The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 121

Smith's 'Dible Dlotionnry ,' vol. iii. pp. are not reconcilea.ble enou"h with either tbe 1284-1240, is of exceptional interest. All Hebrew text or themsel~es to command Israel. No doubt this expression may mean anything like unfeigned acceptance. One oven here the assemblage of the federated thing may be considered to come out with- twelve tribes. Considering the immediate out much obscurity or uncertainty-that recurrence of the expression in vcr. 3, it Jeroboam was the acknowledged rather than must be, however, that the Jeroboam party tacit leader of an opposition that was tacit of the ten tribes (headed by the strong and ~t _present. rather than acknowledged; nor self-conscious Ephraimites) are especially in 1s 1t at all improbable, under all the circum- view; in point of fact, of course, all the stances, that the Rehuboam party in, know- twelve tribes were represented in the gather- ing well how the ground really lay, were ing of ver. 1. There ca.n be no division of as content to let the coronation, so to call it opinion about this, though the meeting be e.t Shechem linger a.while for Jeroboam'~ represented a.s one demanded or occasioned return, as Jeroboam's opposition party out by the attitude of Israel, in the lesser com- desired and perhaps compelled the delay. prehension of the name. Of course, Jeroboam knew well, none better Vera. 2, 8.-In these verses the compiler than he, as of old the overseer of the forced brings up lost time. He ha.a not mentioned la.hour and taxation of Ephraim (1 Kings before the name of Jeroboam, just a.she has xi. 28; ix. 15), how grievous the service not mentioned the lustful sins of Solomon and how heavy the yoke to his people, even that led to idolatry.and those sequel idolatries when he had acquitted himself as the most of his, that heralded the shattering of his "industrious" of taskmasters. kingdom immediately on his decease. So Ver. 4.-The grievous servitude , , . we are now told a.11 in one how Jeroboam, heavy yoke. These may, for conciseness' in his refuge-retreat in Egypt (l Kings xi. sake, be supposed to correspond with the 26-40), "heard" of Solomon's demise, and naturally enough hated "forced labour" , apparently (see first clause of our third verse) (1 Kings iv. 6, 7; v. 13-16; xi. 27, 28) heard of it in this wise, that" they," i.e. the and the burdensome "taxes" (1 Kings iv. "all Israel" (of our first verse) "had sent 19-28) which had not failed to become and ea.lied him." Probably the growing more odious to the people as familiarity sense of discontent and the rankling in those with them grew. The refreshing New ~ribes that were not closely breathing thti Testament contrast to a.II this (Matt. xi. atmosphere of Jerusalem and the one home 28-30) will occlll' to every memory. county, because of their burdens and taxation, Ver. 5.-This first reply of Rehoboa.m was and possibly also Ephraim's ancient and not necessarily inauspicious. Yet sometimes, famed rivalry, knew instinctively that this as it proved now, the caution that takes timCI hour of Solomon's death was the hour, if any, to consider heralds fatal mistake. This is of their redemption. The lacunre in the when either a generous, instinctive impulse, history speak for themselves; for though the asking e.n instantaneous obedience, is chilled tribes, after the long seething of their com- by some self-regard; or yet worse, when the plainings and sufferings, needed but short offended Spirit is restrained, and no inner time for deliberation, Solomon's death must guiding voice is heard, as Saul fonnd, to his have been an accomplished fact before they ruin. (whoever the "they" were) sent to Egypt Ver. 6.-The old men who had stood before to Jeroboam; and that sending and his Solomon his father while he yet lived. The returning or otherwise, at any rate his hear- first practical step now taken by Rehoboam, ing and consequent returning, must have if he delay at all, is the right and far from taken time. Considering all this, it is re- inauspicious step. 0 si sic omnia that fol- markable that no note of time is found. lowed after I The "old men" here spoken But had only our first verse been placed of, and not before distinctly spoken of, nee,l as the last of the foregoing chapter, the not necessarily be regarded us professional ambiguity would have been less. For the advisers of Solomon, nor e.s a privy conncil strange variations on the history of Jeroboam of state; they may designate tbose of like (a name, together with that of Rehoboa.m, age with him, or but little his juniors, and new to Solomon's time, meaning '' mony- with whom he had ohiefly ussocia.ted for his peopled,'' while Rehoboam signifies •• in- own society. cre11B0r of people"), as found in the Hebrew Vera. 7, 8.-Rehoboam was now (1 Kings texts, and additions to it, see the Septungint xiv. 21; eh. xii. 13; but of. xiii. 7) forty-one Version, 1 Kings xi. 48 ; xii. 24 ; o.nd A. P, years of age; he wus just too old to find 11,ny Stanley's artiole, "Jeroboam," in Dr. Smith's excuse for inability to gauge either the ex- 'Bible Dictionary,' i. 979, 980; and comp. perience, a.nd value of iti of the "?ld," or again 1 Kings xi. 26-40; xii. 25; xiv. 18, the inexperience, and foolishness of 1t, of the 17, 18. Stunley's faith in tho Septuagint immature human heart, According to the notwithstanding, its va.rio.tions o.nd additiona modern phrase, he wus jus~ ripe to have 122 THE SECOND BOOK OF TRE CHRONICLES. [cH. x. 1-19,