καὶ ἐὰν θλίψῃ αὐτὸν ὁ ἐχθρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν μιᾷ τῶν πόλεων αὐτοῦ, κ.τ.λ. Au. Ver.-37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities [or, jurisdiction]; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be. In the land of their cities. Ged., Booth.—In any of their cities. The present text reads literally, in the land of their gates. I have followed the reading of Sept., Syr., Arab., which I take to be the genuine one.-Ged. Ver. 38. Au. Ver.-38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house. Au. Ver. 40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. Hallet. That they may fear thee all the The sentence is days that they live, &c. more full in 2 Chron. vi. 31, That they may fear thee to walk in thy ways, all the days that they live, &c. It was an error of the transcribers to add these words in Chron., or else it was an error to omit them in Kings. This error is older than all the versions, which agree with their respective texts. or near. Pool. The plague of his own heart, i. e., either, 1. His sin. Or rather, 2. His affliction; for so this is explained in the parallel place, 2 Chron. vi. 29, (which is the more considerable, because that book was written after this, to explain what was dark doubtful, and to supply what was lacking in this,) when every one shall know his own sore, and his own grief; which is not unfitly called the plague of his heart, because it was that plague which his heart was most afflicted with, which pained him at the very heart, as the phrase is, Jer. iv. 19; compare Ps. lv. 4; which caused him most vexation or grief, which is a passion of the heart: and so the sense is, Who shall know, i. e., be duly and deeply sensible of his affliction, and the hand of God in it; and his sin as the cause of it; for words of knowledge in Scripture do very frequently note such a kind of knowledge as affects and changeth the heart, and reforms the whole course of a man's life; for which cause, men of ungodly lives are frequently said in Scripture not to know God, or Christ, or his word, &c. And therefore no man knows his sore in a Scripture sense but he who bears the rod, who Dr. A. Clarke.-46 If they sin against thee.] This SEVENTH case must refer to some general defection from truth, to some species of false worship, idolatry, or corruption of the truth and ordinances of the Most High; as for it they are here stated to be delivered into the hands of their enemies and carried away captive, which was the general punishment for idolatry, and what is called, verse 47, acting perversely and committing wickedness. In ver. 46 we read, If they sin against thee, for there is no man that sinneth not. On this verse we may observe that the second clause, as it is here translated, renders the supposition in the first clause entirely nugatory; for if there be no man that sinneth not, it is useless to say, IF they sin; but this contradiction is taken away by reference to the original, m, which should be translated IF they shall sin against thee, or Ver. 52. כי אין אדם אשר לא ; should they sin against thee לִהְיוֹת עֵינֶיךָ פְתָחת אֶל־תְּחִנָּת; for there is no man that say not sin, יחטא καὶ ἔστωσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου καὶ τὰ ὦτά σου ἠνεωγμένα εἰς τὴν δέησιν τοῦ δούλου σου, K.T.λ. i.e., there is no man impeccable, none infallible, none that is not liable to transgress. This is the true meaning of the phrase in various parts of the Bible, and so our translators have understood the original; for even in the thirty-first verse of this chapter they Au. Ver.-52 That thine eyes may be have translated, IF a man TRESPASS; open unto the supplication of thy servant, which certainly implies he might or might not and unto the supplication of thy people do it; and in this way they have translated| Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they the same word, IF a soul SIN, in Lev. v. 1; call for unto thee. vi. 2; 1 Sam. ii. 25; 2 Chron. vi. 22, and in several other places. The truth is, the Hebrew has no mood to express words in the permissive or optative way, but to express this sense it uses the future tense of the conjugation kal. That thine eyes may be open unto, &c. Ged. Thus may thine eyes be open to, &c. Booth. Thus do thou attend to, &c. Dathe.-52 Attende ad preces tum meas, tum populi tui Israëlis, ut eum exaudias, ubicunque te invocarit. a) Verba textus sunt: ninge. Sed hic infinitivus respondet verbo finito, quod est in versu 50. (Glassius, p. 290.) In loco parallelo 2 Chron. vi. 40 legitur quoque . Nam in his verbis est conclusio totius orationis. Houb.-52 T, oculi tui aperti. Tres Codices Orat. m, ut fuerat scribendum. Ut Codices sunt antiquiores, ita plures habent vocales ; quod quidem jam sæpe monuimus. This text has been a wonderful stronghold for all who believe that there is no redemption from sin in this life, that no man can live without committing sin, and that we cannot be entirely freed from it till we die. 1. The text speaks no such doctrine; it only speaks of the possibility of every man sinning, and this must be true of a state of probation. 2. There is not another text in the Divine records that is more to the purpose than this. 3. The doctrine is flatly in opposition to the design of the Gospel; for Jesus came to save his people from their sins, and to destroy Houb.-, surrexit. Potius Dp, non the works of the devil. 4. It is a danger- sine conjunctione, præsertim post infinitivum ous and destructive doctrine, and should be: vide Græcos Intt. blotted out of every Christian's creed. There are too many who are seeking to excuse their crimes by all means in their power; and we need not embody their excuses in a creed, to complete their deception, by stating that their sins are unavoidable. Ver. 47. Ver. 54. Ver. 60. Au. Ver.-60 That all the people of the that there is none else. earth may know that the LORD is God, and Houb.-, non est adhuc. Similiter legendum, addito nexu, quem legunt omnes Veteres, præter unum Chaldæum. Ver. 64. quia sine nexu est verbum, quod sequitur. Ver. 50. τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἡγίασεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ μέσον τῆς αὐλῆς τὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ οἴκου κυρίου, κ.τ.λ. Au. Ver.-64 The same day did the king καὶ ἵλεως ἔσῃ ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν, αἷς ἥμαρ- hallow the middle of the court that was τόν σοι, κ.τ.λ. Au. Ver.-50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, &c. Ged., Booth.-50 And forgive thy people before the house of the LORD, &c. The middle of the court. Ged. The whole area of the court. the sin that they have committed against hallow the middle court which was before, thee, &c. &c. Ver. 65, 66. the seventh month, viz., