A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. made his obeisance to Solomon, in token of thankfulness for his preservation, and in acknowledgment of his superiority. This inauguration of Solomon, however, was a little too hasty and private; and therefore David, intending a more public coronation, ordered all the princes of Israel and Judah, and all the officers of his court and army to attend him when, having recovered a little from his late indisposition, he stood up, and a in a solemn oration, put them in mind of God's goodness to him, and of his designation of Solomon to succeed in his throne, and to build him a temple. And therefore since he had reserved that honour for his son, he earnestly recommended to him a strict fidelity and piety towards God, and a zealous discharge of this important trust. To this purpose he gave him the plan which he had made for the execution of this undertaking, and an account of the treasures which he had provided for the perfecting of this great work. He gave him also a list of the priests and Levites, and the courses in which they were to wait in the temple: he gave him likewise the schemes, and regulations of the officers of his court, of the civil officers, of the treasures, and of the superintendents of the revenues, belonging to the crown; and, having made a large oblation of money out of his own private estate for the building of the temple, by his example and persuasion, he prevailed with the princes and the people to contribute according to their abilities, to so good and pious a work. And when he found himself successful herein, for what they gave upon this occasion amounted to an immense sum, he concluded all with a solemn thanksgiving to God, and a prayer, that he would enable Solomon to perfect what he had thus designed and recommended. The next day there was a very great and solemn sacrifice, and much rejoicing among the people. David, upon this occasion, had Solomon anointed a second time, in a more public manner; ordered that Zadok should be the high priest in the room of Abiathar, who had publicly espoused the interest of Adonijah, and, to put an end to all disputes after his decease, had him for the future seated on a royal throne, and made sole regent of the kingdom during his lifetime. b C Not long after this, David, perceiving his end approaching, called for Solomon, and gave him his last exhortation, which was, to be constant in his duty to God, 'to walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, that he might prosper in all that he did;' and then descending to some particular affairs relating to the state, he charged him to do justice to Joab, for the many murders he had been guilty of; to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai, for the support their father had given him in his distress; and though he himself had not put Shimei to death for his past offences, yet whenever he should prove guilty again, not to spare him.d Having 11 Kings ii. 3-11. b Josephus introduces David as taking his last leave of his son Solomon in these words: "And now, son, I am going to my follow, which is no more than paying a common debt to nature. fathers, and you, that I leave behind me, are in due time to There is no returning from the grave, and, when we are once gone, we have done with this world for ever. Wherefore, while I am yet among the living, and before it be too late, pray let me remind you of the same things once more. Govern your subjects according to justice. Worship that God from whom you have received your dignity as well as your being, as you are bound to do. Observe his precepts, and keep his laws, as they have been handed down to you from Moses, and have a care that you never forsake them, either for fear, flattery, or any passion or interest whatsoever; for otherwise you can never hope for the blessings of God's favour and providence. But if you behave yourself with reverence and submission towards God, as you ought to do, and as I wish you may do, your kingdom will be established to yourself, and the succession of it continued to your family from generation to generation.-Jewish Antiquities, b. 7. c. 12. a The speech which Josephus puts in David's mouth upon this occasion, is to this purpose:-"I am now to inform you, my countrymen and brethren, that I have had it a long time in my thoughts to erect a temple to the Lord, and have treasured up a mighty mass of gold and silver toward the charge of the undertaking; but it has pleased God, in his providence, by the mouth of his prophet Nathan, to put a stop to my design, upon this consideration, that he would not have the foundation of his holy c Under these four words are comprehended all the laws of house laid by hands that have been dipped in blood, which mine Moses. Statutes were such constitutions as had their foundation, inevitably have been, though in the blood of your enemies, in the not in reason, but in the will and pleasure of God; such was the wars I have been forced to engage in, for the necessary defence prohibition of sowing seeds of different kinds together, &c. Comof your liberties: but, at the same time that he forbade me to do mandments were moral duties, that were founded in the nature this, the prophet informed me, that God