Page images
PDF
EPUB

was come, David said, "I swear by Almighty God, || that thy son Solomon shall certainly be king, as I formerly swore; and that he shall sit upon my throne this very day." So Bathsheba worshipped him, and wished him a long life: and the king sent for Zadok the high-priest, and Benaiah the captain of the guards; and when they were come, he ordered them to take with them Nathan the prophet, and all the armed men about the palace, and to set his son Solomon upon the king's mule; and so carry him out of the city to the fountain called Gihon,* and to anoint him there with the holy oil, and to make him king. This he charged Zadok the high-priest, and Nathan the prophet to do; and commanded them to follow Solomon through the midst of the city, and to sound the trumpets, and wish aloud, that "Solomon the king might sit upon the royal throne for ever," that so all the people might know that he was ordained king by his father. He also gave Solomon a charge concerning his government, to rule the whole nation of the Hebrews, and particularly the tribe of Judah, righteously. And when Benaiah had prayed to God to be favourable to Solomon, they set Solomon upon the mule,† and brought him out of the city to the fountain, and anointed him with the oil: and brought him into the city again, with acclamations and wishes that his kingdom might continue a long time. And when they had introduced him into the king's house, they set him upon the throne. Whereupon all the people betook themselves to make merry, and to celebrate a festival; dancing, and delighting themselves with musical

* Some commentators are of opinion, that Gihon was the same with the fountain of Siloam; but this is a gross mistake, since Gihon was manifestly to the west, and Siloam to the east of Jerusalem. There is little or no certainty likewise in the notions of some Rabbins, who pretend that, in ancient times, kings were always anointed by the side of a fountain, by way of good omen, or that the perpetual running of the stream might be an emblem of the perpetuity of the king's reign. In the history of Saul, who was their first king, and of David, who was three times anointed, we find no mention made of any spring or fountain. As these fountains however were places of great concourse, (for there were not many in Jerusalem,) the chief reason, we may imagine, why David ordered Solomon to be anointed at one of these, was, that the thing might be done as publicly, and in the presence of as many spectators as possible. Patrick's Commentary. B.

pipes, till both the earth and the air echoed‡ with the multitude of the instruments of music. Now when Adonijah and his guests perceived this noise, they were in disorder; and Joab, the captain of the host, said he was not pleased with these echoes, and the sound of these trumpets. And when supper was set before them, nobody tasted of it; but they were all very thoughtful, what should be the matter. Then Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, the high-priest, came running to them; and when Adonijah saw the young man gladly, and said to him, that he was a good messenger, he declared the whole matter about Solomon, and the determination of king David. Hereupon both Adonijah and all his guests rose hastily from the feast, and every one fled to their own homes. Adonijah also, as afraid of the king for what he had done, became a supplicant to God, and took hold of the horns of the altar, which were prominent.§. It was also told Solomon, that he had so done; and that he desired to receive assurances from him, that he would not remember the injury he had done; and not inflict any severe punishment for it. Solomon answered very mildly and prudently, that he forgave him this his offence; but said withal, that if he were found in any attempt for new innovations, he would be the author of his own punishment. So he sent to him, and raised him up from the place of his supplication. And when he was come to the king, and had worshipped. him; the king bade him go away to his own house, and have no suspicion of any harm, and desired him to show himself a worthy man, as what would tend to his own advantage.

leged place but, in conformity to the customs of other nations, the Jews seem to have done it. Other nations had certainly this custom, as appears from that passage in Virgil:

Talibus orabat dictis, arasque tenebat. Æneid. 6.

All the rest of David's sons were wont to ride upon mules, when they went abroad, 2 Sam. xiii. 29, but David had a mule peculiar to himself, and the mounting Solomon upon it was a sufficient declaration in his favour. For, as it was capital, (according to Maimonides,) to ride upon the king's mule, or sit on his throne, or handle his sceptre without his order; so, on the contrary, to have the honour to ride upon the king's horse, by his appointment, was accounted the highest dignity among the Persians, as appears by the story of Mordecai in the book of Esther. Calmet's Commentary. B.

