The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 63

dollvorecl from OBrlhly fooling, o.nd sheltered Ver. JB.-Dwell with men (Ps. cxxxii. just now from Bolf and human o.mbition, 14). H aven and the heaven of heavens. Solomon wns in n. vmy high degree" in the Solomon's conception of th1J infinite God spirit" (Rev. i. 10) on this grent clBy. 'fhe comes plainly to view hero (eh. ii. 6; Deut. moment was n. proud moment in Solomon's x. 14: Ps. cxxxix. 5-12; cxlviii. 4; J ea.. history, os well there may be proud moments lxvi. 1; Acts vii. 4-9; xvii. 21). in men's lives, but it was divinely shieldocl, Ver. 20.-This house, . . . the place as divinely inspired. Hereafter, for all that, whereof, . . . this place (so Exod. xxix. 43; " tho thorn in the flesh" might become very Deut. xii. 5: xiv. 23; xv. 20; xvi. 2). neceesury, Jest Solomon "be exalted above Ver. 21.-The supplications of thy servant. men.sure" in the memory of all that had " The great thought of Solomon now is trnnspired. that the centre and core of all worship is Ver. 12.-:0efore the altar. Thie means prayer" (Professor Dr. Jamee G. Murphy, to sn.y that Solomon stood (and afterwards in' Handbook for Bible Classes: Chronicles'). knelt down) eastward of the altar indeed, Toward this place (see other instances of but with his face to the temple and congre- this expression, Pe. v. 7; xxviii. 2; cx.xxviii. gation. Although the voice of Solomon 2; Jonah ii. 4; Dan. vi. 10). From thy was raised in prayer to God, yet the prayer dwelling-place. 1 Kings viii. 30 has, '' hear was to be that of the whole congregation to thy dwelling-place, to heaven," by pro- and not of priestly proxy, and therefore of bably the mere error of a copyist. the whole congregation it must be heard. Ver. 22.-And an oath be la.id upon him Ver.13.-A brazen scaffold. The Hebrew to make him swear. This verse is explained word is ii•~. The word occurs twenty-one by Exod. xxii. 9-11; Lev. vi. 1-5. The times. It is translated, in the Authorized case of ordeal by self-purgation of oath is Version, "!aver" eighteen times, once supposed. And the oath come. The Sep- "pan" (1 Sam. ii. 14), once "hea1·th" tuagint translates here, "and he come and (Zech. xii. 6), and once "scaffold," here. declare by oath," etc.-a translation which The meaning evidently is that the stand a very slight alteration in the Hebrew, was in some sort basin-shaped. consisting in prefixing a vau. to the word for Ver. 14.-No God like thee, etc. The swear, will allow. The Vulgate follows the quoting of Scripture and the utilizing of Septuagint. language in which the religious feeling of Ver. 23.-The prayer ie that God will those who have gone before has expressed comm.and his blessing on the oath ordeal itself had plainly set in (Exod. xv. 11, 12; Vers. 24, 25.-(See Lev. x.xvi. 3, 17, 33, Dent. vii. 9). The prayer which this verse 40; Dent. xxvii. 7, 25; also iv. 27, 29-31; opens occupies twenty-eight verses; it is xxviii. 64-68; xxx. 1-5.) the longest prayer recorded in Scripture. It Ver. 26.-No rain (see 1 Kings xvii. 1; consists of two verses (14, 15) of openin.g; Lev. x.xvi. 19; Dent. xi. 17; xniii. 23). then follow three petitions-first, that God Ver. 27.-When thou hast taught them; would perpetuate the line of David (ver. rather, when thou art auiding them to the 16) ; nezt, that he would have regard to right way. the plnoe where his Name is put (vers. Vers. 28-31.-{See Lev. xxvi. 16-26; 17-20); and thit-dly, that he would hear Dent. xxviii. 22-52, 59; eh. xx. 9.) In the the prayers addressed to him toward this cities of their land. This, to represent cor- phlce (ver. 21). Of this last subject, seven rectly the Hebrew, should read, in the land different cnses are propounded-firstly, the of their gates. Reference probably is being case of the man wronged by his neighbour made to the fact that low and justice and (vers. 22, 23); secondly, of the people judgment were administered "in the gate of worsted by their enemies (vers. 24, 25); the oity" (Dent. xvi. 18; xxi. 19; Josh. thirdly, of the people suffering from drought xx. 4). Thou only knowest (so 1 Chron. (vers. 26, 27); fourthly, of the people visited xxviii. 9). That they may fear thee (so Ps.. by death or special calamity (vere. 28-31); oux. 4). In the Rbsence of a healthy fear fifthly, of the stranger who comes to offer to is involved both the absence of a heeling prlly (vers. 32, 33); sizthly, of the people hopefulness, and too probably the presence going to war by God's permission (vors. of recklessness. 34, 35); seventhly, of the people in captivity Vere. 32, 33.-The stranger . . . oome (vers. 36-39). 'fhen the prayer closes in from a far oountry for thy great Name's vers, 40-42. sake. These two verses, with every clause Ver. 16.-There shall not fail thee, eto. in them, must be felt most refreshing by (so 2 Sam. vii. 12 ; 1 Kings ii. 4; vi. 12). every reader ; but they ought also to be Yet so that thy ohildren, eto. (so Ps. particularly observed, as both conective of cxxxii. 12). e. common but strictly erroneous impres- Ver. 17.-Let thy word be verified (so sion as to exclusiveness 11nd a genius of l Chl'on. xvii, 9-13). bigotry inhering in the setting apo.rt of the  G4 'l'HE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [oR. VI. 1-42.