had transmitted the care of things, and carried their reason along with them; as, not to of the whole work to my son and successor. Our father Jacob, steal, not to murder, &c. Judgments were the laws belonging as you all well know, had twelve sons, and yet Judah was chosen to civil government, and the dealings of one man with another; by common consent to be ruler of all the rest. You know like- such are all those laws that are recorded in the 21st and following wise, that I myself, though there were then six brothers of us, was chapters of Exodus; and testimonies were such laws as preserved advanced by God to the government, and that none of the rest the remembrance of some great events, and testified to men the thought themselves injured: wherefore I must now, in like man-loving-kindness of the Lord; such as the sabbath, the passover, ner, require it of you, and of all your sons, that you submit cheerfully and dutifully to my son Solomon, and that ye do it d 1 Kings ii. 9. David is here represented in our English without any grumbling or civil dissension, because it is from version, as finishing his life with giving a command to Solomon God's immediate command and commission that he derives his to kill Shimei. The behaviour thus imputed to the king and authority. Put the case now, that God should have set a stranger prophet, should be examined very carefully, as to the ground it over you, how great a folly and madness would it have been for stands upon. When the passage is duly considered, it will apyou to murmur at it? But how thankful ought you to be, for pear highly probable that an injury has been done to this illusthe choice of so near a relation, when you yourselves are partak-trious character. It is not uncommon in the Hebrew language ers of the honour that is done to your brother. There is nothing to omit the negative in a second part of a sentence, and to conI so much long for, as to see God's gracious promises take a sider it as repeated, when it has been once expressed, and is folspeedy effect, and the whole people put into a lasting possession lowed by the connecting particle. The necessity of so very conof the blessings they are to enjoy under the reign of Solomon. siderable an alteration, as inserting the particle not, may be here And all this, my dear son, (says he, turning to Solomon,) will be confirmed by some other instances. Thus Ps. 1. 5. ix. 18. made good, and every thing succeed to your wish, so long as you xxxviii. 1. If then there are in fact many such instances, the govern according to piety and justice, with a respect to your question is, whether the negative, here expressed in the former duty both towards God and man, upholding a reverence to the part of David's command, may not be understood as to be relaws, and treading in the steps of your forefathers: but whenever peated in the latter part; and if this may be, a strong reason you pass these bounds, there is nothing but ruin and misery to will be added why it should be so interpreted. The passage be expected.-Jewish Antiquities, b. 7. c. 11. will run thus: Behold, thou hast with thee Shimei, who cursed and the rest of the feasts.-Patrick's Commentary. A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. thus ended his exhortation to his son, in a short time after he died, in the seventy-first year of his age, after he had reigned forty years in all, a seven in Hebron, and three and thirty in Jerusalem; and was buried in that part of the city which himself had taken from the Jebusites, and called after his own name. me, but I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death by the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him, but bring not down his hoary head to the grave with blood.' Now, if the language itself will admit this construction, the sense thus given to the sentence derives a very strong support from the context. For, how did Solomon understand this charge? Did he kill Shimei in consequence of it? Certainly he did not. For, after he had commanded Joab to be slain, in obedience to his father, he sends for Shimei, and knowing that Shimei ought to be well watched, confines him to a particular spot in Jerusalem for the remainder of his life. 1 Kings ii. 36— 42.-Kennicott's Remarks, p. 131.—ED. a In 2 Sam. v. 5. it is said, that he reigned seven years and six months in Hebron, which, together with the three and thirty in Jerusalem, will make his reign to be in all forty years and a half. To solve this difficulty, as some of the Jews esteem it, they have devised a conceit, that, to punish David for his adultery with Bathsheba, God sent upon him a leprosy which continued for six months, in all which time he was looked upon as dead, and not accounted to reign. But they never considered, that these months were part of his reign in Hebron, before he committed that adultery in Jerusalem. The true account of the matter therefore is, that it is very usual in Scripture computation, to omit smaller sums, and only reckon by a round number; for which reason these six months, which were but part of a year, are not taken notice of in the account both of Kings, 1 Kings ii. 11. and Chronicles, 1 Chron. xxix. 26, 27.