1 Kings 9
PATwhich he offered unto the Lord. Besides the burnt-offerings beforementioned. Tivo-and-twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep.] Which could not be all offered upon that day when he made his prayer, but while tho feast lasted, which was in the wholo, fourteen days, ver. 65. (See upon iii. 4.) The heathen imitated these sacrifices in their hecatombs, which they offered of a hundred beasts of a kind; as, supposo, a hundred oxen, a hundred goats, and a hundred swine. They are described by Juljds Capitolinus, in the life of the emperors l’upienus Maximus audBalbinus; the last of which, he saith, was so transported with joy, being fuller of fear, that he offered a hecatomb; which was such a sacrifice as this. A hundred altars of turf were raised in one place, at them a hundred swino and a hundred birds were killed. But if it were the sacrifice of an emperor, a hundred lionsi a hundred eagles, and a hundred of other such kind of animals were offered: but no such ravenous creatures were eyer offered to the true God, And all the children of.Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.] By this prayer of Solomon, and by the sacrifices, whereby all the people supplicated and gave thanks to God, this house was set apart for God’s worship and serviee. For then a “thing or place is said to be dedicated, when it is first employed to that use unto which it is hereafter designed. Concerning which see Selden,.lib, iii, de Synedriis, p. 204, &c……•,:». ^Ver; 64., The sqme t day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord*] That is, the court of the priests, which* he did not consecrate (for that was done before), but employed it to holy uses, and, as it were, honoured it? by religious acts, (as Mr. Mede speaks upon Lev. xix. 30.) And so the name of God is said to be hallowed, or sanctified by us, when we use, it holily arid reverently. Thus they explain it in the Gemara, hehallowedit; that is, he, set up another altar there, as I/Empereur observes upon Codex Middoth, cap; 3.’ sect, 1..-.-•‘For there’he offered butnt-offerings, and meat-offerings, and the fat of peace-offerings.] In the middle of the court he erected several altars, for the reason following: and, indeed, the whole court.was little enough upon this occasion, as Dr. Lightfoot acknowledges in his book of the Temple, p.* 192, 193. • o/.i Because the brazen altar thatwas before the Lord.] Near the door of this court.’ -. Was too little to receive the burnt-offerings, and meatofferings, and the fat of the peace-offerings.] Therefore, by a special licence from God, he set up other altars; which were to serve..only during this present solemnity, when such a vast number of sacrifices were to be offered. But afterward no’other altar was to be allowed, but that one brazen altar where God by Moses appointed all sacrifices should be offered; that they might be preserved in the worship of one’ only God. Therefore the Jews say these other altars which Solomon erected were of stone; which were soon pulled down again. But Fortunatus Seaechus hath said a great deal to make it probable that he did not erect any altars besides the brazen, but sacrificed upon the ground, (Myrothec. ii. cap; 56.) are taught by Ezra (2 Chron. vii. 11.) to understand these words in this manner: Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, &c.; and concluded all with the foregoing prayer, and the great festival which he kept. Vcr. 12. And Iliram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not J].Were not’suitable. to his desire, and the genius of his people; for the soil being fat and very deep (as is generally thought), it required’ great labour to till it, and was not pleasant to dwell in. was a city near Tadmor, where Baal had been formerly worshipped: for Baal was one of the gods of that people; it appears in the following observation. * And Tadmor in the tvitderness.] This word Tadmor signifies in Hebrew as much as Palma in Latin. From whence it was called by the Romans Palmyra; which was one of the most splendid cities in the eastern countries: which gave name to the Palmyrense Solitudines, mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy. There have been lately, after twelve hundred years’ obscurity, several noble inscriptions found in this place by some that travelled into this wilderness: but Bochartus hath one of far greater, antiquity, of two Phoenician gods, Aglibelus and Melaehbelus, viz. the summer and the winter sun: in his Geogr. Sacra, par. ii. called Canaan, lib. ii. cap. 8. p. 811. where he calls this Tadmor a city of Phoenicia. ■ In the land.] Of Hamatb Zobah (a part of Syria), as Ezra seems to expound it, (2 Chron. viii. 3, 4.) which country Solomon had conquered.. his own charge, to be offered with a particular respect to him. This, it is likely, lie did every day, morning and evening. So he finished the house.] This was