The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 219 – Section 221
SECT. CCXIX.
HIram King of Tyre as alſo of Zidon, (for the Sidonians likewiſe were his ſubjects, v. 9.) had been always a great lover of David, and hearing that Solomon his Son was advanc'd to the Throne of Iſrael, he ſent his Ambaſſadours to congratulate him. Solomon receiv'd them very kindly, and having entertained them for ſome time, by them he ſent a meſſage to their Maſter to this effect: He acquaints him that his Father David by reaſon of the many wars (wherein he was almoſt continually engaged) could not build an houſe for the Lord as he really intended, and he ſuppoſed his Father had acquainted him with that his intention, there being ſo great a friendſhip between them; but the Lord having now advanc'd him to the Throne in his Fathers room, and having given him reſt on every ſide, ſo that he had neither adverſary, nor evil occurrent to hinder him, he reſolv'd to fall upon the work and to build an houſe for the glory of the Lord his God, as the Lord had promiſed unto his Father he ſhould do; he therefore requeſted this favour of him, that as he had helped his Father to Timber (a)It ſeems moſt of Lebanon was in the land of Tyre, though it were the Northern bound of the land of Canaan; and though David in his life-time had provided many materials, as Cedar-trees, and many workmen, yet it ſeems more were wanting which Solomon now takes care to provide.wherewith to build his own Palace, ſo he would pleaſe to help him alſo to Timber to build the houſe that he intended to build for the honour of God. For the houſe (ſays he) that I intend to build muſt be great and magnificent; the God (for whoſe Worſhip I intend it) being great above all Gods. And indeed who is able to build an houſe for him, ſeeing the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him? It were a vain thing for me to think of building an houſe for him who is infinite, except only to worſhip him in, and that is the end I aim at. Send me therefore, I pray thee, a man skilful to work in Gold and Silver, in Braſs and Iron, in Purple, Crimſon and Blew, and one that can grave, that he may join with the cunning men that are here with me in Judah and Jeruſalem, whom my Father did provide for this purpoſe. [See 1 Chron. 22.15.] And I pray thee grant me Cedar-trees, Firr-trees, and Algum-trees for this work, and command thy ſervants to cut them down and hew them for me, and I will ſend my ſervants to help and aſſiſt them therein, and I will give thy ſervants twenty thouſand meaſures of beaten wheat *That is of wheat beaten out of the ear, and ſevered from the chaff, we call it clean wheat., and as many of barley, and twenty thouſand baths of wine, and as many of oyl for their wages and proviſion; or if this do not like thee, I will give whatſoever thy ſelf ſhall appoint. Hiram ſent an anſwer to Solomon, and writ to him after this manner: It is a great ſign and evidence to me that God loves that people becauſe he hath made thee King over them. And bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael (who made Heaven and Earth) for giving to David ſuch a wiſe Son, and for enduing him with ſo great a meaſure of prudence and underſtanding that he might build an houſe for the honour of God, and for the honour of his Kingdom. As for thy requeſt to me concerning Cedar-trees, Firr-trees and Timber for that great work, behold all thy deſires are granted. My ſervants ſhall cut down and hew out ſufficient Timber for thee, and I will convey it to thee by Sea in flotes to Joppa, or any other place thou ſhalt appoint. I have alſo ſent thee a very skilful and expert artificer, whoſe name is Hiram (whoſe Father was of the Tribe†He is called a Tyrian becauſe he lived there. of Naphtali, 1 King. 7.14. and his Mother of the Tribe of Dan, and who was one of my Fathers workmen) who is skill'd to work in gold, ſilver, iron, braſs, ſtone, timber, in purple, blue, fine linnen, or crimſon, and to grave any manner of graving, and one that can work not only according to the pattern ſet before him, but can alſo invent other curious works fit and proper for the main deſign. I know he will be ready to join with the cunning workmen provided by thy Father and thy ſelf. As for the reward thou doſt promiſe my ſervants for their labour and pains, I do willingly accept of it, and let my Lord the King be pleaſed to ſend it to them. But I muſt make one requeſt to thee for my ſelf, viz. that thou wilt grant me liberty yearly to tranſport out of thy Country a certain quantity of proviſion (viz. of wheat and oyl) for my own houſhold, our Country not being well furniſh'd with thoſe things*See Ezek. 27.17. Ezra 3.7. Act. 12.20.. Solomon having receiving his Letter, agreed to what Hiram deſired of him, and accordingly gave him twenty thouſand meaſures of beaten wheat †Beaten wheat, that is wheat beaten out of the ear, and ſevered from the chaff, we call it clean wheat., and twenty meaſures of pure oyl yearly. And Solomon and Hiram made a firm league together, and Hiram beſides allowing Solomon Timber to build with, furniſh'd him with ſix ſcore talents of gold towards the defraying of the charge, 1 King. 9.14.
1 King. Ch. 5. from v. 1, to 13.
2 Chron. Ch. 2. from v. 1, to 17.
SECT. CCXX.
SOlomon alſo raiſed a levy (a)The people yielded willingly to this levy for the Temple, but when it was ſtill continued by Solomon for his own houſe and his other buildings it ſeems they grudged at it, as we may gather from what they ſaid to Rehoboam, 1 King. 12.4. See alſo 1 King. 9.15.among the people towards the building of the houſe of the Lord, and other great buildings he deſigned. See 1 King. 9.15. and having provided ſtones of ſeveral ſorts and ſizes, and having obtained leave of Hiram to cut down Timber in Lebanon, viz. Cedar-trees, Firr-trees, and Algum-trees, he falls now in hand with the work, and employs a vaſt army of workmen therein.