-Patrick's Commentary; and Poole's Annotations. When David was dead, Solomon succeeded to the throne; and to secure his possession, took an occasion, in a short time, to rid himself of his adversaries. Adonijah, in his father's lifetime, had made bold pretensions, but was defeated, and pardoned by Solomon upon condition that he would become a good subject, and give him no farther molestation; but, by the persuasion of Joab and Abiathar, he was now put upon another bold project, which was to desire Abishag, the late king's concubine in his old age, in marriage, hoping thereby to strengthen his interest, and to be able to play an after game for the crown. To this purpose he prevailed with Bathsheba, the queen-mother, to speak to the king: but the king was so far from granting his request, that he was shocked at the boldness of it, and suspecting some treasonable design at the bottom, sent immediately and had him put to death. In the next place he banished Abiathar; and, having inhibited him from the exercises of his priestly office, contined him to his country house, and put Zadok in his place; and when he heard that Joab was fled into the tabernacle for sanctuary, upon his refusing to come out at his command, he ordered Benaiah, whom be с it is certain, that it was always held in great veneration among the Jews. It was in being in St Peter's time, for so he telis the people, (Acts ii. 29.) Dio (in Adriani vita) informs us, that part of it was fallen down in the emperor Adrian's reign. St Jerome relates, that he himself used frequently to go and pray at it; and modern travellers, as we took notice before, describe some magnificent monuments hewed in a rock, not far from Jerusalem, which are doubtless very ancient; but they themselves do not agree that they were the sepulchres of the kings of Judah. It is somewhat unaccountable, however, that the place of this prince's sepulchre, which both the Chaldeans and the Romans, when they took Jerusalem, thought proper to spare, should new be so entirely lost that we cannot find the least remains of it. But though providence has so ordered it, that the place of David's sepulchre should not at present be known, yet there does not want an eternal monument of his most excellent genius. The book of Psalms, which for the most part was composed by him, does publish the glory of its author, more than the most pompous elogies; and the author of Ecclesiasticus (chap. xlvii. 2, &c.) has consecrated this epitaph to his memory, which is more durable than either marble or brass:- As the fat is taken away from the peace-offering, so was David chosen out of the people of Israe He played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs; he slew a giant when he was young, and took away reproach from the people; for he called upon the most high Lord, and he gave strength to his right hand to slay this mighty warrier, and to set up the horn of his people. So the people honoured him with ten thousands, and praised him in blessings of the Lord, for he destroyed the enemies on every side, and brought to nought the Philistines, his adversaries:-In all his works he praised the Holy One most high, and blessed the Lord with words of glory:-He set singers also before the altar, that by their voices they might make sweet melody, and daily sing praises in their songs. He beautified their feasts, and set their solemn times in perfect order:-The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his horn for ever; he gave him a covenant of kings, and a throne of glory in Israel.'- -Calmet's Commentary, and his Dictionary under the word David, After this account which Josephus gives us of David's several speeches before his death, he informs us, "That he was buried at Jerusalem with a solemnity of royal pomp and magnificence, that was glorious to the highest degree, and that, over and above the splendour of the ceremony, his son Solomon deposited in his monument an inestimable treasure, from which, when Antiochus, surnamed the Pious, besieged Jerusalem, Hircanus, the high priest, took the sum of three thousand talents, and therewith bribed them to raise the siege; and, that, many years after this, Herod, surnamed the Great, took another immense sum from thence, which enabled him to rebuild the temple." Among several nations indeed it was customary to bury, along with princes and other great men, various things of value, that they took delight in while they lived. The Egyptians were used to this; and about their mummies are frequently found very precious ornaments. When Alexander the Great had Cyrus's tomb opened, there was found therein a bed of gold, a very rich table, drinking cups, and many fine vestments; but notwithstanding all this, several learned men look upon this whole account of Josephus as a mere fable. For to what purpose, say they, did Solomon bury all this treasure under ground, when he had so much occasion for it, when he was forced to borrow money of the king of Tyre, and burden his people with so many heavy taxes to supply his excessive expenses? How came it, that the other kings of Judah, who were frequently put to the necessity of stripping the temple of its precious furniture to satisfy their greedy enemies, never once adventured to lay hold on this treasure? How came it to escape the hands of the Chaldeans, and