The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 214 – Section 216
SECT. CCXIV.
SOlomon now ſat upon the Throne of his Father David, and his Kingdom was greatly eſtabliſhed, for the people were generally well pleaſed with his advancement to the Crown. But it ſeems Adonijah (being aſſiſted by Joab and Abiathar) had ſtill a deſign to wreſt the Kingdom from him. And for the better carrying on of that deſign he reſolved (if poſſible) to marry Abiſhag his Fathers late wife or concubine, thinking thereby to inlarge his intereſt, and gain a fairer pretence for what he deſigned: In order hereunto he addreſſes himſelf to Bathſheba the Kings mother; ſhe was at firſt a little ſtartled at his coming to her, conſidering his former deſign to get the Crown, and therefore asked him whether he came peaceably? He anſwered very peaceably; for he came humbly to requeſt a favour of her, which was this, Thou knoweſt (ſays he) that I being the Eldeſt Son ſurviving of my Father, by birthright the Throne of the Kingdom belonged unto me; and the people looked upon me as heir apparent to it, but now (by Gods own appointment) the Soveraignty is diverted another way and become my Brother Solomons (a)'Tis like he did not ſincerely make this acknowledgment but only to diſpoſe Bathſheba the more readily to grant his deſire.. And ſeeing I am now fallen from ſo great an expectation, I hope thou wilt compaſſionate my condition, and wilt pleaſe to beg one favour of the King for me, (which I queſtion not but he will readily grant unto thee) which is this, viz. that he would pleaſe to permit me to marry Abiſhag the Shunamite. Bathſheba (though a wiſe woman as appears by the counſel ſhe gave her Son, Prov. 31.) yet not diving into the bottom of the deſign, readily undertakes to ſpeak to the King in his behalf. Accordingly ſhe went to the King, who being ſet upon his Throne, as ſoon as he ſaw her, he roſe up and bowed himſelf with great reverence unto her, and then conducting her to his Throne cauſed a ſeat to be ſet for her on his right hand; where being ſet, ſhe told him ſhe had one ſmall requeſt to make to him which ſhe deſired him not to deny her. He told her he would not, provided that what ſhe deſired were juſt and ſafe for him to grant. Then ſhe ſaid, I pray thee let Abiſhag the Shunamite be given to thy brother Adonijah to wife. Solomon ſtartled at this, replies, Ask for him the Kingdom alſo (for he is my Elder Brother) yea for him, and for Abiathar, and for Joab, that they may ſhare it among them. He ſeems to wonder at the ſtrangeneſs of the requeſt, to wit, that Adonijah ſhould deſire her for his wife that had lain in his Fathers boſom, which was plain inceſt. And probably the intention of Adonijah was diſcovered to him either by ſome ſpecial inſtinct of the Spirit of God, or ſome ſecret intelligence which he had gotten, and therefore he ſaid, Ask for him the Kingdom alſo, &c. As if he ſhould have ſaid, He has already the plea of an Elder Brother, and has Abiathar and Joab on his ſide, if he can ſtrengthen himſelf by this marriage, he will not then fear to ſhew himſelf, and endeavour to get the Kingdom for himſelf, and then Abiathar and Joab will King it under him. Then falling into a paſſion he ſaid, God do ſo to me, and more alſo, and bring upon me greater miſery than I dare now mention, [ſee Ruth 1.17] if I do not make it appear to all the world that Adonijah hath ſpoken this word againſt his own life. For as the Lord liveth who hath ſet me on the Throne of my Father, and made me a family and Court according to the dignity of a King, (as he promiſed, 2 Sam. 7.12, 13.) Adonijah ſhall ſurely this day be put to death. So he immediately gave order to Benaiah Captain of his Guard to fall upon him and kill him, which accordingly he did*Thus what Nathan threatned againſt David, 2 Sam. 12.10. viz. that the ſword ſhould not depart from his houſe, was fully verified.. Then ſending for Abiathar he told him, He was worthy to be put to death alſo for thus joining with Adonijah in this conſpiracy, but (ſays he) I will not at this time put thee to death, becauſe thou didſt bear the Ark of God before my Father David, and haſt been a great ſharer with him in all his afflictions and ſufferings; therefore get thee to Anathoth a City in the Tribe of Benjamin (which with the fields about it belongs to the Prieſts) and there live a private life, and meddle no more with the Prieſthood or Civil affairs.
