Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. X.

Vers. 1. THe Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, concerning the name of the Lord.] Sheba was a countrey that lay southward and far remote from Jerusalem, Jer. 6.20. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a farre countrey? and thence this Queen is called by our Saviour the Queen of the south, Matth. 12.42. and is said to have come from the utmost parts of the earth, to heare the wisedome of Solomon: some conceive it to have been in Ethiopia; others more probably in Arabia the happie; however both her sex & dignitie are noted to set forth the noble spirit of this Queen, that could leave the plea∣sures of her court, and take such a tedious and costly journey to come to Solomon, being onely led thereto by hearing his fame concerning the name of the Lord, that is, concerning Gods love and favour to him, and the singular wisedome wherewith God had endowed him, especially in the things of God, and concerning his zeal to∣wards God, and the Temple which he had built to his name, &c.

Vers. 5. And the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers and their apparell.] Amongst the particulars here mentioned, which it seems the Queen of Sheba did principally admire, even the sitting of his servants, and the at∣tendance of his ministers, is named for one; and it may be meant either of the sitting of his councel, when they met together to advise about the kings and kingdomes af∣fairs, and the attendance of his Nobles and Courtiers upon him; or else of the sitting of his Courtiers at table to eat, and the attendance of his ministers and servants up∣on them; to wit, either because there was such a multitude of his Nobles and Cour∣tiers; or because being so many, they were all ordered with such admirable wise∣dome: they sat at the tables provided for them, every one according to their place, and were served with admirable pomp and state: and so also their apparell, is ex∣pressed, which is meant either of the richnesse and costlinesse of his Courtiers and servants attire, or else of the robes which his Nobles and Officers wore according to their places.

And his ascent, by which he went up unto the house of the Lord.] It seems there was an ascent by stairs from the kings palace to the outer court of the Temple; and so again afterwards from one court to another, till they came to the house of the Lord it self: and indeed because of all Solomons buildings, this is onely particularly expressed, as the chief thing the Queen of Sheba admired, we may con∣clude it was done with all possible art and cost: and was one of the most magnifi∣cent and gracefull things that belonged to the building; even the pillars on each side the severall stairs were made of precious wood, as is afterwards expressed, vers. 12.

There was no more spirit in her.] That is, she was in a manner astonished with admiration.

Vers. 11. And the navie also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees, &c.] Solomon sent ships of his own, to∣gether with the ships of Hiram, chap. 9.26. but because his ships were built after the Tyrian manner, and with Hirams timber, and especially because the chief mariners in the whole navie, yea even in Solomons ships, were the servants of Hiram, chap. 9.27. therefore is the navie here called, the navie of Hiram. As for the almug-trees, which were herein brought from Ophir, in 2. Chron. 9.10. they are called algume trees; now algume trees Solomon also had from Lebanon, 2. Chron. 2.8. Send me also cedar trees, firre trees, and algume trees, &c. but those it seems were farre infe∣riour to these that were brought from Ophir, as is expressed in the following verse.

Vers. 12. And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of the Lord, &c.] To wit, the pillars in the rails on each side of the stairs, whereby they did ascend up to the house of the Lord, and therefore, 2. Chron. 9.11. it is said, that he made terrises to the house of the Lord, and to the kings house, of the algume trees.

Vers. 14. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one yeare, was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold.] To wit, by his ships that were sent out to fetch in gold and other precious commodities (for it is not likely that the kings tribute, or other yearely revenues, of which some understand this place, was still paid in gold:) indeed the gold that was brought from Ophir, was at the most but foure hundred and fifty talents, 2. Chron. 8.18. as was noted above, chap. 9.28. but be∣sides, that there was gold brought from Tharshish, as we find here, vers. 22. which, with that brought from Ophir, might well make six hundred sixty six talents, as is here expressed: some say too, that though at the first the return of gold from Ophir, was but foure hundred and fifty talents, yet afterward it came to be more.

Vers. 16. And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold, &c.] As being made, not for service in the warre, but onely for pomp and state, to set forth the majesty of his royall dignitie; for these it is likely were by his guard carri∣ed before him, as afterwards the brazen shields, made in the room of these, were carried before Rehoboam, chap. 14.27, 28. & indeed considering how soon these gold∣en targets and shields became a prey to the enemy, it is likely there was an excesse of pomp herein, that was not pleasing to God.

Vers. 17. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold, three pound of gold went to one shield.] Or three hundred shekels, for so the weight of these shields is expressed, 2. Chron. 9.16. And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield, and the king put them into the house of the forrest of Lebanon: whereby it appears, that the shields were not above half so big as the targets, which weighed, each of them, vers. 16. six hundred shekels.

