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THE

OLD TESTAMENT.

PERIOD THE FIFTH.

CHAPTER I.

Reign of Solomon before the Dedication of the Temple.

SECTION I.

Offering at Gibeon-Judgment of Solomon-Death of Adonijah
-Return of Hadad.

11 KINGS II. VER. 12.

12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his A. C. 1015. father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

2 CHRONICLES I. VER. 1.

a 1 Chron. Xxxix. 23.

46.

1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in b1 Kings ii. his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

'The events related in this section, took place within the first year after Solomon's accession. The narrative in the first book of Kings, immediately on relating the succession of Solomon, proceeds to the account of Adonijah's death; that in the second book of Chronicles, mentions the offering at Gibeon. The latter event is placed first in this arrangement, as it is to be supposed that Solomon would convoke the people, and offer his sacrifices as soon as possible, after he had succeeded to the crown; and it is probable that Adonijah would not desire to marry the Shunammite immediately on his father's death. It may appear strange that the petition of Adonijah to obtain Abishag should be thought deserving of death; but in those times, the seraglio always descended with the nown, and it was considered as a step to the throne to marry the mistress of the deceased monarch. In requesting, therefore, permission to unite himself to Abishag, Adonijah, in fact, re-asserted his pretensions to the crown. Joab, the most powerful military chieftain, and Abiathar, the high-priest, were implicated in the intended revolt; which it was necessary to check at the commencement. Adonijah and Joab, therefore, were condemned to death, and Abiathar depaded from his office.-Vide Michaelis, Commentary, &c. vol. i. p. 278-281.

A. C. 1015.

1014.

c 1 Kings iii,

4. 1Chron.xvi.

30. & xxi. 29.

17.

1 KINGS III. VER. 3.

3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

2 CHRONICLES I. VER. 27.

2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands, and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.

с

3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

d 1 Sam. vi. 2, 4 d But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

e Exod. xxvii.

1, 2.

5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of 1,2,& xxxviii. Uri, the son of Hur, had made, * he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

* Or, was

there.

6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

1 KINGS III, VER. 5—29.

5¶ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant +Or, bounty. David my father great + mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

f 2 Chr. i. 10. Heb. hearing.

7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9 f Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing,

11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this Heb. many thing, and hast not asked for thyself § long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine ene

days.

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mies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern A.C. 1014. judgment;

12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour: so that there † shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

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*Heb. to hear.

Wied. vii. 11

Matt. vi. 33.

Or, hath not

been.

14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then h ch. xv. 5. I will lengthen thy days.

15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.

22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living one is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that Liveth, and thy son is the dead, and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise

↑ Heb. were

hot.

A.C. 1014. slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king for they saw that *Heb. in the the wisdom of God was * in him, to do judgment.

midst of him.

+ Heb. turn

2 CHRONICLES I. VER. 13.

13¶Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

1 KINGS II. ver. 13—39.

13 ¶ And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.

15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.

16 And now I ask one petition of thee, † deny me not. not away my And she said unto him, Say on.

face.

Ps. cxxxii. 10.

17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.

19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

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