other nations, that so often had the plundering of Jerusalem? Or why should Hircanus violate this deposit, which his predecessors c It was formerly very customary among princes, to employ esteemed more sacred than the holy vessels of the Lord? These their officers, or greatest confidants, in such like executionis, are questions that cannot easily be resolved; and what is a far- Among the Romans, the soldiers were always the persons ther confutation of this story, in that very book, from whence carried to prison, to torture, or to execution, such as were found Josephus is supposed to have taken it, it is never once said, that guilty of any offence; and this Tertullian makes an argument lo Hircanus broke open David's tomb. The words of that spurious dissuade Christians from engaging in the wars, lest thereby they author are that "Hircanus, while he was besieged by Antiochus, should be obliged to imprison, punish, or execute malefactors. la opened a treasure chamber which belonged to some of David's Dan. ii. 24, we read that Nebuchadnezzar sent Arioch, wha descendants, and that, after he had taken a large sum of money was chief commander of his troops, to destroy the wise men of out of it, he still left a great deal in it, and sealed it up again." Babylon,' because they could not interpret his dream; and thereBut this is a quite different thing, and has no manner of relation fore we need less wonder, that we find Solomon employing Be to the sepulchre of David. As to the real sepulchre of David, | naiah, the captain of his guard, on the like office. who But whether A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. afterwards made general in his room, to go in, and kill | among others, contributed not a little to the perversion him there. But when Shimei, who deserved the like fate of Solomon. for his gross abuse of the late king, was brought before him, he only confined him to Jerusalem as a prisoner at large, but with a strict injunction not to move out of the place, upon pain of death. Upon this condition he thankfully accepted of his life, and, for some time, kept within the bounds of his confinement; but having some slaves, who had run away, and had entered themselves into the service of Achish, king of Gath, he imprudently went to reclaim them, and, upon his return, by Solomon's order was put to death. e He began his reign however with a good sense of religion upon his mind; for which end, taking the chief of the officers and nobility along with him, he went to Gibeon, where the original tabernacle and altar, that were made in the wilderness, were kept, and there offered a thousand sacrifices, in acknowledgment of God's kindness to him, in placing him upon his father's throne. In the night following, when God appeared to him in a vision, and promised to grant whatever he should ask, he begged him to give him da wise and understanding Having thus secured his kingdom at home, by con-heart, and considering his youth and inexperience, such fining, or cutting off the heads of the faction that was qualities as were necessary for the due government of against him, Solomon bethought himself of strengthening the people committed to his charge; which petition his interest abroad by foreign alliances; and to this God was so well pleased with, that, over and above purpose, married the daughter of Pharaoh king of the wisdom which he asked, he promised to give him Egypt, and appointed her at first an apartment in his such affluence of riches and honour, as no king in his own palace; but after he had finished the temple, built days should be able to equalize. When Solomon awaked her a very stately palace adjoining to his own, which out of sleep, he perceived that this was a dream sent she badly deserved; for, in process of time, this woman, from God; and therefore returning to Jerusalem, he presented himself before the ark of the covenant, which was placed in a tabernacle, that David had made for it, and there he offered sacrifices in abundance. he did not first drag Joab from the altar before he slew him, for fear of polluting the holy place with blood, or whether Solomon did not rather think fit to have him killed even at the altar, and let all men see, that no place, though ever so sacred, should secure any man from the hand of justice, commentators have not agreed.-Calmet's and Patrick's Commentaries. a Shimei, as we read, was a very powerful man. When he came to meet king David, and to beg pardon for his offence, he had a thousand of his own tribe to accompany him, (2 Sam. xix. 17.) and therefore Solomon might think proper to confine him to the city of Jerusalem, that being removed from the place where his family and interest lay, to one where he was but a stranger, and sufficiently odious for his former ill treatment of the late king, he might be incapable of raising any tumults or seditions; and that, being in this public theatre, all his words and actions might be narrowly observed, which, considering his busy and wicked temper, might give Solomon a fair advantage against him; and as the manner of some is, the very prohibition itself might probably inflame his desire to transgress it.