt was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me You exceed the fame of which I heard Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God Because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever therefore He made you king over them to do justice and righteousnessrdquo

a Indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me The Queen of Sheba heard wonderful things about Solomon and his kingdom but upon seeing it with her own eyes she realized it was far greater than she had heard

b Happy are your men and happy are these your servants It is a joyful thing to serve a great wise and rich king If it was a happy thing to serve Solomon it is a much happier thing to serve Jesus

c Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you This is an example of what God wanted to do for Israel under the promises of the Old Covenant God promised Israel that if they obeyed under the Old Covenant He would bless them so tremendously that the world would notice and give glory to the Lord GOD of Israel

i Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth Then all peoples of the earth shall

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 17: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

see that you are called by the name of the LORD and they shall be afraid of you (Deuteronomy 281 Deu_2810)

ii God wanted to reach the nations through an obedient and blessed Israel If Israel did not obey then God would speak to the nations through a thoroughly disciplined Israel

d Blessed be the LORD your God It is fair to ask if this was a true confession of faith expressing allegiance to the God of Israel Taken in their context these may not be more than the queenrsquos response to the astonishing blessing evident in Solomonrsquos Jerusalem

i ldquoHer statement about the blessings of the Lord on Israel and Solomon in 2 Chronicles 99 were no more than a polite reference to Solomonrsquos God There is no record that she accepted Solomonrsquos God who was so majestically edified by the templerdquo (Dilday)

ii ldquoPraise to the LORD implies recognition of Israelrsquos national God and need not necessarily be an expression of personal faithrdquo (Wiseman)

iii If we take the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker we see that Solomon impressed her with his wealth and splendor and also impressed her personally But she returned home without an evident expression of faith in the God of Israel This shows that impressing seekers with facilities and programs and organization and professionalism isnrsquot enough

iv Regardless of the result of her search we can admire her seeking

She came from a great distance

She came with gifts to offer

She came to question and to learn

She came and saw the riches of the king

She came for an extended period

She came telling all that was on her heart

v Jesus used the Queen of Sheba as an example of a seeker The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 1242) If the Queen of Sheba sought Solomon and the splendor of his kingdom so diligently how much more should people today seek Jesus and the glory of His Kingdom She will certainly also rise up in judgment with this generation

e Because the LORD has loved Israel forever therefore He made you king over them This statement is especially meaningful because Solomon was not necessarily the most logical successor of his father David There were several sons of David born before Solomon ldquoIt was Godrsquos special act to make him king rather than his elder brotherrdquo (Poole)

6 But I did not believe what they said until I came

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 18: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

and saw with my own eyes Indeed not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me you have far exceeded the report I heard

ELLICOTT (6) The one half of the greatness of thy wisdommdashKings has simply

ldquothe half was not told merdquo The chronicler has made an explanatory addition (See 1

Chronicles 1229 and 2 Chronicles 3018 for the word marbith ldquoincreaserdquo

ldquomultituderdquo which occurs thrice in the Chronicles and twice elsewhere)

Thou exceedest the famemdashLiterally Thou kast added to the report Kings more

fully ldquoThou hast added wisdom and weal to the reportrdquo

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 96 Howbeit I believed not their words until I came and

mine eyes had seen [it] and behold the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was

not told me [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard

Ver 6 For thou exceedest ampc] See 1 Kings 107

7 How happy your people must be How happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom

ELLICOTT (7) And happy and hearmdashThe conjunctions weaken the

rhetorical effect of the verse and are not read in Kings

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 97 Happy [are] thy men and happy [are] these thy servants

which stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom

Ver 7 Which stand continually before thee] Those that saw Christ in the flesh had

therein a happiness [Matthew 1317] how much more such as see him in heaven

See on 1 Kings 108

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 19: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

8 Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever he has made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousnessrdquo

BESO 2 Chronicles 98 To set thee on his throne to be king for the Lord thy

God mdash In the Lordrsquos name and stead in a special manner because he sat in Godrsquos

own throne and ruled over Godrsquos peculiar people and did in an eminent manner

maintain the honour of God in his land and in the eyes of all the world Those

mercies are doubly sweet in which we can taste the kindness and good-will of God

as our God

ELLICOTT (8) On his thronemdashie Jehovahrsquos throne (Comp 1 Chronicles 285)

Kings has ldquoon the throne of Israelrdquo

To be king for the Lord thy GodmdashA further insistance on the idea that Solomon

was but the vicegerent of Jehovah The clause is added by the chronicler but need

not be called ldquoan evidently wilful alterationrdquo (Thenius)

To establishmdashThis phrase is wanting in the Hebrew of Kings but is probably

original as the LXX there has it

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 98 Blessed be the LORD thy God which delighted in thee to

set thee on his throne [to be] king for the LORD thy God because thy God loved

Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee king over them to do

judgment and justice

Ver 8 To establish them for ever] She speaketh of the spiritual Israel

PULPIT The abstinence on the part of the queen in her mention of the Lord God

of Israel and of the Lord thy God of any indication of a desire that he should

become her God is as suggestive as it is noticeable (compare Hirams language in 2

Chronicles 212)

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 20: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold large quantities of spices and precious stones There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

BESO 2 Chronicles 99 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of

gold ampc mdash This was indeed a royal gift for the gold alone amounted to more than

sixty-nine thousand pounds sterling

ELLICOTT (9) SpicesmdashBrsquosacircmicircm from which come our words balsam and balm

Great abundancemdashSee ote on 2 Chronicles 91 Here lacircrocircb is substituted for the

ancient harbccedilh

either was there any such spicemdashOr there had not been such spicery ie in

Jerusalem A defect in the chroniclerrsquos MS authority probably occasioned this

deviation from the phrase which we find in the older text ldquoThere came no more

such abundance of spiceryrdquo (1 Kings 1010)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 99 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of

gold and of spices great abundance and precious stones neither was there any such

spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon

Ver 9 And she gave the king] See 1 Kings 914

GUZIK 3 (2 Chronicles 99-12) An exchange of gifts

And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold spices in great

abundance and precious stones there never were any spices such as those the queen

of Sheba gave to King Solomon Also the servants of Hiram and the servants of

Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for

the kingrsquos house also harps and stringed instruments for singers and there were

none such as these seen before in the land of Judah ow King Solomon gave to the

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 21: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

queen of Sheba all she desired whatever she asked much more than she had

brought to the king So she turned and went to her own country she and her

servants

a There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King

Solomon She came from a region rich in spices and skilled in the processing of

spices

b Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired Solomon would not allow the

Queen of Sheba to give him more than he gave back to her This description of

Solomonrsquos measure of generosity to the Queen of Sheba also describes the measure

of Godrsquos generosity towards us

i According to tradition - fanciful stories perhaps - the Queen of Sheba wanted a

son by Solomon and he obliged her Her child was named Menilek and he became

the ancestor of all subsequent Ethiopian monarchs

PULPIT An hundred and twenty talents of gold Putting the value of gold at pound4

per ounce the value of one talent would be pound5476 making a total of pound657120 Poole

makes it pound1250000 S Clarke f720000 From our 2 Chronicles 913 2 Chronicles

914 we learn that in one year Solomon received 666 talents beside what merchants

brought Any such spice The parallel has no more such abundance of spices and

of spices very great store The Arabian spices and their land and even sea borne

fragrance as also the very lucrative trade they created are often alluded to by

historians (see among many others Herod 3113 Diod 346 Strabo 164 sect 19)

Much of all this so-termed giving was evidently matter of exchange The queen got

quid pro quo while 2 Chronicles 913 of the parallel (1 Kings 101-29) seems to

speak of the other truer giving

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones

ELLICOTT (10) And the servants also of Huram and the servants of SolomonmdashKings ldquoAnd the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophirrdquo The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2 Chronicles 818

Brought algum treesmdashSee 2 Chronicles 28 LXX ξύλα πεύκιυα Vulg ldquoligna thyinardquo Syriac ldquoacacia () woodrdquo (rsquoeshkorlsquoocirc) Kings ldquobrought from Ophir almug trees in great abundancerdquo In the Mishna rsquoalmucircg is ldquocoralrdquo and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 22: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

algum wood The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks is fragrant and is used in works of art as well as for burning The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album which produces white and yellow sandalwood Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona) which abounds in East India and is a hard yellow-streaked strongly-scented wood used in India for temple building

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 910 And the servants also of Huram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones

Ver 10 And the servants also of Huram] See 1 Kings 1011

Brought algum trees] Not corals as some would have it but brazil wood or rather ebony

