The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 2

SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. EXPOSITION. to the level of the mere pe.ssive voice. It CHAPTER L carries rather the idea of a person who Ver. I-eh. ix. 31.-THE CABEEB OF exerts himself, and does all the.t in him lies SOLOMON AS KING 01!' THE UNITED KINGDOM to nerve himself with strength for any object (1 Ohron. xi. 10; xix. 13; eh. xii 13 ; xiii. is here commenced, covering the ground to 7, 8, 21; xv. 8; xvi. 9; xvii. 1; xxi. 4; the end of eh. ix. The so.me period is xxiii. 1 ; XX v. 11 ; xxvii. 6 ; xxxii. 5). It described in 1 Kings i.-xi. And the fol- me.y suggest to us the.t Solomon threw the lowing ta.hie of pe.rallel pe.sse.ges (e.s given force of moral energy e.nd resolution into his by Keil) me.y be put here for convenient work e.nd life at this period. The Lord his God we.a with him; i.e. J ehove.h his God reference :- we.s with him. The parallels of this very 2 Chron. i. 2-13. 1 Kings iii. 4-15. simple e.nd ne.ture.l expression a.re too nume- i. 14-17. x. 26-29. rous for quote.tion. Some of the earliest are ii. v. 15-32. found in well-known connections in the iii. 1-v. I. vi., vii. 13-51. Book of Genesis, as e.g. xxi. 22; xxvi. 28; v. 2-vii. 10. viii. xxviii. 15, 20; xxxi. 3. Age.in, Numb. xiv. vii.11-22. ix. 1-9. 14,43; xxiii.21; Josh. xiv.12; Judg. vi. viii. ix.10-28. 13; Ruth ii. 4; 1 Sam. xvii. 37; 2 Sam. ix. 1-12, 13-28. x. 1-13, 14-29. v. 10; 1 Chron. xi. 9; xxii. 11, 16; eh. xv. ix. 29-31. xi. 41-43. 9; xix. 11; xxxvi. 23; Amos v. 14. The bee.utiful New 'l'estament equive.lent occurs The present oho.pier of seventeen verses in 2 Thess. iii. 16, and elsewhere. Like tells (1) of Solomon's so.orifice e.t "the high some other of those ee.rliest concisest reli- ple.ce of Gibeon," whither he was e.ccom- gious expressions, brevity e.nd simplicity pe.nied by "e.11 the congrege.tion" (vers. a.re fully charged with suggestion. And the a.hove quote.tions will be found to furnish 1-6). Next (2) of the vision given to him examples of the me.nifold practice.l use of the.t so.me night, with his pre.yer e.nd the the Lord's presence with e.ny one. That e.nswar vouchse.fed to it (vers. 7-12). And presence me.y infer the help just of com- le.stly, (3) of the wee.Ith e.nd the signs of it pe.nionship, or of sure sympathy, or of needed which bece.me his thereupon (vers. 13-17). counsel, or of strength in the hour of tempta- tion, or of e.bsolute prnrtical help, or of the Vere. 1-6.-Solomon's sacrifice. highest revenliugs of faith. 'fhe whole circle Ver. 1.-We.s strengthened in his king- of need, of human aud Christian need, the dom. This expression, or one very closely Divine presonco" will supply" (Phil. iv. 19). resembling it, is frequently found both in The "need" of Solomon in his present posi- Chronicles and elsewhere, so far as the tion we.a patent an<l pressing. Would thai English Version is concerned. But the verb he he.d t1lw11ye kept by the true supply of it I in its present form (hithp. conjugation) is Magnified him exceedingly. 'l'his verb in !ound in Ohronioles, omitting other books, its piel conjuge.tion, siguifying "to make Just fifteen times, e.nd ruely, if ever, fa.Ila grow," ocours twenty-six times iu the ,·uious II, OHRONIOLEB. a 2 THE SECOND BOOK OF '!'HE CHRONICLES. [on. 1. 1-17