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state, rejoiced at it; and invited the prophet to sup with him. But Jadon said, he could not endure to come into his house, nor to taste of bread or water in that city. * For that was a thing God had forbidden him to do; as also to go back by the same way which he came : but he said, he was to return by another way. So the king wondered at the abstinence of the man; but was himself in fear, as suspecting a change of his affairs for the worse from what had been said to him.

CHAP. IX.

OF JADON'S RETURN TO BETHEL AT THE INSTIGATION OF A FALSE PROPHET, AND HIS AWFUL END; THE EFFECT OF THE LYING PROPHET'S ARGUMENTS ON THE MIND OF JEROBOAM, &c.

N

TOW there was a certain wicked man in that city, who was a false prophet, whom Jeroboam had in great esteem: but he was deceived by him, and his flattering words. This man was then bed-ridden, by reason of the infirmities of old age. However he was informed by his sons concerning the prophet that was come from Jerusalem, and concerning the signs done by him: and how when Jeroboam's right hand had been enfeebled, at the prophet's prayer he had it revived again. Whereupon he was afraid that this stranger and prophet should be in better esteem with the king than himself, and obtain greater honor from him; and he gave order to his sons to saddle his ass immediately, and make all ready that he might go out. Accordingly they made haste to do what they were commanded; and he got upon the ass, and followed after the prophet. And when he had overtaken him, as he was resting himself under a thick and shady oak, he at first saluted him,

Why this prophet was forbid to eat or drink with the people of Bethel, the reason is obvious, because he was to have no familiarity with idolaters; but why he should not return by the same way that he went, is not so very evident. There is a passage in Isaiah concerning Sennacherib, which helps, as some think, to elucidate this mat ter, where God tells him, that he would turn him back by the same way that he came, Isaiah xxxvii. 29, 34, i, e. he should return home without doing any thing. All his threats and all his great projects should have no effect against Jerusalem, And in like manner when God commanded the prophet not to return by the same way, it was as much as if he had said, "See that thou be constant, and

but presently he complained of him, because he bad not come into his house, and partaken of his hospitality. And when the other said, that God had forbidden him to taste of any one's provision in that city, he replied, " Certainly God had not forbidden that I should set food before thee: for I am a prophet as thou art, and worship God in the same manner that thou dost and I am now come, as sent by him, in order to bring thee into my house, and make thee my guest." Now Jadon gave credit to this lying prophet, and returned back with him. But when they were at dinner, and were merry together, God appeared to Jadon, and said that he should suffer punishment for transgressing his commands: and he told him what that punishment should be; for he said, that on his return, "he should meet with a lion, by which he should be torn to pieces, and be deprived of burial in the sepulchres of his fathers." Which things came to pass, as I suppose, according to the will of God: that so Jeroboam might not give heed to the words of Jadon, as of one that had been convicted of lying. However, as Jadon was again going to Jerusalem, a lion assaulted him, and pulled him off the beast he rode on, and slew him: yet did he not at all hurt the ass; but sat by him, and kept him, as also the prophet's body. This continued till some travellers that saw it came and told it in the city to the false prophet, who sent his sons, and brought the body unto the city, and made a funeral for him, at great expences. He also charged his sons to bury himself with him, and said, "that all which he had foretold against that city, and the altar, and priests, and false prophets, would prove true: and that if he were buried with him he should receive no injurious treatment after his death: the bones not being then to stedfast in executing the charge committed to thee; let nothing hinder or divert thee, but take abundant care, that thou dost thy business effectually." But this construction is a little too much strained; nor can I see, why we may not say, that God enjoined his prophet not to return by the same way, lest Jeroboam, or any other of the inhabitants of Bethel, either to satisfy their curiosity upon an occasion so uncommon, or to do him some mischief for his severe denunciations against their altar and way of worship, might send men after him to bring him back. Calmet's and Le Clerc's Com. B.