PULPIT Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel 1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) or they ought to have though unstated some occult bearing on the queen There are some slight indications pointing to this and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces balustrades stairs (which possibly is the idea in the ascent 2 Chronicles 94) pillars etc made of the wood which Hirams and Solomons servants had formerly brought with gold were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen Terraces to the house of the Lord and to the kings palace These so rendered terraces were probably stairs and as already intimated may have composed the ascent (2 Chronicles 94) and explain the mention of it in 2 Chronicles 94 The algum trees This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew The tree is mentioned only six timesmdashthree times in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28 2 Chronicles 9102 Chronicles 911) and three times in Kings (1 Kings 1011 1 Kings 1012) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon (2 Chronicles 28) though we think this not certain Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word) which Europeans call Brazil wood and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia as well as India Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar Whatever it was it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir The intrinsic nature of the wood and its intrinsically valuable nature may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum The Speakers Commentary quotes Max Muller for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka Harps z psalteries

left both here and in the parallel before the words men of etc in the compound English word chapmen (Authorized Version) shows clearly the construction of this and the following sentence from the previous verse needs to come the words after our beside the weight of gold which came etc This gold probably came by way of tax payments from the merchant travellers and as tribute money from the kings of the part of Arabia where the blood was mingled Jewish and Arabian and not exclusively and independently Arabian (see the word used in place of our Arabian in the parallel and Jeremiah 2524) and from those governors (perhaps in some cases superseding older kings) of adjacent countries that had become in some part tributary to Solomon Governors For this unusual and un-Hebrew word ( פח7ת ) see Ezra 56 Haggai 11 Nehemiah 514 Gesenius mentions Turkish Persian and Sanscrit derivations that would well suit it It is very noticeable that it is employed also by the writer of Kings It is used of a ruler in the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 1824 Isaiah 369) in the Chaldean (Ezekiel 236 Ezekiel 2323 Jeremiah 5123) in the Persian (Esther 89 Esther 93) specially of the Persian governor of Judaea (Haggai 11 Haggai 114 Haggai 22 Haggai 221 Nehemiah 514 Nehemiah 518 Nehemiah 1226 Malachi 18) while Gesenius reads this passage in our present text and its parallel to

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 23: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

speak of governors of Judaea (the country) See also 1 Kings 2024 where the word is translated (Authorized Version) captains and is in the Syrian kings mouth The word is not used before Kings It is used by the writer of Kings three times of Chronicles once by Ezra six times in Nehemiah eight times in Esther three times in Daniel four times and in the remaining prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Haggai Malachi ten times in all The Authorized Version out of the whole number of these occurrences of the word has rendered it captains thirteen times deputies twice and governors twenty times

11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace and to make harps and lyres for the musicians othing like them had ever been seen in Judah)

BARES 2Ch_911

Terraces - Rather as in the margin ldquostairsrdquo (see the 1Ki_1012 note)

ELLICOTT (11) TerracesmdashMrsquosillocircth which usually means highways that is raised paths The word is an interpretation of mislsquoacircd which only occurs in 1 Kings 1112 LXX ἰναβἰσεις Vulg ldquogradusrdquo Arabic ldquopillarsrdquo

SingersmdashThe singers

And there were none such seen before in the land of JudahmdashA shortened paraphrase of ldquoThere came no such almug trees nor were seen unto this dayrdquo (Kings) ldquoThe land of Judahrdquo is a phrase which indicates how utterly the northern kingdom was excluded from the redactorrsquos thought

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for he gave her more than she

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 24: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

had brought to him Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country

BARES 2Ch_912

Beside that which she had brought unto the king - It is difficult to assign any sense to these words as they now stand in the Hebrew text A slight alteration will give the meaning ldquoBeside that which the king had brought for herrdquo which is in conformity with 1Ki_1013

The narrative here is parallel with that in marginal reference from which it varies but little and to which it adds nothing

CLARKE Beside that which she had brought unto the king - In 1Ki_1013it is stated that Solomon gave her all she asked besides that which he gave her of his royal bounty It is not at all likely that he gave her back the presents which she brought to him and which he had accepted She had no doubt asked for several things which were peculiar to the land of Judea and would be curiosities in her own kingdom and besides these he gave her other valuable presents

BENSON 2 Chronicles 912 Besides that which she had brought unto the king mdash Over and above that which was an equivalent for the presents she had made him See note on 1 Kings 1013

ELLICOTT (12) Beside that which she had brought unto the kingmdashIt can hardly be meant that Solomon returned her own presents If the reading be sound we may understand return presents ie gifts equal in value to those which she had bestowed Or better we may regard the clause as a parenthetic note of the chroniclerrsquos to the effect that the giving of presents was not all on one side Solomon showed himself as royally generous as his visitor Putting the clause first would make this meaning clearer ldquoAnd quite apart from what she brought the king Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desirerdquo Bertheau however proposes a slight change in the Hebrew text so as to get the sense ldquobeside what the king had brought for herrdquo 1 Kings 1013 is much clearer ldquobesides what he had given her according to the hand of king Solomonrdquo LXX translates ldquobesides all that she brought to king Solomonrdquo the Vulg ldquoand far more than she had brought himrdquo which may be a trace of the original reading the Syriac ldquobesides what he had given herrdquo Syriac and Arabic add ldquoand he revealed to her all that was in her heartrdquo

She turnedmdashHacircphak for pacircnacirch of Kings which is more usual in this sense

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 25: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 912 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatsoever she asked beside [that] which she had brought unto the king So she turned and went away to her own land she and her servants

Ver 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen] 1 Kings 1013

Besides that which she had brought unto the king] ie Besides that which he gave her in exchange or requital of her presents he added many more thereunto out of his own mere bounty and liberality even the greatest rarities of his country Munsterrsquos translation therefore is not to be admitted Sed non tantum quantum illa attulit regi Ingenuous spirits love not to lie behind in their courteous retributions

Solomonrsquos Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents[d]

HERY 13-28 We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne would not secure him from the grave Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat - Death wrenches from the hand the sceptre as well as the spade

I Here is Solomon reigning in wealth and power in ease and fulness such as for aught I know could never since be paralleled by any king whatsoever In cannot pretend to be critical in comparing the grandeur of Solomon with that of some of the great princes of the earth But I may observe that the most illustrious of them were famed for their wars whereas Solomon reigned forty years in profound peace Some of those that might be thought to vie with Solomon affected retirement kept people in awe by keeping them at a great distance nobody must see them or come near him upon pain of death but Solomon went much abroad and appeared in public business So that all things considered the promise was

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 26: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

fulfilled that God would give him riches and wealth and honour such as no kings have had or shall have 2Ch_112 1 Never any prince appeared in public with great splendour than Solomon did which to those that judge by the sight of the eye as most people do would very much recommend him He had 200 targets and 300 shields all of beaten gold carried before him (2Ch_915 2Ch_916) and sat upon a most stately throne 2Ch_917-19 There was not the like in any kingdom The lustre wherein he appeared was typical of the spiritual glory of the kingdom of the Messiah and but a faint representation of his throne which is above every throne Solomons pomp was all artificial and therefore our Saviour prefers the natural beauty of the lilies of the field before it Mat_629 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 2 Never any prince had greater plenty of gold and silver though there were no gold or silver mines in his own kingdom Either he made himself master of the mines in other countries and having a populous country sent hands to dig out those rich metals or having a fruitful country he exported the commodities of it and with them fetched home all this gold that is here spoken of 2Ch_913 2Ch_914-21 3 Never any prince had such presents brought him by all his neighbours as Solomon had All the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought him gold and silver (2Ch_914) not as tribute which he extorted from them but as freewill offerings to procure his favour or in a way of exchange for some of the productions of his husbandry corn or cattle All the kings of the earth brought him presents that is all in those parts of the world (2Ch_924 2Ch_928) because they coveted his acquaintance and friendship Herein he was a type of Christ to whom as soon as he was born the wise men of the east brought presents gold frankincense and myrrh (Mat_211) and to whom all that are about him must bring presents Psa_7611 Rom_121 4 Never any prince was so renowned for wisdom so courted so consulted so admired (2Ch_923) The kings of the earth (for it was too great a favour for common persons to pretend to) sought to hear his wisdom - his natural philosophy or his skill in physic or his state policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the reasons of it The application which they then made to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn mens general contempt of Christ and his gospel Though in them are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yet none of the princes of this world desire to know them for they are foolishness to them 1Co_28 1Co_214

JAMISO 2Ch_913-28 His riches

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year mdash (See on 1Ki_1014-29)

six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold mdash The sum named is equal to about $17000000 and if we take the proportion of silver (2Ch_914) which is not taken into consideration at one to nine there would be about $2000000 making a yearly supply of nearly $19000000 being a vast amount for an infant effort in maritime commerce [Napier]

KampD 13-21 Solomons revenue in gold and the use he made of it Cf 1Ki_

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 27: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

