The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 248

ably been an attempt on the po.rt of made, if, e.s is extremely probable, the Jeroboam the Ephraimite to stir np his ancient Hebrews, like the later, used the and the neighbouring tribes age.inst the letters of the alphabet e.s numerals. Twenty. ascende.noy of Judah in the person of one would then be ~:::, ; forty-one NO] went to [This journey was probably made soon Solomon. That first attempt proved after e. prior coronation at Jeruse.lem. abortive. But now that their magnificent According to the LXX. addition, it was at king was dee.d, now that the reins of least a yee.r after hls accessionJ Shechem government were held by his weak and [An old gathering place of the northern foolish son, the men of Ephraim resolved, tribes (Josh. xxiv. 1). Its position, in the very centre of Palestine, fitted it for this unless they could wrest from him very pmpose. (" Shechem may be considered great concessions, to brook the rule of the natural capital of Palestine," Conder, Judah no longer and to have a king of p. 16.) But it was perhaps primarily their own house. (The reader will find a selected because it was the capital of very suggestive chapter on this subject in Ephraim, not because it was a "national se.nctue.ry of Israel " (Wordsworth), a title Prof. Blunt's "Undesigned Coincidences," to which it has but little claim. H had pp. 162-174.) once before furnished Ephraim with a Ver. 1.-And Rehoboam [see on eh. xi. 26, king (Jndg. ix. 2). We learn from Joshna and eompare the name Evpvo71µ0,. The name xx. 7 the.t it we.a "in Mount Ephraim ; " possibly indicates Solomon's ambitions from Judges ix. 7 the.t it was under Mount hopes respecting him. The irony of history Gerizi.m. To its position the place was, no alone emphasizes it. Eccles. ii. 18, 19 doubt, indebted for its name. It is often would seem to show that Solomon himseli said to be doubtful whether the place we.a had misgivings e.s to his son's abilities, named after Shechem, the son of Hamor "As the greatest persons cannot give them- (Gen. xxxiii. 18), or whether this prince selves children, so the wisest cannot give took his name from the place. The latter their children wisdom" (Hall). His mother is, no doubt, the correct view. For Shechem we.a Naamah, an Ammonitess (eh. xiv. 31). means strictly, noi, e.s it is often translated, It would appear from oh. xiv. 21, and 2 the "shoulder," but dorsi pars superior, or Chron. xii. 13, that he was 41 yea.re of perhaps the space between the shoulder- age e.t his accession. But this is, to say ble.des (e.s is proved by Job x:xxi. 22, the least, doubtful. For (1) he is described "Let my shoulder fall," i17?~~0). Hence in 2 Chron. xiii. 7 e.s being " young (-,l!~) the word is found only in the singular and tender-hearted." (2) The LXX. addi- (see Gesen., Thea. iii. p. 1407). Now any tion to 1 Kings xii. 24 se.ys he was si:i:teen ,· one who he.a seen the vo.le of Shechem 11i,k c,,, i,cicaio.,ca frwv iv rw {3aa.J\ruEtv ailrov. (Ne.blus) will hardly doubt that its name (3) It is hardly probable that Solomon, who is due to its resemblance to this part of the we.a himself " young and tender " at his body (compare "Ezion-geber," eh. ix. 2G). father's deo.th, should then have had e. son The town lies in a valley between the two e. yee.r old. (4) Rehoboam's counsellors, who ridges of Ebe.land Gerizim; cf. Jos., Ant. iv. he.d "grown up with him," and wer,i there- 8. 44. "The feet of these mountains where fore of the same o.ge e.s himself, e.re called they rise from the town [to the height of 1000 " le.de " (tl'i]\ LXX. 1ra1oap1a). ~'.o these feet J e.re not more than 500 yards Bpa.rt." reasons Rawlinson o.dds a fifth, viz., " that It is consequently one of the most striking it is hardly likely the.t David would have and beautiful spots in Palestine, o.ud the more permitted his son to marry e.n A=onitess, so as its perennial supply of wlltcr clothes which of course he must ho.ve done, if it with perpetun.l verclnre. For its history Rehoboa.m we.a born in his lifetime. But see Gen. xii. 6; xxxiii. 18 ; xxxiv.; :tlviii. it should be remembered that Do.vid ho.d 22; Deut. xxvii. 4-12; Josh. xx. 7; x.xi. 20; himself married e. foreign princess, Mo.e.obo.h, xxiv. 1, 25, 32; Juclg. ix. ; &o. In the New daughter of To.lme.i, king of Geshur (1 Testament it has been supposed to o.ppear Chron. iii. 2). There is granter force in under the form Sychar (John iv. 6), e.nd the remark that Solomon's mo.rriages with this ve.rie.tion has boen universally accounted Ammonite and Moabite women belong fore.so. paro11omasia, -,i?.c.' meaning" a lie." apparently to o. lo.ter period of his life (oh. But the recent survey "lie.s given us good xi. 1). Altogether the evidence seems to reasons for identifying the place last uamed point to e. corruption of the text of eh. with 'Asko.r, ll little village on the slope of xiv. 21, &o., and it has been suggested the.t Ebal, hfllf El mile from Jacob's well and ll "forty-one" is there e.n error of tro.nscrip- little over o. mile from No.blus (Comlcr, pp. 40, tion for "twenty-one," a mistake easily 41 )]: for [This word suggests that Rehoboe.m 250 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [oll. XII. 1-24,