theless, wlll quite e.dmit of the Authorized tion of Asa.'s mothm (1 Kings xv. 13), the Version rendering, proposed to be superseded explanation here is tha.t N aame.h "appeara" in the last verse. 'fhis says life she.II be to have bad, a.a queen-motbm, considerable spored, but still severe moral reokoning (the.t influence in the government. They do not of servitude in e. sense e.nd tributariness) specify where they find this to" appear" with she.11 be token with the transgressors and any marked plainness. It is quite true that forsakers of the Lord I The contrast of in the succeBSive accounts of the Jewish God's service and that of men and the world kings, the name of each mother is mentioned e.goin touohingly recalls the words of Christ (1 Kings xv. 2; eh. xiii. 2; I Kings xxii. (Matt. xi. 28-30). 42; eh. xx. 32, etc.). We should say it is Ver. 9.-Words do not tell in this verse like the book, so Divine e.nd human called the "humbled service" of Rehoboam and the Bible, to do so far-seeing and far-r~aching the princes ; but the position speaks, speaks e. tbing e.s to give the mother's name; and volumes of itself. Where did Reboboam practically to say that Solomon and Na.e.mah hide himself, where would he not have been were (in special sense for Judah) a repe- glad to hide himself, while the treasures tition of Ada.m and Eve. How far Judah of the house of the Lord, and those of his and her line of kings ma.y ha.ve correctly own house, were coolly taken by the foreign ea.id, they were answerable for "death and soldiery, none forbidding them, nor resisting, all our woe," the sacred historians Eay nor even making afraid? (1 Kings xi. 4, 9-11, 14, 23, 26, 31, 33, 36; Ver. I 0.-Instead of which King Rehoboam xii. 24; eh. xi. 4). made shields of brass. A most humbling Ver. 14.-These summarizing moral esti- reversal of the glowing promise afterwards mates of the character of the succeeding given, "For brass I will bring gold" (Isa. kings a.re, indeed, common to the compilers Ix. 17). of both Chronicles and Kings, though a.bsent, Ver. 12.-This verse is not in the parallel, in the case of Rehoboe.m, from the parallel. but is particularly proper to Chronicles and Ver. 15.-Tho authority quoted by the its uniform tenor. And also in J'udah writer of Kings (xiv. 29, 30) is "the book of things went well. The obvk,us meaning, the Chronicles [literally, the book of the act, '' and still some good was left in Judah." of the days, i.q. the title of our ' Chronicles'] There was some hopefulness in the situation, of the kings of Juda.h," on which follows in e.nd reason for striving mightily "to be the next verse the substantive statement, watchful, and strengthen the things that "And there we.a war between Rehoboa.m remain, that a.re ready to die" (Rev. iii. 2). and Jeroboam all theirda.ys." The authorities The occurrence of il~~? is somewhat age.inst quoted here a.re the works of Shemaia.h and the rendering of "some" in ver. 7 e.s a.n of lddo, and it is possible that the following adverb of time. words touching the continue.I wars between Ver. 13.-The parallel to the remaining Rehoboam and Jeroboam, which have not verses of this chapter is found in I Kings xiv. the substantive verb a.mong them, may have 21, 22, 29-31. In Jerusalem. Po~sibly, been pa.rt of the title ofiddo's work, although considering the words of eh. xi. 5-12, 17, it is more probable that his work on ' Gene- this may indicate that Rehoboam was alogies ' would retain the character of e. brought down to thinking almost more of the specie.Uy. We subjoin for English readers s11fety of Jerusalem and himself than of t.b.e e. literal translation of this verse : "And kingdom in its length and breadth. One the words (acts) of Jeroboam first and last, and forty years old (see our note, eh. x. 8, are they not written in the words (a.cts) towards the end, and compare our eh. xiii of Sheme.iah the prophet, E1Dd of lddo the 7, e.s well as the parallel pla.ces, I Kings seer touching genealogies" [but Gesenius, xii. 8 and xiv. 21). Itce.nnot be held as con- sub t,oce, "in the manner of a genealogice.l olusively shown that the age of forty-one is table "] "a.nd wa.rs of Reboboe.m a.nd J ero- incorrect. An Ammonitees (see 1 Kings xi. boe.m perpetual." We think that neither 1-9). Rehoboam's mother's no.me and our Authorized Version nor Gesenilll!'s ren- nationality are noted also, and twice in the dering probably convey the correct mean- parallel (1 Kings xiv. 21, 31). Naamah ing. The hithp. of ~~~ would be better was possibly the d11ughter of Nahash (I satisfied by the rendering, "to make a regis- Chron. xix. 1-xx. 3). The briefness but ter," i.e. '' to preserve a continued register decidedness of the notifications made as to of D,ivid's genealogy." this mother of Rehobo11m leaves us without Ver. 16.-In the oity of David; i.e. on doubt th11t there is not lacking significance Mount Zion, e.n eminence on the northern in them. Schulz (in his ' Scholia in Vet. pa.rt of Mount Moriah. Here was the bury- Test.,' vol. iii.) says the reason is" quia ea ing-place of the kings, chambers with filio idololatrim e.nse.m dedisse videtur ; " recesses for the successive kings. To this Keil and llerthei:rn think that, though there ple.oe of royal sepulture some of the kings we.a evidence of this in the oe.se of the men- were not permittc,l to be brought (eh. ui. 144. THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [on. xn. 1-16,
20: xxiv. 25; xxviii. 27; 2 Kings xv. 7). 16). Kings Jel1omm (oh. xxi. 2(1) and Joesh The chief cemetery of the city was on thG (oh. xxiv. 25) were buried in the "city of elopes of the v11,\ley of the Kidron (1 Kings David," but not in the above sepulchres, xv. 13; 2 Kings xxiii. 6; eh. xxix. 5, 16); Uzziah, because e. leper, was buried in the enother, probably, "·as south of the city on "field of the buriitl of the kings" (oh. :rxvi. the sides of the re.vine of Hinnom (Jer. vii. 23). It is e.11 but certain tho.t these l'Oye.1 32). In the king's sepulchres ele"\'eo out of sepulchres were in the enolosure now cnlled ,TudR.h's twenty-two kings were le.id-David, the '' Hare.m area." (For other interesting Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa., Jehosha- and important referenoes, soo Neh. iii. 16; phat, Ahazinh, Ame.ziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, Ezek. xliii. 7, 9; 2 Kings :x:xi. 18, 26; oh. Josiah. For Asa (oh. xvi.14) a.ad Hezekiah x:xxiii. 20; :xxviii. 27.) While Rehoboo.m (eh. xxxii. 33) place~ of specie.I honour were was laid thus to sleep with his fe.thera, J ero- found. The good priest J ehoiade. also had boam's reign he.d yet four yeo.rs to run, burial in the king's burial-plooe (oh. xxiv.