1. For ſervile work an hundred and fifty thouſand, whereof fourſcore thouſand were hewers in the mountains, and threeſcore and ten thouſand bearers of burdens; all theſe were ſtrangers that dwelt among the Iſraelites, and ſubmitted to their Laws, and had been by David before appointed for this ſervice, 1 Chron. 22.2.
2ly, For plain work, thirty thouſand Iſraelites were imployed, yet with ſuch alternation that being divided into three parts, they ſtayed ten thouſand of them at a time, one month in mount Lebanon, and the other two at home, 1 King. 5.13, 14.
3ly, For carved works, the Sidonians only were imployed, whoſe number though not ſpecified muſt needs be great, if we may gueſs the men by the proportion of victuals allowed to them, 2 Chron. 2.10.
4ly, For overſeeing all the former three thouſand three hundred Officers were appointed, 1 King. 5.16. but in the 2 Chron. 2.18. we read of 3600; poſſibly upon a review 300 might be added for the better carrying on of the buſineſs; or theſe laſt 300 might be appointed as extraordinary, to be in readineſs in caſe any of the ordinary ſhould fail by ſickneſs, death, or any other accident. Thus the ordinary overſeers would be each man over forty five workmen or thereabout(a)Thoſe Officers, viz. 550, 1 King. 9.23. ſeem to be the chief of the Officers that were over Solomons other works when he builded his own houſe, and that for Pharaohs daughter, and his other buildings beſides the Temple, ver. 15, 17, 18, 19. So that theſe ſuperviſed thoſe that wrought in theſe works. And the 250, 2 Chron. 8.10. ſeem to be the chief of his Officers that bear rule over thoſe Canaanites that Solomon had made Tributaries, v. 7, 8. and ſo differed from the former 550..
If any wonder at the vaſtneſs of this army of workmen, let them conſider how that thorough ſcarcity of horſes at that time in Judea (though plenty was brought out of Egypt towards the latter end of Solomons reign) maſſie timber was to be managed by the main ſtrength of men.
2ly, All things were before-hand ſo to be fitted and framed in mount Lebanon (which might occaſion many chargeable Eſſays and trials) that not ſo much as the ſound of an Ax or Hammer was heard in Jeruſalem when the Temple came to be erected, 1 King. 6.7. that is, there was ſmall noiſe in compariſon of ſo great a work, and not obſtreperous to a publick diſturbance by hewing or ſquaring of timber or ſtone, the parts being fitted or matched before. Beſides Solomon in framing this great fabrick (that was to be built for the honour of God) conſulted magnificence and not frugality.
1 King. Ch. 5. from v. 13, to the end.
2 Chron. Ch. 2. v. 17, 18.
SECT. CCXXI.
SHimei (of whom before, Sect. 214.) had carefully kept himſelf within the bounds preſcribed for about three years. But at the end of that time two of his ſervants (it ſeems) ran away from him, having (as 'tis like) ſtollen ſomething conſiderable from him, and fled to Achiſh King of Gath, (there being at that time peace between the Iſraelites and Philiſtines, ſo that the one might freely paſs to the other) or poſſibly they might be native Philiſtines. Shimei being inform'd where they were, and being enrag'd at them for ſo ſerving him, and having an over-covetous deſire to regain them and the things they had ſtollen from him, and not imagining that Solomon (he having kept himſelf within his bounds for three years) did ſtill ſtrictly watch him or ſought an occaſion againſt him to cut him off as his Father had injoin'd him, and poſſibly thinking to go ſo ſecretly and to come again ſo quickly that his going ſhould not be obſerved, or however it was, he ſadles his Aſs and ventures to go to Gath, where he met with his ſervants, and brought them back again, but the fetching of them coſt him dear; for Solomon being inform'd that he had gone out of his bounds, he preſently ſent for him and ſaid unto him, Did not I proteſt to thee that if thou didſt paſs the limits I had ſet thee, thou ſhouldeſt ſurely die? didſt not thou ſay the thing I required of thee was but juſt and reaſonable? And over and above didſt not thou ſwear to me by the Lord that thou wouldeſt not tranſgreſs? why then haſt thou violated the oath that thou ſwareſt to me in the preſence of the Lord, and why haſt thou diſobeyed the commandment that I ſo ſolemnly gave thee under ſo great a penalty? Thou canſt not but remember the wickedneſs of thy heart, and how baſely thou didſt revile my Father in his diſtreſs, and therefore the Lord will now return thy wickedneſs upon thy own head. And I am not afraid to execute juſtice upon thee, for the doing juſtice upon ſuch offenders and wicked wretches as thou art, is the way (by the bleſſing of God) to have my Kingdom eſtabliſhed to me and to my poſterity after me in the ſight of the Lord, that is, his gracious Providence continually watching over us. So the King commanded Benaiah to kill him, which accordingly he did. And ſo the Kingdom was eſtabliſhed in the hands of Solomon, his chief and capital enemies being now cut off.
1 King. Ch. 2. from v. 39, to the end.