Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Kings · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Verſ. 1. THe Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, concerning the name of the Lord.] Sheba was a countrey that lay ſouthward and far remote from Jeruſalem, Jer. 6.20. To what purpoſe cometh there to me incenſe from Sheba, and the ſweet cane from a farre countrey? and thence this Queen is called by our Saviour the Queen of the ſouth, Matth. 12.42. and is ſaid to have come from the utmoſt parts of the earth, to heare the wiſedome of Solomon: ſome conceive it to have been in Ethiopia; others more probably in Arabia the happie; however both her ſex & dignitie are noted to ſet forth the noble ſpirit of this Queen, that could leave the pleaſures of her court, and take ſuch a tedious and coſtly journey to come to Solomon, being onelyonly led thereto by hearing his fame concerning the name of the Lord, that is, concerning Gods love and favour to him, and the ſingular wiſedome wherewith God had endowed him, eſpecially in the things of God, and concerning his zeal towards God, and the Temple which he had built to his name, &c.
Verſ. 5. And the ſitting of his ſervants, and the attendance of his miniſters and their apparell.] Amongſt the particulars here mentioned, which it ſeems the Queen of Sheba did principally admire, even the ſitting of his ſervants, and the attendance of his miniſters, is named for one; and it may be meant either of the ſitting of his councel, when they met together to adviſe about the kings and kingdomes affairs, and the attendance of his Nobles and Courtiers upon him; or elſe of the ſitting of his Courtiers at table to eat, and the attendance of his miniſters and ſervants upon them; to wit, either becauſe there was ſuch a multitude of his Nobles and Courtiers; or becauſe being ſo many, they were all ordered with ſuch admirable wiſedome: they ſat at the tables provided for them, every one according to their place, and were ſerved with admirable pomp and ſtate: and ſo alſo their apparell, is expreſſed, which is meant either of the richneſſe and coſtlineſſe of his Courtiers and ſervants attire, or elſe of the robes which his Nobles and Officers wore according to their places.
And his aſcent, by which he went up unto the houſe of the Lord.] It ſeems there was an aſcent by ſtairs from the kings palace to the outer court of the Temple; and ſo again afterwards from one court to another, till they came to the houſe of the Lord it ſelf: and indeed becauſe of all Solomons buildings, this is onelyonly particularly expreſſed, as the chief thing the Queen of Sheba admired, we may conclude it was done with all poſſible art and coſt: and was one of the moſt magnificent and gracefull things that belonged to the building; even the pillars on each ſide the ſeverall ſtairs were made of precious wood, as is afterwards expreſſed, verſ. 12.
There was no more ſpirit in her.] That is, ſhe was in a manner aſtoniſhed with admiration.
Verſ. 11. And the navie alſo of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees, &c.] Solomon ſent ſhips of his own, together with the ſhips of Hiram, chap. 9.26. but becauſe his ſhips were built after the Tyrian manner, and with Hirams timber, and eſpecially becauſe the chief mariners in the whole navie, yea even in Solomons ſhips, were the ſervants of Hiram, chap. 9.27. therefore is the navie here called, the navie of Hiram. As for the almug-trees, which were herein brought from Ophir, in 2. Chron. 9.10. they are called algume trees; now algume trees Solomon alſo had from Lebanon, 2. Chron. 2.8. Send me alſo cedar trees, firre trees, and algume trees, &c. but thoſe it ſeems were farre inferiour to theſe that were brought from Ophir, as is expreſſed in the following verſe.
Verſ. 12. And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the houſe of the Lord, &c.] To wit, the pillars in the rails on each ſide of the ſtairs, whereby they did aſcend up to the houſe of the Lord, and therefore, 2. Chron. 9.11. it is ſaid, that he made terriſes to the houſe of the Lord, and to the kings houſe, of the algume trees.
Verſ. 14. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one yeare, was ſix hundred threeſcore and ſix talents of gold.] To wit, by his ſhips that were ſent out to fetch in gold and other precious commodities (for it is not likely that the kings tribute, or other yearely revenues, of which ſome underſtand this place, was ſtill paid in gold:) indeed the gold that was brought from Ophir, was at the moſt but foure hundred and fifty talents, 2. Chron. 8.18. as was noted above, chap. 9.28. but beſides, that there was gold brought from Tharſhiſh, as we find here, verſ. 22. which, with that brought from Ophir, might well make ſix hundred ſixty ſix talents, as is here expreſſed: ſome ſay too, that though at the firſt the return of gold from Ophir, was but foure hundred and fifty talents, yet afterward it came to be more.
Verſ. 16. And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold, &c.] As being made, not for ſervice in the warre, but onelyonly for pomp and ſtate, to ſet forth the majeſty of his royall dignitie; for theſe it is likely were by his guard carried before him, as afterwards the brazen ſhields, made in the room of theſe, were carried before Rehoboam, chap. 14.27, 28. & indeed conſidering how ſoon theſe golden targets and ſhields became a prey to the enemy, it is likely there was an exceſſe of pomp herein, that was not pleaſing to God.
Verſ. 17. And he made three hundred ſhields of beaten gold, three pound of gold went to one ſhield.] Or three hundred ſhekels, for ſo the weight of theſe ſhields is expreſſed, 2. Chron. 9.16. And three hundred ſhields made he of beaten gold; three hundred ſhekels of gold went to one ſhield, and the king put them into the houſe of the forreſt of Lebanon: whereby it appears, that the ſhields were not above half ſo big as the targets, which weighed, each of them, verſ. 16. ſix hundred ſhekels.
