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. IX.

Vers. 1. WHen Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the kings house, &c.] Some would have these words (and the kings house, and all Solomons desire which he was pleased to doe) to be inclu∣ded in a parenthesis, and that because they would have the meaning of this clause to be, that when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, the Lord appeared to Solomon, &c. before he had built his own house, and his other build∣ings: but I see no necessity at all, why this second apparition of the Lord to Solo∣mon, might not be after all his buildings were finished, as the words in our transla∣tion do plainly imply. Thirteen years indeed were spent in building his own house, after the Temple was finished, and so long therefore it seems it was after the finish∣ing of the Temple, ere the Lord appeared the second time to Solomon, and assured him that he had heard his prayer, which he had made at the dedication of the Tem∣ple; for God would first settle him in the full glory of his kingdome, and then he takes that opportunity to renew his covenant with him in a second vision, assuring him, that in this glory his kingdome should be continued to his posterity, in case both he and his children would keep covenant with him; and withall threatning, that if they revolted from him, he would leave both them and the Temple and all, and poure forth his wrath and fury upon them.

Vers. 2. The Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, &c.] To wit, in a dream by night chap. 3.5. and so it is partly expressed, 2. Chro. 7.12. And the Lord appeared unto Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and chosen this place to my self, for a house of sacrifice: once since that vision in Gibeon we reade, that the word of the Lord came to Solomon, chap. 6.11. But that it seems was by some messenger or Prophet sent to him, for this was the second time the Lord appeared unto him in a vision, as is here expressely noted.

Vers. 3. I have hallowed this house which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever, &c.] That is, untill the coming of the Messiah without interruption. As for that following clause, and my eyes, and mine heart shall be there perpetually; thereby is promised, both the Lords carefull preservation of that house in succeeding times, and his readinesse to heare the prayers that were offered to him there, and like∣wise, that he would do this out of his fatherly care over them, and love to them.

Vers. 7. This house which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight, &c.] That is, I will cast it out of my protection, as a filthy polluted thing: concerning the following clause, and Israel shall be a proverb, &c. see the note, Deut. 28.37.

Vers. 11. Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees, and firre trees, and with gold.] To wit, one hundred and twenty talents, as is ex∣pressed, vers. 14.

Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.] By way of requiting Hirams bountie, in supplying him with those thing, mentioned in the former words, or by way of satisfying him for those things. It was questionlesse unlawfull for So∣lomon to give away any part of the land of Canaan to a strange king, or people; for therein, first, there should have been wrong done to that tribe in whose lot these cities were, who should hereby have been deprived of a part of their inheritance which God had given them: and secondly, he should have incroached upon Gods royaltie, who still held the land as his, and onely allowed the Israelites to dwell in it as sojourners, by right derived unto them from him; and to manifest this, had con∣veyed it to them, with this condition or proviso, that it should not be lawfull for any of them to alienate or sell a way their estates for ever, no not to any of their bre∣thren the Israelites, Levit. 25.23. But how then could Solomon, who yet continued in his uprightnesse, give away twenty cities in the land of Galilee, to Hiram king of Tyre? I answer, either Solomon gave him these cities onely that he might re∣ceive thence for certain years, till he was satisfied for that which was owing him, the tribute or other profits which were thence yearly paid to Solomon; or else ra∣ther, these cities were not a part of that land which God had of old given for the inheritance of his people, but lay in a tract of ground on the outside of the borders of Asher, Josh. 19.24. betwixt them and mount Libanus, and being now reduced under Solomons dominion, and either now, or afterward, counted as a part of Ga∣lilee, to which they were joyned, thence Solomon gave unto Hiram twenty cities. And indeed this answer seems most probable, because upon Hirams refusing these cities, they were repaired and inlarged by Solomon, and certain colonies of the Is∣raelites were planted therein, 2 Chron. 8.1, 2. whereas before they were inhabited by the heathen, which, some say, was the first occasion why Galilee was called Ga∣lilee of the Gentiles, Esa. 9.1.

Vers. 12. And they pleased him not.] That is, he liked them not, because they stood in an unfruitfull and marish ground: or, because he thought it would be long ere he should thence reap that satisfaction he expected from Solomon; and as he misliked them, so it seems, he refused the profer, and chose rather to receive satisfa∣ction some other way: for at this very time, to wit, in the one and twentieth yeare after the foundation of the Temple was laid, Solomon repaired and fortified these places which Hiram refused, as was before noted from 2 Chron. 8.1, 2.

Vers. 15. And this is the reason of the levie which king Solomon raised, for to build the house of the Lord, &c.] That is, for the same reason, that he had received this aid from Hiram, did he also raise a levie both of men and money amongst the people, namely, for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, &c. of the levie of men, we reade chap. 5.13. and of the levie of money, that is understood (as some Expositours hold) which we reade 2 Chron. 9.13, 14. And though the

people yielded willingly to this levie for the Temple, yet when it was still continued for these other buildings, it seems they grudged at it, as we may gather from what they said to Rehoboam, Chap. 12.4.

And Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, &c.] Concerning this Millo, see the note 2 Sam. 5.19. either it was now repaired and enlarged by Solomon, or else a new one was built in another place. Hazor was in the tribe of Napthali, Josh. 19.32, 36. the chief citie aforetimes of the Canaa∣nites, Josh. 11.1, 10. and Megiddo belonged to Manasseh, Josh. 17.11.