-Poole's Annot, 6 Achish had been so great a friend to David, that, though David had conquered the Philistines, he suffered him still to retain the title of a king, and only to be tributary to him; so that there was a friendly correspondence between this city and Jerusalem, insomuch that Shimei might easily hear, by somebody or other that had been at Gath, that his servants were there. These servants, in all probability, were such as he had purchased with a considerable sum of money, and their running away was not only a loss but a great affront likewise to their master; and therefore partly out of rage, and partly through covetousness, he undertook this dangerous journey, presuming that a thing which might be done secretly and speedily, would never come to Solomon's ears; that in the space of three years' time, Solomon might have forgot his injunction; or that if he remembered it he would not be so rigid as to put it in execution; especially since he went out of Jerusalem, not through wantonness, or any contempt of authority, but merely to recover what he had lost, which, he might think, was a thing excusable.-Poole's Annotations, and Patrick's Commentary. e It may seem somewhat strange, that in all the history of the Jews, from the time of Moses to this of Solomon, no mention should be made of the kings of Egypt, as if they had no concern in the affairs of Canaan, but were wholly diverted some other way: but for this, their own historians account, when they tell us, that, during this space of time, the Egyptian kings did nothing worth recording. (Diodor. Biblioth. b. 1. p. 29.) All these kings of Egypt were called Pharaohs; but Pharaoh was not a proper name, but a title of dignity only, which imported the same as sultan or emperor. They had, besides this, other names; and Clemens Alexandrinus, in a passage taken from Alexander Polyhistor, tells us, that the proper name of this Egyptian king, whose daughter Solomon married, was Vaphres.-Le Clerc's and Calmet's Com mentaries. Solomon, as we said, had obtained of God a promise of the gift of wisdom; and it was not long before he had an opportunity of showing it, to the great satisfaction of all his subjects. Two women, who both lived together 6 d Hereupon some Jewish annotators have observed that thongh Solomon, in his great modesty, might request of God no more than the gift of government, or, as he expresses it, an understanding heart to judge the people, and to discern between good and evil,' (1 Kings iii. 9.) yet God, out of his abundant grace, gave him a general knowledge of all other things, as the following history informs us; and that, whereas other men gather their knowledge from study and observation, Solomon had his by an immediate inspiration from God; insomuch that he, who went to bed as ignorant as other men, awaked in the morning like an angel of God.' But though his knowledge of things was, in a great measure infused, yet he did not therefore neglect his study. He gave his heart to seek, and search out by wisdom, concerning all things under the sun;' in which search, as he himself testifies, (Eccles. i. 13.) he took no small pains: so that his gifts extraordinary did not supersede the use of other means in the acquisition of knowledge; but by application and experience he perfected what he had so advantageously received from the hands of God.-Patrick's and Calmet's Commentaries. e The words of Solomon himself are, I am but a little child; I know not how to go out, or how to come in, (1 Kings iii. 7.) From whence some have inferred, that he was not above twelve years old when he spake them, but this must be a gross miscomputation. His father, when he left the kingdom to him, calls him a wise man,' (1 Kings ii. 6, 9.) The foregoing story shows, that he had already sat some time on the throne; and therefore he calls himself a child, not in respect of his years, for most agree that he was twenty when he began to reign, but his skill in governing the people, and managing the affairs of state. This was a modest expression in Solomon; but it is an observation of Aristotle, in his book of politics, that young men are unfit for government, because their consultive power is imperfect; which though it may not be a general rule, was delivered by Solomon himself, in his more mature years, for a maxim: for Wo to the land,' says he, (Eccles. x. 16.) whose king is a child.'-Patrick's Commentary. 6 These two women are said in the text to be harlots; but the Hebrew word, as we took notice in the case of Rahab, may equally signify a hostess, or one who kept a house of public entertainment; and that it is so to be taken here, we have these reasons to presume:-That as all public prostitution was severely forbidden by the law, Deut. xxiii. 