No escape from this retribution but in " the cross.'' "The blood of J esUB Christ his Son," &o. It will not wipe out all the effects of transgression, but it will arrest the eterna,l penalty, and perfectly cleanse the fountain from which the evil springs. II. THE NOBLENESS OF A TRUTHFUL AND FEARLESS DJSCIUBGE OF DUTY. Solomon's deed a homa.ge to the sense of duty. Magnanimity blended with severity. He spares Abiathar, but has no mercy on Joab and Shimei. Note the reasons of this distinction. As a " man of peace '' he had no love for this retributive work. It might involve him in trouble. But he shrinks not from doing the thing he con- ceives to be right. Men often constrained by force of circumstances, or persuo.sion of a Divine voice within them, to do what they have no natural inclination for doing. Essence of all moral nobleness to make duty rather tha.n inclination or policy the law of one's life. In men of highest na,ture conscience is the ruling power. However it may appear, that Life is the most blessed which is the most perfect homage to the law of right. II. THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS ABOVE THE MORAL STANDARD OF OLDEN TIMES. In following the chronicles of these old Hebrew kings we feel that we a.re moving in 11, moral region of somewhat dim light and low level. It must needs be so if there is a real law of development in Scripture and the dispensations of Goel. We may recognise the working of Divine principles of truth and righteousness a.mid the confusions of the time, and yet feel that we have in the law of Christ 11, far higher rule of conduct. We admit what is good in David and Solomon, but HE is our model who, on the cross of sacrifice, prayedi "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."-W, 1 KINGS, JC 60 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [oR. m.1-15.
EXPOSITION. CHAPTER m. 1-15. Ruth iv. 18), nor wo.s it condemned by the Law, which only forbade intermnrrie.ge with THE BEOD!?.'ING OF SOLOMON'S REIGN.- the nations of Ce.nao.n (Exod. xxxiv. 16; In the preceding chapter we have seen Deut. vii. 3), o.nd sanctioned the union of an Israelite with o. captive ta.ken in war the establishment of Solomon's rule (ver. (Dent. xxi. 13; cf. xx. 14). "At the same 46) by the removal of internal foes, i.e., time, it was only when the foreign wives of disaffected and rebellious subjects. In renounced idolatry . . . that such marriages this we see him strengthening his position were in accordance with the spirit of the by an externa1 alliance, by a marriage with law " (Keil). As Solomon at this period of an Egyptian princess. This event, however, his life faithfully observed the law, as he is never blamed for this mo.rriage, and as there is related here, not because the historian is no trace whatever of the introduction of had this connexion of ideas in his mind, but Egyptian rites into Isro.el, it is a fair pre- probably because the marriage came next in sumption that the Egyptian princess con• order of time. formed to the religion of her adopted country], and brought her into the city of Ver. 1.-And Solomon made aJllnity [Not David [2 Chron. viii. 11 speaks of her "alliance" (as some have supposed) but dwelling in "the house of David," i.e., it relationship. Lit., 77UUUl himulf son-in-law J would seem, the pa.lace which David had 'With Pharaoh 11:1.ng of Egypt [which of occupied] until he had made an end [this the Pharaohs this was, it is impossible to hardly shows that he had begun to build, say with certainty. As, however, Shishak as Keil infers. He did not begin building (eh. xi. 40 ; xiv. 25) is undonbtedly the theTempleuntilthefourth(l Kingsvi.l), nor Sheshonk who succeeded to the throne of his own house until the eleventh year (ib. Egypt in the 26th year of Solomon (Poole), vii. 1) after his accession, o.nd the marriage, and who was the first king of the 22nd though not at the very eo=encement of dynasty of Ma.netho, we may salely identify his reign, can ho.rdly have been delayed to this Pharaoh with '' a late king of the 21st the eleventh year, and may have taken place (or Janite) dynasty." It has been assumed before the death of Shimei] of bulldinghJs (Bunsen, Ewald, Brugsch, al.) that it was own house [cf. eh. vii. 7] and the house of Psusennes II., the last king of that house, the Lord [cf. eh. vi. ; vii. 51 J and the wall of on the supposition that he reigned 35 years, Jerusalem round about. [Probably, he (as stated by Eusebius), but according to both strengthened and extended the city Africanus, his reign was limited to 14 years. we.lls, as Josephus (Ant. viii. 6. 1) affirms. It is wiser to say, therefore, with Mr. Poole Acc. to the LXX. addition to eh. xii., it was (Diet. Bib., •' Pharaoh ") that this Pharaoh on this task that Jeroboam wo.s employed "cannot yet be identified on Manetho's (eh. xi. 27 ; cf. ix. 16). Do.vid had fortified list." It is also impossible to decide whether a pa.rt of the city (2 Sam. v. 9). the alli&nce was first sought by Solomon Ver. 2. -Only [The word perhaps signifies with a view to win over a powerful and '' that there was one exception to the flourish- dangerous neighbour (Thenius), to whose ing condition of things which the writer inroads his northern border was exposed, has been describing" (Ro.wlinson), though and especially to counteract the influence (eh. the people a.re nowhere blamed for so.cri- :xi. 21) of Hadad (Plumptre), or whether the ficing on the high places, and Solomon's sac- marriage was proposed by Pharaoh because rifice at "the great high place " wo.s full of the 21st dynasty "had then become very blessing. The idea rather is that just n.s he weak" (Rawlinson) and its head desired was obliged to bring his Egyptian wife into " friendly relations with the kingdom of the city of David, because his pa.lace wn.s Israel, which had grown into a 1 ower to not yet finished, so the people were com- be dreaded " (Keil). But we may reasonably pelled to sacrifice on the high plo.ces, be- suppose that the alliance " must have been es.use the temple was not yet built (Keil), to most Israelites a very startling one " and " the place " where God would put His (Plumptre.) Egypt (Re.he.b, Pea. lxxxix. name had only just been chosen (1 Chron. 10 ; Isa. Ii. 9) was to every Israelite a xxii. l)J the people aacr11iced [Hob. were name both of triumph and drea.d. The sacrificing, i.e., habituo.lly, consto.ntly] 1n Pharaohs were their ancestral foes], and h1gh pla.cea [All nations ho.ve chosen hill tops took Pha.raoh's daughter [A marriage such for acts of worship, perho.ps n.s being nearer e.s this was not without precedent (Gen. xli. heaven. "Even Abraham built n.n o.lte.r to 45; Exod. ii. 21; Num. xii. 1; Matt. i. 5; the Lord on a mountain near Bethel (Ge11,, CH. III, 1-16.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 61