And it seems not unlikely, that as the people, when they came into the land of Canaan, had cities appointed by God, whereunto the manslayer might fly; so while they continued in the wilderness, the camp of the Levites might serve for the same purpose. Nay, from the words in Exodus xxi. 14, where God orders the wilful murderer to be taken from his altar, that he may die, it seems unquestionably true, that, even in the land of Canaan, the altar continued a sanctuary for those who fled unto it; but then the question is, to what altar Adonijah fled? whether to the brazen one, which Moses made, and which was now at Gibeon, or that which his father had lately erected in the threshing floor of Araunah? It is expressly said, 1 Kings i. 50, that he caught hold of the horns of the altar; but we can hardly suppose, say some, that the altar in the threshing floor, which was run up in such haste with stones and turf, was made in that figure. what should hinder us from supposing, that as David had buit a place for the reception of the ark of the covenant on mount Sion, he had likewise built there an altar for the oblation of the daily sacrifices, in the exact form of the original one that was then at Gibeon, and that it was to this altar, and neither of the ‡ 1 Kings i. 40. others, that Adonijah betook himself for refuge. Le Clerc's, § There is no precept in the law to make the altar a privi- Patrick's, and Calmet's Commentaries.

But

But David being desirous of ordaining his son | But he commanded that my son, who was to sucking of all the people, called together their rulers to ceed me in the kingdom, should build a temple for Jerusalem, with the priests and the Levites. And him. Now therefore, since you know of the twelve having first numbered the Levites, he found them to sons whom Jacob our forefather had, Judah was apbe thirty-eight thousand, from thirty years old to pointed to be king; and that I was preferred before fifty. Out of which he appointed twenty-three thou- my six brethren, and received the government from sand to take care of the building of the temple; God; and that none of them were uneasy at it; so and out of the same, six thousand to be judges of I do also desire that my sons be not seditious one. the people and scribes; four thousand for porters to against another, now Solomon has received the the house of God, and as many for singers, to sing kingdom; but to bear him cheerfully for their lord: to the instruments which David had prepared. He as knowing that God hath chosen him. For it is divided them also into courses; and when he had not a grievous thing to obey even a foreigner as a separated the priests from them, he found of these ruler, if it be God's will; but it is natural to rejoice priests twenty-four courses; sixteen of the house when a brother hath obtained that dignity; since of Eleazar, and eight of that of Ithamar; and he the rest partake of it with him. And I pray that ordained that one course should minister to God the promises of God may be fulfilled; and that this eight days, from sabbath to sabbath. And thus happiness, which he hath promised to bestow upon were the courses distributed by lot, in the presence king Solomon, over all the country, may continue of David, and Zadok and Abiathar, the high-priests, therein for all time to come. And these promises, and of all the rulers. And that course which came O son! will be firm, and come to a happy end, if up first was written down as the first; and accord- thou showest thyself to be religious, and a righteous ingly the second, and so on to the twenty-fourth. man, and an observer of the laws of thy country. And this partition hath remained to this day, He But if not, expect adversity upon thy disobedience also made twenty-four parts of the tribe of Levi, to them." and when they cast lots, they came up in the same manner for their courses of eight days. He also honoured the posterity of Moses, and made them the keepers of the treasures of God, and of the donations which the kings dedicated. He also ordained, that all the tribe of Levi, as well as the priests, should serve God night and day, as Moses had enjoined them.

After this he divided the army into twelve parts, with their leaders, and captains of hundreds and commanders. Now every part had twenty-four thousand: which were ordered to wait on Solomon, by thirty days at a time, from the first day till the last, with the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds. He also set rulers over every part, such as he knew to be good and righteous men. He set others also to take care of the treasures, and of the villages, and of the fields, and of the beasts. When David had ordered all these offices after the manner before mentioned, he called the rulers of the Hebrews, and their heads of tribes, and the officers over the several divisions, and those that were appointed over every work, and every possession; and, standing upon a high pulpit, he said to the multitude: "My brethren, and my people, I would have you know, that I intended to build a house for God; and prepared a large quantity of gold, and a hundred thousand talents of silver. But God prohibited me by the prophet Nathan; because of the wars I had on your account; and because my right hand was polluted with the slaughter of our enemies.