17. women of this infamous character durst not have presented themselves before so just and A. M. 2331 A. C. 1023, OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. in one house, were brought to bed about the same time, | places his dominions extended beyond the Euphrates. and one had overlaid her child. She who found the dead He had a great number of horses and chariots of war. child by her, accused the other of having stolen away Instances of his wisdom were as numerous as the sands her living child, and left her dead one in its place: the of the sea, and in learning and knowledge he surpassed other pertinaciously denied the thing; so that the ques- all the orientals, and the Egyptians. In a word, he was tion was, ' To whom did this living child belong?' And the wisest of mankind, and his reputation was spread to determine this, Solomon commanded some that stood through all nations. He composed, or collected, three by, to take and a cut the child in two, and to give to thousand proverbs, and a thousand and five poems. each woman a half; whereupon the real mother begs that the child may be saved, even though it be given to her adversary; but the pretended one is clearly for dividing it; which gave Solomon a full conviction, that she who expressed a tenderness and compassion for the child, was its true mother, and accordingly ordered it to be given her. b and in other places of Scripture, called the river, without any addition: to the west, the country of the Philistines, which bordered upon the Mediterranean sea; and to the south, Egypt. So that Solomon had tributary to him the kingdoms of Syria, Damascus, Moab, and Ammon, which lay between Euphrates and the Mediterranean; as indeed, without such a number of tributary kingdoms, we cannot conceive how the country of Is rael could have furnished such a constant supply of provisions and other things necessary for the support of this prince's grandeur.-Patrick's and Calmet's Commentaries. c There were three nations in the east of Canaan, that were The wisdom of the king soon shed a happy influence over all his dominions, and every subject was, in some degree or other, made partaker of it. All Judah and Israel lived in the greatest security; and all the neigh-very famous for their wisdom and erudition; the Chaldeans, bebouring nations either paid him tribute, or were his friends and allies. He ruled over all the countries and kingdoms from the Euphrates to the Nile, and in many so wise a king; that women of this lewd behaviour seldom do become mothers of children, and when they chance to have any, are not so solicitous for their preservation, but rather rejoice when they have got rid of them. There is no reason to suppose then, that these women were common harlots; and yet it is generally thought that they were both unmarried persons and guilty of fornication, because no mention is made of their husbands, whose office it was, if they had any, to contest the matter for their wives.-Poole's Annotations; and Calmet's Commentary. a Solomon knew at once that the only sign that would discover the true mother, would be her affection, and compassion, and tenderness for her child; and therefore, in order to distinguish between the two, his business was to make trial of this; and if we suppose, that when he commanded the child to be divided, he spake with a sedate countenance, and seeming earnestness, as the true mother's petition to the king makes it apparent that he did, then we may suppose farther, not only the two women, but all the people present with horror and admiration, expecting the execution, of the thing; which, when it ended in so just a decision, quite contrary to what they looked for, raised joy in every breast, and gave a more advantageous commendation to the judge: and yet Abarbinel, the Jewish commentator, thinks, that all this was no great proof of Solomon's extraordinary wisdom, nor could it beget that fear or reverence which the text says (1 Kings iii. 28.) it procured to his person. His opinion therefore is, that Solomon made a discovery of the truth antecedent to this experiment; that by observing the countenance, the manner of speech, and all the motions of the women, he discerned the secret of their heart, and penetrated to the bottom of the business; and that his commanding the child to be divided afterwards, was only to notify to the company, what he before had discovered. However this be, it may not be improper, upon this occasion, to mention an instance or two out of profane history, of a singular address, though much inferior to this, in discovering such secrets as seemed to be past finding out. To this purpose, Suetonius, in his life of Claudian, chap. 15., tells us, how that emperor discovered a woman to be the mother of a young man, whom she would not own for her son, by commanding her to be married to him; for the horror of committing incest obliged her to declare the truth; and in like manner, Diodorus Siculus relates, how Ariopharnes, king of the Thracians, being appointed to arbitrate between three men, who all pretended to be sons of the king of the Cimmerians, and claimed the succession, found out the true son and heir, by ordering them to shoot each man his arrow into the dead king's body; which one of them refusing to do, was deemed the true claimant.