And thus Solomon by thruſting out Abiathar from his office, and placing Zadok in his room, fulfilled the word of the Lord which he ſpake concerning Eli [1 Sam. 2.31.] when the Tabernacle was at Shiloh, and concerning Phineas [Numb. 25.13.] Theſe things being thus tranſacted, tidings came preſently to Joab that Adonijah was ſlain, and Abiathar confin'd to Anathoth, whereupon being conſcious of his own guilt in joining with Adonijah in his aſpiring to the Crown, (though he would not join with Abſalom in the like caſe) he fled to the Tabernacle at Gibeon, and there laid hold on the horns of the Altar, thinking poſſibly by that means the rather to eſcape, becauſe Adonijah had there not long before found favour, 1 King. 1.52. Solomon hearing where he was, preſently ſends Benaiah and commands him to kill him there. Benaiah coming to the Tabernacle would have perſwaded Joab to come forth thence; but he utterly refuſed it, ſaying, if he muſt die he would die there; which poſſibly he ſpake, hoping that by hanging on the horns of the Altar he ſhould ſave his life, and not imagining that they would put him to death there. And thus it ſeems he forgot what God himſelf had ſaid, Exod. 21.14. That he that hath ſlain a man wilfully ſhall be taken from the Altar. Benaiah being loth of his own head to ſhed blood at the Altar, went back to the King and told him what Joab ſaid. The King replied, Do unto him as he hath ſaid; that is, ſeeing he reſolves to die there let him die there, and there fall upon him and kill him, and then bury him decently for the honour of his place, and his former ſervices; and ſo thou wilt take away from me and my fathers houſe the guilt of that innocent blood which he ſo barbarouſly ſhed, and ſo the Lord will return blood upon his head who fell upon two men more righteous and better than himſelf; for in that cauſe for which he killed them they were innocent. He ſlew Abner for fear leſt David ſhould prefer him above himſelf. And he ſlew Amaſa becauſe my Father had preferred him to the place of General in his room. So that they were both innocent, and not worthy of death upon that account; he ſhall die therefore that their innocent blood may return upon his head, and that the blot and ſtain of it may remain upon his poſterity, and accordingly they ſhall feel the ſad effects of it for many generations. And I doubt not but that upon the houſe of David and upon his Throne, and upon his family there will be peace and proſperity for a long time from the Lord. For by executing judgment on murderers, guilt is taken away from the Magiſtrate, and from the Land, Numb. 35.33. So Benaiah went up to the Altar at Gibeon, and as 'tis like dragging Joab from thence, he ſlew him, and buried him in his own houſe in the wilderneſs; and the King made Benaiah General of the Army in his room. Then the King called for Shimei, and ſaid to him, Build thee an houſe in Jeruſalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither; for it ſhall be that the day thou goeſt out and paſſeſt over the Brook Kidron (a)Solomon would not permit him to go over Kidron which was the way to Bakurim his own city, leſt he ſhould raiſe ſome ſedition there, where was his own inheritance, 2 Sam. 16.5. Kidron was about a mile from Jeruſalem, ſo that Shimei had room enough.thou ſhalt ſurely die, and thy blood ſhall be upon thine own head, thou thy ſelf wilt be the only cauſe thereof. Shimei ſaid unto the King, The ſaying is good, thy command is juſt and equal. As my Lord the King hath ſaid, ſo will I do; and I do bind my ſelf by a ſolemn Oath which I now make unto thee in the preſence of the Lord, That I will not go out of the limits thou haſt ſet me, v. 42. But how he performed his Oath and promiſe we ſhall ſee afterwards, Sect. 221.
1 King. Ch. 2. from v. 12, to 39.
SECT. CCXV.
HAdad the Edomite who in the days of David had fled into Egypt, and had been there for a great while kindly entertained, when he heard that both David and Joab were dead, he returned into his own Country, and proved afterwards a great enemy to Solomon as we ſhall ſee hereafter.
1 King. Ch. 11. v. 21, 22.
SECT. CCXVI.
SOlomon now contracts affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt by marrying his Daughter; and he brought her into Sion into the Palace of David, intending afterwards to build a ſtately houſe for her when he had finiſhed the Temple, the wall of Jeruſalem, and his own Palace. And he preferred her before the reſt of his wives, they being of Nations that were his ſubjects, but ſhe the daughter of a potent King. And by this match and affinity with ſuch a great neighbour Prince he deſigned to ſecure himſelf the better againſt foreign enemies. 'Tis not ſaid whether ſhe had embraced the Religion of the Iſraelites when he took her to wife; yet conſidering that he is no where blamed for this marriage, 'tis moſt like ſhe forſook her Idolatry, and that either before or after her marriage ſhe became a Proſelyte, and worſhipped the true God, becauſe Solomon in this marriage is made a type of Chriſt, wooing the Gentiles to make them his Spouſe, and calling them from their Idolatries to ſerve the true and living God. And hereunto the Pſalmiſt ſeems to allude, Pſal. 45.10. Hearken O daughter, and conſider, incline thine ear. Forget thine own people and thy fathers-houſe.
1 King. Ch. 3. v. 1.