Now when the king had said this, he left off: but gave the description and pattern of the building of the temple, in the sight of them all, to Solomon; of the foundations, and of the chambers, inferior and superior; how many they were to be, and how large in height and in breadth; as also he determined the weight of the golden and silver vessels moreover he earnestly excited him with his words, to use the utmost alacrity about the work: he exhorted the rulers also, and particularly the tribe of Levi, to assist him; both because of his youth, and because God had chosen him to take care of the building of the temple, and of the government of the kingdom. He also declared to them, that the work would not be very laborious to them; because he had prepared for it many talents of gold, and more of silver, with timber, and a great many carpenters, and stone-cutters, and a large quantity of emeralds, and all sorts of precious stones; and he said, that even now he would give of the proper goods of his own dominion two hundred talents; and three hundred other talents of pure gold for the most holy place, and for the chariot of God,* the cherubim, which are to stand over and cover the ark. Now when David had done speaking, there appeared great alacrity among the rulers, and the priests, and the Levites, who now contributed, and made great and splendid promises for a future contribution. For

* 2 Sam. xxii. 11. Psal. xviii. 10,

they undertook to bring in of gold five thousand talents, and ten thousand drachms;* and of silver, ten thousand talents; and many thousand talents of iron. And if any one had a precious stone, he brought it to be put among the treasures; of which Jehicl, one of the posterity of Moses, had the care. Upon this occasion all the people rejoiced; as in particular did David, when he saw the zeal and forward ambition of the rulers, and the priests, and of all the rest; and he began to bless God with a loud voice, calling him the father and parent of the universe, and the author of human and divine things, with which he had adorned Solomon, the patron and guardian of the Hebrew nation, and of its happiness, and of that kingdom which he had given his son. Besides this, he prayed for happiness to all the people; and to Solomon his son, a sound and a righteous mind, in all sorts of virtue; and then he commanded the multitude to bless God. Upon which they all fell down upon the ground, and worshipped him. They also gave thanks to David on account of all the blessings which they had received ever since he had taken the kingdom. On the next day he presented sacrifices to God, a thousand bullocks, and as many lambs; which they offered for burnt-offerings. They also offered peace-offerings, and slew many ten thousand sacrifices; and the king feasted all day, together with all the people: and they anointed Solomon a second time with the oil, and appointed him to be king, and Zadok to be the highpriest of the whole multitude. And when they had brought Solomon to the royal palace, and had set him upon his father's throne, they were obedient from that day.

CHAP. XV.

OF THE CHARGE WHICH DAVID GAVE TO HIS SON SOLOMON, AT THE APPROACH OF HIS DEATH, AND OF THE MATERIALS HE LEFT HIM FOR BUILDING A TEMPLE.

A LITTLE afterward† David fell into a distemper, by reason of his age; and perceiving that he was near to death, he called his son Solomon, and dis

† An. 1056.

* Staters. David is here greatly blamed by some, for recommending Joab and Shimei to be punished by Solomon, if he could find a proper occasion, after he had borne with the first a long while; and seemed to have pardoned the other entirely; which Solomon executed accordingly. Yet do I not discern any fault either in David or Solomon in these cases. Joab's murders of Abner and Amasa were very barbarous, and could not properly be forgiven either by David or Solomon. For a dispensing power in kings for the crime of wilful murder, is warranted by no law of God, nay is directly against it everywhere. Nor is it in the power of men to grant such a prerogative to any of their kings. Though Joab was so nearly related to David, and so potent in

coursed to him thus: "I am now, O my son! going to my grave, and to my fathers; which is the common way which all men that now are, or that shall be hereafter, must go. From which way it is no longer possible to return, and to know any thing that is done in this world. I therefore exhort thee, while I am still alive, though already very near to death, in the same manner as I have formerly said in my advice to thee; to be righteous towards thy subjects, and religious towards God, who hath given thee thy kingdom; to observe his commands, and his laws, which he hath sent us by Moses; and neither do thou, out of favour nor flattery, allow any lust or passion to weigh with thee, to disregard them; for if thou transgressest his law, thou wilt lose the favour of God, and thou wilt turn away his providence from thee in all things. But if thou behave thyself so as I exhort thee, thou wilt preserve our kingdom to our family, and no other house will bear rule over the Hebrews, but we ourselves for all ages. Be thou also mindful of the transgression of Joab,‡ the captain of the host, who hath slain two generals out of envy, and those righteous and good men; Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa, the son of Jether; whose death do thou avenge, as shall seem good to thee; since Joab hath been too hard for me, and more potent than myself; and so hath escaped punishment hitherto. I also commit to thee the son of Barzillai, the Gileadite, whom, in order to gratify me, thou shalt have in great honour, and take great care of. For we have not done good to him first; but we only repay that debt which we owe his father, for what he did to me in my flight. There is also Shimei the son of Gera, of the tribe of Benjamin, who after he had cast many reproaches upon me, when, in my flight, I was going to Mahanaim, met me at Jordan, and received assurances that he should then suffer nothing. Do thou now seek out for some just occasion, and punish him."