1014-22 and the commentary there on this section which is identical in both narratives with the exception of some trifling differences Before

מביאיםמביאיםמביאיםמביאים the relative pronoun is to be supplied ldquoand what the והסחריםוהסחריםוהסחריםוהסחרים

merchants broughtrdquo As to the derivation of the word פחתפחתפחתפחת which comes

from the Aramaic form פחהפחהפחהפחה governor (2Ch_914) see on Hag_11 - תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשישהלכתהלכתהלכתהלכת in 2Ch_921 ships going to Tarshish is an erroneous אניתאניתאניתאנית

paraphrase of תרשישתרשישתרשישתרשיש Tarshish-ships ie ships built for long sea אניתאניתאניתאנית

voyages for the fleet did not go to Tartessus in Spain but to Ophir in Southern Arabia (see on 1Ki_926) All the rest has been explained in the commentary on 1 Kings 10

ELLICOTT (b) SOLOMONrsquoS INCOME SPLENDOUR AND DOMINIONmdash(2 Chronicles 913-28) Comp 1 Kings 1014-29 and 1 Kings 426-27

(13) Now the weight of goldmdashSee 1 Kings 1014 with which this verse coincides

COFFMAN And the kings and the governors brought gold and silver to Solomon (2 Chronicles 814) These `gifts must not be understood as voluntary in any sense of the word Solomons power which he had inherited from David gave him the means of extorting every possible penny out of the whole region Solomons conduct as the Chronicler has outlined it here is an anthology of Solomons gross disobedience of all of Gods commandments God had specifically warned Israels kings not to multiply unto themselves silver and gold (Deuteronomy 1716-17) and it would have been impossible for anyone to violate that commandment with any more contempt than did Solomon

Also the Decalogue had specifically forbidden Gods people to make images or likenesses of anything either in heaven or upon earth but look at what Solomon did in the matter of those images of lions on his throne

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 913 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold

Ver 13 Now the weight] See 1 Kings 1014

GUZIK B Solomonrsquos great wealth

1 (2 Chronicles 913-14) Solomonrsquos yearly income

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 28: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

a Six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold This is a vast amount of gold which came to Solomon yearly One commentator sets the value of the 666 talents of gold at $281318400 This speaks not only to the great wealth of Solomon but it also makes him the only other person in the Bible associated with the number 666

i The other Biblical connection to 666 is the end-times world dictator and opponent of God and His people often known as the Antichrist (Revelation 1318) In fact the Revelation passage specifically says that the number 666 is the number of a man and the man may be Solomon

ii This isnrsquot to say that Solomon was the Antichrist or that the coming Antichrist will be some weird reincarnation of Solomon But it may indicate that the Antichrist may not be someone purely evil from the very beginning Instead he may be like Solomon - a good man corrupted

b Besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought Solomon received more than 666 talents of gold a year The 666 talents was just his beginning salary

i The writer of gives us a subtle warning signal here He assumes that we know of the instructions for future kings of Israel in Deuteronomy 1714-20 He assumes we know Deuteronomy 1717 of that passage which says nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself God blessed Solomon with great riches but Solomon allowed that blessing to turn into a danger because he disobediently multiplied silver and gold for himself

14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon

CLARKE The kings of Arabia - ldquoThe kings of Sistevanthardquo - Targum

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 29: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

ELLICOTT (14) Besides that which chapmen and merchants broughtmdashThe Hebrew is difficult and probably corrupt Literally it seems to run besides the men of the itinerants (a strange phrase) and that which the merchants were bringing or perhaps apart from the men of the itinerants and the merchants bringing The last word may be a clerical error as it occurs again directly The conjecture of Thenius on 1 Kings 1015 seems to be borne out by the ancient Versions He would read instead of rsquoanshecirc ha-tacircricircm ldquomen of the travellersrdquo lsquoonshecirc ha-rrsquoducircyicircm ldquofines or tributes of the subjectsrdquo The Syriac of Chronicles has ldquotributes of the citiesrdquo Perhaps therefore the true original reading was lsquoonshecirc helsquoaricircm The Vulg renders ldquoenvoys of divers peoplesrdquo but the LXX ldquomen of the subjected (states)rdquo

For the second half of the phrase Kings has ldquoand the merchandise of the pedlarsrdquo

The kings of ArabiamdashKings ldquothe kings of the mixed tribesrdquo that is the Becircdacircwicircs bordering on and mingling with Israel (Comp Exodus 1238) The difference depends on the vowel pointing only (Comp Jeremiah 2524 where both words occur and Ezekiel 305)

GovernorsmdashPachocircth ie pashas Thenius is wrong in supposing this word to be a token of the ldquolater composition of the sectionrdquo (See Note on 2 Kings 1824)

BroughtmdashWere bringing = used to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 923-24)

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 914 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon

Ver 14 See 1 Kings 1015-17 ampc

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 30: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

BARES 15-16 Comparing 1Ki_1016-17 it follows from the two passages together that the ldquopound of goldrdquo was equal to 100 shekels

CLARKE And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold -For a more correct valuation of these targets and shields than that in 1Ki_1017 (note) see at the end of the chapter

ELLICOTT 15) And king Solomon mademdashWord for word as 1 Kings 1016

Beaten goldmdashRather according to Gesenius mixed or alloyed gold But the word (shahucirct ie shatucircah) seems to mean gold beaten out gold-leaf So LXX ἰλατοἰς

Went tomdashHe put on ie he plated the ldquotargetsrdquo which were large oblong shields with gold (Comp Amos 810 ldquoAnd I will put upon all loins sackclothrdquo) So in 2 Chronicles 916

GUZIK 2 (2 Chronicles 915-28) Examples of Solomonrsquos wealth and prosperity

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold The throne had six steps with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat and two lions stood beside the armrests Twelve lions stood there one on each side of the six steps nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom All King Solomonrsquos drinking vessels were gold and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold silver ivory apes and monkeys So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart Each man brought his present articles of silver and gold garments armor spices horses and mules at a set rate year by year Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and he

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 31: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands

a Two hundred large shields of hammered gold three hundred shields of hammered gold These shields made beautiful displays in the House of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 1017) but they were of no use in battle Gold was too heavy and too soft to be used as a metal for effective shields This shows Solomon had the image of a warrior king but without the substance

i According to Dilday each large shield was worth about $120000 The smaller shields were worth $30000 $33 million was invested in gold ceremonial shields

b Not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon This was a statement of wealth If taken seriously it shows the tremendous abundance of Solomonrsquos kingdom Truly King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom and the promises of Deuteronomy 281-14 were fulfilled in his reign The LORD will open to you His good treasure the heavens to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand You shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow (Deuteronomy 2812)

c All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart This was another fulfillment of the promises of Deuteronomy 28 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail you shall be above only and not be beneath if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 2813)

d The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones When we think of Solomonrsquos great wealth we also consider that he originally did not set his heart upon riches He deliberately asked for wisdom to lead the people of God instead of riches or fame God promised to also give Solomon riches and fame and God fulfilled His promise

i We also consider that Solomon gave an eloquent testimony to the vanity of riches as the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes He powerfully showed that there was no ultimate satisfaction through materialism We donrsquot have to be as rich as Solomon to learn the same lesson

e The brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and all lands At the end of this great description of Solomonrsquos wealth and splendor we have the sound of this dark note This was in direct disobedience to Deuteronomy 1716 which said to the Kings of Israel But he shall not multiply horses for himself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses for the LORD has said to you ldquoYou shall not return that way againrdquo

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 915 2 Chronicles 916

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 32: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

Targets hellip shields The Authorized Version target is unfortunate though it may with somewhat grim truth represent fact It was a very large solid shield originally made of some common material as basketwork or wood and covered with leather these with a plate of gold The absence of the word shekel in each clause both here and in Kings leaves it open to us to suppose that the beka or half-shekel may be the right word Now the maneh (see 1 Kings 1017) or pound meant 100 bekas ie 50 shekels Thus the targets or shields had six manehs of gold to their plating each and the lesser bucklers three manehs each On the estimate that the shekel weighed 9 dwt 3 gr since the maneh weighed fifty shekels the gold to a shield (target) may be put at something over 11 lbs troy The house of the forest of Lebanon ie an armoury (see 1 Kings 72-5 2 Samuel 87 Song of Solomon 44 Isaiah 228) Shishak took these when he conquered Jerusalem (1 Kings 1426)

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon

ELLICOTT (16) ShieldsmdashMaginnicircm The macircgccediln was a rouud or oval shield

about half the size of the ldquotargetrdquo (ccedilinnah) with which it is often contrasted eg