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† 1 Kings xiii, 32.

be distinguished asunder." But when he had performed those funeral rites to the prophet, and had given that charge to his sons, as he was a wicked and impious man, he went to Jeroboam and said to him :-" Wherefore is it

CHAP. X.

OF REHOBOAM'S IMPIETY, AND HIS PUNISHMENT BY SHISHAK
KING OF EGYPT.

now that thou art disturbed at the words of RE

EHOBOAM, † the son of Solomon, who, as we said before, was king of the two tribes, built strong and large cities, Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Bethzur, Shoco, Adul

this silly fellow ?" And when the king related what had happened about the altar and about his own hand; and gave him the names of a divine man, and an excellent prophet; helam, Ipan, Maresha, Ziph, Adoraim, Laendeavoured, by a wicked trick, to weaken that his opinion, and by using plausible words concerning what had happened, he aimed to injure the truth that was in them. For he attempted to persuade him, that his hand was enfeebled by the labor it had undergone, in supporting the sacrifices and that upon its resting awhile it returned to its former nature again. And that as to the altar, it was but new, and had borne an abundance of sacrifices, and those large ones too; and was accordingly broken to pieces, and fallen down, by the weight of what had been laid upon it. He also informed. him of the death of him that had foretold those things, and how he perished; whence he concluded that he had not any thing in him of a prophet, nor spake any thing like one. When he had thus spoken he persuaded the king; and entirely alienated his mind from God, and from doing works that were righteous and holy; and encouraged him to go on in his impious practices.* And accordingly he was to that degree injurious to God, and so great a transgressor; that he sought for nothing else every day but how he might be guilty of some new instances of wickedness; and such as should be more detestable than what he had been so insolent as to do before. And so much shall at present suffice to have said concerning Jeroboam.

How much a larger and better copy Josephus had in this remarkable history of the true prophet of Judea, and his concern with Jeroboam, and with the false prophet of Bethel, than our other copies have, is evident at first sight. The prophet's very name Jadon, or, as the constitutions call him, Adonias, IV. 6, is wanting in our other copies : and it is there, with no little absurdity, said, that God revealed Jadon the true prophet's death; not to himself, as here, but to the false prophet. Of which see Essay on the Old Test. page 74, 75. Whether the particular account of the arguments made use of, after all by the false

chish, Azekalı, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These he built first of all in the tribe of Judah. He also built other cities in the tribe of Benjamin; and walled them about, and put garrisons in them all, and captains, and a great deal of corn, and wine, and oil; and he furnished every one of them plentifully with other provisions that were necessary for sus tenance. Moreover he put therein shields and spears, for many thousand men. The priests also that were in all Israel, and the Levites; and if there were any of the multitude that were good and righteous men, they gathered themselves together to him: having left their own cities, that they might worship God in Jerusalem. For they were not willing to be forced to worship the heifers, which Jeroboam had made: and they augmented the kingdom of Rehoboam for three years. And after he had married a woman of his own kindred, and had by her three children; he married also another of his own kindred who was daughter of Absalom by Tamar, whose name was Maachah; and by her he had a son, whom he named Abijah. He had also many other children by other wives; but he loved Maachah above them all. Now he had eighteen legiti mate wives, and thirty concubines; § and he had born to him twenty-eight sons, and threescore daughters; but he appointed Abijah, whom he had by Maachah, to be his successor

prophet against his own belief, in order to persuade Jeroboam to persevere in his idolatry and wickedness; and which it seems prevailed with him; than which more plausible could not be invented; was intimated in Josephus's copy, or in some other ancient book, cannot now be determined: our other copies say not one word of it.

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in the kingdom and intrusted him with the treasures and the strongest cities.

