The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 193

mentioned Ezek, xlvii.19 a.nd xlviii. 28 Bpla.ce only have built as a. means of gammg or whioh ma.y well be identica.l with "Ho.za.zon retaining control over the care.van trade TBmBr, which is Engedi" (2 Chron. xx. 2; between the East and the Mediterranean. of. Gen. xiv. 7. In favour of (1) a.re the Cf. 2 Chron. xvii. 12 ; xxxii. 28, and Gen. following considerations: (1) the sta.tement xii. 48. They would seem to have been of the chronicler that Solomon did build chiefly on the northern frontier, 2 Cbron. Palmyra. (for of the identity of "Tadmor" viii. 4 (" in Bama.th") ; ib. eh. xvi. 4 speaks with Palmyra there can be no rea.sonBble of" the store cities of Napthali." It should doubt ; see Diet, Bib, iii. 1428). (2) The be remembered that Solomon had an ad- probability that Solomon, with his wide versary in Damascus], e.nd cities for h1s views of commerce, would seize upon and ohartots, and cities for h1s horsemen [Cf. fortify the one oasis in the great Syrian eh. iv. 26. These were not so much fortresses desert in order to establish an entrep8t (vers.15-18) as pla.ces adapted to accommo- there (see on ver. 19). (3) The words "in date his cavalxy, &c. For horsemen we should the wilderness," which, of course, are perhaps read lurrses. See note on eh. v. 6], eminently true of Palmyra. Against it, and that which Solomon desired to build however, may be urged (1) that Tamar WBS [Heb. and the desire of Solomon which he much more likely to be chBnged into desired; cf. ver. 1. The use of the cognate TBdmor than Tadmor into Tamar. (2) That verb refutes the idea. that Solomon's" desire" this place is distinctly described a.a " in the is another name for pleasure-buildings or land," which, strictly, Palmyra. was not. pleasa.nnces, as does also "desire" in ver. 11. But here it is to be observed that the chro- It is certain, however, that such buildings nicler omits these words, and that the Syl.'iao, were erected, and it is probable that they Arabic, and Vulgate render, "in the land of are referred to here] tn Jerusalem and 1n the wilderness." Keil says our text is mani- Lebanon [It is highly probable that plea- festly com1pt, and certainly the expression sure-houses were built in Lebanon (Cant. is 0, singular one. Some would, therefore, vii. 4, p1136im), for which Solomon may well alter )"il:(::l into citt::i, or into non::i (after have had a strong affection, and plea.sure. 2 Chron. viii. 4). Both of the emendations, gardens in Jerusalem (Eccles. ii. 4--7). See however, while undoubtedly plausible, are Stanley,pp.197-199); and wemayree.sonably purely conjccturaJ. Wordsworth, who thinks imagine {with Ewa.Id) that in these latter Palmyra is meant, says it is described a.a he sought to grow specimens of the plants, " in the land " to indicate that God had &c., about which he " spoke' (eh. iv. 33; fulfilled his promise to extend the land of cf. Ecoles. ii. 5). "It is a curious fact that Solomon far eastward into the wilderness in the gronnd hard by the ' founta.ins of (Psa. lxxii. 9). And aJewishhistorian,espe- Solomon' near Bethlehem, which exhibit cially in the time of his country's decadence, manifest traces of e.n ancient ge.rden, and might well recount how this great city had where the intimations of Josephus would lead once been comprised within the boundaries us to suppose that Solomon had a. rural re- of Israel. In favour of (2) a.re these facts: (1) treat, are still to be fonnd a nnmberof pla.nts That it is the reading of the text. It is self-sown from age to age, which do not said, however, that the ancient name of exist in any other pa.rt of the Holy Land" Tadmor was Tamar, e.nd the place clearly (Kitto, "Bib. Illus." vol.iv. p.101). Some of owed its no.me to the Palm trees. But the Solomon's journeys to these favourite re- name is always Tadmor in the Pa.lmyrene sorts, w.:, can ho.rdly doubt, are referred to inscriptions. (2) That this place was "in in Ca.nt. iii. 6-10; iv. 8 sqq.; vi. 11] the wi!derness," i.e., of Judah. (3) That it and 1n all the land of his dominion. was "m the land," a.nd (4) that it was in Ver. 20.-And all the people that were close proximity to the places just mentioned. left of the Amorites, Wttites, l'erizzites, The evicl.ence is thus so evenly balanced that Bivites, and Jebusites [Judges i. 21-36; it is impossible to decide positively between iii. 6 ; 1 Chron. xxii. 2] which were not the two. of the children of Israel Ver. 19.-And all the cities of store that Ver. 21.-Their children that were left Solomon had [cities where the produce of after them in the land [this is explica.tive the land was stored for the use of the of ver, 20], whom the children of Israel a.lso troops or household, or against a. season [also is not in the Hebrew, and is meaning- of scarcity (Gen. xii. 35 ; E xod. i. 11 ), less] were not able utterly to destroy, or possibly (Ewald) they were emporiums upon those did Solomon levy a. tribute of for the development of trade. The fact bond service [see on eh. v. 13, and of. Judges that these store cities are mentioned i., passim, a.nd 1 Ch.ron. xx:ii. 2) Ullto thia in the same breath with Tadmor, is an da.y. argument for the identification of that Ver. 22.-But of the children of Israel diet place with Palmyra, whioh Solomon could SOlomon make no bondmen [ see howeval 1 KINGS, 0  Hl4 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [on. IX. 10-28. ---------------------- eh. v. 13, 18. This service, tbongh compnl- Ver. 25.