Psalms 352 LXX ἀσπίδα

Three hundred shekels of goldmdashKings three manehs of gold The maneh or mina

(Assyrian mana) was 1-60th part of a talent and was equivalent to fifty or sixty

shekels Either the reading of our text is an error of transcription (shrsquolosh mccedilrsquoocircth

for shrsquolosheth manicircm) or the word shekels is wrongly supplied in our version and

we ought rather to read drachms (100 drachms = 1 mina) The Syriac reads ldquoAnd

three minas of gold wrought on the handle of one shieldrdquo so also the Arabic

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 33: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold

CLARKE Made a great throne of ivory - For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon see at the end of the chapter 2Ch_929 (note)

COFFMAN d Regarding that gold-plated idolatrous throne

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold which were fastened to the throne and stays on either side by the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps there was not the like made in any kingdom And all king Solomons drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks

In addition to all of the wealth brought to Solomon by his commercial ventures the governors of the country (the provincial authorities in Israel 2 Chronicles 814) were also subject to oppressive taxation to such an extent that the northern tribes demanded an easement of the burden when Solomons son succeeded him And what did Solomon do with all that wealth He blew all of it in ostentatious decorations of his personal effects a footstool of gold What earthly benefit was there in a thing like that It ministered to only one thing Solomons colossal conceited pride

One thing is absolutely a mystery to this writer How could any scholar ever have written a paragraph like the following

These verses are closely paralleled in 1 Kings 10 the source upon which the writer relied There was no reason to deviate from the source for it fitted quite well into his scheme for the glorification of King Solomon[1]

Contrary to this allegation which is frequently parroted by critical scholars a more eloquent or convincing condemnation of Solomons sinful conceit and violation of Gods Word than that which we find right here could not possibly have been written

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 34: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 917 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold

Ver 17 Moreover the king made] See on 1 Kings 1018

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 917-19

It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psalms 459 Amos 315 Amos 64) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory whether more or less of it The parallel adds that the top of the throne was round behind (1 Kings 1019) Comparing also the two accounts it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne ie two to each step When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or arms) on each side of the sitting-place we may easily imagine from ancient modelled thrones that of them the arms were themselves no small part It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool The lion is of course as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place and the use of the lion and the number of them reminding of the tribes of Israel were specifically justified to the people whose oracles contained such words as those in Genesis 499 Numbers 2324 Numbers 249 Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne If so it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for but they are not given That they were well proportioned to the height marked by six steps may be taken for granted

18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold was attached to it On both sides of the seat were armrests with a lion standing beside each of them

BARES The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne it appears everywhere in the Egyptian Assyrian and Persian sculptures

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 35: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

BENSON 2 Chronicles 918 With a footstool of gold mdash This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1 Kings 1018 where see the note

ELLICOTT (18) With a footstool of gold which were fastened to the thronemdashInstead of this Kings has And the throne had a rounded top behind Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings and with which the Syriac here agrees The LXX renders ldquoand six steps to the throne fastened with goldrdquo omitting the footstool The Heb is at all events suspiciously awkward

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1 Kings 1019-20 The chronicler has made two slight verbal corrections in 2 Chronicles 919

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 918 And [there were] six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold [which were] fastened to the throne and stays on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays

Ver 18 And there were six steps] Haec omnia fuerunt mystica All about this throne was mystical and significative

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps one at either end of each step othing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom

TRAPP Verses 19-23

2 Chronicles 919 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other

upon the six steps There was not the like made in any kingdom

Ver 19-23 ampc] See 1 Kings 1020-22 ampc

20 All King Solomonrsquos goblets were gold and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold othing was made of

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 36: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

silver because silver was considered of little value in Solomonrsquos day

ELLICOTT (20) one were of silver it was not anything accounted ofmdashThe not

appears to be rightly supplied by our version comp 1 Kings 1021 with which the

verse otherwise entirely agrees

PULPIT The house of the forest of Lebanon The circumstance of the vessels of

this house being mentioned in such close connection with the drinking-vessels of

Solomon is another indication of the close connection of the buildings themselves (1

Kings 71 1 Kings 72-5 1 Kings 76 etc) also that these vessels of the house of

the forest of Lebanon were like Solomon s drinking-vessels infers the use of the

apartments of the house for social or at any rate state occasions

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiramrsquos[h] servants Once every three years it returned carrying gold silver and ivory and apes and baboons

CLARKE The kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish - ldquoWent to Africardquo - Targum

JAMISO the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshish mdash rather ldquothe kingrsquos ships of Tarshish wentrdquo with the servants of Huram

ships of Tarshish mdash that is in burden and construction like the large vessels built for or used at Tarshish [Calmet Fragments]

BI And apes and peacocks

Apes and peacocks

(to children)mdashWe learn from this passagemdash

I That a rich man can get as far as worldly goods are concerned almost

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 37: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

what he likes in this world

II What even wise men will do when they have more money than they know how to use Such was Solomonrsquos position apes and peacocks were costly and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him (D Davies)

Apes

I The ape is something like us and yet he is very much unlike us

1 He cannot speak

2 He cannot learn

3 He has no foresight or forethought It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be

II The ape is only a caricature of a man and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits so you generally find that if a child or man apes another he apes him only in his failings I saw a boy the other day who could not have been more than eleven vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere He evidently thought he looked like a man but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all Learn to be natural Let the one desire of your life be to be true Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences (D Davies)

Peacocks

The peacock has a beautiful tail and in this respect no bird can match him But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers Its characteristic failing is vanity

I I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock Everything depends upon their dress or their outward appearance But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress

II I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances God does not Learn that the truest ornament is ldquoa meek and gentle spirit which in the sight of God is of great pricerdquo (D Davies)

ELLICOTT (21) For the kingrsquos ships went to Tarshishmdash1 Kings 1022 ldquoFor the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea with the fleet of Hiramrdquo It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression ldquoTarshish fleetrdquo ie a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages (Comp Isaiah 216) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2 Chronicles 910 is not evident Solomon may have had

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 38: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

a fleet in the Mediterranean (ldquothe seardquo of 1 Kings 1022) trading westward as well as in the Red Sea trading south and east Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf (See Note on 2 Chronicles 2036)

COKE 2 Chronicles 921 The ships of Tarshishmdash That this was some place in the East Indies appears as Bochart thinks from the commodities elephants teeth apes and peacocks brought from thence and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber on the Red Sea He is of opinion that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory on the north of the island of Ceylon which according to him was the land of Ophir whither the ships of Solomon went If this opinion be admitted Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward as Tarshish in Spain was westward just as we from the East Indies call part of America since discovered the West Indies But after all that Bochart has written on this subject I must not omit to observe that another very ingenious writer is of opinion that the Tarshish to which Solomons fleet sailed was no other than the Tarshish in Spain whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa and doubling the cape of Good Hope came to Tarshish in Spain and thence back again the same way In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home and remarks that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomons fleet is said to have brought back and to confirm this it seems certain from the account given by Herodotus lib 4 cap 42 that in the reign of Necus or Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt above six hundred years before Christ some Phoenicians sent out by him did in like manner set sail from the Red Sea and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar though indeed instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean See Nature Displayed vol 4 and Parkhursts Lexicon on the word

PULPIT To Tarshish The parallel has in both clauses of its verse (1 Kings 1022) ships of Tarshish The order of the words in the former clause of our present verse that compels us to read going to Tarshish certifies the correct meaning The word Tarshish (the subsequent Tartessus) covered a district in South Spain as well as named a town and river and stretched opposite the coast of Africa Both coasts were beneath Phoenician rule and a voyage to Tarshish would most naturally mean calling at many a port and many an African port from one and another of which all the imports here spoken of would be obtainable The meaning of the Hebrew root of Tarshish is to subjugate The town lay between the two mouths of the river Baetis now Guadal-quiver Gesenius thinks that the writer of Chronicles says in ignorance to Tarshish and that the ships went to Ophir These passages do not say that the voyage whatever it was took three years much less that that length of time was necessary Whether voyages were in Solomons time