said before, but now repeated; because, after he had kept the three great festivals there, it was not only consecrated, but all Divine offices had been performed in it; and thero was nothing more to be added. Vcr. 26. And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber.] This namo Ezion -geber signifies spina viri; it lying in a rocky, ragged shore, running out into the sea like the back-bone of a man. So Arrianus (as Bochartus observes) in his Periplus describes the inmost part of the. Sinus Arabicus (where Ezion-geber lay) as very dangerous, because of the rocks and shelves. Which makes it less strange, that the ships of Jehoshaphat were broken there in pieces, in the very port, before they put out to sea, (2 Kings xxii. 48.) Insomuch that in aftertimes this port was forsaken, and they frequented Elath. Josephus will* have Ezion-geber to be the same with Berenice, a city on the African shore, over against Syerie; others have different conjectures: when the Scripture plainly teaches us that it was a port of Idumea, not far from Aela upon the Red Sea; and not far distant from the wilderness of Zin. For the Israelites removed their camp from this place to that wilderness, as we read Numb, xixiii. 36. Which is beside Eloth.] Or Elath, for it is called by both, names: and by.the Greeks and Romans, Aela, and Ailat,and Elat, andEIana,&c. Which was a port known in the days of Moses, (Deut. ii.8.) belonging to the Edomites; and,,as St. Jerome saith, to the Egyptians: for it was ambigui juris, lying on, the confines of both countries. Insomuch that Sir John Marsham thinks Solomon and Hiram now built ships there, with the. good leave of Pharaoh; the Egyptians now not minding merchandise, but were set upon conquering countries: but David having conquered Edom, (2 Sam. viii. 14.) I rather think became master of this port; where Solomon built a navy of ships in his own right, and went thither himself to see it, (2 Chron. viii. 17.) It continued in the possession of the Israelites, about a hundred and fifty years, till, in the time of Joram, th^ Edomites re-:, covered it, (2 Kings viii. 20.) But it was again taken from them by Azariah, and left by him to his son, (2 Kings xiv. 22.) but lost again by his grandson Ahaz, from whom the king of Syria took it, (2 Kings xvi. G.) The Syrians held it a long time, till, after many changes under the Ptolemies and the Seleucidae, it came into the hands of the Romans; who quartered there the tenth legion, as St. Jerome tells us. (See Bochartus, in the second part of his Geographica Sacra, called Canaan, lib. i. cap. 44.) On the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.’] What the Hebrews call the sea of Suph, other nations call the sea of Edom, from the country which it washes, viz. Idumea; as appears from this place. From whence the Greeks (not knowing the reason of the name) call it IpvOpav &aXa<r<rav, the Red Sea; the word Edom signifying rubrum or rufrnm, red or yellow, as Bochartus.and Ludolphus have observed.
1 Kings 9:1
-A-ND it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire tliathe was pleased to do. We
1 Kings 9:2
Tliat the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as lie had appeared to him in Gibeon. When he appeared to him in a dream: and so it is said, 2 Chron. vii. 10. the Lord appeared to Solomon by night. “Which he had done once before, and no more: for that which he spake to him vi. 11, 12. was by a prophet.. (See there.). *,
1 Kings 9:3
And the Lord sttid unto him, I have heard thy prayer and th$ supplication that thou hast made before me. This shews that the first verse. is to be understood as I have there observed; for otherwise, we must suppose this appearance of God to Solomon was eleven years after he had finished the house of the Lord. Which is not likely; but it is more natural to think it was the very next night after he had dismissed the people.. I have hallowed this house which thou hast built.] By the glorious cloud which came into it and filled it; and by the fire which, descending from heaven tb consume the sacrifices, testified his acceptance of them. .., To put my name there for ever J] Besides those visible tokens of his presence there, he now declares by word of mouth, that he owned this for his house; and would always dwell in it, if they kept his covenant, as* the Targum here interprets it’’ x. •. .:•>,>■ And mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.] By his eyes and his heart he means his gracious providence, and his tender love and affection, should always have regard to what was done there; and it should be most acceptable to him. 5.■’/..-.
1 Kings 9:4
And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that T have commanded thee, to keep my statutes and my judgments.] In all things relating to religion. and civil government, which David commonly did: though some time, and in one thing, he foully miscarried.
