Carrying Shimei along with him to the place of Execution, which was not fit to be 4in the Kings Preſence. x His ſecret and worſt Enemies being taken out of the way+
CIS AP. IL
Solamon marrieth Pharaohs Daughter : High Places being in uſe, he goeth to Gibeon to Sacrifice, 1, - 4. There the Lord appeareth to him: Gives, -him a choice ; He preferreth Wiſdom : Obtaineth it, and alſo
* Riches and Honour, 5, ——— 15. His Judgment between the two Harlots,
> "16, — 28, |
> N D * Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king A. of Egypt «4, and took Pharaohs daughter 6b, and bropght her into the city of David c, until he had
made an end of building his own houſe, and the houſe
_ of the LORD J, and the * wall of Jeruſalem round * about e.
a As being a powerful neighbour. b5 Upon what conditions is not here. expreſſed : but it is probable, ſhe was firſt Inſtrufted in, and Profelyted to the Jewiſh Religion 3 as may-be gathered, 1. Be- cauſe he was not yet fallen from God, but loved the Lord, and walked. in the ſtatutes of David, v. 3. And therefore would never have married a groſs Idolater, which was ſo contrary to Gods Law, and ſo pernicious in its Conſequences. 2. Becauſe he is no where reproved for this FaQ, as he is for louing many other Frange women, z-Kings 11: 1.3. By comparing Pſal. 45. and the Book of Canticles : whereby it plainly appears, that this Aftion had ſomething extra- ordinary in it, and wes deſign'd by God to be a Type of Chriſt, calling his Church to himſelf, and to the true Religiog, not only out «f rhe Jews but even-our of the Gentile World: e Of which, ſee Chap. 24, ro Into Davids Palace there: &d 5 e. The Temple appropriated to the Worſhip and; Honour of God. e Which though in ſome fort bujltby David,
K I N G S.
that Achiſh could '
2. Sam. 5.9. yet Solomon 15 here ſaid to ,
Build, either becauſe he made it higher, and ſtronger, and more beautiful, and glorious 3 in which, or thelike ſenſe Nebuchadnezzar is faid to have built Babylon, Dan, 4. 30. or becauſe he built another Wall beſides the former, for greater ſecuriry ; for after this time Feruſalew was encompaſſed with more Walls than one.
2 * Only -. the people ſacrificed in high places f, + becauſe there was no houſe g built unto the name of the ;
LORD + until thoſe days.
Wy This Particle is uſed here, and w« 3: asan Exception to Sole. mon $ Integrity and Glory, and as his infirmity, and a blemiſh to his Government, That. he himſelf both permitted and praQtiſed this which was expreſly forbidden, Levit. 17. 3, 4. Dewt. 12. 13, I4. Cx cept in ſome extraordinary caſes. Poſſibly he permitted it, becauſe he thought it better to allow an Error in a Circumſtance, than to occaſion a neglet of the Subſtance of God's Worſhip, which he apprehended would follow upon a ſevere Prohibition of thatpraQice becauſe the peoples Hearts were generally and conſtantly ſer upon theſe high Places, as appears from all the following Hiſtory ; and they were not willing to ſubmit to ſo much trouble and charge as the bringing of all their Sacrifices to one place would cauſe ; nor wowld yield to it uatil the Temple was built, which he knew would eaſily encline and oblige them to it ; and thar being ſpeedily to be done, he might think it more adviſeable, rather to delay the Execution of that Law of God for an approaching Seaſon, wherein he doubted not, they would be ſweetly and freely drawn to it than at preſent to drive them to it by force. Although theſe and all other prudential Conſiderations thould have given place to the Will and Wiſdom of God. f Which were Groves, or other convenient places upon Hills, in which the Patriarchs uſed to offer up their Worſhip and Sacrifices to God ; and from them this Cuſtom was derived both to the Gentiles and the Jews : and in them the Gentiles Sacrificed to Idols, Jer. 7.31. Ezck. 6; 3, 4. Hoſ. 10. 8: the Hebrews ro the True God, g Which reaſon was not ſufficient, for there was a Tabernacle, to which they were as much confined asto the Temple, Deur. 12, &c. k Either» 1. To the Lord, the Name of the Lord being oft put for the Lord himſelf, as Deue. 28. 58. Job 1, 21. Pſal. 7.17. and 116. 13 and 135. i. Or, 2. To the Honour and Praiſe, and Service of God; to the Glory ofhis Name ; #. e, of his -ah and all his PerfeQtions, which ſhall be adored and manifeſted there,
3 And i Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the ſtatutes of David & his father ; only he ſacrificed and burnt incenſe in high places,
; Or, yet, although he miſtook, and miſcarried himſelf in the matter of High Places, yetin the general, his Heart was right with God, and he both loved him with inward Affection, and walked with him in outward Converſation and Worſhip. ki.e. According to the Statutes or Commands of God, which are here called the ftatutes of David; not only becauſe they were to freely choſen, and heartily loved, and diligently practited by David, bur alſo becauſe the obſervation of them was ſo earneſtly preſſed upon Solomon, and fortified with Davids Authority and Command. See 1 Kings 2.2, 3, 4» and 1 Chron. 28. 8,9.
4 And the king went to Gibeon to ſacrifice there for that was the great high place / : a thouſand burnt- offerings did Solomon ofter upon that altar m.
| The moſt eminent and frequented becauſe there was the Ta« bernacle, and the altar of M:ſes, 1 Chron. 16. 39. and 21 29. And 2 Chron, 1.3, 5, 6. which poſſibly were placed upon an high or rai- ſed Ground, m Thereby ſbewing his ſpecial retpect to this above all other places; and by his Example teaching and inviting all his People to do ſos
5 4 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solcmon in a dream z by night : and God faid o, Ask what 1 ſhall give thee.