{"commentary":{"id":"adam-clarke","name":"Adam Clarke Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clarke","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Adam Clarke Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"92e28c9363c876d215e296f2fe04abb3ab7e34a2aacebdf06bd62ae79c6e3dba","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":57,"totalNumberOfChapters":854,"totalNumberOfVerses":13318,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"1KI","commentaryId":"adam-clarke","name":"1 Kings","commonName":"1 Kings","introduction":"Preface to the First Book of the KingsOtherwise Called the Third Book of the Kings In the most correct and ancient editions of the Hebrew Bible, the two books of Kings make but one, with sometimes a little break, the first book beginning with 1 Samuel 22:40. Some of the ancient fathers seem to have begun the First Book of Kings at the death of David, Kg1 2:12. The more modern copies of the Hebrew Bible have the same division as ours; but in the time of the Masoretes they certainly made but one book; as both, like the books of Samuel, are included under one enumeration of sections, verses, etc., in the Masora. The titles to these books have been various, though it appears from Origen that they had their name from their first words, והמלך דוד vehammelech David, \"and King David;\" as Genesis had its name from בראשית bereshith, \"in the beginning.\" The Septuagint simply term it βασιλειων, of reigns, or kingdoms; of which it calls Samuel the first and second, and these two the third and fourth. The Vulgate has Liber Regum tertius; secundum Hebraeos, Liber Malachim: \"The Third Book of Kings; but, according to the Hebrews, the First Book of Malachim.\" The Syriac has, \"Here follows the Book of the Kings who flourished among this ancient people; and in this is also exhibited the history of the prophets who flourished in their times.\" The Arabic has the following title: \"In the name of the most merciful and compassionate God; the Book of Solomon, the son of David the prophet, whose benedictions be upon us. - Amen.\" The author of these books is unknown: that they are a compilation out of public and private records, as the books of Samuel are, there is little doubt; but by whom this compilation was made nowhere appears. Some have attributed it to Isaiah and to Jeremiah, because there are several chapters in both these prophets which are similar to some found in the first and second books of Kings; compare 2 Kings 18, 19, and 20, with Isaiah 36, 37, 38, and Isa 39:1-8; and Kg2 24:18; Kg2 25:1, etc., with Jer 52:1, etc. But rather than allow those prophets to be the authors or compilers of these books, some very learned men have judged that the chapters in question have been taken from the books of Kings in after times, and inserted in those prophets. It is worthy of remark that the fifty-second chapter found in Jeremiah is marked so as to intimate that it is not the composition of that prophet; for at the end of Jeremiah 51 we find these words, Thus far are the words of Jeremiah; intimating that the following chapter is not his. But the most common opinion is, that Ezra was the author, or rather the compiler of the history found in these books. Allowing only the existence of ancient documents from which it was compiled, it appears, 1. That it is the work of one person; as is sufficiently evident from the uniformity of the style, and the connection of events. 2. That this person had ancient documents from which he compiled, and which he often only abridged, is evident from his own words, The rest of the acts of such and such a prince, are they not written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, or of Israel, which occur frequently. 3. These books were written during or after the Babylonish captivity, as at the end of the second book that event is particularly described. The author states also, Kg2 17:23, that Israel was, in his time, in captivity in Assyria, according to the declaration of God by his prophets. 4. That the writer was not contemporary with the facts which he relates, is evident from the reflections he makes on the facts that he found in the memoirs which he consulted. See 2 Kings 17:6-24. 5. There is every reason to believe that the author was a priest or a prophet; he studies less to describe acts of heroism, successful battles, conquests, political address, etc., than what regards the temple, religion, religious ceremonies, festivals, the worship of God, the piety of princes, the fidelity of the prophets, the punishment of crimes, the manifestation of God's anger against the wicked, and his kindness to the righteous. He appears everywhere strongly attached to the house of David; he treats of the kings of Israel only accidentally; his principal object seems to be the kingdom of Judah, and the matters which concern it. Now, all this agrees well with the supposition that Ezra was the compiler of these books. He was not only a priest, a zealous servant of God, and a reformer of the corruptions which had crept into the Divine worship, but is universally allowed by the Jews to have been the collector and compiler of the whole sacred code, and author of the arrangement of the different books which constitute the Old Testament. If some things be found in these books of Kings which do not agree to his time, they may be easily accounted for on his often taking the facts as he found them in the documents which he consults, without any kind of alteration; and this is so far a proof of his great sincerity and scrupulous exactness. The First Book of Kings