1 Kings 9:5
Then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom zipon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. Sec 2 Sam. vii. 12, 13.
1 Kings 9:6
But if you shall at all turn from following me, you and your children. In the Hebrew the words are, if in turning yon turn from me: which signifies more than their at all turning from him. Rather it should be translated, if they altogether turned from following him; that is, fell to idolatry: for he did not intend to forsake them for every offence; but only when they forsook him, as the next words explain it. And wilt not keep my commandments, and my statutes, which I have set before you, but go anU serve other gods, and’ worship them.’] There was a general corruption of their manners, when they fell to idolatry.
1 Kings 9:7
Tlien will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them. This shews that he speaks in the foregoing words of a general apostacy from him. And this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight.] No longer continue Ids gracious presence there, which he had promised, ver. 3. And Israel shall be a proverb.] So that when men would express how unhappy any one was, they should say, u A$ miserable as the Jews”. >\ t ., * v,…. # r And a by-ivord among thepeople.] Who mocked at their calamity.’,. i
1 Kings 9:8
And at this house, which is high. Jtenowncd for its riches, and splendour, and great resort unto it. Every, one that passeth by it shall be astonished.] To.see such a marvellous change; for. Pliny testifies, that Jerur salem was the most famous city in the east, as Grotius observes. i < - And shall hiss; and shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land,- and to this house?)’ Out of scorn and derision shall ask what is the matter, that this famous place, which boasted so much of the favour of God, is laid in ruin. • *,…. * *<; /s&rsjr.
1 Kings 9:9
And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and worshipped tlieni, and served them; therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all thisevil.] The Jews were forced to give this account of their calamity. •’
1 Kings 9:10
And it came to pass in the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the king’s Iiouse. The former. of which was seven years in building, the latter thirteen, (vi.’ 38. vii. 1.)
1 Kings 9:11
(Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedartrees’, and fir-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire). ‘Sc^chap. v. 8. 10. where meh: tion is made. of these trees, but nothing said of gold: but in the fourteenth.verse of this chapter we find that Hiram sent him a hundred and twenty talents of gold. Which it is not likely he gave Soloinon; who rather purchased so much of him for wheat and oil, and such-like things, which Hiram’s country wanted; though it abounded with gold. For the Tyrians were great merchants, fetching gold from Ophir, (ver. 27,28.) i 1c That then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.] They were near, or adjoining to the country of. Galilee (as the particle beth frequently signifies), but were no part of the land of Canaan, when it was divided among the Israelites t. for that couldnot be alienated, being God’s heritage. They >vere therefore cities out of the territories of Israel, as appears from Josh.ix. 27. but had been conquered partly by Pharaoh, who gave them to So^ lomon, as part of his daughter’s portion; and partly by Solomon himself, who had power to dispose of them; especially since at that time they were not inhabited by the Israelites. (See 2 Chron. viii. 2. and Grotius, de Jure Belli et Pacis, lib. i. cap. 3. sect. 12. n. 3.) Hotoman, indeed, a famous lawyer, thinks that Solomon did not give Hiram a propriety, and perpetual jight in these cities; but only the possession and enjoyment of them till the debt was satisfied, which Solomon had contracted, by the assistance which Hiram afforded him in building the temple. But his ground is not solid: for, as our Selden also hath shewn, (lib. vi. de Jure Nat. ct Gent. cap. 18;)* the kings of Israel might dispose of those lands which they had conquered in a voluntary war, without the consent of the senate. Bochartus also is of the same mind, that these cities were no part of the country of Judea: but Abarbinel confirms Hotoman’s opinion, that the revenues of these cities were given to him till the debt was discharged. o XT O
1 Kings 9:13
And he said, Wliat cities are tliese that thou hast given me, my brother?. These are not words of contempt; for it is not likely that Solomon, who had been highly obliged to Hiram (and was in his own temper very generous), would give him that” winch was of little value. But his meaning is, tliese cities were not such as would serve his purpose; which made him return them to Solomon again, (2 Chron. viii. 2.) who, no doubt,’ made him some other recompence, w r hich gave him better satisfaction. Abarbinel thinks, that Solomon having agreed to give Hiram so many measures of wheat and oil, as are mentioned, v. 11. with which he had supplied him every year; now that this work was ended, gave him this country, out of which he might raise this provision for his.household himself. Which Hiram did not like, because his people were addicted to merchandise, not to agriculture: but did not upon this account break off friendship with Solomon, as appears by the following history. Arid he called them tlie land of. Cabul nnto this day.] It is commonly thought that Hiram called them, by way of contempt, Cabul; which signifies a dirty country: or, as Josephus will have it, displeasing (as we translate it in the margin of our Bibles). For Chabulon, he saith, in the Phoenician Janguage, signifies as much as ovk aplaKov, that which doth not please, (lib. viii; Archaeol. cap.‘2.) But the LXX. seem to have understood the word better; who translate it Sptov, the term, or bound: as if Cabul were the same with Gebul; caph and gimel being frequently changed, as Bochartus observes; who approves of this signification of the word. For Chabulon was that tract of ground,which bounded the lower Galilee: extending from Tiberias unto this place, as Josephus himself saith, lib. iii.de Bello Judaico, cap.’ 2. (See Bochartus, in his Canaan, lib. ii; cap! 4.)