-Poole's Annotations; Patrick's and Calmet's Commentaries. The words in the text are, And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt,' (1 Kings iv. 21.) for the bounds of his kingdom were to the east, the Euphrates, which is here, yond the Euphrates; the Persians, beyond the Tigris; and the Arabians on the nearer side of the Euphrates; a little towards the south. But whether the Persians and Chaldeans were remarkable for their learning in Solomon's day, is much doubted among commentators. The book of Job sufficiently shows, that the Arabians, for of that nation was Job and his friends, were famous for their learning in ancient times; and, as to the Chadeans and other oriental people, since the sons of Noah took up their habitation about Babylon, and the neighbouring countries, it is reasonable to suppose, that where mankind, first began to settle themselves into regular societies, there arts and sciences first began to appear. The Egyptians however pretend to a precedency in this, and several other accomplishments. They say, that the Chaldeans received the principles of philosophy at first from a colony that came from Egypt, as Diodorus indeed makes mention of such a colony, conducted by Belus. But the Chaldeans, on the other hand, maintain, that from them it was, that the Egyptians received their first instructions, and accord. ing to some, that Abraham was the person who first communi cated to the Chaldeans the knowledge of astronomy, and other sciences. However this be, Solomon received from God a perfect knowledge of all that useful and solid learning, for which the eastern people, and the Egyptians, were justly famed; for, as it follows, he was a great moral philosopher, a great natus philosopher, and an excellent poet.-Patrick's and Calmet's Commentaries. d Josephus, who loved to magnify every thing that concerned Solomon, instead of three thousand proverbs, tells us, that Suemon composed three thousand books of proverbs. The greater certainly is our loss, if the thing were credible, because all the proverbs of Solomon, that we have now, are comprised in the book that goes under that name, and in his Ecclesiastes; and yet some learned critics are of opinion, that the nine first chapters of the book of Proverbs were not of Solomon's composure, and that the number of proverbs which properly belong to him, is no more than six hundred and fifty.-Grotius's Annotations; and Calme s Commentary. e These, one would think, were poems enough for a person that had so much other business as king Solomon had; but Jose phus, who is never content, makes him the author of so many volumes of poetical compositions; and the Septuagint indeed, as well as other interpreters, make the number of them to be to less than five thousand songs or odes. But of all this number. we have none remaining but the Song of Songs, as it is called, except the hundred and twenty-sixth psalm, which in its Hebrew title, is ascribed to Solomon, may be supposed to be one of these. The Psalter of Solomon, which contains eighteen psalms, a work that was found in Greek in the library of Augsburg, and has been translated into Latin by John Lewis de la Cerda, is supposed by the learned to be none of Solomon's, but of some Hellenistical Jew, much conversant in reading the sacred authors, and wh had composed them in imitation of the Psalms of David, whose style he closely pursued, and had inserted several passages of lis prophets, especially of Isaiah and Ezekiel, which he accomm dated well enough to his purpose. However this be, these eighteen psalms were not unknown to the ancients; for they A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A.M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. Ile knew the virtue of all plants and trees, from the highest to the lowest; and in his books treated of the nature of all kinds of beasts, and birds, and reptiles, and fishes; insomuch, that there was a concourse of strangers from all countries to hear his wisdom, and ambassadors from the most remote princes that had heard of his fame. As soon as Hiram, king of Tyre, understood that Solomon was made king of Israel, d he sent ambassadors were formerly in the famous Alexandrian manuscript, which is with us, as may be seen by the index which is still to be found at the end of the New Testament, though the psalms themselves have either been torn out of the book, or lost by some accident. Le Clerc's and Calmet's Commentary, and his Dictionary, under the word Solomon. a The several books which treated of the nature and virtue of animals, as well as plants, are supposed to have been lost in the Babylonish captivity; but Eusebius, as he is quoted by Anastasius, informs us, that king Hezekiah, seeing the abuse which his subjects made of Solomon's works, by placing too much confidence in the remedies which he prescribed, and the natural secrets which he discovered, thought proper to suppress them all. Notwithstanding this, since his time, many books, concerning the secrets of magic, medicine, and enchantments, have appeared under the name of this prince; and several pieces have been quoted, such as "The instructions of Solomon to his son Rehoboam; The testament of Solomon; The books of the throne of Solomon; The books of magic, composed by the demons, under the name of Solomon; The Clavicula, or key of Solomon; The ring of Solomon; The contradiction of Solomon,' &c., which were most of them very wicked and pernicious tracts, to which the authors prefixed this great name, to give them more credit and sanction. It is somewhat strange, however, that Josephus should inform us, that Solomon composed books of enchantments, and several manners of exorcisms, or of driving away devils, so that they could return no more; and that he should further assure us, that himself had seen experiments of it by one Eleazar, a Jew, who, in the presence of Vespasian, his sons, and the officers of his army, cured several that were possessed.