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 39: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

made from the Red Sea circumnavigating Africa into the Mediterranean is not certain If they were such voyages taken at a sauntering pace with calls at many ports and easygoing delays they may easily have consumed as long a space of time as three years The theory that Tarshish was Tarsus in Cilicia is easily and conclusively negatived The names in Hebrew of ivory apes and peacocks have been said to be of Indian origin This is far from proved and as regards the first two may be said to be sufficiently disproved But if it all were so still the fact that the Hebrew names were of an Indian language derivation would go very short way to prove that the Hebrew people got the things represented by them direct or at all from India Ivory Hebrew נחים The Authorized Version rendering ivory occurs ten times in the Old Testament having for its original the Hebrew 1(ן Kings 1018 1 Kings 2239 2 Chronicles 917 Psalms 458 So 514 Psalms 74 Ezekiel 276 Ezekiel 2715 Amos 315 Amos 64) In all these cases two of them being in closest juxtaposition with the present and its parallel occasion the word speaks of ivory that is being used ie as though it were manufactured material or ready for manufacture But in our passage and its parallel where the different word given above is found it is manifest that it speaks of the material so to say in the rough as just tooth or tusk ofmdash but further what the חים is is not yet ascertained It is not a word known in the Hebrew vocabulary Gesenius finds the Sanscrit ibhas which signifies an elephant Canon Rawlinsen finds in some Assyrian inscriptions a word habba used of both elephant and camel but probably having for its generic signification a great animal Keil (on the parallel) finds a Coptic word eboy the Latin elephas to which he prefixes the Hebrew article ה The Targum Jonathan shows at once ן־פיל Gesenius in his Thesaurus calls also timely attention to Ezekiel 2715 where we read They brought thee a present horns of ivory and ebony (Hebrew Chethiv והובנים Keri But no use of ebony happens to be mentioned in the connection (קרנ7ת ן והבניםof our present passages or subject Thus it will be seen that no little ingenuity has been employed to hunt down this little word though as yet not quite successfully More may be seen in Smiths Dictionary of the Bible 1906 Apes Hebrew קופים Conder says This word is identical with the name of the monkey in Tamil Keil connects it with the Sanscrit kapi but does not believe with Gesenius that the animal came from India but Ethiopia In a valuable note in the Speakers Commentary we read It is found (not stated where) that the word was an Egyptian word signifying a kind of monkey in use in the time of Thothmes II ie about the time of the Israelites exodus (For Herodotuss testimony respecting ivory and apes in North Africa see his Hist 491) Peacocks Hebrew ים Conder says a Tamil word tokei means peacock Keil proposes to consider it one of the later Romans luxurious delicacies aves Numidicae from Tuoca a town in Mauretania or Numi-alia Some translate it guinea-fowl and some parrots The peacock did not belong to Africa yet still it may have been purchaseable at some port there

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 40: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

wisdom than all the other kings of the earth

KampD In 2Ch_922-28 all that remained to be said of Solomons royal glory his riches his wisdom and his revenues is in conclusion briefly summed up as in 1Ki_1023-29 From 2Ch_925 onwards the account given in the Chronicle diverges from that in 1Ki_1026 in so far that what is narrated in 1Ki_1026-28 concerning Solomons chariots and horses and his trade with Egypt in horses is here partly replaced by statements similar in import to those in 1 Kings 5 because the former matters had been already treated of in Chr 2Ch_114-17

COFFMAN e Solomons riches and his alleged wisdom

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart And they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland for abundance And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands

Solomon exceeded all the kings in riches and wisdom (2 Chronicles 822) Solomons wisdom was unrelated to what we know as true wisdom that kind of wisdom is defined in Gods Word The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments (Psalms 11110) The meaning of the word wisdom as it was used by the Chronicler was evidently something else As the term was used by his self-seeking flatterers it meant little or nothing and it could be that the Chronicler here was using it in exactly the same way One thing is certain namely that Solomon neither feared God nor honored his commandments

The passage that we have so often cited in Deuteronomy 1716-17 specifically forbade Israels kings to multiply unto themselves (1) wives (2) silver and gold and (3) horses Solomon wantonly violated all these commandments in the most extravagant manner

A rate year by year (2 Chronicles 924) These words identify all those `gifts that came to Solomon by those rulers throughout the world of that

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 41: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

era as `taxes or `tribute imposed not occasionally but continually year by year This also explains why they sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom Their fulsome compliments paid to Solomon were nothing but the flattery of vassal underlings seeking to make a good impression on the conceited Solomon whom they unwillingly served as his vassals

PARKER And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom ( 2 Chronicles 922)

We are not to understand by all the earth what is signified by that definition now we are to understand rather that in relation to all the known kings of his time Solomon was head and chief What was meant by the earth is defined in 2 Chronicles 926mdashAnd he reigned over all the kings from the river unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt That Solomon should have been elevated to this supremacy is in fulfilment of the divine promise When God sets his mind upon a man that he may give to that man elevation dignity honour and dominion who can set bounds to the divine appointment If the passage had read King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches it would have been a poor display of vanity What is it that one man should have ten thousand horses more than another man What is it that one kingly crown should weigh many ounces of gold more than another kingly crown All this is external ostentatious and transitory The passage however proceeds to add wisdom to riches and therein the honour of Solomon is complete Solomon was not only a man of knowledgemdashwhich any man may be by careful reading and patient inquiry and study Solomons was a wealth of Wisdom of Solomon knowledge made practical and available knowledge turned to account a kind of intellectual seed coming to bud and blossom and ample fruitfulness Wisdom is better than knowledge The wise man takes in all circumstances constructs events so as to make of them an edifice that should lead him correctly to infer the ability character and purpose of the Architect of history Many a man has knowledge who has not wisdom Some have knowledge who cannot communicate it so it becomes a mere selfish luxury others have knowledge that is so imperfect as to be worse than ignorance hence such men deal in half truths which are no better than sophisms and even falsehoods True wisdom is large comprehensive in its outlook at once microscopic and telescopic seeing the small and near the vast and distant The wise man cannot always move at a very eager or violent pace he has many things to look at which fools or superficial thinkers do not see he has a thousand calculations to make which do not enter into the reckoning of the popular mind he is therefore obliged to refer his judgments to time and to reap his honours after he has passed through this scene of life In this matter many wise men have suffered they have been misunderstood they have been imperfectly represented and in not a few instances they have been unable adequately to explain themselves for they seemed to have passed beyond the immediate currency of words and to have required a special language for the utterance and illustration of their thought and meaning If Solomon was so great what should be said of him who described himself as One greater than Solomon Jesus Christ did not

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 42: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

hesitate to use these words and we know that he never threw words away or used them in any false or vicious sense It would seem as if we must first understand Solomon before we can understand Christ As the queen of Sheba was overpowered and overwhelmed by what she saw so we are to estimate all previous history especially as that history culminates in its brightest characters its noblest heroes its wisest Solomons then advancing to Christ we hear him distinctly say that he is greater than all that went before This very claim would seem to involve his right to be worshipped as the Son of God When a teacher declares himself to be greater than Jonah greater than Song of Solomon greater than Moses who can he be Is it enough to look upon him simply as a good man Does it satisfy the religious imagination to give him a place by himself and offer to him unique distinctions Does it not rather seem to be right to acknowledge that he proceeded forth and came from God and that he brought with him glory from a state of existence immeasurably older than earth and time and the limitations by which we are bounded and defined Without saying in so many words that he was God Jesus Christ so affected the mind and the imagination of men as to throw them into a state of bewilderment which could only be cleared away by the distinct acknowledgment that in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

PULPIT 2 Chronicles 922 2 Chronicles 923

All the kings of the earth ie of the laud of tributary sovereignties from Euphrates to the borders of Egypt and to the Philistines (1 Kings 421 also note Genesis 1518 Exodus 2331 Numbers 225 Joshua 14 2 Samuel 1016)

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart

BARES All the kings of the earth - Rather ldquoall the kings of the landrdquo all the monarchs that is whose dominions were included in So omonrsquos empire (see 1Ki_421)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 923 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon mdash All in those parts of the world To hear his wisdom

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 43: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

mdash Either his knowledge of the works of God in creation and providence or his skill in physic or his state-policy or his rules of prudence for the conduct of human life or perhaps the principles of his religion and the evidences of it That God put in his heart mdash Which was Godrsquos supernatural gift to him in answer to his prayer The application which they then made with such eagerness to Solomon to hear his wisdom will aggravate shame and condemn menrsquos general contempt of Christ and his gospel in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge but which none of the princes of this world desire to know for they are foolishness to them 1 Corinthians 28 1 Corinthians 214

24 Year after year everyone who came brought a giftmdasharticles of silver and gold and robes weapons and spices and horses and mules

ELLICOTT (24) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring (Comp 2 Chronicles 914)

Harnessmdashie weapons and armour Compare Macbethrsquos

ldquoAt least wersquoll die with harness on our backrdquo

A rate year by yearmdashLiterally a yearrsquos matter in a year Solomonrsquos vassal kings

are intended

PULPIT Every man his present Hebrew מנחתי which word represents the treats

paid partly in money partly in kind (2 Samuel 82 2 Kings 173 2 Kings 174 and

the parallel) A rate year by year Hebrew דבר־שנח which might be simply

rendered a yearly thing

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 44: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

CLARKE Four thousand stalls for horses - See the note on 1Ki_426 where the different numbers in these two books are considered The