Verſ. 18. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivorie, and overlaid it with the beſt gold.] That is, in ſeverall places; for had it been wholly covered over with gold, to what end had the ivorie been? Now this throne ſtood, doubtleſſe, in the porch of judgement, chap. 7.7.
Verſ. 19. The throne had ſix steps, &c.] And above the uppermoſt of theſe ſix ſteps a footſtool of gold, as is expreſſed, 2. Chron. 9.18. though that be not mentioned here: and thus whileſt the king ſat aloft in his throne, above all the people, he was put in mind thereby, how far he ought to excell others in wiſedome and all other ſpirituall gifts, and that there was an eminencie of goodneſſe and grace required in him, anſwerable to the dignitie whereto God had advanced him.
And there were ſtayes on either ſide on the place of the ſeat, and two Lions ſtood by the ſtayes, &c.] Theſe portraitures of lions were not onelyonly by way of ornament, on each ſide the throne by the ſtaies whereon the king laid his armes, and ſo alſo on each ſide the ſix ſteps, by which he went up to the throne, as it follows in the next verſe; but alſo to ſignifie, firſt, the power, the majeſtie, the undaunted boldneſſe, courage and magnanimitie, that ought to be in princes, and ſo conſequently, how dangerous it is to provoke them to diſpleaſure; whence it is, that princes are frequently in the Scripture, compared to the lion, the king of beaſts, as Prov. 19.12. The kings wrath is as the roaring of a lion: ſecondly, the vigilancy and watchfulneſſe that ſhould be in princes, becauſe of their great charge and many enemies, thy had need to wake when others ſleep; as it is ſaid of lions, that they ſleep alwayes with their eyes open: thirdly, that thoſe that are appointed for the guard of kings, had need be both valourous and vigilant, becauſe their charge is ſo precious, and in ſuch continuall danger by reaſon of open and ſecret enemies: fourthly, that princes are ſo guarded by the ſpeciall providence of God over them, that it is as perilous to offer them any injurie, as to ruſh upon the mouths of many ramping lions: and fiftly, how dangerous it is to incurre the diſpleaſure of Chriſt; that lion of the tribe of Judah, Rev. 5.5. of whom Solomon was a type, and eſpecially to ſeek the overthrow of his kingdome; and that becauſe his power is infinite, and his wrath inſupportable; they that will be ſo deſperate as to put too their hands for the overturning of his throne, ſhall find, that his throne is guarded with lions; they ſhall be torn in pieces, and there ſhall be none to help them.
Verſ. 21. None were of ſilver, it was nothing accounted of in the dayes of Solomon.] That is, comparatively, ſilver was not eſteemed for their drinking veſſels, in Solomons dayes; even ſilver is mentioned in the next verſe, amongſt thoſe things that were brought over in the navie of Tharſhiſh, which ſhews, that it was of good eſteem in the days of Solomon; but the meaning is, that having ſuch aboundance of gold, moſt of their plate was made of gold; and ſilver plate was little eſteemed in thoſe times.
Verſ. 22. For the king had at ſea a navie of Tharſhiſh, &c.] That is, a navie bound for Tharſhiſh, as the ſhips that go from us to the eaſt Indies, are uſually called the India ſhips: where this Tharſhiſh was, it is hard to ſay; ſome Interpreters conceive, that by Tharſhiſh is meant onelyonly the ocean ſea, but ſo it cannot be taken, here, for then there ſhould be a manifeſt tautologie in theſe words, as if we ſhould reade it, the king had at ſea a navie of the ſea: and beſides, Tharſhiſh is mentioned as a place to which the ſhips went, 2 Chron. 9.21. for the kings ſhips went to Tharſhiſh; and ſo again, the 2 Chron. 20.37. the ſhips were broken, that they were not able to go to Tharſhiſh. Nor need we trouble our ſelves, becauſe we cannot conclude what particular place this Tharſhiſh was, ſince moſt probable it is, that as we call all countries unknown, becauſe ſo far remote from us, the Indies, ſo they called all far remote Ilands and countries, to which their ſhips made ſuch long voyages, Tharſhiſh.
Verſ. 26. And he had a thouſand and foure hundred chariots.] And what a multitude of horſes he had to ſerve by turns in theſe chariots, we find 2 Chron. 9.25. but eſpecially, 1 King. 4.26. where ſee the notes on that place.
Verſ. 28. And Solomon had horſes brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn, &c.] To ſhew, whence Solomon ſhould have ſuch a multitude of horſes, this is here added, to wit, that Solomons merchants did uſually buy and tranſport horſes and linen yarn out of Egypt the linen yarn at ſuch a price as was agreed upon between the Egyptians, and them; and the horſes at the rate mentioned, verſ. 27. for their price is particularly expreſſed, to intimate the magnificence of Solomon in regard of his horſes: and probable it is, that by the ſpecial favour of Pharaoh it was, whoſe daughter Solomon had married, that they did injoy this traffick: for horſes and linen yarn were the choiſeſt commodities of Egypt, Cant. 1.9. Ezek. 27.7.
Verſ. 29. And a chariot came up, and went out of Egypt for ſix hundred ſhekels of ſilver, &c.] That is, foure horſes for a chariot, one horſe coſt one hundred and fifty ſhekels: and therefore foure horſes coſt foure times as much, to wit, ſix hundred ſhekels of ſilver.
And ſo for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.] That is, they bought not onelyonly to ſerve their own prince and countrey, but alſo for other bordering kings and kingdomes.