The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 153

o.s the word o.lmost seems to imply, o. "light the people," e.s Wordsworth pertinently from heo.ven o.bove the brightness of the e.sks, 11 e.lso perform e. priestly a.et? " The snn" (Acts xxvi. 13; cf. Rev. i. 14, 16). word is elsewhere used of saluting. See It is ho.rdly necessary to o.dd the.t the glory, note on ver. 66, a.nd Gesen. s.v.J all the though e.ppe.rently resident in the cloud, we.a congregation of Israel: (and all the con- not e.lwe.ys luminous; the cloud veiled it . gregation o~ Israel stood) ; [Heh. were from the eyes of men. standing (1!;1.ll); 11 stood" conveys the idea Ver. 12. -Then spa.ke Solomon [in a the.t the congregation rose e.s Solomon transport of emotion e.t the sight. The spoke, whereas they were standing e.lree.dy cloud and the glory proved that his pious in the temple courts. work was accepted. These blessed tokens assured him the.t " the Lord was there " Ver. 15.-And he Ba.id, Blessed be the (Ezek. xlviii. 35) ; that the incomprehen- Lord God of Israel [eh. i. 48], which spa.ke sible Godhead he.d entered the earthly With his mouth unto [or, concerning; ,~ shrine he he.d preps.red, e.nd would dwell after verbs of speaking he.a the force of de there] , The Lord ea.id that he would dwell in (Gen. xx. 2; Jer. xl. 16; P~a. lxix. 27). the thick darkness. [Heh. 'ft)~, lit., dark- David my father [The words were really ness of clouds. When did God spee.k of spoken to No.than1 and hath with his hand dwelling in dark cloud? The reference, [i.e., power; cf. Job xxxiv. 20; Acts iv. 28; probably, is to Exod. xix. 9 ; xx. 21 ; Deut. xiii. 11 ; Ezra. vii. 6] fulfilled it [the spoken iv. 11 ; v. 22 (note the.t, in the three last word He he.s fulfilled in deed], saying, cited passages, this so.me word is used, e.nd [The reference is to 2 Se.m. vii, of which in the le.st two in connexion with cloud, Solomon merely gives the substance. Much which would e.ppee.r to be e. practice.lly of wha.t he so.ye here is not recorded there.] aynonymous term), but eapecie.lly to Levit. Ver. 16.-Since the day that I brought xvi. 2, "I will e.ppee.r in the cloud upon forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose the mercy see.t." Solomon he.d thus every no city out of all the tribes of Israel, to warrant for connecting e. theophe.ny with build a house, that my name m!ght be the thick de.rk cloud. Cf. Psa.. xviii. 11 ; therein [The chronicler adds here, "Neither xcvii. 2. The words cannot refer to " the chose I e.ny man to be rnler," &c. Prob- holy of holies not lighted by windows " ably our account comes nee.rer to the words (Wordsworth), e.ctue.lly spoken. The speech in the Chron. Ver. 13.-I have BUrely bullt [Heb. to looks e.s if it had been somewhat amplified, build, I have built] thee a house to dwell though it only completes the sense (Raw- 1n, a settled place for thee to abide 1n for linson)], but I chose David to be over my ever. [The temple was prime.rily, a.s already people Israel. [Cf. Psa.. lxxviii. 70. This remarked, a. shrine for the ark, between the psalm pursues much the same line of cherubim of the mercy sea.t of which God thought as this address.] dwelt. This was a tbt;) (from l~::l, statuit), Ver. 17.-And it was 1n the heart of a settled place. The tabernacle was but a David my father [2 Sam. vii 2 ; 1 Chron. xvii. 1] to bulld an house for the name of poor e.nd transitory a.bode, po.rte.king of the fre.ilty of the shepherd's tent (Isa.. xxxviii. the Lord God or Israel. Ver. 18.-And the Lord said unto David 12). For c1~7i11 (alwVE!:}, cf. Isa.. xxvi. 4; my father [Not, perhaps, totidnn verbis. li. 9; Do.n. ix. 24; Paa.. oxlv. 13. The Divine approvo.l wn.s implied in 2 Sam. Ver. 14.-And the king turned his face vii. 11-16, e.nd it may ho.ve been expressed about [He he.d been ea.meetly gazing towe.rd e.t the so.me time. The nn.rratives of Scrip- the house where the cloud appea.red. He ture are necesso.rily greatly condensed], now faced the congregation] and blessed Whereas it was in thine heart to build o.n [This word here, o.nd in ver. 66, is used house unto my name, thou didst well that somewhat loosely. The blessing we.a in both it was 1n thine heart. oases addressed to God. The Hebrew Iring Ver. 19.-Nevertheless thou shalt not was not a.uthorized to bless the people- build the house [Wordsworth observes that that was the prerogative of the priests it we.s filin.l reverence prevented Solomon's (Num. vi. 23; cf. Levit. ix. 22), and he is mentioning the cause of this prohibition. only so.id to bless here as felicitating, as whioh, however, is mentioned with appro- wishing them a blessing. Dean Stanley priate humility by David himself (1 Chron. I" Jewish Ch.," vol. ii. p . 218) cho.mcteristi- xxii. 8)]; but thy son that shall come co.lly o.sserts that Solomon "performed the forth out of thy loins, he shall bull d the highest se.cerdoto.1 a.et of solemn benedic- house unto my name. [2 Sam. vii. 11, 12. tion." But the en.me word is used in var. The recurrence of " the no.me " of the Loru 6G, of the people blessing the king. 11 Diu. is to be uoticel1 (see nrs. 16, 17, 18, 29, 43,  THE FrRST BOOK OF RINGS. [ou. vtn. 1-66.