While Rehoboam, and the multitude with him, were shut up in Jerusalem, by the army Now I cannot but think, that the greatness of Shishak; and when they besought God to of a kingdom, and its change into prosperity, give them victory and deliverance, they could often becomes the occasion of mischief and not persuade God to espouse their cause; but of transgression to men. For when RehoFor when Reho- Shemaiah the prophet told them, that God boam saw his kingdom so much increased, he threatened to forsake them, as they had themwent out of the right way into irreligious selves forsaken his worship. When they practices, and despised the worship of God, heard this, they were in great consternation; till the people themselves imitated his wicked and, seeing no way of deliverance, they all actions. For so it usually happens, that the earnestly set themselves to confess that God manners of subjects are corrupted at the same might justly overlook them since they had time with those of their governors; which been guilty of impiety towards him, and had subjects then lay aside their own sober way of let his laws lie in confusion. So when God living, as a reproof of their governors' intem- saw them in that disposition, and that they perate courses; and follow their wickedness, acknowledged their sins, he told the prophet as if it were virtue. For it is not possible to he would not destroy them; but that he would shew that men approve of the actions of their make them servants to the Egyptians: that kings, unless they do the same actions with they might learn whether they would suffer them. Agreeably whereto it now happened less by serving men or God. So when Shito the subjects of Rehoboam: for when he shak had taken the city without fighting, bewas grown impious, and a transgressor him- cause Rehoboam was afraid, and received him self, they endeavoured not to offend him by into it; he spoiled the temple, and emptied resolving still to be righteous. But God sent the treasures of God, and those of the king, Shishak, † king of Egypt, to punish them for and carried off innumerable thousands of gold their unjust behaviour towards him. Con- and silver; and left nothing at all behind him. cerning whom Herodotus was mistaken, and He also took away the bucklers of gold, and applied his actions to Sesostris. For this the shields, which Solomon the king had Shishak, in the fifth year of the reign of made. Nay, he did not leave the golden Rehoboam, made an expedition into Judea quivers which David had taken from the king with many thousand men. For he had one of Zobah, and had dedicated to God. thousand two hundred chariots, threescore when he had thus done, he returned to his thousand horsemen, and four hundred thou- own kingdom. Now Herodotus of Halicarsand footmen. These he brought with him; nassus mentions this expedition; having only and they were the greater part of them Li-mistaken the king's name, and in saying that, byans and Ethiopians. Now therefore when he fell upon the country of the Hebrews, he took the strongest cities of Rehoboam's kingdom, without fighting; and when he had put garrisons in them, he came last of all to Jerusalem. §

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* An. 971.

*

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+ It may seem something strange, that Shishak, who was so nearly allied to Rehoboam, should come up against him, and take his royal city: but Rehoboam, we must remember, was not the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and therefore no relation to Shishak. But, even had he been never so nearly related, as kingdoms, we know, never marry, so, it is likely that Jeroboam, who had lived long in Egypt, stirred him up to invade his rival, and thereby he might establish himself in this new kingdom: and for this reason it was, that, when the armies of Egypt

he made war upon many other nations also, and brought Syria of Palestine into subjection; and took the men that were therein prisoners, without fighting. Now it is manifest that he intended to declare our nation was subdued by him: for he saith, that he left be

had taken the fenced cities of Judah, they returned, with out giving Jeroboam, or his dominions, any the least dis turbance. Patrick's Com. B.

That this Shishak was not the same person with the famous Sesostris, as some have very lately, in contradiction to all antiquity, supposed; and that our Josephus did not take him to be the same, as they pretend; but that Sesostris was many centuries earlier than Shishak, see Authent. Records, Part II. page 1024, 1025, 1026, and the authors there cited.

§ 1 Kings xiv. 25.

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hind him pillars in the land of those that delivered themselves up to him, without fighting, and engraved upon them symbols of their 'effeminacy. Now our king Rehoboam delivered up our city without fighting. He says withal, that "The Ethiopians learned the rite of circumcision from the Egyptians, with this addition; that the Phoenicians and Syrians that live in Palestine confess that they learned it of the Egyptians." Yet is it evident that no other of the Syrians that live in Palestine besides us alone are circumcised. But as to such matters let every one speak what is agreeable to his own opinion.