When David had given these admonitions to his son respecting public affairs, and about those

the army under a warlike administration, that David durst not himself put him to death; as he says here, and 2 Sam. iii. 39. and xix. 7. Shimei's cursing the Lord's anointed, and this without any just cause, was the highest act of treason against God, and his anointed king, and justly deserved death. And though David could forgive treason against himself, yet had he done no more in the case of Shimei than promised him, that he would not then, on the day of his return and re-inauguration, or upon that occasion, himself put him to death, 2 Sam. xix. 22; and he swore to him no farther, verse 23, as the words are in Josephus, than that he would not then put him to death; which he performed. Nor was Solomon under any obligation to spare such a traitor.

AN. 1056.]

ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS.

whom he knew to deserve punishment, he died; having lived seventy years, and reigned seven years and six months in Hebron, over the tribe of Judah; and thirty-three years in Jerusalem, over all the country. This man was of an excellent character, and was endowed with all virtues that were desirable in a king, and in one that had the preservation of so many tribes committed to him. For he was a man of valour, in a very extraordinary degree; and went readily and first of all into dangers, when he was to fight for his subjects; as exciting the soldiers to action by his own labours, and fighting for them; and not by commånding them in a despotic way. He was also of very great abilities in apprehension of present and future circumstances, when he was to manage any affairs. He was prudent, moderate, and kind to such as were under any calamities; he was also righteous and humane; which are good qualities peculiarly fit for kings; nor was he guilty of any offence in the exercise of so great an authority, but in the business of the wife of Uriah. He also

*From An. 1126 to 1056 B. C.

† 1 Kings ii. 10. 1 Chron. xxix. 26―30.

Among several nations, indeed, it was customary to bury, along with the princes and other great men, various things of value, that they took delight in while they lived. The Egyptians were used to this; and about their mummies are frequently found very precious ornaments. When Alexander the Great had Cyrus's tomb opened, there was found therein a bed of gold, a very rich table, drinking-cups, and many fine vestments: but, notwithstanding all this, several learned men look upon this whole account of Josephus as a mere fable. For to what purpose, say they, did Solomon bury all this treasure under ground, when he had so much occasion for it, when he was forced to borrow money of the king of Tyre, and burthen his people with so many heavy taxes to supply his excessive expenses? How came it, that the other kings of Judah, who were frequently put to the necessity of stripping the temple of its precious furniture to satisfy their greedy enemies, never once adventured to lay hold on this treasure? How came it to escape the hands of the Chaldeans, and other nations, that so often had the plundering of Jerusalem? Or why should Hyrcanus violate this depositum, which his predecessors esteemed more sacred than the holy vesThese are questions that cannot easily be sels of the Lord? resolved; and, what is a farther confutation of this story, in that very book, from whence Josephus is supposed to have taken it, it is never once said, that Hyrcanus broke open David's tomb. Hyrcanus, while The words of that spurious author are that " he was besieged by Antiochus, opened a treasure-chamber which belonged to some of David's descendants, and that, after he had taken a large sum of money out of it, he still left a great deal in it, and sealed it up again :" but this is quite a different thing, and has no manner of relation to the sepulchre of David. As to the real sepulchre of David, it is certain, that it was always held in great veneration among the Jews. It was in being in St. Peter's time, for so he tells the people, Acts ii. 29. Dio (in Adriani vita) informs us, that part of it was fallen down in the emperor Adrian's reign. St. Jerom relates, that he himself used frequently to go and pray at it; and modern travellers, as we took notice before, describe some magnificent monuments bewed in a rock, not far from Jerusalem, which are doubtless very

