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In addition to wisdom, God had promised to Solomon, as a reward for his pious and judicious request, both riches and honour, and that promise he abundantly performed; for we are told that he reigned over all kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.* He had also 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. And he had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victual for him and his household: each man his month in a year made provision. Barley also and straw, for the horses and dromedaries, brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.† And Solomon made 200 targets of beaten gold: 600 shekels of gold went to one target. And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

1 Kings, iv. 21-25. 2 Chron. ix. 26. 28.

Moreover,

1 Kings, iv. 21--28. 2 Chron. i. 15. 2 Chron. ix. 25.

Some suppose that by the house of the forest of Lebanon, mentioned in 1 Kings, vii. 2. and x. 17-21, as built by Solomon, is intended Heliopolis, the city of the sun, or Baalbec, whose magnificent ruins, so long the admiration of travellers, are said to have been lately wholly swallowed up by an earthquake. Rae Wilson's Travels, vol. ii. 144—151.

the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps, and the top of the house was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom. And all his drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.* So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for richest and for wisdom. And he gathered together chariots and horsemen : and he had 1,400 chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and an horse for 150: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.

So Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth, for riches, and for wisdom; and all the earth sought to Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.§

* 1 Kings, x. 16-21. 2 Chron. ix. 15-20.

+ His annual income has been estimated at more than £142,240,000. A. Clarke. In whose commentary at the end of 2 Chron. ix. see a curious account of this monarch's ivory throne, &c.

1 Kings, x. 26-29. 2 Chron. i. 14.

Amongst other distinguished characters who were attracted by the fame of the Israelitish monarch, was the queen of Sheba, who came from the uttermost parts of the earth,* to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and brought with her a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and the holocausts, or burnt offerings which he offered in the house of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land, of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit, I believed not the words until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be Jehovah, thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones : there came no more such abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which he gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.‡

*Matt. xii. 42. 1 Kings, x. 1. 2 Chron. ix. 1.
+ A. Clarke, and Luther.

1 Kings, x. 1-13. 2 Chron. ix. 1—12.

And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones. And the king made of the almug* trees, pillars for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

Neither did this monarch neglect to regulate the public worship of God, for three times in a year he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto Jehovah; and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before Jehovah.†

But, unhappily, with all his wisdom, Solomon was not able to preserve the integrity of his religious character amidst all this grandeur and magnificence; for at the close of his life, when it might have been expected he would have more especially devoted himself to the service and worship of God, he fell into gross debauchery and idolatry. He cohabited with no less than seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines, strange women of the nations, concerning which Jehovah had said, Ye shall not go in unto them, neither shall they come in unto you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. And so it proved to be the case, for his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah, his God, as was the heart of David, his father; for with his Zidonian wives he went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians; with his Ammonitish wives he worshipped Milcom and Moloch, the abominations of the Ammonites; and to please his Moabitish wives, he built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab; and likewise he did for all his strange wives, who burnt incense,

*Or algum, 2 Chron. ix. 10, 11. Probably rosewood, or other coloured wood. A. CLARKE. Thyine wood. Burder, O. L. 545. 1 Kings, ix. 25.

and sacrificed unto their gods; and thus did evil in the sight of Jehovah; and went not fully after Jehovah, as did David, his father.*

The anger of Jehovah was, therefore, excited against this highly favoured servant, as well indeed it might, wherefore he said unto him, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake; but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit, I will not rend away all the kingdom: but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake,† and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen; thus, however, in judgment remembering mercy, and his loving kindness to David.

In execution of this solemn sentence, several of the neighbouring princes were allowed to harass Solomon during the remainder of his days, and to destroy the tranquillity of his latter end; viz: Hadad,§ the Edomite,

* 1 Kings, xi. 1-8. See a curious plate of all these idols, in Fuller's Pisgah Sight of Canaan, p. 123.

not

+ The prevailing lion must come out of the tribe of Judah: only the tribe must be preserved, but the regal line, and the regal right. All this must be done for the true David's sake: and this was undoubtedly what God had in view, by thus miraculously preserving the tribe of Judah, and the royal line, in the midst of so general a defection. A. CLARKE.

1 Kings, xi. 11—13.

It came to pass when David was in Edom, and Joab, the captain of the host, was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom, (for six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, after he had cut off every male in Edom,) that Hadad fled, he, and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child. And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt; who gave him an

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