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BOOK FOURTH.

THE REIGN OF SOLOMON.

PART I.

THE BEGINNING OF SOLOMON'S REIGN.

122. SOLOMON'S 1 Kings 2:12.

12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

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ACCESSION TO THE THRONE."

1 Chronicles 29:23-25.
23 Then Solomon sat on the
throne of the LORD as king in-
stead of David his father, and
prospered; and all Israel obeyed
him. 24 And all the princes,
and the mighty men, and all the
sons likewise of king David, 'sub-
mitted themselves unto Solomon
the king. 25 And the LORD
magnified Solomon exceedingly
in the sight of all Israel, and
bestowed upon him such royal
majesty as had not been on any
king before him in Israel.

2 Chronicles 1:1.

I And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

123. SOLOMON'S REMOVAL OF HIS ADVERSARIES.
(1) ADONIJAH, ASKING ABISHAG TO WIFE, IS PUT TO DEATH.

1 Kings 2:13-25.

13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD. 16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. 17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. 18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. 20 Then she said, I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not deny thee. she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. 22 And king a Cf. §§107, (4), A, and 118. ¿ Heb. "

gave the hand under Solomon."

c Heb. "

turn not away my face."

21 And

1 Kings 2.

Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. 23 Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. 24 Now therefore as the LORD liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him, that he died.

(2) ABIATHAR IS DEGRADED FROM THE PRIESTHOOD.

1 Kings 2:26, 27.

26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein father was afflicted. 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

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(3) JOAB'S FLIGHT AND DEATH.

1 Kings 2:28-34.

28 And the tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon, Joab is fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. 30 And Benaiah came to the Tent of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. 31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house. 32 And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew it not, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. 33 So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but unto David, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD. 34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

(4) THE ELEVATION OF BENAIAH AND ZADOK.
1 Kings 2:35.

35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

(5) SHIMEI MEETS WITH HIS Deserts.

1 Kings 2: 36-46.

36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. 37 For on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, know thou for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. 38 And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. 39 And it a Heb. "a man of." ¿Cf. 1 Samuel 2:27-36. See §21, (4). c Cf. §118, (3).

1 Kings 2.

came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. 40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. 42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for certain, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The saying that I have heard is good. 43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head. 45 But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. 124. SOLOMON MARRIES PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER.

1 Kings 3: 1.

1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

125. SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF SOLOMON AND HIS KINGDOM.

1 Kings 3:2, 3.

2 Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

126. SOLOMON'S SACRIFICE AT GIBEON. 1 Kings 3: 4.

4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

a Or, as otherwise read, "he had put."

2 Chronicles 1:2-6.

2 And Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses. 3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it. 6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

b Or, "offered there, upon . . . yea, he offered."

127. SOLOMON'S DREAM AND PRAYER FOR WISDOM.

1 Kings 3:5-15.

2 Chronicles 1:7-13.

5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon 7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast 8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great shewed great kindness unto David my father, kindness, according as he walked before thee and hast made me king in his stead. 9 Now, O in truth, and in righteousness, and in upright- LORD God, let thy promise unto David my ness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for father be established: for thou hast made me him this great kindness, that thou hast given king over a people like the dust of the earth in him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. multitude. io Give me now wisdom and knowl7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made | edge, that I may go out and come in before this thy servant king instead of David my father: people: for who can judge this thy people, that and I am but a little child; I know not how to is so great? II And God said to Solomon, Bego out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the cause this was in thine heart, and thou hast not midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of great people, that cannot be numbered nor count- them that hate thee, neither yet hast asked long ed for multitude. 9 Give thy servant therefore life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for an understanding heart to judge thy people, that thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over I may discern between good and evil; for who whom I have made thee king: 12 wisdom and is able to judge this thy great people? 10 And knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, none of the kings have had that have been beBecause thou hast asked this thing, and hast fore thee, neither shall there any after thee have not asked for thyself long life; neither hast the like. 13 So Solomon came from his journey asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life to the high place that was at Gibeon, from beof thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself un-fore the tent of meeting, unto Jerusalem; and he derstanding to discern judgement; 12 behold, I reigned over Israel.

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have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. 15 And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream: and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

a Heb. "hearing." 6 Heb. "heavy." c Heb." many days." d Heb. "hear." Sept, and Vulgate have, "came from the high place."

Or, "hath not been." The

128. GOD'S GIFT OF WISDOM MANIFEST BY SOLOMON'S JUDGMENT ON THE HARLOTS.

1 Kings 3:16–28.

16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. 17 And the one woman said, Oh my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. 18 And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also; and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. 19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. 20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. 22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. 23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24 And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, Oh my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28 And all Israel heard of the judgement which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgement.

PART II.

SOLOMON IN ALL HIS GLORY.

129. PREPARATIONS FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE."

(1) THE LEAGUE WITH HIRAM, KING OF TYRE.

1 Kings 5:1-12; 7:13, 14.

C

2 Chronicles 2:1, 3-16.

I' And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants I Now Solomon purposed to build an house unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had for the name of the LORD, and an house for his anointed him king in the room of his father: for kingdom. 3d And Solomon sent to Huram the Hiram was ever a lover of David. 2 And Solo- king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with mon sent to Hiram, saying, 3 Thou knowest how David my father, and didst send him cedars to that David my father could not build an house build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal for the name of the LORD his God for the wars with me. 4 Behold, I build an house for the which were about him on every side, until the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to LORD put them under the soles of his feet. him, and to burn before him incense of sweet 4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest spices, and for the continual shewbread, and for on every side; there is neither adversary, nor the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the evil occurrent. 5 And, behold, I purpose to build sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set an house for the name of the LORD my God, as feasts of the LORD our God. This is an orthe LORD spake unto David my father, saying,|dinance for ever to Israel. 5 And the house

a Cf. §106. 6 Ch. 5:15 in Heb. c Ch. 1: 18 in Heb. d Ch. 2:2 in Heb.

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