-Jewish Antiq. b. 8. c. 2. Calmet's Dictionary, under the word Solomon. It is a conceit of one of the Jewish interpreters, that all the kings of the neighbouring countries went to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and that, upon their return, their subjects came to them to hear what he had said; but as we hear of none but the queen of Sheba who came to visit Solomon, we cannot but think, that if any other crowned heads resorted to him, the history would have recorded them as well as her. The words denote no more, than that the kings of all the neighbouring nations sent their ambassadors, and people of every land, that had heard of Solomon's fame, came to see him; for "no spectacle" says an ingenious author, "is more lovely and grateful, than a wise and good king; all men flock to see him, and to partake of his pious and prudent mind. They that see him are loath to leave him, and they that hear of him are as desirous to see him as children are to find their unknown father."-Dion Pruseus Orat. de Regno. The fourth chapter of the first book of Kings is chiefly taken up in recording the prime ministers and officers of Solomon's court, the compass and extent of his kingdom, the happiness and security of his subjects, the pomp and magnificence of his living, and the excellence of his own wisdom and erudition. This Hiram was doubtless the son of that other Hiram, who sent David timber and artificers wherewith to build his palace: for if, according to Josephus, the temple was built in the twelfth year of Hiram's reign, and the fourth of Solomon's, this Hiram could not be the same with him who sent David men and materials; because that Hiram was upon the throne when David took Jerusalem, which happened to be three and thirty years, before Solomon began his reign. There are two letters which passed between this Hiram and king Solomon, recorded by Josephus, and for the authenticness of which he appeals both to the Jewish and Tyrian records, that are to this effect: "King Solomon to King Hiram, greeting. "Be it known unto thee, O King, that my father David had it a long time in his mind and purpose, to erect a temple to the to him to condole his father's death, and congratulate the building of the temple went on apace. Lord; but being perpetually in war in his days, and under a necessity of clearing his hands of his enemies, and making them all his tributaries, before he could attend this great and holy work, he hath left it to me, in a time of peace, both to begin and finish it, according to the direction, as well as prediction, of the Almighty. Blessed be his great name for the present tranquillity of my dominions! And, by his gracious assistance, I shall now dedicate the best improvements of this liberty and leisure to his honour and worship. Wherefore I make it my request, that you will let some of your people go along with some servants of mine to mount Libanus, to assist them in cutting down materials towards this building; for the Sidonians understand it much better than we do; and as for the workmen's reward or wages, whatever you think reasonable shall be punctually paid them." 'King Hiram to King Solomon. derstand, that the government of your blessed father is by God's 66 Nothing could have been more welcome to me, than to unprovidence, devolved into the hands of so excellent, so wise, and which you write for shall be done with all care and good will: for so virtuous a successor. His holy name be praised for it! That I will give orders to cut down and export such quantities of the fairest cedars, and cypress trees as you shall have occasion for. My people shall bring them to the sea side for you, and from thence ship them away to what port you please, when they may lie ready for your own men to transport them to Jerusalem. It would be a great obligation, after all this, to allow us such a profor that is the commodity that we islanders want most." (Jewish vision of corn in exchange, as may stand with your convenience; Antiquities, b. 8. 6. 2. But notwithstanding all his appeal to genuineness of these two letters, especially where they find him the Tyrian records, some have suspected Josephus, as to the bringing in Hiram, speaking of Tyre, as if it had been an island; and must be the place here spoken of, was situate on the contiwhereas it is plain that the old Tyre, which was then standing, nent.-Le Clerc's Commentary. e In former times, among the Hebrews, there had been very excellent workmen, who knew how to cut and engrave precious stones, to cast and work among metals, &c. ; but this was before they came into the land of Canaan, in the time of Moses, when which were necessary for the work of the temple; but, as the Bezaleel and Aholiab were excellent in many different arts, Scripture acquaints us, that they had their skill by inspiration from God, it does not appear that they had any successors: and, after the people had got possession of Canaan, they neglected all manufactures, and applied themselves wholly to agriculture and feeding of cattle; so that, in the time of Solomon, there was no |