Targum instead of four thousand has ארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאהארבע מאה arba meah four hundred

JAMISO Solomon had four thousand stalls mdash It has been conjectured [Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon] that the original term may signify not only stall or stable but a number of horses occupying the same number of stalls Supposing that ten were put together in one part this would make forty thousand According to this theory of explanation the historian in Kings refers to horses [see 1Ki_1026] while the historian in Chronicles speaks of the stalls in which they were kept But more recent critics reject this mode of solving the difficulty and regarding the four thousand stalls as in keeping with the general magnificence of Solomonrsquos establishments are agreed in considering the text in Kings as corrupt through the error of some copyist

KampD 2Ch_925 does not correspond to the passage 1Ki_1026 but in contents and language agrees with 1Ki_56 and 2Ch_926 with 1Ki_51 Only the general estimate of Solomons riches in gold and silver in 2Ch_927 repeated from 2Ch_115 corresponds to 1Ki_1027 Finally in 2Ch_928 the whole description is rounded off all that has already been said in 2Ch_116 2Ch_117 as to the trade in horses with Egypt (1Ki_1028-29) being drawn together into one general statement

ELLICOTT (25) And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemenmdashSee 1 Kings 426 (where the number of stalls is erroneously stated at 40000)

The remainder of the verse coincides with 1 Kings 1026

Having already given an account of Solomonrsquos chariots and horses and his importation of the latter from Egypt in 2 Chronicles 114-17 an account which is identical with 1 Kings 1026-29 the chronicler naturally avoids mere repetition of that passage in 2 Chronicles 925-28

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 925 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem

Ver 25 And Solomon had ampc] See 1 Kings 1026

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 45: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

PULPIT Four thousand stalls Not forty thousand as by error in 1 Kings 426 The parallel mentions one thousand four hundred as the number of the chariots (2 Chronicles 114) Both agree in twelve thousand as the number of horsemen Chariot cities (1 Kings 919 2 Chronicles 114) Some of the horse and chariot depots were kept near the king but the rest in those specially chosen and prepared cities which might be nearest or fittest against time of war-need

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt

ELLICOTT 26) And he reigned over all the kingsmdashThis verse corresponds to 1

Kings 421

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 926 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even

unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt

Ver 26 And he reigned] See 1 Kings 421

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills

ELLICOTT (27) And the king made silvermdashIdentical with 1 Kings 1027 On this

and the following verse comp the prohibitions of Deuteronomy 1716-17

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 927 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones and

cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance

Ver 27 That are in the low plains] That grow in every hedgerow

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 46: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

PULPIT The foundations of the evil of exceeding metropolitan centralization were

being too surely laid now Silver hellip sycomore trees (see 1 Chronicles 2728 2

Chronicles 116)

28 Solomonrsquos horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries

BARES And out of all lands - An addition to the words in Kings The principal countries would no doubt be Arabia and Armenia - the former always famous for its excellent breed the latter mentioned in Ezekiel Eze_2714 as trading with horses in the fairs of Tyre

JAMISO they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt mdash (See on 2Ch_114) Solomon undoubtedly carried the Hebrew kingdom to its highest pitch of worldly glory His completion of the grand work the centralizing of the national worship at Jerusalem whither the natives went up three times a year has given his name a prominent place in the history of the ancient church But his reign had a disastrous influence upon ldquothe peculiar peoplerdquoand the example of his deplorable idolatries the connections he formed with foreign princes the commercial speculations he entered into and the luxuries introduced into the land seem in a great measure to have altered and deteriorated the Jewish character

ELLICOTT (28) And they broughtmdashUsed to bring The verse summarises 1 Kings 1028-29 (=2 Chronicles 116-17) and adds that Solomon imported horses ldquoout of all the landsrdquo as well as from Egypt

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 928 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands

Ver 28 And they brought] See 1 Kings 1028

PULPIT The parallel mentions horses from Egypt only but adds that linen yarn was brought The all lands alluded to with us would manifestly include Armenia (Ezekiel 2714) and Arabia The parallel also in its 2 Chronicles 929 states the prices of a chariot from Egypt as six hundred shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie about either pound90 or pound45) and of a horse for the cavalry perhaps not for the chariot as one hundred and fifty shekels [qu bekas] of silver (ie pound22 10s or pound11 5s estimating the shekel as worth three shillings with us) Other estimates (see 2 Chronicles 117) would

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 47: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

make the prices pound70 and pound17 (see our Exposition 2 Chronicles 115-17)

Solomonrsquos Death

29 As for the other events of Solomonrsquos reign from beginning to end are they not written in the records of athan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of ebat

BARES The book of Nathan - On the ldquobooksrdquo here mentioned see the introduction to Chronicles the second note

We hear nothing of Iddo in Kings but he is mentioned below twice 2Ch_1215 2Ch_1322 In the latter of these passages he is called not ldquothe seerrdquobut ldquothe prophetrdquo He seems to have been the author of three works

(1) Visions against Jeroboam

(2) A book of genealogies and

(3) A commentary or history

According to some he was identical with Oded the father of Azariah who prophesied in the reign of Asa (see the 2Ch_151 note)

CLARKE Nathan the prophet - These books are all lost See the account of Solomon his character and a review of his works at the end of 1Ki_1143(note)

I By the kindness of a learned friend who has made this kind of subjects his particular study I am able to give a more correct view of the value of the talent of gold and the talent of silver than that which I have quoted 1Ki_1017 from Mr Reynoldrsquos State of the Greatest King

1 To find the equivalent in British standard to an ounce troy of pure gold valued at eighty shillings and to a talent of the same which weighs one thousand eight hundred ounces troy

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 48: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

The ounce contains four hundred and eighty grains and the guinea weighs one hundred and twenty-nine grains or five pennyweights and nine grains

(1) As 129 grains 21 shillings 480 the number of grains in an ounce 781395348s or 3l 18s 1d 269767q the equivalent in our silver coin to one ounce of standard gold

(2) As 781395348 shillings the value of an ounce of standard gold 80 shillings the value of an ounce troy of pure gold 80 shillings 819047619 shillings the equivalent in British standard to one ounce of pure gold

Instead of the preceding the following proportions may be used -

(1) As 215 shillings 21 shillings 80 shillings 781395348 shillings This multiplied by 1800 the number of troy ounces in a Hebrew talent gives 14065116264s or 7032l 11s 1d 38q the equivalent to one talent of standard gold

(2) As 21 standard 215 pure 80 pure 819047619 standard This multiplied by 1800 gives 14742867142s or 7371l 8s 6d 34q the equivalent to one talent of pure gold

2 To find the equivalent in British standard to a talent of pure silver which is valued at four hundred and fifty pounds sterling or five shillings the ounce troy

The pound troy is 240 pennyweights and our silver coin has 18 pennyweights of alloy in the pound From 240 pennyweights take 18 and there will remain 222 pennyweights the pure silver in the pound

Now as 240 pennyweights 222 pennyweights 20 pennyweights the weight of a crown piece 18 12 pennyweights the weight of the pure silver in the crown

Then as 185 pennyweights 6 shillings 36000 the number of dwts in a talent 9729729729729729 shillings or pound486 9s 8 34d the equivalent in our coin to a talent of pure silver

Example 1 To find the equivalent in British standard to the one hundred and twenty talents of gold which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon 2Ch_99

14742857142 s equivalent to one talent of pure gold

120 number of talents [as found above]

176914285704 = pound884571 8 s 6 34 d the equivalent to 120 talents

Example 2 To find the equivalent in British standard to Solomonrsquos two hundred targets of beaten gold each six hundred shekels and to his three hundred shields each three hundred shekels 2Ch_915 2Ch_916

A talent is three thousand shekels therefore six hundred shekels are one-fifth and three hundred are one-tenth of a talent -

5)14742857142s equivalent to one talent

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 49: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

2948571428 equivalent to one target

200 the number of targets

2|0)589714|2856

pound294857 2 s 10 14 d

equivalent to 200 targets

One-tenth of a talent is

14742857142 = one shield

300 number of shields

2|0)442285|71426

pound221142 17 s 1 12 d

= 300 shields

Example 3 To find the equivalent in British standard to the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year independently of what the chapmen and merchants brought him

14742857142 s = one talent

666 number of talents

88457142852

88457142852

88457142852

2|0)9818742|856572

pound4909 371 8 s 6 34 d equivalent to 666 talents

Example 4 To find the equivalent in British standard to the hundred thousand talents of gold and to the million of talents of silver which were prepared by David for the temple 1Ch_2214

The Gold

14742857142 s = one talent

100000 number of talents

2|0)1474285714|2

pound737142 857 2 s

the equivalent

Or seven hundred and thirty-seven millions one hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven pounds two shillings sterling for the gold

