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. XIII.

Vers. 1. NOw in the eighteenth yeare of king Jeroboam, began Abijah to reigne over Judah, &c.] Or Abijam, see the notes, 1. Kings 15.1, 2.

Vers. 4. And Abijah stood upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephra∣im, and said, Hear me thou Jeroboam, and all Israel, &c.] To wit, having first by his Heralds or messengers desired a parley, or at least liberty to say somewhat that he had to say, both to Jeroboam and the people, for otherwise being so near the enemy that they might heare what he said, he could not have stood thus to speak to them without danger.

Vers. 5. The Lord God of Israel gave the kingdome over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sonnes by a covenant of salt.] See Numbers 18.19.

Vers. 7. And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial.] See Deut. 13.13.

And have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, &c.] That is, when Rehoboam was newly entred upon his kingdome, unexperienced in matters of state, and much more in warlike affaires, as having alwayes been brought up in his fathers peaceable reigne, delicately and daintily; and being not yet settled in that throne (as a plant that hath not yet taken root) was easily shaken and terrified with the insolencies of his rebellious subjects; that thus we must understand these words is evident, because Rehoboam was one and fourty years old when he began to reigne, as we may see, 1. Kings 14.21.

Vers. 10. The Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him, &c.] Though he walked in all the sinnes of his father Rehoboam 1. Kings 15.3. and suffered ido∣latry in his kingdome (which his sonne Asa did afterwards reform, 1. Kings 15.12, 13.) yet because withall the true religion was openly professed, and the true worship of the true God openly and incorruptly maintained in the Temple at Jerusalem, he boasts of their assurance of Gods favour, and seeks to scare the Israelites from hoping to maintain their party against them.

Vers. 11. The shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure table, &c.] That is, upon the tables of the shew-bread. And so we must also understand the next clause, and the candlestick of gold, &c. for there were in the Temple ten candle∣sticks, and ten tables, chap. 4.7, 8. and it is but a poore conceit of some, that be∣cause but one table here is mentioned, therefore Shishak had carryed away the rest: for thus also table is put for tables, 1. Kings 7.48.

Vers. 17. So there fell down slain of Israel, five hundred thousand.] And yet, the men of Judah that slew them, were but foure hundred thousand in all, vers. 3.

Vers. 19. And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the townes thereof, &c.] Which stood in the borders of Benjamin and Ephraim, Josh. 18.13. and had in it one of Jeroboams calves, 1. Kings 12.29. some conceive that this is meant of another Beth-el, because Jeroboams idol stood still, and was not destroyed in the dayes of Asa, &c. but this is no sufficient argu∣ment, since perhaps this Beth-el was afterwards recovered from the kings of Judah, and perhaps was now taken by composition, &c.

Vers. 20. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the dayes of Abijah: and the Lord stroke him, and he dyed.] That is, Jeroboam: for of Abijahs death the text speaks after, chap. 14.1. perhaps he was struck in the dayes of Abijah, but he dyed not till the second yeare of Asa the sonne of Abijah.

Vers. 21. But Abijah waxed mighty, and married foureteen wives, and begat twenty and two sonnes, and sixteen daughters.] Partly before he was king, and partly after; for he reigned in all but three years, 1. Kings 15.2.