until plundered by Shisbak (eh. xii. 9; 1 Kings xiv. 26). (2) In fashioning a state throne, made of ivory and overlaid with pure gold (ver. 17); i.e. the woodwork, not the ivory, wns covered with the metal. 'l'he throne l1ad six steps and II golden foot- stool (:ver. 18); eaoh step had on either side a _lion, P:obably of cast metal gilded. On. each side of the seat wa.s an arm or stay, beside which sat another lion. Thus there ~e.re in All _fourteen gilt lions. No wonder the historian a~d_s, "there was nothing like; 1t m any kmgdom." Yet many modern thrones surpass it lD splendour. (3) In con- structing state cups or drinking-vessels for the palace. All were made of pure gold- gold of Opbir, Tarshish, or Parvaim; "not one of silver, which was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon." 4. Its credibility. The above account is rendered trust- worthy by comparing it with well-known recorded facts. "When Nineveh was besieged, Sa.rdanapalus had 150 golden bedsteads, 150 golden tables, 1,000,000 talents of gold, ten times as much silver, while 3000 talents had been previously distributed among his sons. No less than 7170 talents of gold were used for the statues and vessels of the temple of Bel in Babylon. Alexander's pillage of Ecbatana was valued at 120,000 talents of gold; Cyrus's pillage was 34,000 pounds of gold and 500 000 po~nds of silver, besides an immense number of golden vessels" (Bahr, in loco, La~ge's series). II. THE EXCELLENCE OF HIS WISDOM. (Vers. 22, 23.) Solomon's wisdot!l was excellent in respect of: 1. Origin. It was God-inspired. All wisdom proceeds from the same source (Job xxxii. 8), and "a man can receive nothing except it be oiven him from heaven" (John iii. 27); but in Solomon's case wisdom was a special e;dow- ment (cb. i. 12). 2. Measure. Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earLh in the quantity as well as quality of his wisdom-not easy to do. The Queen of Sheba was a proof that royal personages in that era were not fools; while the monumental histories of Egypt and Assyria have revealed the existence of wise e.nd powerful princes long before Solomon. There were brave men before Agamemnon. 3. Manifestation. Solomon's wisdom expressed itself in a variety of ways: in temple-building and other architectural undertakings; in the pronouncing of judgments and the utterance of apotbegms; in the acquisition of knowledge, and more especially of natural history;· and in literary compositions both prosaic and poetics.I (1 Kings iv. 29-33). 4. Fame. It spread abroad through all countries, and attracted kings and queens to his court to hear his oracular utterances and make trial of his insight, as well as to gaze upon the splendour of bis court and the magnificence of bis person (1 Kings iv. 34). ill THE EXTE!S'T OF HIS EMPIRE. (Ver. 26.) 1. Its eastern boundary-the Syrian desert, in which Tadmor or Palmyra was situated. 2. Its western-the Mediterranean, or, more correctly, Phcenicia and the country of the Philistines, with the strip of Mediterranean coast between. 3. Its northern-the river-the Euphrates, in its upper reaches, from Tiphsah, or Thapsacus, a large and populous town on the west bank, a place where armies crossed over the stream, and where was a quay for landing and shipping wares coming from or going to Babylon (Winer, ii. p. 612). 4. Its •outhern-the border of Egypt (1 Kings iv. 24). Within these limits he either e:x:ercised sovereign power directly, as over bis own subjects in Palestine, or indirectly through receiving tribute from the reigning kings who expressed their fealty to him by bringing, year by year, every man his present-vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment, harness and spices, horses and mules (ver. 24). IV. THE DURATION OF HIS RElGN. (Ver. 30.) Forty years. 1. A great privilege. Long life a mark of special favour under the old dispensation (.1:'rov. iii. 16); under the new, a valuable blessing to those who enjoy it (Eph. vi. 2). 2. A large opportunity. Life not for personal enjoyment merely, but for religious and philanthropic activity. A long life means a long time for doing good. What benefits Solomon might have conferred upon his people during that extended period I 3. A l,igh responsibility. " To whomsoever much is given," etc. That Solomon did less than he might with his geat wisdom, vast riches, immense power, extended fame, and protracted life, entailed upoa :.i.im deeper guilt. 4. An evident mercy. Considering the bad use Solomon made of w numerous years, declining in hit! old age through love of women into debasing idolatries (1 Kings ::x:i. 1-8), it was a proof of the Divine patience and long-suITeriu;; that he was not earlier cut off. V. THE. CLOSE OF ms CAREER. (Vers. 29, 31.) 1. Ilia biography was written by 011. x. 1-l!J.J •rHE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLtS. 119
the hand of pi·oplwts. (Ver. 29.) Nathan the prophet, who had announced l1is birth to David (2 Sam. vii. 12-14; 1 Chron. xvii. 11), and who had called him when a chi~?• Jodidiah! "~elo".ed. of th_e Lord" (2 Sam. xii. 25), in _all probability began it; Ah1Jah t~e Sh1lomte_(~.e: rnhab1tant ?f, or prophet_ from, _Shilo, an Ephraimite town), who predicted the dms10n of the kmgdom (1 Kmgs x1. 29), it may be supposed c~_rried it on i.. ~nd Iddo. the s~er, a ~ontemporary of Reboboam and Jeroboam (eh'. xu. 15 and xm. 22), fimshed 1t. Bemg prophets of the Lord, the~e writers would "nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice," but would deliver "a plain unvarnished tale" of the great monarch's acts and words, of bis wise speeches and foolish deeds. 2. His corpse was buried in the tomb of his father. (Ver. 31.) It was well that he had a tomb to lie in; better men than he have had none. He bad sat ~pon his father'~ throne, WO;D his f~ther's cro~, extended _his father's kingdom, improved upon his father's vices, declined from his father's piety; now his lifeless dust was consigned to rest in his father's sepulchre. 3. His throne was.fiUed by his own son. No man likes to be succeeded by a stranger. It must have been a co 111 fort to the old monarch that Rehoboam was to wear his crown. Learn : 1. The vanity of earthly glory-the magnificence of Solomon unequal to the raiment of a lily (Matt. vi. 29). 2. The worthlessness of all earthly things witiiout religion: Solomon had everything that could satisfy ambition, and yet he declined from the worship of Jehovah (Matt. xix. 20), 3. The certainty of death: if a Solomon could not evade the king of terrors, how shall common men? (Eccles. viii. 8).-W,