The Silver

9729729729729 s = one talent

1000000 number of talents

2|0)9729729721|9729

pound486486 486 9 s 8 12 d

the equivalent

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 50: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

Or four hundred and eighty-six millions four hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-six pounds nine shillings and eightpence halfpenny sterling for the silver

II I have referred in the note on 2Ch_917 to a curious account of Solomonrsquos throne taken from a Persian MS entitled beet al mukuddus the Holy House or Jerusalem It has already been remarked in the account of Solomon at the end of 1Ki_1143 article 12 that among the oriental writers Solomon is considered not only as the wisest of all men but as having supreme command over demons and genii of all kinds and that he knew the language of beasts and birds etc and therefore the reader need not be surprised if he find in the following account Solomon employing preternatural agency in the construction of this celebrated throne

ldquoThis famous throne was the work of the Deev Sukhur it was called Koukab al Jinna The beauty of this throne has never been sufficiently described the following are the particulars -ldquoThe sides of it were pure gold the feet of emeralds and pearls intermixed with other pearls each of which was as large as the egg of an ostrich

ldquoThe throne had Seven steps on each side were delineated orchards full of trees the branches of which were composed of precious stones representing ripe and unripe fruits

ldquoOn the tops of the trees were to be seen fowls of the most beautiful plumage particularly the peacock the etaub and the kurgus all these birds were artificially hollowed within so as occasionally to utter a thousand melodious notes such as the ears of mortals had never before heard

ldquoOn the First step were delineated vine-branches having bunches of grapes composed of various sorts of precious stones fashioned in such a manner as to represent the different colors of purple violet green and red so as to exhibit the appearance of real fruit

ldquoOn the Second step on each side of the throne were two lions of massive gold of terrible aspect and as large as life

ldquoThe property of this throne was such that when the prophet Solomon placed his foot upon the First step all the birds spread their wings and made a fluttering noise in the air

ldquoOn his touching the Second step the two lions expanded their claws

ldquoOn his reaching the Third step the whole assembly of deevs peris and men repeated the praises of the Deity

ldquoWhen he arrived at the Fourth step voices were heard addressing him in the following manner Son of David be

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 51: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

grateful for the blessings which the Almighty has bestowed upon thee

ldquoThe same was repeated on his reaching the Fifth step

ldquoOn his touching the Sixth step all the children sang praises

ldquoOn his arrival at the Seventh step the whole throne with all the birds and other animals became in motion and ceased not till he had placed himself in the royal seat and then the birds lions and other animals by secret springs discharged a shower of the most precious musk upon the prophet after which two of the kurguses descending placed a golden crown upon his head

ldquoBefore the throne was a column of burnished gold on the top of which was placed a golden dove which had in its beak a roll bound in silver In this roll were written the Psalms of the prophet David and the dove having presented the roll to King Solomon he read a portion of it to the children of Israel

ldquoIt is farther related that on the approach of wicked persons to this throne for judgment the lions were wont to set up a terrible roaring and to lash their tails about with violence the birds also began to erect their feathers and the whole assembly of deeves and genii uttered such loud cries that for fear of them no person would dare to be guilty of falsehood but instantly confess his crimes

ldquoSuch was the throne of Solomon the son of DavidrdquoSupposing even this splendid description to be literally true there is nothing here that could not have been performed by ingenuity and art nothing that needed the aid of supernatural influencerdquo

In another MS on which I cannot now lay my hand the whole value of this throne and its ornaments is computed in lacs of rupees The above description is founded in the main on the account given here 2Ch_917-19 The Six steps and the footstool of the sacred writer make the Seven steps in the above description The twelve lions are not distinguished by the Mohammedan writer Other matters are added from tradition

This profusion of gold and precious stones was not beyond the reach of Solomon when we consider the many millions left by his father no less a sum than one thousand two hundred and twenty-three millions six hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds eleven shillings and eight pence halfpenny besides what Solomon himself furnished

HERY 29-31 II Here is Solomon dying stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one concerning whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool (Ecc_219) but who he knew

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 52: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit 2Ch_929-31 It is very observable that no mention is here made of Solomons departure from God in his latter days not the least hint given of it 1 Because the Holy Ghost would teach us not to take delight in repeating the faults and follies of others If those that have been in reputation for wisdom and honour misbehave though it may be of use to take notice of their misconduct for warning to ourselves and others yet we must not be forward to mention it once the speaking of it is enough why should that unpleasing string be again struck upon Why can we not do as the sacred historian here does speak largely of that in others which is praise-worthy without saying any thing of their blemishes yea though they have been gross and obvious This is but doing as we would be done by 2 Because though he fell yet he was not utterly cast down His sin is not again recorded because it was repented of and pardoned and became as if it had never been Scripture-silence sometimes speaks I am willing to believe that its silence here concerning the sin of Solomon is an intimation that none of the sins he committed were mentioned against him Eze_3316 When God pardons sin he casts it behind his back and remembers it no more

BENSON 2 Chronicles 929 In the visions of Iddo the seer mdash Mentioned also 2 Chronicles 1215 and supposed by some to be the same person who is called Obed 2 Chronicles 151 This and the other prophets here mentioned were also historians and wrote annals of their times out of which these sacred books were taken either by these or other prophets

ELLICOTT (c) REFERENCE TO DOCUMENTSmdashCLOSE OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 929-31) (Comp 1 Kings 1141-43)

(29) Now the rest of the acts of SolomonmdashOr story history literally words (Comp 1 Chronicles 2929)

First and lastmdashOr the former and the latter Instead of this Kings has ldquoand all that he did and his wisdomrdquo

In the bookmdashOr history For the sources named here see the Introduction Kings has simply ldquoare they not written in the book of the history of Solomon ldquoHis name conveyed the idea of peace to the Hebrew ear But there is no doubt that it was originally identical with Shalman (Assyrian Salmacircnu) the name of a god Tiglath-pileser II mentions a Salamacircnu king of Moab This name exactly corresponds to Solomon

Ahijah the ShilonitemdashSee 1 Kings 1129-39 1 Kings 142-18

IddomdashHebrew Ielsquodicirc or Ielsquodocirc This seer is not mentioned in Kings (See 2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322 for further references to his works)

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 53: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

COKE 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon ampcmdashAccording to Abarbanel there were two books of the acts of Solomon one containing an account of the beginning of his reign written by Nathan the prophet and the other an account of what passed in the latter part of his life written by Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the Seer Antiquity scarcely produces a more illustrious (though I must not say a more holy) personage than Solomon wise wealthy magnificent peaceful honoured like his father to be the penman of a considerable and useful part of the inspired writings by which he has made great compensation to the church of God for the offence he has given to all good men by the sad apostacy of his advanced years That he was a figure of the Messiah seems evident from what God said concerning him by the prophet Nathan which is applied by a New Testament writer to Jesus Christ (I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son) from what David says in the 72nd Psalm and from the Song of Songs which is generally supposed to refer to the marriage of Christ with his church nor is it difficult to find out several things in Solomons character and history which greatly resemble the character and history of a far greater personage than he

REFLECTIONSmdash1st The account of the queen of Sheba has been considered 1 Kings 10 It remains only to observe (1) That they who know the value of divine truth will account no pains too great to search after it (2) They are truly great whose piety and zeal for God distinguish them (3) Whatever gifts we enjoy they are lent us for the edifying of the body of Christ and to be employed diligently (4) We have abundant cause to bless God for the useful instruments that he is pleased to raise up for the service of his church and especially for those who have been made instruments of good to our own souls (5) Great souls are ever generous (6)

Though for a time absence from home may be needful and profitable yet we must whatever pleasing engagements intervene remember that there is our post and hasten our return

2nd 1 Solomon appears in the zenith of his grandeur Wealth flowing in upon him like a river surrounding potentates courting his favour with the most noble presents and eager to hear his wisdom and his magnificence palaces guards throne ampc all tended to excite the admiration of his neighbours and the reverence of his subjects Note (1) Great was the glory of Solomon but our Prince of Peace shines with glory infinitely more transcendant before his throne all human magnificence vanishes as the stars lose their lustre before the meridian sun (2) It will be our happiness as well as duty to pay our grateful homage at his feet and offer not the gold of Arabia but that more valuable present our bodies souls and spirits a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable service

2 Solomon is laid low in the grave Mors aequa pede pulsat ampc No greatness bars death from entering A veil is here drawn over his former miscarriages of which no doubt he had repented and which being forgiven shall not be mentioned any more against him His sun sets in

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 54: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

glory but his crown descends to a son whose folly quickly tarnishes all this greatness Note (1) The faults of great good men should be forgotten and their virtues remembered for imitation (2) One foolish son will quickly run out all the acquisitions of his wise and illustrious ancestors

