The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 160

in this formula, which no doubt had been Ver. 52.-That thine eyes may be open preserved in the 'ITiitings of the prophets, [cf. ver. 29] unto the auppllcation of thy a confession specially appropriate to their servant, and unto the euppllca.tion of thy case, and indeed provided for their uso. people Israel [of. vers. 2S;- 30], to hearken Ver. 48.-And so return unto thee with unto them in all that they call for unto thee. all their heart [nlmo~t the words of Dent. Ver. 63.-For thou didst separate them xxx. ver. 2, as those in ver. 47 are ofver. l], from [Levit. xx. 24, 26; of. Exod. xix. 6, 6] a.nd with all their soul, in the land of their among all the people of the earth, to be enemies, which led t!J.em a.wa.y captive thine inheritance [same expression, Dent. [obserrn the paronomasia-l:lW is here iv. 20; ix. 26, 29. 'fhis is no idle repetition used in two seu ses] , and pray unto thee to- of ver. 61. The idea. of that verse is de- w-..rd [Heb. tlw 1cay of] their land [see livcranoe, of this election. Cf. Num. xvi. 9 ; Dan. vi. 10] which t!J.ou g-a.vest unto their viii. 14], as thou spakest by the hand [see fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, note on oh. ii 25] of Moses thy servant a.nd the house which I have built for thy [Exod. :rix. 5, 6 ; Dent. ix. 26, 29 ; xiv. 2] , name. [There is apparently a climax here, when thou broughtest our fathers out of ''land," ''city," ''house."] Egypt, 0 Lord God. Ver. 49.-Then hear thou their prayer In Chron. (oh. vi. 41, 42) the prayer ends a.nd their supplicationiilheaven thy dwell- ing plsce, and maintain their ea.use. (Heb. somewhat differently. "Now therefore do their judgments, as in ver. 45.J arise, 0 Lord God," &o.-words which o.re Ver. 60.-And forgive thy people that found in BUbstance in Paa. cxxxii. 8-10. have s1n.ned against thee, a.nd all their These two verses look like o.n addition, and transgressions wherein they ha.ve trans- were probably inserted by the chronicler to gTessed aga.i.:l.st thee, a.nd give them com- form a. connecting link with eh. vii. 1-3 passion [Heb. to comp(L8sion or bowe[,S C'PD1=nz a1rXaJ'XVa., 2 Cor. vi 12; Phil. (Bahr). The LXX. has an extremely i. 8 ; ·ii. 1, &c.] before them who ca.rrl.ed them curious addition, said to be taken from the captive, tha.t they may have compassion "Book of the Song." Stanley sees in its on them. [For the fulfilment of this very abruptness and obscurity an evidence prayer, see Ezra. i. 3, 7; vi 13 ; Neh. ii 6. of its genuineness (" Jewish Ch." ii. 218). Compare Psa. cvi. 46.J In the three following verses we have a. SECTION III.-Tlie Concluding Blessing. sort of general conclusion to the dedication prayer. It is hardly correct to say that The service of dedioation concludes, as these last words apply to all the preceding it commenced, with a benediction (ver. 14). petitions-the plea '' they are thy people" Ver. 54.-And it was so, that when Solo- mon had made an end of praying all this IIUUliiestly cannot apply in the case of vers. prayer a.nd supplication unto the Lord, he 41-43. On the other hand, as little are arose from before [see note on ver. 22] the they to be limited to the persons last men- altar of the Lord, from kneeling on h1s tioned in vers. 46-50, though it is highly knees [the first mention of this posture in probable they were suggested by the thought the sacred history (Stanley). The Jews usually stood in prayer (Luke xviii. 11, 13)] of the captives. They are manifestly in with (Heb. and] h1s hands spread up to close connection with the preceding verses. heaven. Ver. 51.-For they be thy people [a cita- Ver. 55.-And he stood [this does not tion or reminiscence of Deut. iv. 10], and necessarily imply that he drew nearer_ to thine 1nherita.nce, wll!ch thoa broughtest the congregation, as Keil], and blessed'[ cf. forth out of Egypt [cf. vers. 21, 53. There 2 Sam. vi. 18, and see note on ver. 14. The is a constant recurrence throughout the Old words of blessing, which are presently Testament to this great deliverance, and given (vers. 66-61), prove that he did not with good reason, for it was the real birth- assume priestly functions and pnt s:i.y Jay of the =tion, and was also a pledge of blessing upon the people, Num. vi. 27] all future help 11nd favour. God who had the congTegation or Israel with a loud " wrought such great things for them in [Heh. great] voice, saying, Egypt "could not well forsake them. Solo- Ver. 66.-Blessed be the Lord, that hath mon's constant plea is that they are the given rest UJ1to his people Israel, according elect and coven11nt race] from the midst or to all that he promised [o. distinct rcferenco the furnace or iron [i.e., a furnace for iron, to Deut. xii. 9, 10 (of. iii. 20), where wa heated o.nd fierce as for smelting. Same read that when the Lord should have given phrase, Deut. iv. 20] . rest to Israel, then a place for ea.orifice, &a., OB, VIII, 1-66,j THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. U9