When Shishak was gone away, king Rehoboam made bucklers and shields of brass, † instead of those of gold; and delivered the same number of them to the keepers of the king's palace. instead famous warlike

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proud and a foolish man: and lost part of his dominions by not hearkening to his father's friends. He was buried at Jerusalem, in the sepulchres of the kings. And his son Abijah || succeeded him in the kingdom; and this in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign over the ten tribes. It must be now our business to relate the affairs of Jeroboamn, and how he ended his life. For he ceased not, nor rested to be injurious to God; but every day raised up altars upon high mountains, and went on making priests out of the multitude.

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CHAP. XI.

OF THE DEATH OF JEROBOAM'S SON; JEROBOAM'S DEFEAT BY. ABIJAH; HIS SUBSEQUENT DEATH AND DESTRUCTION OF HIS HOUSE BY BAASHA.

expeditions, and that glory which results from G Jeroboam's wicked action, the pr

those public actions, he reigned in great quietness, though not without fear; as being always an enemy to Jeroboam. And he died when he had lived fifty-seven years, and reigned seventeen. § He was in his disposition a

Herodotus, as here quoted by Josephus, and as this passage still stands in his present copies, Book II. Chap. 104, affirms, that "the Phoenicians and Syrians in Pa. lestine, (which last are generally supposed to denote the Jews,) owned their receiving circumcision from the Egyptians." Whereas it is abundantly evident, that the Jews received their circumcision from the patriarch Abraham, Gen. xvii. 9-14. Jos. vii. 22, 23, as I conclude the Egyptian priests themselves did. It is not therefore very unlikely, that Herodotus, because the Jews had lived long in Egypt, and came out of it circumcised, did thereupon think they had learned that circumcision in Egypt, and had it not before. Manetho, the famous Egyptian chronologer and historian, who knew the history of his own country much better than Herodotus, complains frequently of his mistakes about their affairs; as does Josephus more than once in this chapter. Nor indeed does Herodotus seem at all acquainted with the affairs of the Jews. For as he never names them; so little or nothing of what he says about them, their country, or maritime cities, two of which he alone mentions, Cadytis and Jenysis, proves true. Nor indeed do there appear to have ever been any such cities on their coast. See Es. say on the Old Testament, Appendix, page 180. Reland's Palestine, Tom. II. L. III. page 668, 669, 670, and the Note on XI. 2.

†This shews, to what low condition the kingdom of Judab was reduced. These shields were a matter of state and grandeur; and therefore it concerned them, if they were able, to have them of the same value that they were

OD in no long time ready to return and punishment they deserved, upon his head, and upon the heads of all his house. And whereas a son of the king's lay sick at that time, who was called Abijah; ¶he enjoined his wife to lay aside her robes, and to take the garments

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before. And, as they were carried before the king to the house of the Lord, it seemed likewise to be a matter of religion, that their value should not be diminished. Now, in making these three hundred shields we are told, that three pounds of gold went to one shield, 1 Kings x. 17. Thus at four pounds per ounce, or forty eight pounds sterling to the pound, amounts to no more than 432,000. and therefore it was a miserable case, that they were reduced from so much wealth to so much poverty, that neither reason of state, nor religion, could raise so small a sum on so great an occasion. Bedford's Scripture Chronology, lib. 6, c. 2. B.

1 Kings xiv. 27.

§ From Au. 976 to 959, B. C. An. 959.