-And three times 1n a year [i.e., sory ,was not servile. Bondage was forbidden no doubt at the three feasts the times Levit. xx.. 39. The levy were treated a~ of greatest solemnity, and when there we.a the hired servants and bad wages]; but they largest concourse of people. See 2 Chron. were men of war, a.nd h1s servants [cf. eh. viii. 12. The design of this verse may be i. 9. Not only " officials of the war depart- to show that there we.a no longer 11,ny offer- ment" (Bahr) but officers of every kindl, ing on high places. It would thus refer to and his princes [these were the beads both eh. iii. 2, o.s ver. 24 to eh. iii. I] did Solo- of the military and civil services], and his mon o!fer burnt o!fer1ngs and peace o!fer- captains [Heb. ,,~-<,~. LXX. rpUTTarat. 1ngs upon the altar which he built unto the Lord [the chronicler adds, "before the ~xod. xiv. 7 ~ xv. 4; 2 Sam. xxiii. 8; 2 Kings porch"] , and he burnt Incense. [It has been 1x. 25 ; x. 2o, &c. These third men were supposed by some that Solomon sacrificed really " a noble rank of soldiers who fought and burnt incense propria manu. According to from chariots" (Gesen.), each of which would Dean Stanley (" Jewish Ch." ii. pp. 220,221), seem to have held three men, one of whom "he solemnly entered, not only the temple drove, while two fought : thence used of the courts with sacrifices, bat penetrated into body-guard of kings. That they formed a the Holy Place itself, where in later years ~orps, and were not literally "captains," none but the priests were e.llowed to enter 1s clear from 1 Sam. xxiii. 8, &c.] a.nd rulers and offered incense on the altar of incense.,: of his char.lots, and bis horsemen. But this positive statement is absolutely Ver. 23.-These were the chief of the destitute of all be.sis. For, in the first place otlicers that were over Solomon's work, there is nothing in the text to support it'. five hundred and fifty, which bare rule If Solomon ordered, or defrayed the cost over the people that wrought 1n the work of, the sacrifices, &o., e.s no doubt he did [see on eh. v. 16]. the historian would properly e.nd no.ture.lly Ver. 24.-But [111(, lit. only. Keil rightly describe him e.s offering burnt offerings. connects the word- with ?tS below. " So Qui jacit per alium jacit per se, and priests o.re expressly mentioned e.s pressnt at these soon as . . . then." Cf. Gen. xxvi.i. 30. sacrifices (eh. viii. 6; 2 Chron. v. 7-14; This and ver. 25 are not interposed arbi- vii. 2, 5). We have just as much reason, trarily, as might e.t fi.rst sight appear, bnt and no more, for believing that the king refer to eh. iii. 1-4. The completion of built Millo (ver. 24) with his own hands, the pa.laces rendered it no longer necessary and with his own hands "ma.de e. navy of or proper that Solomon's daughter should ships" (ver. 26), as that he sacrificed, &o., dwell in a separate honse. The chronicler in propria persona. And,· secondly, it is tells us that she had dwelt in David's palace simply inconceivable, if he he.d so acted, on Mount Zion, and that Solomon was con- that it should have attracted no more strained to remove her, because he looked notice, and that our historian should have upon e.11 the precinct as now consecrated passed it over thus lightly. We know what (2 Chron. viii. 11)]. Pha.raoh's daughter is recorded by our author e.s having hap- came up [i1):1~~- Keil hem:e argues that pened when, less than two centurie~ after- the palace stood on higher ground than wards, King Uzziah presumed to intrude on David's house. Bnt this conclusion is the functions of the priests (2 Chron. xxvi. eomewho.t precarious. The approach to the 17-20); cf. I Kiings xiii. 1), and we know pa.lace involved o.n ascent, but Zion was what had happened some five centuries be- !lertainly e.s high as Ophel] out or the city fore (Nam. xvi. 35), when men who were of David unto her house which Solomon not of the seed of Aaron came neo.r to offer [Heb. he] had built !or her: then did he incense before the Lord. It is impossible that build Mllio. [Thenius infers from these Solomon oould have disregarded that eolemn words that Millo was e. fort or castle for the warning without some protest, or without protection of the harem. But there is no a syllable of blame on the part of our author. warrant for any snch conjecture. In the And the true acoonnt of these sacrifices ia first place, this wife wonld seem to have that they were offered by the king as the been lodged in her own palace apart (rom builder of the temple, and probably through- the other wives. 2. We can offer a better out his life, by the hands of the ministering explanation of the word Millo (see ver. 15). priests (2 Chron. viii. 14). Thrice in the 3. The word "then" may mean either (1), year he showed his piety by a great function, that when her palace was completed, Solo- at which he offered liberally] upon the mon then had workmen who were liberated altar [Heb. upon that, sc. altar ,T-IN. See and were employed on Millo (Keil), or (2), Oesen. Lex., p. 94; Ewa.Id, Syntax, 332a (3)) ihat when she vacated David's house, the that was b11fore the Lord. [The altar of building of Millo could be proceeded with. incenJ!e stood before the entro.noe to the CB, IX, 10-28.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 195