1 Kings 9:14
And Iliram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold. It may be better translated, and Iliram had sent, &c. See ver.. 11. where the reason is given why Solomon offered him so rich a country: Which, though ho did not like, yet these words, Abarbinel thinks, signify, that notwithstanding Hiram continued his generous friendship with Solomon, and after that sent him all this gold; or, it was sent him as his share in their traffic to.Ophir, mentioned in the conclusion of this chapter. - Vcr. 15. And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised.] That the raising of a great tribute" upon the people, and employing so many men in his works, might not seem strange, he here shews the cause of it; which was his great and numerous buildings; suitable to the high dignity to which God had advanced him; But:Mr. Selden hath shewn, by many instances, that the word mas is used, not only for pecuniary tribute, but for corporeal labour*. Andthus he interprets these words, this is the cause of requiring the labour and ivork of so many men. Which when he had declared, iz. his great buildings, then he proceeds (vcr. 50.) to relate who they, were that he employed in this service, (lib. vi. de Jure Nat. ct Gent; cap. 14.) For to build the house of the Lord, and his own house.] Of which an account hath been already given. And Millo.] Which was a large and very beautiful place (as Abarbinel takes it), near to Zion; where the Israelites were wont to meet, and take their pleasure: and because it was/w/Z of people, was therefore called Millo; which sigm&esfulness, or repletion. Now David had built round about Zion, from Millo inward, (as we read 2 Sam. v. 9.) but had left the structure of Millo itself imperfect; which Solomon now completed, with a particular respect to Pharaoh’s daughter, whose house was near to it, (ver. 24. of this chapter.) In this place some think there w r as a strong fortress built, which they gather from xi. 27. and 2 Chron. xxxii. 5. But others will have it to signify that deep valley or ditch (it may be called) which was between Mount Zion (the city of David) and Mount Moriah, on which the temple stood. Therefore, that there might be a convenient passage from the king’s palace to the house of God, Solomon joined these two mountains by a bridge or a causeway, which could hot he done without filling up the valley, or making great arches; some think the one, and some the other. And the wall of Jerusalem.] Which was a great structure.’ For there were three walls, one within another, as Abarbinel and Joseph ben Gorion explain it: the inner wall compassing the house of God and the house of the king; the middle wall compassing the houses of the prophets and great persons; (which explains 2 Kings xxii. 14.) and the third compassed the houses of all the people. Arid Hazor.] Which had been a very eminent city, and the head of some kingdoms before the conquest of Canaan^ (Josh. xi. 10.) and was given to the tribe of Naphtali, (Josh. xix. 3G.) AndMegiddo.] A city in the tribe of Manasseh, (Josh. xvii. 11.) And Gezer.] In the tribe of Ephraim, (Josh. xxi. 21.) Ver.10. For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city.] For the Israelites could not dispossess the Canaanites, but they continued in Joshua’s time, and after, to dwell in Gezer, (Josh. xvi. 101 Judg. i. 29.) And it seems David and Solomon did not <jxpel them, but continued them under tribute; until Pharaoh, upon some provocation (which is not recorded), utterly extirpated them, and burnt their city.,ThJs was done, I suppose, before the marriage’of.Solomon w T ith Pharaoh’s daughter; and was the very first expedition that the Egyptians made put of their own country, as Sir John Marsham thinks, in his Can. Chron. Seculum"14. And, given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife.] It is likely he had begun to repair the city: and now upon the marriage of his daughter restored it to Solomon, who perfectly rebuilt it/
1 Kings 9:17
And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether. This is, having finished the building of Gezer, he built the lower Beth-horon, which was in thctribe of Benjamin; (Josh.xviii. 13, 14.) and Ezra tells. us also (in 2 Chron.. viii. 5.) Beth-horon the upper, which w r as in the tribe of Ephraim, (Josh. xvi. 5.) but not here mentioned; cither because it was not of so great consequence, or did not need so much reparation as the other.
