1 Kings 9:19

_AND ALL THE CITIES OF STORE THAT SOLOMON HAD, AND CITIES FOR HIS CHARIOTS, AND CITIES FOR HIS HORSEMEN, AND THAT WHICH SOLOMON DESIRED TO BUILD IN JERUSALEM, AND IN LEBANON, AND IN ALL THE LAND OF HIS DOMINION._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

15-28 Here is a further account of Solomon's greatness. He began at the right end, for he built God's house first, and finished that before he began his own; then God blessed him, and he prospered in all his other buildings. Let piety begin, and profit follow; leave pleasure to the last. Whatever pains we take for the glory of God, and to profit others, we are likely to have the advantage. Canaan, the holy land, the glory of all lands, had no gold in it; which shows that the best produce is that which is for the present support of life, our own and others; such things did Canaan produce. Solomon got much by his merchandise, and yet has directed us to a better trade, within reach of the poorest. Wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold, Proverbs 3:14....

Verse 1 Kings 9:19. _AND ALL THE CITIES OF STORE_] Though, by the multitude and splendour of his buildings, Solomon must have added greatly to the magnificence of his reign; yet, however plenteous silver and gold were in his times, his subjects must have been greatly oppressed with the taxation necessary to defray such a vast public expenditure....

“The cities of store” contained provisions stored up for the troops (compare 2 Chronicles 32:28). They seem to have been chiefly in the north - in Hamath 2 Chronicles 8:4 and Naphtali 2 Chronicles 16:4. On the “cities for his chariots,” see 1 Kings 10:26 note. By “that which Solomon desired to build” (see the margin) seem to be intended “pleasaunces” in or near the capital, and in the Lebanon range, built especially for the enjoyment of the king....

EXPOSITION SOLOMON'S BUILDINGS AND UNDERTAKINGS.—So far the historian has spoken exclusively of the two greatest works of Solomon's reign, the Temple and the Palace, and principally of the former. Even the message just related was, as we have seen, the response to the prayer offered when the temple was consecrated. But he now proceeds to mention other proofs of Solomon's greatness, and of the prosperity of his reign—doubtless because the glory of Israel then reached its climax, and the author would be tempted to linger over these details because of the dark contrast which his own time supplied—and this leads him to speak of the means by which all these enterprises were accomplished. The particulars here given are but fragmentary, and are grouped together in a somewhat irregular manner. It would seem as if both this account and that of the chronicler had been compiled from much more copio...

AND ALL THE CITIES OF STORE THAT SOLOMON HAD,.... In which were his magazines of corn, arms, and ammunition; and these were built in Hamath, 2 Chronicles 8:4 AND CITIES FOR HIS CHARIOTS; chariots of war, iron chariots, which were kept in times of peace, in case of necessity, of which Solomon had 1400, 1 Kings 10:26, AND CITIES FOR HIS HORSEMEN; of which he had 12,000, a standing cavalry: AND THAT WHICH SOLOMON DESIRED TO BUILD IN JERUSALEM; besides the temple and his own palace before mentioned; see Ecclesiastes 2:4, AND IN LEBANON; the house of the forest of Lebanon, which Junius on...

5. JEHOVAH APPEARS UNTO SOLOMON AND THE GREATNESS OF THE KING CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The second appearance of the LORD to Solomon (1 Kings 9:1)_ 2. Transactions with Hiram (1 Kings 9:10) 3. The levy of the king (1 Kings 9:15) 4. Pharaoh's daughter occupies the house (1 Kings 9:24) 5. The king's offerings (1 Kings 9:25) 6. Solomon's navy (1 Kings 9:26) Jehovah's righteous government in the midst of His people Israel had

SOLOMON'S DEALINGS WITH HIRAM. THE LEVY. The source of this section seems to be the Acts of Solomon (see above). After Solomon had completed his buildings he was obliged to give Hiram cities in Galilee (1 Kings 9:11). The Chronicler, regarding this as unworthy of the great king, makes Hiram give the cities to Solomon (2 Chronicles 8:2). Galilee (pp. 28- 30) is mentioned in Joshua 20:7; Joshua 21:32; 1 Chronicles 6:76, and in 2 Kings 15:29, nearly always

_and all the cities of store_ In 2 Chronicles 8:4 the expression is STORE-CITIES, which reads better here, and is clearer in sense. These places would be provided so that surplus produce which could be preserved, as corn, oil, wine, &c. might be stored in times of plenty to be ready when need should require. We read that Hezekiah made some similar provision (2 Chronicles 32:28). _and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen_ Special places must have been needed for these, when we consider the great number of them (see below 1 Kings 10:26). In 1 Chronicles 4:31 there is a place c

AND IN LEBANON— That is, in the palace which was styled _of the forest of Lebanon,_ near Jerusalem; for Solomon built nothing in mount Lebanon, nor do we any where read that any part of that mountain was within his jurisdiction. Houbigant....