COFFMAN f Death of Solomon and the accession of Rehoboam

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead

The important thing here is the Chroniclers mention of several of his sources (See our Introduction to this volume for a more complete list of these) We reject as worthless the allegation of some critics that the Chronicler invented or composed much of his material for it is quite evident that he followed all of his sources very accurately a fact indicated by the truth that he was careful in the use of 1Kings a source that we know he used

As often noted the only reason for the critics rejection of much of the material in Chronicles is the havoc that it plays with a number of their favorite fairy tales such as (1) the gradual evolution of Israels conception of the person and nature of God (2) the discovery of that alleged Deuteronomic document in the reign of Josiah and (3) the late dating of the Mosaic Pentateuch

The death of Solomon and the accession of his harem-bred son Rehoboam marked the end of the united kingdom and the beginning of a long chain of tragic events that would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Babylonian captivity of the People of God

TRAPP 2 Chronicles 929 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat

Ver 29 Now the rest ampc] And worst See 1 Kings 1141

First and last] His first were best of his last this historian saith nothing but layeth his finger on the scar

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 55: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

In the book of Nathan] In part of the First Book of Kings written by these three prophets

GUZIK 4 (2 Chronicles 929-31) The end of Solomonrsquos reign

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place

a Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years Many commentators believe that Solomon began his reign when he was about 20 years old This means that Solomon did not live a particularly long life This means that the promised made in 1 Kings 314 was not fulfilled to Solomon because of his disobedience

i So if you walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David walked then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 314)

ii ldquoWhen we consider the excess in which he lived and the criminal passions which he must have indulged among his thousand wives and their idolatrous and impure worship this life was as long as could be reasonably expectedrdquo (Clarke)

b Then Solomon rested with his fathers This does not necessarily mean that Solomon died a saved man It is a familiar phrase used in 1 and 2 Kings (used 25 times) and was used of such wicked kings as Ahab (1 Kings 2240) It simply means that Solomon passed to the world beyond We cannot say with certainty that he is in heaven

i ldquoYielding to certain lower things of his nature he became a slave to them and dragged down his nation with him So long as he remained on the throne the people were solaced and drugged by the material magnificence but underneath the spirit of rebellion and revolt was at work ready to break out into open manifestation directly he was removedrdquo (Morgan)

ii ldquoThe story is perhaps one of the most striking illustrations of the fact that opportunity and privilege even God bestowed are not enough in themselves to assure full realizationrdquo (Morgan)

PULPIT Nathan the prophet hellip Ahijah the Shilonite hellip Iddo the seer For these original authorities of the history see our Introduction The present quotation of the name of Ahijah in connection with his work and the brief allusion to himself in our 2 Chronicles 1015 are the only appearances of Ahijah in Chronicles He and the importance of his work are clear enough

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 56: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

from 1 Kings 1128-40 1 Kings 141-20 As the compiler of Chronicles evidently by a law omits any even reference to the defection of Solomon it is natural that the name and special ministry of Ahijah should fall into the shade with him Uniformly it is observable in Chronicles that the personal is not enlarged upon where it is not directly and indispensably ancillary to the ecclesiastical and national history On the other hand the writer of Kings does not once mention Iddo the seer whereas we read of him again twice in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 1215 2 Chronicles 1322)

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years

KampD 2Ch_930-31

The length of his reign his death and burial and his successor as in 1Ki_1142

ELLICOTT (30) And Solomon reignedmdashSo 1 Kings 1142 ldquoAnd the days that Solomon reignedrdquo etc as here

Over all Israelmdashie the undivided nation

31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king

BI And Solomon slept with his fathers

The death of Solomon

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 57: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

Such is the sole record of the departure of the most magnificent king of the Israelitish nation

1 Why is this For it was not so with David his father whose last days and almost last thoughts last prayers and exhortations are fully detailed

2 Nothing on the first sight in popular judgment appears more excellent and full of hope than that petition of Solomon when just called to the throne he asked of God wisdom and knowledge ldquothat I may go out and come in before this peoplerdquo God granted him his request His reign proved to be one of unexampled splendour Prosperity almost to overflow poured in upon the nation But as the monarchrsquos glory increased his personal character declined He sank morally and religiously He became tyrannical and despotic and grievously oppressed his subjects Then intense sensuality set in So deeply did he fall that his name has been connected with the practice of the magical arts and sorceries denounced in the law of Moses

3 How shall we account for this Was it that from the first his heart was not set upon God but upon self that when he asked at first for wisdom to rule Godrsquos people he only thought of the honour he would gain thereby Or is it that we here witness in an individual the corrupting influences of a civilisation not merely luxurious but high and cultivated when it discards the faith in God

4 Whichever it be by both alternatives we are warned that wisdom even high intellectual and varied is not godliness and cannot take its place that where it is unsanctified a worm lies at its root

5 It is a solemn thought that the temple the culminating point of Solomonrsquos glory was the harbinger and in a degree the cause of the decline of his nation The exactions and the oppressive burdens its extravagant cost entailed upon the people alienated them made the monarchy hateful and prepared the nation for revolt

6 Twice since has the same thing been witnessed The sale of indulgences to help the building of St Peterrsquos led to the disruption of a large part of Christendom So also the gorgeous palace of the French monarch the memorial of his boundless luxury and consequent oppression was the prelude of that great convulsion from which the nation has never recovered Such is the logic of mere human splendour and luxury

7 What was the end of this renowned monarch What was the final stamp set upon his character Scripture is silent on the point and Christendom has always been divided in regard to it Those who have thought and hoped the best of him have rested their hopes chiefly on the tenor of the Book of Ecclesiastes But no tone of repentance pervades this solemn writing no utterance of contrition or even personal remorse not one such anguished cry for forgiveness as pervades several of Davidrsquos psalms no humiliation appears in it not even such as Ahabrsquos no confession even such as Saulrsquos Solomon appears to pass away and ldquomake no signrdquo (Archdeacon Grant D C L)

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 58: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

BENSON 2 Chronicles 931 And Solomon slept with his fathers mdash We have here Solomon in his throne and Solomon in his grave for the throne could not secure him from the grave Here is he stripped of his pomp and leaving all his wealth and power not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool but one he knew would be a fool This was not only vanity but vexation of spirit

PARKER And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead ( 2 Chronicles 931)

This seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion Yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king Literally the passage means Solomon lay down with his fathers He might hardly be recognised from the humblest of them The sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day On the last day of his life Solomon in weakness and decrepitude was hardly to be discriminated from the humblest of the kings that had gone before him A marvellous difference is discovered in the case of Jesus Christ We might not at first understand what he meant when he said he was greater than Song of Solomon but if we follow him to his cross and his grave and afterwards to his resurrection we shall find that this King of kings did not sleep with his fathers for fathers in the ordinary sense he had none he rose from the dead he vanquished the grave he led captivity captive and as he went up into heaven we might have heard him say Behold a greater than Solomon is here A mournful and pensive thing it is to read through all the history of kings that they came and reigned and slept And so the splendid monotony rolls onmdashthey came they reigned they slept The mightiest and most brilliant of the host of the kings of the earth came and reigned and slept but of the King of kings and Lord of lords we read that he rose again the third day from the dead and went up into glory that he might sit on the right hand of God If this be a piece of mere imagination it is the sublimest effort of the human mind It was no ordinary genius that could begin at Bethlehem and work its way through all the political social educational theological differences and difficulties and yet not leave its hero until he died upon the cross and was buried in the tomb and should go on the third day to find the grave empty and should see the descending cloud coming to receive him as into a chariot that he might be conveyed into heaven If it was a dream it was the grandest dream that ever entranced the brain of man We believe that it was an historical fact a distinct revelation of the purpose of eternity a blessed manifestation of the thought and love of God and therefore as we watch the amazing scene with all its light and shadow its beauty its grief its joy its tragedy its triumph we say concerning him who is the central figure in it all My Lord and my God

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers

Page 59: 2 chronicles 9 commentary

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 94 Or and the ascent by which he went up to2 Chronicles 99 That is about 4 12 tons or about 4 metric tons2 Chronicles 910 Probably a variant of almugwood2 Chronicles 913 That is about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons2 Chronicles 915 That is about 15 pounds or about 69 kilograms2 Chronicles 916 That is about 7 12 pounds or about 35 kilograms2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish2 Chronicles 921 Hebrew Huram a variant of Hiram2 Chronicles 925 Or charioteers


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1 Chronicles: New European Christadelphian Commentary · 2018. 9. 22. · 1 Chronicles Chapter 1 1 Chronicles 1:1 Adam, Seth, Enosh- We have to ask why these genealogies were prepared

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