x Either, r. Kill him in that place : and for ſo doing, Solomon might ſeem to have warrant from God, Exod. 21. 14. and might further deſign by this juſt ſeverity, to deterr future Offenders, by Gewing, thar no place nor perſon ſhould prote& them from the ſtroke of Juſtice. Or rather, 2. Ler him Die as he is reſolved kill kim, though he be there ; take him by violence from that place, and then kill him : for Exod. 21. 14. doth not command the Ruler to killthe Murderer there, but to remove him thence. to rake him from the Altar, that he may die. And ſcing this might be done, why !hould Solomon unneceffarily ſtain the Altar with his Blood ? y 5. e. Both the Guilt of it, which would reſt upon my Fathers and my Family, if it went unpuniſhed ; and the ſcandal and reproach of ity that neither this, nor following Ages may imagine that it was done by Davids ſecret inſtigation, or with his conſent.
32 And the LORD ſhall return his blood z upon his own head, who fell upon twomen more righteous and better than he «, and ſlew them with the ſword, my
father David not knowing thereof, to wit, * Abner the fon
Chap. 1
[hank would not poljute the altar without neceſlity ; and from
died.
e For the Execution of Juſtice was not then committed to ob- ſcure Perſons, as now it is; but to Perſons of great Honour and
of Ner, captain of the hoſt of Ifracl, and * Amaſa the * 2 Sam: {on ef Jether, captain of the hoſt of Judah. 3 =p zi e, The guilt of the Blood which he ſhed. a Of more in- _?
FE 1 az. -
& Heb. s man of deaths
* 1 Fam: 22: 20;
* Fam; 2; 31, 35»
bp
\
Authority. See Judges 8; 21: 1 Sam; 22; 18: 2 Sam: 1: 15: and 4: 12. f With a Sword, | or other Inſtrument of Death ; as below, Perſe 32, 34, 46-
26 C And unto Abiathar the prieſt ſaid the king,
Get thee to Anathoth g unto thine own fields b, for thou art | worthy of death : but I will notat this time z put thee to death, becauſe thou bareſt the ark of the LOR ÞD God before David my father &, and becauſe * thou haſt been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted I. |
g A City of the Prieſts, Joſh; 21: 18: to lead a private Life there. þ Either that part of the Suburbs which fell ro his ſhare : or, other Land which he had purchaſed there. S ce Fer: 32:7. # He doth not fully pardon him, bur only forbears him, and reſerves to himſelfa liberty of puniſhing him afterwards, if he ſaw occaſion ; which he doth to keep him in awe, that he might. not dare to raiſe or foment Diſcontents or Tumults among the people, which otherwiſe he might be prone to do k When he thought fit to carry it out with him ; as 2 Sam: 15 :24, 29- I Chron: 15: 1i, 12. when he as High-
rieſt wasto attend upon it. Thus Solomon ſheweth his reſpe& to bis Sacred Fun&ion. # Here he mixeth Mercy with Juſtice, and requites Abiathars former kindneſs to David; hereby teaching princes, that they ſhould not write Injuries in Marble, and Benefits un Sand or Water, as they have been too oft obſerved to do.
27 So Solomon thruſt our Abiathar from being prieſt unto the LORD » ; chat he mighr *fulfil the word of the LORD », which he ſpake concerning the houſe of Eli o in Shiloh.
m Either from his Office ; or, at leaſt, from the Execution of his Office For ſome think that he was thruit from his Office be- fore Davids Death, when Zadok was formerly made prieſt ; 1. e: High-prieſt in his ſtead, 1 Chrow 29: 22. Bur tharicems to be a miſtake : For although that paſſage immediately follows the Hiſtory of what was done in the time of Davids Life and Health, when he was in a capacity of going into the publick Congregation ; yet it manifeſtly belongs to another time, and was done afrer,it : bor he there ſpeaks of Sol:mons being made King the ſecond time, and he was made King but twice ; once undoubredly before this, 1 Chron 23: 1: and again, 4 Kings 1: 39. When David was Bedrid, and Adonijahs Uſurpation madea ſecond. .Un&ftion neceſſary. And therefore what is ſaid, 1 Ghrow: 29: 22: of Zadeks being made prieſt, was done, after Abiathars Depoſition, and upon that occaſion. » tor what hinders bur Solon might intend this not only as a puniſhment for his Treaſon, butalſo as a means to accompliſh Gods Word ? 0 i.e. Concerning the Tranſlation of the Prieſthood from the Houſe of Eli, and of thamar, unto that of Eleazar : which being threatned 80 years ago, is now Executed. So Divine Vengeance, though ſome- Times it be flow, is always ſure.
28 4 Then tidings p came to Joab, ( for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Abſa- lom) and Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD g, and caught hold on the horns of the altar r.
Þ Concerning Adonijahs Death, and Abiathars Depoſition. q Which then was at Gibeon, 1 Kings; 3. 4. compared with 2 Chron, 1. 3. 5+ r Of which ſee before, Chap. 1. 50.
29 And it was told King Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and behold, 4e # by the altar : then Solomon ſent Benaiah the ſon of Jehoiada, ſaying, Go, fall upon kim 5.
s To wit, ifhe will not come thence, as I foreſee he will not?
39 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and ſaid unto him, Thus ſaith the king, Come forth 7. Andheſaid, Nay, but I will die here #. And Benaiah brought the king word again, ſ:ying, Thus ſaid Joab, and thus he anſwered me.
_ + That the King gave him this Command, though it be riot men- tioned before, x5 evident, both from the nature of the thing ; for
genuous and generous Tempers, abhorring from all ſuch Treache- rous praftices, and bothof them'then devored to, and employed in my Service.
but upon David and upon his ſeed, and upon his houſe, and upon his throne, ſhall there be peace for ever from che LOR Dc.
b Either as long as he ſhall have a Poſterity ; or, for a long time : as that phraſe is commonly uſed. c In, and by this Execution of Juſtice upon him, and ſuch Malefattors, my Throne ball be eſta= bliſhed, and God will bleſs me, and mine, with Peace and Pro- ſperity. | ,
34 So Benaiah the ſon of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and flew him, and he was buried in his own houſe in the wilderneſs d. p
d Places which have but few Houſes and Inhabitants, are oft ſo called in Scripture 3 asz Iſa. 42.11. Jer. 25, 24. Exek. 34: 25.
35 4 And the King put Benaiah che ſon of Jehoiada in his room over the hoſt, and Zadok the prieſt did che King put in the room of Abjathar e.