Vers. 18. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivorie, and overlaid it with the best gold.] That is, in severall places; for had it been wholly covered over with gold, to what end had the ivorie been? Now this throne stood, doubtlesse, in the porch of judgement, chap. 7.7.

Vers. 19. The throne had six steps, &c.] And above the uppermost of these six steps a footstool of gold, as is expressed, 2. Chron. 9.18. though that be not men∣tioned here: and thus whilest the king sat aloft in his throne, above all the people,

he was put in mind thereby, how far he ought to excell others in wisedome and all other spirituall gifts, and that there was an eminencie of goodnesse and grace requi∣red in him, answerable to the dignitie whereto God had advanced him.

And there were stayes on either side on the place of the seat, and two Lions stood by the stayes, &c.] These portraitures of lions were not onely by way of or∣nament, on each side the throne by the staies whereon the king laid his armes, and so also on each side the six steps, by which he went up to the throne, as it follows in the next verse; but also to signifie, first, the power, the majestie, the undaunted boldnesse, courage and magnanimitie, that ought to be in princes, and so consequent∣ly, how dangerous it is to provoke them to displeasure; whence it is, that princes are frequently in the Scripture, compared to the lion, the king of beasts, as Prov. 19.12. The kings wrath is as the roaring of a lion: secondly, the vigilancy and watch∣fulnesse that should be in princes, because of their great charge and many enemies, thy had need to wake when others sleep; as it is said of lions, that they sleep al∣wayes with their eyes open: thirdly, that those that are appointed for the guard of kings, had need be both valourous and vigilant, because their charge is so precious, and in such continuall danger by reason of open and secret enemies: fourthly, that princes are so guarded by the speciall providence of God over them, that it is as pe∣rilous to offer them any injurie, as to rush upon the mouths of many ramping lions: and fiftly, how dangerous it is to incurre the displeasure of Christ; that lion of the tribe of Judah, Rev. 5.5. of whom Solomon was a type, and especially to seek the overthrow of his kingdome; and that because his power is infinite, and his wrath insupportable; they that will be so desperate as to put too their hands for the over∣turning of his throne, shall find, that his throne is guarded with lions; they shall be torn in pieces, and there shall be none to help them.

Vers. 21. None were of silver, it was nothing accounted of in the dayes of Solo∣mon.] That is, comparatively, silver was not esteemed for their drinking vessels, in Solomons dayes; even silver is mentioned in the next verse, amongst those things that were brought over in the navie of Tharshish, which shews, that it was of good esteem in the days of Solomon; but the meaning is, that having such aboundance of gold, most of their plate was made of gold; and silver plate was little esteemed in those times.

Vers. 22. For the king had at sea a navie of Tharshish, &c.] That is, a navie bound for Tharshish, as the ships that go from us to the east Indies, are usually called the India ships: where this Tharshish was, it is hard to say; some Interpre∣ters conceive, that by Tharshish is meant onely the ocean sea, but so it cannot be ta∣ken, here, for then there should be a manifest tautologie in these words, as if we should reade it, the king had at sea a navie of the sea: and besides, Tharshish is mentioned as a place to which the ships went, 2 Chron. 9.21. for the kings ships went to Tharshish; and so again, the 2 Chron. 20.37. the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tharshish. Nor need we trouble our selves, because we cannot conclude what particular place this Tharshish was, since most probable it is, that as we call all countries unknown, because so far remote from us, the Indies, so they called all far remote Ilands and countries, to which their ships made such long voyages, Tharshish.

Vers. 26. And he had a thousand and foure hundred chariots.] And what a multitude of horses he had to serve by turns in these chariots, we find 2 Chron. 9.25. but especially, 1 King. 4.26. where see the notes on that place.

Vers. 28. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn, &c.] To shew, whence Solomon should have such a multitude of horses, this is here added, to wit, that Solomons merchants did usually buy and transport horses and linen yarn out of Egypt the linen yarn at such a price as was agreed upon between the Egypti∣ans, and them; and the horses at the rate mentioned, vers. 27. for their price is particu∣larly expressed, to intimate the magnificence of Solomon in regard of his horses: and probable it is, that by the special favour of Pharaoh it was, whose daughter Solomon had married, that they did injoy this traffick: for horses and linen yarn were the choisest commodities of Egypt, Cant. 1.9. Ezek. 27.7.

Vers. 29. And a chariot came up, and went out of Egypt for six hundred she∣kels of silver, &c.] That is, foure horses for a chariot, one horse cost one hundred and fifty shekels: and therefore foure horses cost foure times as much, to wit, six hundred shekels of silver.

And so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.] That is, they bought not onely to serve their own prince and countrey, but also for other bordering kings and kingdomes.