of his own country; so he still more and more contemnedhis own God, and continued to regard the gods that his marriages had introduced. Nay, before this happened, he sinned, and fell into an error about the observance of the laws, when he made* the images of brazen oxen, that supported the brazen sea, and the images of lions about his own throne; for these he made, although it was not agreeable to piety so to do. And this he did notwithstanding that he had his father as a most excellent and domestic pattern of virtue; and knew what a glorious character he had left behind him, because of his piety towards God. Nor did he imitate David, although God had twice appeared to him in his sleep, and exhorted him so to do. There came therefore a prophet to him, who was seat by God, and told him, that his wicked actions were not concealed from God; and threatened him that he should not long rejoice at what he had done; that indeed the kingdom should not be taken from him, while he was alive; because God had promised to his father David that he would make him his successor; but that he would take care that this should befall his son when he was dead. Not that he would withdraw all the people from him, but that he would give ten tribes to a servant of his, and leave only two tribes to David's grandson for his sake, because he loved God; and for the sake of the city Jerusalem, wherein he would have a temple.

When Solomon heard this, he was grieved, and greatly confounded, upon this change of almost all that happiness which had made him to be admired, into so bad a state. Nor had there much time passed after the prophet had foretold what was com

*Josephus is here certainly too severe upon Solomon; who in making the cherubims, and these twelve brazen oxen, seems to have done no more than imitate the patterns left him by David, which were all given David by divine inspiration. See my Description of the Temples, chap. x. And although God gave no direction for the lions that adorned his throne, yet does not Solomon seem therein to have broken any law of Moses. For although the Pharisees and later Rabins, have extended the second commandment, to forbid the very making of any image, though without any intention to have it worshipped; yet do not I suppose that Solomon so understood it, nor that it ought to be so understood. The making any other altar for worship, but that at the tabernacle, was equally forbidden by Moses: Antiq. IV. 3, yet did not the two tribes and a half offend when they made an altar for a memorial only, Josh. xxii. Antiq. V. 1.

ing, before God raised up an enemy against him, whose name was Hadad;* who took the following occasion of his enmity to him. He was a child of the stock of the Edomites, and of the blood royal. And when Joab, the captain of David's host laid waste the land of Edom, and destroyed all that were men grown, and able to bear arms, for six months' time, this Hadad fled away, and came to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who received him kindly, and assigned him a house to dwell in, and a country to supply him with food. And when he was grown up he loved him exceedingly; insomuch that he gave him his wife's sister, whose name was Tahpenes to wife, by whom he had a son, who was brought up with the king's children. When Hadad heard in Egypt that both David and Joab were dead, he came to Pharaoh, and desired that he would permit him to go to his own country. The king asked what it was that he wanted, and what hardships he had met with, that he was so desirous to leave him? and when he was often troublesome to him, and intreated him to dismiss him, he did not then do it. But at the time when Solomon's affairs began to grow worse,† on account of his aforementioned transgressions, and God's anger against him for the same; Hadad, by Pharaoh's permission, came to Edom, and when he was not able to make the people to forsake Solomon, (for it was kept under by many garrisons, and an innovation was not to be made with safety,) he removed thence and came into Syria. There he met with one Rezon,+

* Hadad was a young prince of the royal family of Idumea, who fled into Egypt when David conquered that country. For David, having obtained a signal victory under the conduct of Abishai, who, at that time, commanded in chief, sent Joab afterwards with an order to kill all the males that should be found in the land. But Hadad had escaped into Egypt, where, finding favour in the eyes of the king, he married his wife's sister, and there settled. But, after the death of David, he returned into Idumea, and gave Solomon no small molestation. Calmet's Commentary. B.

+ Since the beginning of Solomon's evil life and adversity was the time when Hadad, (who was born at least twenty or thirty years before Solomon came to the crown, in the days of David,) began to give him disturbance, this implies that Solomon's evil life began early, and continued very long; which the multitude of his wives and concubines does also imply. I suppose he was not fifty years of age.

* 1 Kings xi. 23.

who had run away from Hadadezer,* king of Zobah, his master, and was become a robber in that country; and joined friendship with him, who had already a band of robbers about him. So he went up and seized upon that part of Syria, and was made king thereof. He also made incursions into the land of Israel, and did in it no small mischief, and spoiled it, and that in the life time of Solomon. And such was the calamity which the Hebrews suffered by Hadad.