Vers. 16. For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer.] This Ge∣zer was a city allotted to the Levites in Ephraims tribe, Josh. 21.20, 21. yet it had been hitherto it seems in the Canaanites possession, till perhaps upon some distast gi∣ven, Solomon being then busied in his magnificent buildings, entreated Pharaoh his father in law, to rid him of these neighbours, which he accordingly performed, and gave the citie as a present for his daughter.

Vers. 17. And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether.] Yea, and Beth-horon the upper also, 2 Chron. 8.5. one being here expressed for both: this was also a citie of the Levites, in the tribe of Ephraim, Josh. 21.21, 22.

Vers. 18. And Baalath and Tadmor in the wildernesse, in the land.] Baalath was a citie in the tribe of Dan, Josh. 19.40.44. as for that last clause of this verse, (in the land,) it may have relation to Tadmor alone, to imply, that it was in the land of Israel, though in the utmost coasts thereof; or else, to all the towns and cities before mentioned: and is added, to shew, that besides what Solomon built elsewhere, all these before mentioned he built or repaired in the land of Canaan.

Vers. 19. And that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Leba∣non.] To wit, in the place where the house of Lebanon stood, or else in the moun∣tain of Lebanon, which was on the north bounds of the land of Canaan, for there he might build certain forts or towns, though the house of Lebanon were built not far from Jerusalem, of which, see the note, chap. 7.2.

Vers. 21. Whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy. See the note, Josh. 15.63.

Upon those did Solomon levie a tribute of bond-service unto this day.] That is, not onely of money but also of personall service, and that in more servile imploy∣ments then he would impose upon the Israelites, fitter for bondmen then for free men, as we may see, 2 Chron. 2.18. and hence it was, that the posteritie of these strangers were called Solomons servants, Ezra 2.55, 58. nor is it necessary that we should think, that this was a transgression of that law, Deut. 7.2. And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them, and utterly de∣stroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy to them: since that may be meant onely of the inhabitants that were in the land at their entring first into it, not of their posteritie, especially if the Israelites had made peace with them, and much more, if they had embraced the true religion.

Vers. 23. These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomons work, five hundred and fifty, &c.] In the fifth chapter of this book, and the sixteenth verse, we reade of a far greater number, to wit, of three thousand and three hundred; but there the storie speaks of those chief officers, which were over the work in mount

Lebanon, where the materials were prepared for the building of the Temple, and here it speaks onely of those chief officers that had the oversight of those that were imployed at home in building; the greater difficultie is how to reconcile this place with that in the 2 Chron. 8.10. where it is said, that the chief of King Solomons officers were but two hundred and fifty men: but to this, three answers may be gi∣ven; first, that there the number of Solomons chief officers of state is expressed that bare rule over the people, not as here, of those that were imployed about his buildings: or secondly, there only those officers were numbred, which were to take account of the builders, and had the chief command over the work: but that here the master builders that had the charge to oversee the rest, and give direction for the building, which were three hundred, are also comprehended: or thirdly, though there were five hundred chief officers, and fifty in a higher rank above them, which were over the five hundred, (all which are here together numbred) yet those five hundred did execute their places by turns, two hundred and fifty at a time, and that therefore there are but two hundred and fifty mentioned, 2 Chron. 8.10.

Vers. 25. And three times in the yeare did Solomon offer burnt offerings, &c.] That is, at the three great feasts, the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of Pente∣cost, and the feast of Tabernacles: but under these by a Synechdoche, all other parts of Gods worship required by the law are comprehended, and therefore in 2 Chron. 8.13. there is mention made also of the daily sacrifices, and of the sa∣crifices on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons.

So he finished the house, &c.] That is, having finished the building of the house, he imployed it in those services for which it was appointed, and therefore, 2 Chron. 8.14. it is also added, that he appointed the priests and Levites to their severall charges, in their courses, according to the order which David by direction from the Lord had ordained.

Vers. 26. And king Solomon made a navie of ships in Ezion-geber, &c.] Though this be here first related, yet evident it is, that this navie was sent forth before the Temple was built, because of the Almug-trees brought home by this navie; And the king made of the Almug-trees pillars and terrises for the house of the Lord, and harps and psalteries for singers, chap. 10.12. and 2 Chron. 9.10.11. How Je∣hoshaphat attempted to enrich himself by sending out a navie after the same manner, as Solomon had done before him, and how he sped, we may read, Chap. 22.48.

Vers. 27. And Hiram sent in the navie his servants, &c.] To wit, because the Tyrians that were under Hirams government, were always held the most expert sea∣men: neither did Hiram onely afford him mariners, but was also at cost to build certain ships in Ezion-geber, where Solomons navie was built that should go along in that voyage with the ships of Solomon, for that must needs be the meaning of that place, 2 Chron. 8.18. And Hiram sent by the hands of his servants, ships and servants that had knowledge of the sea, and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and that because Hiram could not send ships ready built from Tyre, which was in the midland sea to Ezion-geber, which was in the red sea, with∣out fetching an infinite great compasse by sea, which hath no appearance of likely∣hood in it.

Vers. 28. And they came to Ophir, and fet from thence gold, foure hundred

and twenty talents, &c.] Ophir is thought to be in the east Indies, for thither in∣deed they might most easily fail from Ezion-geber, which was in the red sea; and whereas in 2 Chron. 8.18. we read of foure hundred and fifty talents, it seems, that thereof thirty talents, went in expence for the charges of the fleet, and for the wages of the men, or it was the return of the adventure of some private persons, and onely foure hundred and twenty, as here, came clear to the king.