1 Kings 9:18
And Baalath. There w T as a city of this name in the tribe of Dan, (Josh. xix. 44.) But’it is likely this
1 Kings 9:19
And all the cities of store that Solomon had. Where he laid up corn against a time of need; or arms and ammunition, in case of war. Some will have them cities where lie kept his treasure, which is not likely. And cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen.’] Which he had in great number, (iv. 26.) And that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem? and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.] So that whithersoever he went, he had a house for his entertainment in every part of his country. Behold, saith Abarbinel, the reason of the tribute (ver. 15.) is given from all these buildings: and after he had finished them, he laid no further tribute upon his people: who murmured at these impositions, as we find; after he was dead: but in these public buildings a great number of hands were employed, whereby idleness was expelled, manufactures were learnt, the poor were relieved, all the meaner people exercised, cities adorned, diseases driven away, and no place left for envy and sedition: while the subjects found the treasure that was raised employed for the benefit of so many of them; as BodinuS discourses, in his book De Republica, lib. xi. cap. 2. where he observes how Augustus, having’ settled the empire in peace, kept the people in their duty by this means; repairing many temples, decayed by time, or burnt by fire: laying out vast sums upon the chapel of Jupiter Capitolinus, and other public edifices; insomuch, that he gloried, " he left Rome a marble city, which he found a brick."
1 Kings 9:20
And all the people that were left oftlie Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Ilivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel. But by this time were become, I suppose, proselytes to the Jewish religion, as theGibeonitcs were, or at least renounced their idolatry.
1 Kings 9:21
Their children which were left after them, whom the children of Israel also were not able to destroy, upon them did Solomon levy a tribute of bond-service unto this day. He was able to have rooted them all out, as the law required; but that command did not take place after they" had submitted, and made peace with the Israelites, (as those words suppose, Josh. ix. 19.) And they seem now to have been in so poor a condition, that Solomon did not lay any tribute of money upon them; but only of burdensome labour. Of these were the severity thousand that bare burdens, and’eighty thousand that were hewers in the mountains; mentioned v. 15. Thus Mr. Selden, in the place abovementioned, explains these words, they werenot able utterly to destroy: which was not for want of power, but because they had made a covenant with them, and did not consume them, (as it is in 2 Chron. viii. 8:) But they would not receive them into peace with them, till they became proselytes of the gate: and when they had done so, they became* tributaries; and therefore such persons, by virtue of their covenant, Solomon now commanded to this service. (See lib. vi.de Jure Nat. et Gentium, cap. 14.)
1 Kings 9:22
But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bo?idmen. By this means he spared the children of Israel, whom he did not employ in any servile labours about j his public works; but put them into nobler offices; as it here follows. Yet this implies that his royal power might have laid such* loads* on them, if he had not designed to rule with great gentleness over them.. But they were men of wdr.~] Which was accounted an honourable employment. And were his servants.] Officers in his court. And his princes.] Governors of provinces.’ And his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.] Commanders of his guards.
1 Kings 9:23
And these xcere the chief of the officers that were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.~. In 2 Chron. viii. 10. they are said to be but two hundred and fifty. For the Hebrew doctors commonly say that there were of these officers but two hundred and fifty Israelites: the other three hundred were proselytes. But the plainest account’ of this is given by Abarbinel, that there were only.two hundred and fifty set over those that wrought in the temple: the rest were employed in looking after his public works in other places. And it must be observed, also, that there were far greater numbers employed when the" temple work was carried on with great speed, as we read before, (v. 1G.)