Jeroboam might be for having his wife go to consult the prophet at Shiloh, because this was a secret not to be entrusted with any body else; a secret which had it been divulged, might have endangered his whole government: because, if once his subjects came to understand, that he himself had no confidence in the calves which he had set up, but in any matter of importance had recourse to the true worshippers of God, it is not to be imagined, what an inducement this would have been for them to forsake these senseless idols, and to return to the worship of the God of Israel, whom they imprudently had forsaken. The queen was then the only person he could have confi. dence in. As a mother, he knew, that she would be diligent in her inquiry: and as a wife, faithful in her report; but there were sundry reasons why he might de

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tices of their king, and have worshipped the gods that he made, and forsaken my sacrifices. Do thou, O woman! make haste back to thy husband, and tell him this message. But thou shalt then find thy son dead; for as thou enterest the city he shall depart this life. Yet shall he be buried with the lamentations of all the multitude, and be honored with a general mourning; he is the only innocent person of Jeroboam's family."*

When the prophet had foretold these events, the woman went hastily away with a disordered mind, and greatly grieved at the death of the child. So she was in lamentation as she went along the road, and mourned for the death of her son, that was just at hand. She was indeed in a miserable condition at the unavoidable approach of death, and went

belonging to a private person, and to go to Ahijah the prophet; for that he was a wonderful man in foretelling future events; it baving been he who told him, that he should be king. He also enjoined her, when she came to him, to inquire concerning the child, as if she were a stranger, whether be should escape this distemper. So she did as her husband bade her; and changed her habit, and came to the city Shiloh; for there did Ahijah live. But as she was going into his house, his eyes being then dim with age, God appeared to him, and informed him that the wife of Jeroboam was come to him; and what answer he should make to her inquiry. Accordingly as the woman was coming into the house, like a private person, and a stranger, he cried out, "Come in, O thou wife of Jeroboam. Why concealest thou thyself? Thou art not concealed from God; who hath ap-apace; but in circumstances very unfortunate peared to me, and informed me that thou wast coming, and hath given me in command what I shall say to thee." So he said, that she should go away to her husband and speak to him thus: "Since I made thee a great man, when thou wast little, or rather nothing, and rent the kingdom from the house of David, and gave it to thee; and thou hast been unmindful of these benefits, hast left off my wor- Jeroboam, however, did not lay any of ship, hast made the molten gods and honored these things to heart; but he brought togethem: I will in like manner cast thee down ther a very numerous army, and made a waragain, and will destroy all thy house, and like expedition against Abijah, the son of Remake them food for the dogs, and the fowls. hoboam, who had succeeded his father in the For a certain king is rising up, by my ap-kingdom of the two tribes. For he despised pointment, over all this people, who shall leave none of the family of Jeroboam remaining. The multitude also shall themselves partake of the same punishment; and shall be cast out of this good land, and shall be scattered into the places beyond Euphrates; because they have followed the wicked prac

sire her to disguise herself. For though Shiloh lay within the confines of Ephraim, yet there is sufficient ground to think, that it was subject to the house of David, and belonged to the kingdom of Judah. It was certainly nearer Jerusalem than Shechem, which Rehoboam had lately fortified, and made his place of residence: and therefore Jeroboam thought it not safe to venture his queen, in a place that was under his rival's government, without her putting on some disguise. He knew too, that the prophet Ahijah was greatly offended at him, for the gross idolatry he had introduced; and therefore he thought (as

because of her son: for the greater haste she
made, she would the sooner see her son dead.
Yet was she forced to make such haste on
account of her husband.
account of her husband. Accordingly when
she was come back, she found that the child
had given up the ghost, as the prophet had
said, and she related all the circumstances to
the king.

him, because of his age. But when he heard.
of the expedition of Jeroboam, he was not
affrighted at it; but proved of a courageous
temper of mind, superior both to his youth,
and to the hopes of his enemy. So he chose
an army out of the two tribes, and met Jero-
boam at a place called mount Zemaraim, and

justly he might), that, if the prophet perceived it to be
his wife, he would either tell her nothing, or make things
much worse than they
u they were. The only way, therefore,

to come at the truth, was, (as he thought,) to do what he
did but herein appears his infatuation, that he should
not think the person, whom he held culpable of resolv.
ing him in the fate of his son, able to see through this
guile and disguise. Calmet's Commentary, and Pool's
Annotations. B.

* 1 Kings xiv. 13.

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