The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 234

thoughts to the actual idole.ters-his wives 26; 1 Sam. ii. 16; 2 Sam. iii. 21). Bahr -whose guilt he she.red. The singnle.r paraphrases " thou aha.It have the dominion looks as if an altere.tion he.d been made to thou now strivest for," but we have abso- bring the words into harmony with the lutely no proof that Jeroboam a.t that time context, and especially with the concluding had ever meditated rebellion. It is quite words of this verse, "David his father."] possible that the idea was inspired by this have forsaken me, and have worshipped interview], and shalt be king over Israel Aehtoreth the goddess of the Zldonians Ver. 38.-And it shall be, if thou wilt [pJ1~ e. Che.ldee form. But me.ny MSS. hearken unto all that I command thee [cf. read Cl'J1~], Chemosh the god of the eh. iii. 14; vi. 12; ix. 4), and wilt walk in Moa.bites, and Mllcom [the LXX. has my ways, and do that ls right in my eight, "their king the abomination," &c., tcai r,p to keep my statutes and my command- f3aui>..{i avrwv. See note on ver. 5], the god ments, as David my servant did ; that I of the children of Ammon, and have not will be with thee [cf. eh. i. 37, note], and walked in my ways, to do that which 1s build thee a sure house [cf. 2 Sam. vii. right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes 11, 16; i.e., a family, perhaps dynasty. Ob- and my judgments, as did David his serve, however, there was no promise to father. Jeroboam, as there was to David, of an en- Ver. 34.-Bowbelt I will not take the during kingdom. It was not God's design whole kingdom [Rawlinson says the context to take away the kingdom from David in requires "aught of the kingdom," and perpetuity (ver. 39)], as I built for David, affinns that the Hebrew will bear this and will give Israel unto thee. rendering. But he surely forgets that the Ver. 39.-And I Will for this [i.e., the Hebrew has the def. art. i1~~~~1J- ,f·n~ defection just described] afllict the seed of David, but not for ever [Heb. all the days. can only represent " all the kingdom, nlv Cf. Psa. lxxxix. 28, 33, 36. This limitation, f3a111\eiav o>..11v (LXX.) See Gesen., Thesau. "not for ever," would seem to apply to s.v. ,::i d. It would certainly seem as if the kingdom, for it was through the loss of this verse should speak of Solomon's re- their kingdom that the seed of David was taining the sceptre during his lifetime, afflicted. And if so, it promises, if not a and not of his retaining a part of the restoration of the kingdom to the house of empire. But we may not go against the David, at any rate a renewal or continua.nee grammar] out of his hand: but I will make of God's favour. We may perhaps regard the him prince all the days of his 11fe for promise as fulfilled in the subsequent his- David my servant's sake, whom I chose, tory of the kings of J uda.h. Not only did because he kept my commandments and the kingdom last for nearly 500 years, but my statutes. [" If Solomon break his the royal house of David maintained its covenant with God, God will not break his position to the time of Zerubbabel. Nor is covenant with the father of Solomon " it to be overlooked that He "of whose king- (Ha.II).] dom there she.II be no end " (Luke i. 33) Ver. 35.-But I will take the kingdom was the son of David]. out of his son's hand, and Will give it Ullto Ver. 40.-Solomon sought the efore to thee, even ten tribes. kill Jeroboam. [It is often assumed that Ver. 36.-And unto his son Will I give Solomon's o.ttcmpt on Jeroboam's life was one tribe [cf. ver. 32, note], that David my the result of the prophecy of Ahijah. And servant may have a light alwa.y before me our translation with its " therefore" favours [The same expression is found in eh. xv. this view. The Heb., however, has simply 4 ; 2 Kings viii. 19 ; 2 Chron. xxi. 7 ; e.nd "and Solomon sought," &c. And these compare Paa.. oxuii. 17. Keil would ex- words connect themselves with Ter. 26, plain it by 2 Sam. xxi. 17; but 2 Sam. xiv. "even he lifted up his hand," &c. With 7, "my ooal ·which is left," appears to be a ver, 27 a parenthesis begins, explaining closer para.lie!. The idea is not that of a how it came about tho.t J e1·oboam rebelled. home (Rawlinson), but family, issue. We It is implied distinctly that it wa,s because speak of the e:,;tinction of a family (Biihr)J of Ahijnh's prophecy. That prophecy, how- in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen ever, was in no sense a justification of me to put my name there. treo.sou or attack on J eroboam's pa.rt. The Vor. 37.-And I will take thee, and thou fact that God had revealed His purposes was aha.It reign according to all that thy soul no reo.son why Jeroboam should forestall desireth [We are not justified in concluding them. David knew a.nd others knew tho.s from these words that Jeroboam then he.d he was destined to be king, but he piously ambitious designs upon the throne (Keil). left it for God, in His own time o.nd way, to 'J.'hey rather mean, 11 as king, all thy desires place him on the throne. And Jeroboam's shall be gratified" (of. Deut. xii. 20; xiv. rebellion is the more inexcusable, because  238 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [en. xr. 14-48.