1 Kings 9:24
But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: thendidhe build Millo. There was not the like necessity for building Millo that there was for building the walls of Jerusalem, and the cities beforenamed: but he did it (as Abarbinel observes) in honour, and for the pleasure of Pharaoh’s daughter; who was to remove unto a house near to it. And the reason she did not continue in the house where David had dwelt, we are told in 2 Chron. viii. 11. which was, because it was a kind of holy place, where it was not fit for her to remain; the ark of God having dwelt there.’
1 Kings 9:25
And three times in the year did Solomon offer bumf-offerings and peace-offerings upon the altar which he, built unto the Lord!. The meaning is not, that he offered sacrifices no oftener; but that he never failed to keep the three solemn festivals, which God commanded to be observed by every body, when he offered sacrifices suitable, to those great mercies which were then commemorated; and to the great blessings God had bestowed upon his family. And he burnt incense upon the altar thatxvas before the Lord.] In the holy place, before the. oracle. Where he, could not burn it himself; but he gave it to the priests at
1 Kings 9:27
And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, tcith the servants of Solomon. The navy was Solomon’s, who had servants of his own on board the ships, to go and traffic at Ophir: but they had no skill in navigation, and therefore Hiram sent as many Tyrians as were necessary to man the ships; they having been always bred at sea.
1 Kings 9:28
And they came to Ophir. It is certain there was a place called Ophir, or as the LXX. call it 2o>p (which word Josephus also uses instead of Ophir), and by others called’Op
And at that time Solomon made a feast, and all Israel with him. Such solemnities were usual among the heathen, when they celebrated tho presence of any of their gods, as the illustrious Ezck. Spanhcmius hath observed upon Callimachus’s Hymn to Apollo, (ver. 13.) where he justly makes account that they derived this, custom from this famous festival of king Solomon: which Josephus sets out admirably. (Sec lib. viii. Archoeolog. cap. 2.) A great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath nnto the river of Egypt.] Hamath was the utmost bounds of Judea to the north, called afterward Epiphania, and by the inhabitants at this day is called Hama. Sometimes the bounds of this kingdom this way are said to be the great river Euphrates; as by the river of Egypt, which was the south bounds, is commonly understood Nilus.’ So Nahdl is translated by Jonathan, and the Jerusalem interpreter upon Numb, xxxiv. 5. And, indeed, the word Nilus comes from thence, for the Hebrew word was anciently pronounced not Nahal, but Neel: from whence the Greek NtfXoc, and the Latin Nilus, as Bochartus observes in his Hierozbieon, par.ii. lib; v.’ cap. 15. But hero the river of Egypt is that little stream which discharges itself into the sea, by the Laeus Sirbonides, between Mount Casius and Rhinoeolura, the last town of Palestine. It is called by Joshua, (xiii.l.) Siehor, the same with Nile, because it was but a branch from the alveus pelusiacus of that great river. (Sep Gen. xv. 18.) Before the Lord, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days:] It appears by 2 Chron. vii. 9.’ that the. feast of the dedication of the altar lasted seven days; and’ then tho other seven days were the feast of tabernacles, which followed after the other,
On the eighth day he sent the people away. So Ezra 5 likewise saith, 2 Chron. vii. 10. but adds, that it was the twenty-third day of the seventh month: whereas the last day of the feast of tabernacles (Which was the Eighth from the beginning) was the twenty-second. Therefore Solomon took his leave of them on the last day of the feast, which was the*two-and-twentieth day of the month; and they went home the next day. By this also it appears, these fourteen days of feasting were not kept all together, without intermission: for the great day of expiation was on the tenth of this month; seven days before which, I suppose, the feast of dedication was kept, and then they rested till the fifteenth, when the feast of tabernacles began. And they blessed the king.] Gave him thanks for his kindness, and prayed God to make his reign prosperous. And xvent to their tents joyful and glad of heart, for all the goodness that Godhad done for David his servant, and for his people Israel.] In the book of Chronicles it is added, and unto Solomon: but that is here included in the goodness of God to David, on whom God bestowed such a successor. With whose magnificent entertainment they were’ abundantly satisfied; and rejoiced exceedingly, that- God had done such great things for David and his family; and made all Israel happy in the great peace and plenty which they enjoyed, together with God’s holy religion so gloriously established among them.