contains the history of one hundred and nineteen years, from A.M. 2989 to A.M. 3108. It contains a great variety of interesting particulars, the chief of which are the following: The death of David; the reign of Solomon; the building and dedication of the temple; the building of Solomon's palace; an account of his great wisdom; his magnificence, and his fall; the division of Israel and Judah under Rehoboam; the idolatry of the ten tribes over whom Jeroboam became king. It states how Judah, Benjamin, and Levi attached themselves to the house of David; how Rehoboam was attacked by Shishak, king of Egypt, who pillaged the temple; how Baasha destroyed the house of Jeroboam, and seized on the government of Israel; how Jehu predicted the ruin of Baasha; how Ahab married the impious Jezebel, and persecuted the prophets of the Lord. It relates the acts of Elijah; the destruction of the prophets of Baal; the cruel death of Naboth; the death of Ahab; the good reign of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; and the wicked reign of Ahaziah, king of Israel, etc. See Calmet's preface to the first and second books of Kings.","order":11,"numberOfChapters":22,"sha256":"e65df6d0d922c664a7c9ed979b70ca78012b8bcb98db54f8af6834da13af830e","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1KI/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1KI","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":22,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1KI/22.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1KI","chapter":22},"totalNumberOfVerses":423},"chapter":{"number":10,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":1,"content":["When the queen of Sheba heard - As our Lord calls her queen of the south, (Mat 12:42), it is likely the name should be written Saba, Azab, or Azaba, all of which signify the south. She is called Balkis by the Arabians, but by the Abyssinians Maqueda. See the account at the end of this chapter, Kg1 10:29 (note).\nWith hard questions - בחידות bechidoth; Septuagint, εν αινιγμασι, riddles. With parables and riddles, says the Arabic. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":2,"content":["She came to Jerusalem with - spices, etc. - Those who contend that she was queen of the Sabaeans, a people of Arabia Felix, towards the southern extremity of the Red Sea, find several proofs of their opinion:\n1. That the Sabaeans abounded in riches and spices.\nIndia mittit ebur, molles sua thura Sabaei\n\"India furnishes ivory, and the effeminate Sabaeans their frankincense.\"\nVirg. Geor. i., ver. 57.\nAnd again: - \nDivisae arboribus patriae: sola India nigrum\nFert ebenum; solis est thurea virga Sabaeis.\nGeor. ii., ver. 116.\nAll sorts of trees their several countries know:\nBlack ebon only will in India grow;\nAnd odorous frankincense on the Sabaean bough.\nDryden.\n- Ubi templum illi centumque Sabaeo Thure calent arae.\nWhere to her fame a hundred altars rise,\nAnd pour Sabaean odours to the skies.\nPliny (Hist. Nat. lib. xii., c. 17) observes,\nNon alia ligni genera in usu sunt quam odorata;\ncibosque Sabaei coquunt thuris ligno; alii myrrhae.\n\"The Sabaeans use odorous wood only, and even use the incense tree and myrrh to cook their victuals.\"\n2. All ancient authors speak, not only of their odoriferous woods, but of their rich gold and silver mines, and of their precious stones. See Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. xxxvii., c. 6, etc.\n3. It is also well known that the Sabaeans had queens for their sovereigns, and not kings. So Claudian, in Eutrop. lib. i.\n- Medis levibusque Sabaeis Imperat hic sexus,\nreginarumque sub armis Barbariae pars magna jacet.\nBy this is meant, says Mr. Bruce, the country between the tropic and mountains of Abyssinia, the country of shepherds, from berber, a shepherd. And he contends that these Sabaeans were a distinct people from the Ethiopians and the Arabs, and that Saba was a distinct state. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["Solomon told her all her questions - Riddles, problems, fables, apologues, etc., formed the principal part of the wisdom of the East; indeed they use and delight in them to the present day. See the case of Samson and his friends, Jdg 14:12 (note), Jdg 14:14 (note), and the notes there. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":4,"content":["Had seen all Solomon's wisdom - By the answers which he gave to her subtle questions.\nAnd the house that he had built - Most probably his own house. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["The meat of his table - The immense supply of all kinds of food daily necessary for the many thousands which were fed at and from his table. See Kg1 4:22-23 (note).\nAnd the sitting of his servants - The various orders and distinctions of his officers.\nThe attendance of his ministers - See the account of these and their attendance, Kg1 4:1, etc.\nAnd their apparel - The peculiarity of their robes, and their splendor and costliness.\nAnd his cup-bearers - The original משקיו mashkaiv may as well be applied to his beverage, or to his drinking utensils, as to his cup-bearers.\nAnd his ascent by which he went up - It seems very strange that the steps to the temple should be such a separate matter of astonishment. The original is ועלתו אשר יעלה בית יהוה which all the versions have translated, And the holocausts which he offered in the house of the Lord. The Vulgate, Septuagint, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, all express this sense: so does the German translation of Luther, from which, in this place, we have most pitifully departed: And seine Brandopfer, die er in dem Hause des Herrn opferte; \"And his burnt-offering which he offered in the house of the Lord.