The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 81

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER IV. 20-34. with the greatness of the kingdom. The lavish provision of Oriental palaces was SOLOMON'S RULE, STATE, AND WISDOM.- evidently a, subject of wonder and of boast- The remainder of this chapter, which de- ing to the ancients, as the inscriptions and scribes to us the extent and character of monuments show. Solomon's sway (vv. 20, 21, 24, 25), the pomp Ver. 22.-And Solomon's provision [marg. and provision of his household (vv. 22, 23, 26-28), and his profound and varied wisdom bread, but Cl:J\ strictly signifies any kind (vv. 29-34), has every appearance of a com- of food] for one d3:y was thirty measures pilation from different sources. It scarcely [Heb. cors. The -,:::, was both a liquid and a. dry mellsure (eh. v. 11) and was the equi- has the order and coherence which we should vale~t to the _ho1:1er (Ezek. xlv. 14), but its find in the narrative of a single writer. precise cape.city 1s doubtful. According to Ver. 20.-Judah a.nd Israel werema.ny, as Josephus, it contained eighty-six gallons· the sand which is by the sea in multitude according to the Rabbins, forty-four] of fin~ [a reminiscence of Gen. xiii 16; xxii. 17; !lour a.nd threescore measures of meal. xxxii. 12 (cf. eh. iii. 8). In the reign of [Thenius calculates that this amount of Solomon these promises had their fulfil- flour would yield 28,000 lbs. of bread, which ment], eating a.nd drinking, a.nd maJdDg (allowing 2 lbs. to each person) would give merry. [Cf. 1 Sam. xxx. 16. The Hebrew 14,000 as the number of Solomon's re- here begins a new chapter. The LXX. omits tainers. This computation, however, could vers. 20, 21, 25, 26, and places vers. 27, 28, have but little value did not his calcula- " and those officers," &c., after the list of tions, based on the consumption of flesh, prefects, ver. 19.] mentioned presently (allowing 1½ lbs. per Ver. 21.-And Solomon reigned [Heb. was head), lead to the same result. reigning] over all kingdoms [Heb. the Ver. 23.-Ten fat [Heb. fatted, i.e., for kingdoms. That is, as suzerain, as is ex- table] oxen, a.nd twenty fat oxen out of the ple.ined presently. So that Psa. lxxii. 10, pastures, a.nd an hundred sheep, beside 11 had its fulfilment] from the river [i.e., harts a.nd roebucks [or gazelles] and the Euphrates, the river of that region: so fallowdeer [Roebucks. The name Yahmiir is called Gen. xxx.i. 21; Exod. xxiii. 31; 2 stiU current in Palestine in this sense (Con- Sam. x. 16. In Gen. x:v. 18 it is called "the der, p. 91)], and fatted fowl [Thie word great river, the river Euphrates." Similarly (Cl 17;:l.!~) occurs nowhere else. The meaning Josh. i. 4] unto [not in the Hebrew. It is most\..n favour is geese.] found in the parallel passage, 2 Chron. ix. Ver. 24.-For [the connexion seems to 2G, and perhaps we may safely supply it be: Solomon could well support such lavish here. Its omission may have been occasioned expenditure, because] he had dominion over by the recUITence of the sa.me word (1ll) pre. all the region on this side [-,~y~ strictly sently. Some would render, "reigned . . . over the lll.nd," &c., supplying :1l, in thought means, on the other side, b;yond P➔V, from above. But "unto" seems to be re- transiit). But here it must obviously quired after" from." Cf. ver. 24] the land mean on the west side, for Solomon's rule of the Pbillstines [this, i.e., the Mediterra- did not extend east of the Euphrates. The nean shore, was the western border of his use of this word in this sense (Josh. v. 1; ix. 1 ; xii. 7 ; 1 Chron. xxvi. 30; Ezra realm], a.nd unto the border of Egypt [this viii. 36 ; Neh. ii. 7) is generally accounted was his southern boundary. We have here for on the supposition that the writers were a reference to Gen. xv. 18, the promise living in Babylon in the time of the cap- which now :first received its fulfilment]: tivity; but this appears to be by no means cer- they brought presents [ i.e., tribute. Similar tain. (See, e.g., Ezra iv. 10, 11.) The truth expressions, 2 Sam. viii. 2; 2 Kings xvii. seems to be, not that " the expression be- 3, 4, and especially Psa.. lxx.ii. 10. What the longed to the time of the captivity, but was presents were we are told eh. x. 25, where, ret11ined after the return and without regard however, see note], and served SOiomon all to its geographical signification, just, for the days of h1B life. instance, like the expression, GaUia Trans- The daily consumption of the royal house- alpina" (Bahr), but that from the first it hold is now related to show the grandeur was employed, now of one Ride, now of the and luxury of the court. And it agreed well other, of the Jordan; of the west in Gcu. on. rv. 20-34.J 'rHE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 75