The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 120

up, we shall obtRin too le.rge a re!ltllt, e.s been pruumably accepted as his heir o.nd they nftcn or al waye overlapped one e.nother, successor inJerumlem and o,11 Judma) Reho- ttnd, of conrse, did not fall into exact boam, now somewhat later on, repairs t.o yenrs. The initial d11te we take RB B.O. 9i9, Shechem (the A.noient Cllpite.11 and the prized position of the high-spirited tribe and the final date e.t the end of Zedekiah's of Ephraim) to receive some final recognition eleven years, culmine.ting in the destruction RB kmg from "e.11 Israel." Rehoboam. Solo- of JeruBRlem, as B.o. 587. Some chrono- mon's son by N e.amah, 11n Ammonlte princess logies quote these de.tea, however, B.o. 975- (1 H;ings xiv. 21, 81). Eurydemus may be 588. Side by side with these prelimine.ry considered NI e. close reproduction in Greek of the Hebrew name Rehoboam. To his notes respecting Judah, it may be ste.ted l!On Abije.h, by his favourite wife Mae.chah, that the initial and final dates for the who wns the third of the wives thnt belonged separate kingdom of the ten tribes, Israel, to the house of Jesse, he bequeathed the with their nineteen kings, were B.o. 979 kingdom. Wanting any positive Scripture (975) to the date of So.maria taken, B.o. statement of the matter of Rehoboe.m going to Sheohem, we believe the explanation 719, or (as some would date the overthrow given above is the most probable, and that of Israel) B.C. 722 or 721. It need scarcely it we.s not Rny designed stroke of policy, be se.id that, if forty years are nddcd for the with tho view of conciliating or flattering reign of Solomon, and forty years for that of Ephraim. Though no formal statement of De.vid, we shall be conducted to the date it be me.de here, yet it is quite intelligible that the opinions, feelings, and readiness to of either B.C. 1059 or 1055 e.s the beginning exprees them on the po.rt of Ephraim and of the Davidic royal line, e.nd may count "Israel" were well enough known, and had the duration of that royal line e.s numbering to be reckoned for. Sheohem. For many about 472 years. An interesting table, reasons one of the most interesting geogra- showing some slight differences of date, may phical names in all the Old Testament. It we.1 the ancient capital, e.s Shiloh, near to be found in pp. 53, 54 of the second edition it, was the ancient seat of the national of Conder's • Handbook to the Bible.' worahip. It was situate in Ephraim, with The verses of this chapter, nineteen in Ebal to the immediate north, and Gerizim to number, correspond with those of 1 Kings the immediate south. Its upper slopele.nds xii 1-19. They so correspond as to con- (its position on which is possibly the origin of the name, c;:irt, "a shoulder") com- vince us that both writers took from one manded e. view of the Mediterranean. It original, or, at any rate, one former source. was the half-way resting-place, e.t the end of But they are particularly instructive also in the second day's journey, for travellers from another direction. Our vers. 2 e.nd 3 are Galilee to Jerusalem, and hence bore the in order, and quite intelligible. Vere. 2 no.me in later times, it is thought, of Ma- and 3 of the parallel are not so, Bild con- bortha., or Me.bartha (NJ;l~P.~), Pliny's Me.- morthe.. Vespasie.n subsequently named it vince us either that the rerelessness of Neapolis, the modem Ne.blous. The Autho- copyists was more the.n usual ( even when rized Version synonyms of Shechem appear our Authorized Version " of it" is cancelled) e.s Sichem, Bychem, Sychar (John iv. 5, 20). or, which is e. by far Iese e.ccepte.ble supposi- In post-Captivity times, e. new temple on tion, that the carelessness of the compiler Gerizim was the ce.thedre.l of Se.me.rite.n worship, which was levelled by Johu or writer was great. Though these two Hyrce.nus, B.O. 129. Jo.cob's well is a half- lengths of nineteen verses ea.eh so closely mile south-east, and Joseph's t.omb two correspond as to show both indebted to one miles east (Josh. x.xiv. 82). Almost every former source, they also evince clearly that one of the references to Shechem are of great neither writ.er absolutely bound himself by interest on one account or another, and to turn to each of them in order is to read the the exact words of his pattern, but took the Scripture narrative of the place. The lead- meaning, o.nd slightly altered, so to 11a.y, gram. ing references a.re subjoined (Gen. xii. 6; mar and syntax of sentences. xxxiii. 18, 19; xxxiv.; xu:v. 1-4; xxxvii. 12, 28; xliii. 22; xlix. 5-7; Deut. x.xvii. Ver. 1.-This verse would have been far 11; Josh. ix. 88-85; xx. 7; xxi. 20, 21; better placed le.et in the previous chapter, xxiv. I, 25, 82; Judg. ix. 7, 22, 84-45; xxi. Lut now, left without note of time, it purports 1; 2 Kings x.vii. 5, 6, 24; xviii. 9; 1 Chron. to tell us that (whereas by the last clause of vi. 67; vii. 28; Ezra iv. 2; J er. xii. 5; the previous chapter "Rehoboam reigned John iv. 5; Acts vii. 16; viii. 5). 'fhe in hw" fu.t.her Solomon's " 11te!Ml," o.nd bad article" Shechcm." J.,y Dr. I-Ie.ckett, in Dr.  M. it. 1-19.) TELE S1WONb BoOK OF 'I'IIE CRRONICtES. 121