\"\nThere was no more spirit in her - She was overpowered with astonishment; she fainted. I have seen precisely the same effect produced; a lady who was herself an artist, viewing some exquisitely finished oriental paintings, was so struck with astonishment that she twice nearly fainted, and was obliged to leave the room. What happened to the queen of Sheba is a natural and not an uncommon effect which will be produced in a delicate sensible mind at the sight of rare and extraordinary productions of art.\nOf the profusion of Solomon's sacrifices we have already had proof, Kg1 8:63; Kg1 9:25. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["Happy are thy men - All these are very natural expressions from a person in her state of mind. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":10,"content":["A hundred and twenty talents of gold - The worth of these one hundred and twenty talents of gold, according to Mr. Reynolds, is equal to 843,905. 10s. 4 3/4d. of our British sterling. But the spices and precious stones might have been yet of more value. After this verse the 13th should be read, which is here most evidently misplaced; and then the account of the queen of Sheba will be concluded, and that of Solomon's revenue will stand without interruption. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":11,"content":["Great plenty of almug trees - In the parallel place, Ch2 9:10, Ch2 9:11, these are called algum trees, the ם mem and the ג gimel being transposed; probably the latter is the more correct orthography. What the algum trees were we do not exactly know. The Vulgate calls it ligna thyina, the thya or lignum vitae wood; and Mr. Parkhurst thinks that the original אלגומים algumim, comes from אל al, not, and גם gem, to fill; because the lignum vitae is of so close a texture that it can imbibe no water, and cannot be affected by wet weather. The Septuagint translate it ξυλα πυκινα, pine timber; the Syriac kaise dakisotho, probably cypress wood, or what the translators render ligna brasilica; the Arabic translates coloured wood, and subjoins a paraphrase, for that wood was by nature painted with various colors. Perhaps the Arabic comes nearest the truth; wood shaded of different colors, such as the rose wood and such like, which are brought to us from various parts of the East Indies. The whole passage as it stands in the Arabic is this: \"And the ships of Hiram brought gold from the land of Hind, (India), and they carried also much coloured wood, (but this wood is naturally painted of various colors), and very precious jewels. And Solomon put some of that same painted wood which was brought to him in the house of the Lord, and in his own house; and with it he adorned them.\" And for inlaying and veneering nothing can be finer than this wood. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":13,"content":["All her desire whatsoever she asked - Some imagine she desired progeny from the wise king of Israel; and all the traditions concerning her state that she had a son by Solomon called Menilek, who was brought up at the Israelitish court, succeeded his mother in the kingdom of Saba, and introduced among his subjects the Jewish religion. See at the end of the chapter, Kg1 10:29 (note). \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":14,"content":["The weight of gold - was six hundred threescore and six talents - This would amount in our money to 4,683, 675 12s. 8 1/2d. sterling.\nThis seems to be what he got annually of bullion; but independently of this, he had tribute of all the kings of Arabia, duties from merchantmen, and the traffic of spice merchants; see Kg1 10:25. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":16,"content":["Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold - I have already conjectured that the צנה tsinnah might resemble the Highland targe or target, with a dagger projecting from the Umbo or center. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":17,"content":["He made three hundred shields - The מגן magen was a large shield by which the whole body was protected.\nMr. Reynolds computes that the two hundred targets, on each of which were employed three hundred shekels of gold, were worth 28,131 16s. 9 1/2d.\nAnd the three hundred shields, in forming each of which three pounds of gold were employed, were worth 210,976 7s. 7d. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":19,"content":["The throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side - This description seems to indicate that the throne was in the form of one of our ancient round-topped, two-armed chairs. This throne or chair of state was raised on a platform, the ascent to which consisted of six steps. What we call stays is in the Hebrew ידת yadoth, hands, which serves to confirm the conjecture above. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":22,"content":["A navy of Tharshish - For probable conjectures concerning this place, and the three years' voyage, see at the end of this, Kg1 10:29 (note) and the preceding chapter, 1 Kings 9 (note).\nApes - קפים kophim; probably a species of monkey rather than ape. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":23,"content":["Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches - Mr. Reynolds, stating the yearly tribute of Solomon, 666 talents of gold, at about four times as much as his father left him, hence reckons that he had 4,909, 371 8s. 8d. each year, 94,410 19s. 9 1/4d. per week, 13,487 5s. 8d. per day, taking each day, week, and year, one with another. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":25,"content":["They brought every man his present - This means tribute; and it shows us of what sort that tribute was, viz., vessels of gold and silver, probably ingots; garments of very rich stuffs; armor, for little of this kind was ever made in Judea; spices, which doubtless sold well in that country; horses, which were very rare; and mules, the most necessary animal for all the purposes of life. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":26,"content":["He had a thousand and four hundred chariots - See the note on Kg1 4:26. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":27,"content":["Made silver - as stones - He destroyed its value by making it so exceedingly plenty.\nAs the sycamore trees - He planted many cedars, and doubtless had much cedar wood imported; so that it became as common as the sycamore trees, which appear to have grown there in great abundance. This is considered to be a tree that partakes of the nature of the fig tree, and of the mulberry. Of the former it has the fruit, and of the latter the leaves; that is, the fruit had a considerable resemblance to the fig, and the leaf to that of the mulberry tree: hence its name sycamore, from the Greek συκον, a fig, and μορεα, a mulberry tree. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":28,"content":["Horses brought out of Egypt - It is thought that the first people who used horses in war were the Egyptians; and it is well known that the nations who knew the use of this creature in battle had greatly the advantage of those who did not. God had absolutely prohibited horses to be imported or used; but in many things Solomon paid little attention to the Divine command.\nAnd linen yarn - The original word, מקוה mikveh, is hard to be understood, if it be not indeed a corruption.\nThe versions are all puzzled with it: the Vulgate and Septuagint make it a proper name: \"And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and from Coa, or Tekoa.\" Some think it signifies a tribute, thus Bochart: \"They brought horses to Solomon out of Egypt; and as to the tribute, the farmers of this prince received it at a price.\" They farmed the tribute, gave so much annually for it, taking the different kinds to themselves, and giving a round sum for the whole.\nSome suppose that Mikveh signifies the string or cord by which one horse's head is tied to the tail of another; and that the meaning is, Solomon brought droves of horses, thus tied, out of Egypt.\nRabbi Solomon Jarchi, in his comment on the parallel place, Ch2 1:14, says that מקוה mikveh signifies a collection or drove of horses, or what the Germans call stutte, a stud. He observes on that place, \"That he has heard that there was a company of merchants in Egypt, who bought horses from the Egyptians at a certain price, on condition that no person should be permitted to bring a horse out of Egypt but through them.\" Houbigant supposes the place to be corrupt, and that for מקוה mikveh we should read מרכבה mercabah, chariots: \"And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and chariots; and the king's merchants received the chariots at a price: and a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver,\" etc. This makes a very good and consistent sense; but none of the versions acknowledged it, nor is there any various reading here in any of the MSS. yet collated.\nIf we understand it of thread, it may refer to the byssus or fine flax for which Egypt was famous; but I do not see on what authority we translate it linen thread. Bochart's opinion appears to me the most probable, as the text now stands; but the charge contended for by Houbigant makes the text far more simple and intelligible. \n"]},{"type":"verse","number":29,"content":["A chariot came up - for six hundred shekels - This was the ordinary price of a chariot, as a hundred and fifty shekels were for a horse.\nKings of the Hittites - These must have been the remains of the original inhabitants of Canaan, who had gone to some other country, probably Syria, and formed themselves into a principality there. It seems that neither horses nor chariots came out of Egypt but by means of Solomon's servants.\n\n"]}],"introduction":"The queen of Sheba visits Solomon, and brings rich presents; and tries him by hard questions, which he readily solves, Kg1 10:1-3. She expresses great surprise at his wisdom, his buildings, his court, etc.; and praises God for placing him on the Jewish throne, Kg1 10:4-9. She gives him rich presents, Kg1 10:10. What the navy of Hiram brought from Ophir, Kg1 10:11, Kg1 10:12. The queen of Sheba returns, Kg1 10:13. Solomon's annual revenue, Kg1 10:14, Kg1 10:15. He makes two hundred targets and three hundred shields of gold, Kg1 10:16, Kg1 10:17. His magnificent ivory throne, Kg1 10:18-20. His drinking vessels all of gold, Kg1 10:21. What the navy of Tharshish brought every three years to Solomon, Kg1 10:22. His great riches, numerous chariots, and horsemen, Kg1 10:23-27. He brings chariots and horses out of Egypt, Kg1 10:28, Kg1 10:29. \n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1KI/10.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1KI","chapter":10},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1KI/11.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1KI","chapter":11},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/1KI/9.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"1KI","chapter":9},"numberOfVerses":20}