The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 92

that he only a.eked Hiram for artificers All that is certain is that he believed the ("that they hew me cedar trees," &c.) is Lord, as did most ancient nations (" Der nego.tived by ver. 10. It is true that "all Polytheinnw ist nicht awschiesslich. Bahr), Lebo.non" was given to Israel (Josh. xiii. 5), to be one of the gods many. A belief in but they did not take it. They did not drive Jehovah as God was quite compatible with out the Zidonie.ns (ver. 6; Judg. i. 31) or the retention of a firm faith in Baal a.nd possess " the le.nd of the Giblites" (ver. 5; Astarte. It is also possible that he here Judg. iii. 3). It should be stated here, how- adopts a le.nguage which he knew would be ever, that the cedar of Scripture probably acceptable to Solomon, or the historian included other varieties than that which may have given us his thoughts in a Hebrew now alone bee.re the name (see on ver. 8)), dresa. It is noticeable that the LXX. has and my servants sl1all be with thy ser- simply 6VXo-y,iroi: ;, 0Eoi;] which hath given vants [i.e., she.ring e.nd lightening the unto David a wise son [Compare 1 Kings work] : and unto thee will I give hire for i. 48 ; ii 9. The proof of wisdom lay in thy servants [Solomon engaged to pay e.nd Solomon's fnlfilling his wise father's pur- did pay both Hiram e.nd his subjects for the poses, and in hie care for the worship of services of the lo.tter, e.nd he paid both in God. "Wise," however, is not used here in kind. See below, on ver. 11) according to the sense of "pious," as Bahr affirms. In all that thou shalt appoint [This would Hiram's lips the word meant discreet, saga- seem to have been 20,000 measures of wheat cious. He would hardly recognize the fear of e.nd 20 measures of pure oil annually, ver. the Lord as the beginning of wisdom] over 11) : for thou lmoweat that there 1s not this great people. among us any that ca.n skill [Heb. knoweth, Ver. 8.-And Hiram sent to Solomon same word as before] to hew timber like [in writing, 2 Chron. ii. 11. It is instructive unto the ZidoDians [Propter vicina nemora. to remember in connexion with this fact Orot.ius, Sidon (Heb. tii'¥), means "fish- that, according to the universal belief of antiquity, the nee of letters, i.e., the art of ing." See note on ver. 18. By profane, as writing, was communicated to the Greeks well as sacred writers, the Phc:enicians are by the PhCllllicie.ne. Gesenius, indeed, holds often described by the name Zidonie.ns, no that the invention of letters is also due to doubt for the reason mentioned in the note them. See the interesting remarks of Mr. on ver. 1. See Homer, Iliad vi. 290 ; xxiii. Twisleton, Diet. Bib. ii. pp. 866-868], say- 743 ; Odys. iv. 84, 618 ; xvii. 424. Of. Virg. ing, I have cOllBldered the thl.ngs which .2En. i. 677, 678; iv. 545, &o. Gen. x. 15; thou sentest unto me for [Heh. heard the Judg. i. 31 ; iii. 3 ; 1 Kings xi. 1, 33, &o. things (i.e., message) which thou 1entest unto " The mechanical skill of the Phc:enioians meJ : and I will do all thy dea1re concern1ng genero.lly, e.nd of the Zidonie.ns in particular, [Heb. in, i.e., as to] timber [or tTeea] of is noticed by mo.ny e.ncient writers," Rawlin- cedar [Heh. cedars] and timber of flr son, who cites instances in his note. But [Heb. trees of cypresse,. This is, perhaps, what deserves especia.l notice here is the the proper place to inquire what. trees are fact tho.t the Zidonin.ns constructed their intended by the words f~I$, e.nd ~~. here houses of wood, e.nd were celebrated lrom the earliest times as skilful builders. The respectively translated" cedar" e.nd " fir." 11.eets which the Phc:enicians constructed for As to the first, it is impossible to restrict purposes of commerce would ensure them the word to the one species (Pinu.s cedrus 11, supply of clever workmen. Wordsworth or CedTUS Libani) which is now known as aptly remnrks on the part the heathen thus the cedar of Lebanon, or, indeed, to any took in rearing a temple for the God of Jacob. single plant. That the Cednu Libani, Of. Isa. l.x. 10, 13. J one of the most magnificent of trees, is meant in such passages as Ezekiel xni., Ver. 7.-And it ea.me to paae, when B1ra.m Pea. xcii. 12, &c., admits of no manner of heard the words of Solomon [reported by doubt. It is equo.lly cleo.r, however, that in his ambassadors), that he rejoiced greatly other passages the term "cedo.r" must [see note on ver. 1. '.l'he continue.nee of refer to some other tree. In Num. xix. 6, the entente cordiale was ensured], and said, and Lev. xiv. G, e.g., the juniper would messed be the Lord [In 2 Chron. ii. 12, seem to be meant. " The cedar could nol " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that have been procured in the desert without made heaven and earth." We are not greot diffionlty, bat the juniper (Juniperus warranted by the expression of the text in oxycedrus) is most plentiful there." (The concluding that Hiro.m believed in the "cedar" of our pencils, it may be re- exclusive divinity of the God of Israel, or marked, is a kind of juniper-Juniperu., "identified Jehovah with Melkarth his god" Bermudiana.) In Ezekiel xxvii. 6, "they (Rawlinson), much Ices tho.t ho was 11, have ta.ken cedars of Lebanon to make ma,t, proselyte to the faith of David ~d Solomon. • for thee," it is probable that the Pinw 86 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [oil. v. 1-18.