other king

any left behind him greater wealth than either of the Hebrews, or of other nations ever did. He was buried by his son Solomon, in Jerusalem, with great magnificence,t and with all the pomp which kings used to be buried other funeral with; moreover, he had immense wealth buried with him; the vastness of which may be easily conjectured by what I shall now say; Sfor a thousand and three hundred years afterwards, Hyrcanus the high-priest, when he was besieged by Antiochus, that was called the Pious, the son of Demetrius, and was desirous of giving him money, to get him to raise the siege, and draw off his army, and having no other method of raising the money, opened one room of David's sepulchre, and took out three thousand talents; and gave Nay, many years part of that sum to Antiochus; and by this means caused the siege to be raised. afterward, Herod the king opened another room and took away a great deal of money; and yet neither of them came at the coffins of the kings themselves; for their bodies were buried under

ancient; but they themselves do not agree, that they were the
sepulchres of the kings of Judah. It was somewhat unaccount..
able, however, that the place of this prince's sepulchre, which
both the Chaldeans and the Romans, when they took Jerusalem,
thought proper to spare, should now be so entirely lost that we
cannot find the least remains of it. But though Providence has
so ordered it, that the place of David's sepulchre should not at
present be known, yet there does not want an eternal monument
of his most excellent genius. The Book of Psalms, which for
the most part was composed by him, does publish the glory of
its author more than the most pompous eulogies; and the author
of Ecclesiasticus, chap. xlvii. 2, &c. has consecrated an epitaph
to his memory, which is more durable than either marble or
brass-As the fat is taken away from the peace-offering, so
was David chosen out of the people of Israel. He played with
lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs; he slew a giant
when he was young, and took away reproach from the people;
for he called upon the most high Lord, and he gave strength to
his right hand to slay this mighty warrior, and to set up the horn
of his people. So the people honoured him with ten thousands,
and praised him in blessings of the Lord; for he destroyed the
enemies on every side, and brought to naught the Philistines,
his adversaries:-In all his works he praised the Holy One most
high, and blessed the Lord with words of glory:-He set singers
also before the altar, that by their voices they might make sweet
melody, and daily sing praises in their songs. He beautified
their feasts, and set their solemn times in perfect order :-The
Lord took away his sons, and exalted his horn for ever; he gave
him a covenant of kings, and a throne of glory in Israel. Cal.
§ Instead of 1300 years, we are here, by Josephus's own
met's Commentary, and his Dictionary, under the word David. B.
chronology, to read 980, or, at most, in a round and large num-
ber, 1000 years. But as to some supposals as if the burial of
such riches in or near to David's sepulchre were a thing incredi-
ble, I cannot but wonder at great men, when they oppose some
for these histories; and that from the best contemporary authors.
vain conjectures against the most authentic evidence we have
See XIII. 8. XVI. 7. Of the War, 1, 2. and Authentic Records,
I. page 207.
part

But so much shall suffice concerning

the earth so artfully, that they did not appear | ments.* to even those that entered into their monu- these matters.

* I suppose those large and magnificent sepulchres in the north-west, now without, but perhaps of old within the walls of Jerusalem, and still called the sepulchres of the kings, are those very sepulchres, in which David, and so many more kings of Judah were buried; and in certain of whose rooms, which are not a few, these immense riches might now be deposited; and out of which vast sums were afterwards taken; certainly by Hyrcanus, and very probably by Herod the Great also. See Antiq. XIII. 8. XVI. 7. Sandys, page 175. Thevenot, part I. lib. II. chap. 40. Prideaux, at the year 699. Maundrell, page 75, 76, 77, and note on Antiq. VII. 3, and on XVII. 11, with

Authent. Rec. part I. page 207. Dr. Prideaux's objections are built chiefly on the supposal, that this vast treasure, put now into David's sepulchre, must have been known all along afterwards; whereas it is more probable it was not known, till Hyrcanus, in great distress, discovered it, and took out 3000 talents. Nor perhaps was it afterwards known, that Hyrcanus had left any behind him; till Herod, prying about everywhere for money, at length met with that remainder also, and took it all away. Sepulchres were of old looked upon as places so sacred and inviolable, that treasures might be more safely trusted in them, than in almost any other places.

« PreviousContinue »