deities" (Hall)], which were not of the a.hly approached by a. slope, a.a Exod. xx. sons of Levt. [Jeroboam would doubtless 26 forbade steps, though it is by no means h11ve been only too glad to-h11ve retained the certain that they were not used even in services of the Levitic11l priests, but they Solomon's temple, and Jeroboam probably went over in a body to Rehoboam (2 Chron. would have no scruples on such a minnte xi. 13). The st11tement of ver, 14, th11t point of ritnal. It has been thought (Kitto, "Jeroboam 11,nd his sons" h11d "c11st them iv. 147) that he wa.s moved to officiate in out," suggests th11t they h11d refused to t11ke person by the precedent of the Egyptia!'. part in his new cult and th11t thereupon he kings, who exercised priestly functions; but banished them, and, no doubt, confisce.ted it is much more probable that he was their possessions. The idea of St11n1ey, the.t guided by the exa.mple of Solomon at the " following the precedent of the deposition dedication of the temple] upon [i.e., he of Abiathar by Solomon, he removed from stood upon the ledge or platform (called in their ple.ces the whole of the se.cerdotal the A. V. "compass," Exod. xxvii. 5) in order," is 11, wild conjecture for which Scrip- the middle of the altar] the altar. So did ture affords not the slightest warre.nt.] he in Bethel [i.e., the feast was held at one Ver. 32.-And Jeroboam ordained a. feast centre only, and at Bethel alone the king In the eighth month, on the fifteenth day offered in person. But I venture to suggest of the month, Uke unto the feast that is in that instead of Iii, "so did he," &c., we Judah [i.e., the Feast of Te.bemacles, which should read 1,;1, The LXX. seem to have was held on the 16th of the seventh month had this word before them-l1ri ro 0v='"'J• (of. eh. viii. 2), This was the gre11t feast of p1ov o E1Tol,,,m, lv {3a,0-,j,._, And not only the year, and, e.s the feast of harvest or does this slight change bring the Hebrew ingathering, the most joyous. See on eh. into harmony with the LXX., but it a.!sc viii. 1. Had Jeroboam provided no counter simplifies the construction. '' He went up attraction to this great festive g11thering in upon the altar which he made to sacriftce Judah he might have found it a formidable unto the calves which he made." The very temptation to his subjects. The reason tautology is instructive, as suggesting that usually given for the alteration of the time altar, calves, and priests were all of Jero- -in defiance of the le.w, which expressly boam's making, not of God's orda.ining. fixed it in the seventh month (Levit. xxii.i. 34, 39, 41)-is that the eighth would be more The use of 1::l as a. relative (=i~~) is generally convenient in the north, where strictly grammatical], sacrifl.cing [ma.rg., to the he.rvest or vintage was a month later sacrifice] unto the calves that he had (Then., Keil), 11s affording more time for the ma.de : a.nd he placed in Bethel [Dan being ingathering. In favour of this view is the o.lxeady provided with its priesthood] the consideration th11t the Jews not unfrequently priests of the hlgh places [i.e., of " the had to intercaJate a month-a. second Ad11r- house of high places" (ver. 31). Or it may into their year, because of the season being be a contemptuous designation of Jeroboa.m's a late one. Some of the older commentators, ixregula.r priests] which he had made. e.g., Vatab., think this time was chosen as the anniversary of his accession, but this is pure Ver. 33.-So he offered [Heb. went up, as conjecture, and such an associ11tion would before. This verse is really the introduction be contrary to the genius of the Hebrew to the history of the next chapter] upon the people. Keil me.into.ins that Jeroboam's alta.r which he ha.d made in Bethel the design was to " me.ke the sep11ration, in a fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in religious point of view, as complete as the month which he ha.ddevtsed [Josephus possible." But we can hardly be expected (Ant. viii. 8. 5) seems unaware that this new to believe that he altered the month, feast was kept at a different date from the for the s11ke of creating B distinction, true Fee.et of Tabernacles. But these words but " retained the day of the month, the a.re decisive] of his own heart [The Cethib fifteenth, for the sake of the weak who took has ,:::i,~r;;, by whioh Ma.urer and Keil under offence at his innovations " (Keil). The day was retained, as Bahr points out, be- stand i::!~t;) (" seorsum." But qu.) But cause, the months being lun11r, the fifteenth the Keri \~~~ is every way to be preferred, was the day of the full moon], a.nd he offered [Heb. as marg., "and he went up," So LXX., a1ro ,capolar; avroii. Simill\l'ly, i.e., ascended the altar; LXX. av,J3ri. (Keil Neh. vi. 8) ; a.nd orda.lned [r11ther, kept, celebrated] a feast unto [Heh. for] the contends the.t ?U!l means " and he sacri- ohlldren of Israel: a.nd he offered [went ficed," but this translation is without pre- up] upon the altar, a.nd burnt incense cedent. Ver. 33, "and he went up to burn (Heb. to burn, &c. The context seems to inceme," is decisive as to the meaning.) • imply tha.t it wa.s not incense, or not The alta.r was o.lwa.ys raised. It was prob- incense only, but the sacrifice, or s!lcriftcial 1 KINGS, ~ 274 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [CH, XII. 25-38.
pn,rts of the victim, that the king burned. the idea of encouraging his new priests to See on eh. xiii. 3 (t~j). Aud this meo.ning enter on their unn,uthorized functions with- is justified by Lev." i: 9, 17; 1 Sam. ii. 16; out fear. The history, or even the traditions, Amos h-. 5, where the same word is used. of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. x.) e.nd of Korab It cannot be denied, however, that the e.nd his company (Num. xvi. 40), and the word is generally used of incense, e.nd it is threatenings of the lo.w (Num. xviii. 7, 22, very probable that both this and sacrifices cf. 2 Chron. xxvi. 20), mo.y well have made were offered by Jeroboam on the same altar them hesitate. To allo.y their fears the (cf. eh. xi. 8). We may perhaps see in king undertn,kes to offer the first of the so.ori- Jeroboam's ministering in person, not only fices. And that their fee.re of a Divine in- the desii::n to invest the new ordinance with terposition were not groundless the sequel exceptional interest and splendour, but also shows.]