Strange women, who had been brought up in the service of idols, and were not sincerely converted. (Haydock) --- Riches engaged Solomon in the love of pleasure, and this brought on his ruin. (Calmet) --- He began with the spirit, but ended in the flesh, Galatians iii. 3., and Ecclesiasticus xlvii. 21... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gods. See Exodus xxxiv. 16., and Deuteronomy vii. 4. The law only forbids expressly the marrying of the women of Chanaan. But is was easy to discern, that the spirit of the law equally prohibited connexions with others who were addicted to idol-worship. See 1 Esdras x. 3. Such alliances are always... [ Continue Reading ]
Concubines, or secondary wives. (Haydock) --- Those who have any sense of modesty, can hardly read this without blushing. (Salien) --- Solomon was guilty not only of intemperance, but also of a transgression of the precept. (Menochius) (Deuteronomy xvii. 17.) --- He shall not have many wives: though... [ Continue Reading ]
Old; about fifty. (Salien) (Calmet) --- This is an aggravation of his guilt. (Haydock) --- Solomon spent the first thirty years of his reign in virtue: but towards the termination of it, he gave into idolatry, and into such excesses, that he deserves to be ranked with Henry VIII, who began well, but... [ Continue Reading ]
_Astarthe. Hebrew Hashtoreth, "ewes," is in the plural form, as if to denote many idols. But the moon, or the queen of heaven, (Jeremias vii. 18.) is particularly designated, Judges ii. 12. (Haydock) --- Some explain it of Venus, (Sanctius) or Juno. (Tirinus) --- Moloch. Hebrew Molciom, (their king)... [ Continue Reading ]
Chamos. Bacchus or Priapus, called Greek: Komos, by the Greeks, as he presided over "feasting." His worship was most shameful, and therefore performed in the night. The temples erected by Solomon, were not entirely demolished till the reign of Josias. (Tirinus) --- Hill. Hebrew, "Then Solomon erecte... [ Continue Reading ]
_Twice, or repeatedly. See chap. ix. 2. (Haydock) --- He had appeared to him at Gabaon, and after the consecration of the temple, (Menochius) besides sending a prophet to him while he was building, chap. vi. 12. (Abulensis) --- God was not content with giving him the general commandments: he had con... [ Continue Reading ]
_This. Literally and Hebrew, "Because thou hast this with thee." (Haydock) --- Since this is thy conduct, and fixed determination, to abandon my service, I will also reject thee. The Lord spoke to him in a third vision, (Calmet) or by the mouth of Ahias, (Abulensis) who was likewise appointed to inf... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sake. As David placed this son upon the throne, the disgrace would seem to revert on him. (Menochius) --- Here we behold the reward of piety, and how desirable a thing it is to have saints for our parents. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_One tribe. Besides that of Juda, his own native tribe. (Challoner) --- That of Benjamin had been so reduced, that it scarcely deserved the name of a tribe. It was also invariably connected with the adjoining tribe of Juda; as many of the other tribes, after the captivities of Assyria and Babylon, w... [ Continue Reading ]
Adversary. Hebrew Satan. Nothing of this kind could molest him, while he continued faithful, chap. v. 4. But now he sees the arm of God stretched out, pressing him to repent. --- Adad. Septuagint Ader. Josephus says that this prince solicited Pharao to let him return into his own country, after the... [ Continue Reading ]
_In Edom, in the 15th year of his reign. (Salien) --- Abisai was the general in this expedition, 2 Kings viii., and 1 Paralipomenon xviii. 12._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Boy. About five (Salien) or 12 years of age. (Pineda)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Land, to maintain him (Josephus) out of the royal domains, (Calmet) of which the kings were possessed. (Didor. i. p. 46.) --- He appointed him governor of some part of the country. (Vatable)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Full. Septuagint, "elder sister of his wife Thekemina." (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Razon. He must have been now about 94 years old; unless this was the son of Aderezer's general. (Salien) (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Robbers, or (Hebrew and Septuagint) "a band" with whom he made depredations. (Haydock) --- Damascus, with David's consent, on their admitting a garrison, (2 Kings viii. 6,) and consenting to pay tribute; (Menochius) or Razon might make himself master of this place, only after the apostacy of Solomo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Solomon, after he once began. (Haydock) --- Adad. Hebrew, "and with the evil of Adad, and he detested Israel." (Menochius) --- Razon and Adad conspired to attack Solomon. (Haydock) --- Adad may be the common name of the kings of Damascus. Some copies of the Septuagint do not speak of Razon, but con... [ Continue Reading ]
_King, attempting to draw the people into rebellion, as he perceived that they were discontent with the buildings at Mello. He had a command over them; and though he was, for the present, obliged to save himself by flight, he had sown the seeds of rebellion by his discourses, in such a manner, that... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joseph, Ephraim and Manasses. (Menochius) --- He was of the former tribe. (Salien) --- At first Solomon employed none of the Israelites to work, chap. ix. 22. But he afterwards oppressed them grievously. The king's right was to make his subjects cultivate his lands, &c., 1 Kings vii. 11. They did n... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XI. _ Garment. Salma occurs 16 times in this sense, and simlee 27. The latter, we may presume, is the true reading, as it is in the Samaritan Pentateuch invariably; Exodus xxii. 26, 27, both words are printed in the Hebrew Bible. But it is not probable that Moses should have written them so... [ Continue Reading ]
_Parts. He speaks by his actions, (Menochius) thus foretelling what should happen, as was customary with the prophets, Osee i. 2., Jeremias xxvii. 2., Ezechiel xii. 7., and Acts xxi. 11. (Calmet) --- This tended to make a deeper impression on the mind, (Haydock) and convince all, that what was spoke... [ Continue Reading ]
_Make, or permit him to reign. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_A lamp. Posterity, (2 Kings xxi. 17.) power, and glory, 4 Kings viii. 19._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Desireth. It seems he was already disposed to revolt. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Faithful house, which shall not be destroyed, nor lose the kingdom, for a long time. Jeroboam never complied with the condition. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_For this infidelity of Solomon, (Haydock) afflict, by raising up a rival. (Menochius) --- For ever. Notwithstanding the wickedness of many of its princes, this family was to subsist, in a distinguished rank, till the coming of the Messias; that the completion of the promises might be more observabl... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore, being apprized of what had passed, as well as to prevent the farther attempts of Jeroboam. (Haydock) --- Sesac. He is the first, whose proper name is given in Scripture. Whether he was of the same family, as the Pharao, whose daughter Solomon had married, cannot be ascertained. Marsham m... [ Continue Reading ]
_Words, or transactions. (Haydock) --- Book. This book is lost, with divers others mentioned in holy writ. (Challoner) --- Nathan, Ahias, and Addo, composed these journals, 2 Paralipomenon ix. 29. (Haydock) --- Similar works were kept at the courts of Persia and of Babylon, Esther vi. 1., and 1 Esdr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Forty. Josephus says eighty; and some suppose, that the Scripture only specifies the years during which Solomon reigned virtuously. Pezron is the same opinion as Josephus. (Haydock) --- Others contend that it is a manifest mistake. Immoderate pleasures hastened his old age and death, when he was ab... [ Continue Reading ]
Solomon slept, &c. That is, died. He was then about fifty-eight years of age, having reigned forty years. (Challoner) --- St. Chrysostom, at different times, seems to have entertained opposite opinions on this head, (Haydock) which has been a matter of controversy among the Fathers, as it is at pres... [ Continue Reading ]