There was also one of Solomon's own nation that made an attempt against him, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat; who had an expectation of rising, from a prophecy that had been made to him long before. He was left a child by his father, and brought up by his mother; and when Solomon saw that he was of an active and bold disposition, he made him the curator of the walls which he built round about Jerusalem. And he took such care of those works, that the king approved of his behaviour, and gave him as a reward for the same, the charge over the tribe of Joseph. And when about that time Jeroboam was once going out of Jerusalem, a prophet of the city Shilo, whose name was Ahijah, met him, and saluted him; and when he had taken him a little aside to the place where there was no one present, he rent the garment he had into twelve pieces, and bade Jeroboam take ten of them; saying, "This is the will of God; he will part the dominion of Solomon, and give one tribe, with that which is next it, to his son; because of the promise made to David for his succession; and will give ten tribes to thee; because Solomon hath sinned against him, and delivered himself up to women, and to their gods. Seeing, therefore, thou knowest the cause for which God hath changed his mind, and is alienated from Solomon, be thou righteous, and keep the laws; because thou hast proposed to thee the greatest of all rewards for thy piety, and the honour thou shalt pay to God;

* When David made war against Hadadezer, Rezon, one of his generals, escaped from the field of battle, with the troops under his command; and, having lived for a little while by plunder and robbery, at length seized on Damascus, and reigned there. But his reign was not long. For David took Damascus, as well as other parts of Syria, and left it in subjection to his son Solomon, till God was pleased to suffer this Rezon to recover Damascus, and there re-establish himself, to the great disturbance of the latter part of Solomon's reign. Calmet's Com ment. B.

namely, to be as greatly exalted as thou knowest David to have been."

So Jeroboam was elevated by these words of the prophet, and being a young man of warm temper, and ambitious of greatness, he could not be quiet. And when he had so great a charge in the government, and called to mind what had been revealed to him by Ahijah, he endeavoured to persuade the people to forsake Solomon; to make a disturbance, and to bring the government over to himself. But when Solomon understood his intention and treachery, the sought to catch him and kill him. But Jeroboam was informed of it beforehand; and fled to Shishak, king of Egypt; and there abode till the death of Solomon. By which means he gained these two advantages; to suffer no harm from Solomon, and to be preserved for the kingdom. So Solomon died when he was already an old man, having reigned‡ eighty years,|| and lived ninety-four. He was buried in Jerusalem: having been superior to all other kings in happiness, riches, and wisdom; excepting that when he was grown in years, he was deluded by women, and trans

* This youth of Jeroboam when Solomon built the walls of Jerusalem, not very long after he had finished his twenty year's building of the temple, and his own palace; or not very long after the twenty fourth year of his reign, 1 Kings ix. 24. 2 Chron. viii. 11, and his youth here still mentioned, when Solomon's wickedness was become intolerable; fully confirm my former observation, that such his wickedness began early, and continued very long. See Ecclus. xlvii. 14. Had we this discourse of Josephus's, wherein he intended to enlarge on this part of Solomon's life (which part is only in brief touched upon in our other copies, 1 Kings xi. and is wholly omitted in the books of Chronicles) we had probably been more fully informed of this matter.

+ How Solomon came to know what was thus transacted between Ahijah and Jeroboam alone, is a question of no great difficulty. For perhaps the prophet made no scruple to report what he delivered in the name of the Lord; perhaps Jeroboam himself, being puffed up with this assurance, could not contain, but told it to some of his confidants, who spread it abroad; or perhaps his servants, though they heard not the words the prophet spake, yet, seeing him rend the garment into twelve parts, and give ten to him, might speak of this strange and unaccountable action, which Solomon, as soon as he came to hear of it, might easily understand, because the same prophet very likely had told him but just before, that the kingdom should be rent from him, and given to his servant, 1 Kings xiv. 8. rick's Commentary. B.

From an. 1056 to 976, B. C.

Pat

That Josephus justly ascribes eighty years to the reign of Solomon, see Essay on the Old Testament, page 31, 32,

gressed the law, concerning which transgressions, and the miseries which befell the Hebrews thereby, I think proper to discourse at another opportunity.*

CHAP. VIII.

OF REHOBOAM'S CONDUCT AFTER HIS FATHER'S DEATH; AND THE

REVOLT OF TEN TRIBES UNDER JEROBOAM.

NOW+ when Solomon was dead, and his son Rehoboam (who was born of an Ammonite wife, whose name was Naamah) had succeeded him in the kingdom, the rulers of the multitude sent immediately into Egypt, and recalled Jeroboam. And when he was come to the city Shechem, Rehoboam came thither also; for he had resolved to declare himself king of the Israelites, while they were there gathered together. So the rulers of the people, as well as Jeroboam, came to him and said, that he ought to relax, and to be gentler than his father in the servitude he had imposed on them; because they had borne a heavy‡ yoke,|| and that then they should be better affected to him, and be well contented to serve him under his moderatę government, and should do it more out of love than fear. But Rehoboam told them, they should come to him again in three days' time, when he would give an answer to their request. This

* This discourse is now wanting.

An. 976.

‡ Probably in maintaining his court, and, in particular, his numerous wives and concubines.

|| What the particular grievances were that these people desired to have redressed, we may gather from 1 Kings iv. 7, &c. viz. the tribute Solomon exacted for his buildings, the expenses of his family, and the maintenance of his chariots and horses, which being for the honour of the nation, ought to have been borne more contentedly by a people enjoying such a large share of peace and plenty, and from a prince who had brought in such vast riches to his subjects, as made silver to be of no value at all in his days, chap. x. 21, but people are more sensible of their pressures than of their enjoyments, and feel the least burdens when they are most at ease. It is observable, however, that among all their complaints, they take no notice of Solomon's idolatry, or the strange worship which he had introduced, though this, one would think, should have been reckoned among the greatest of their grievances. Patrick's Commentary. B.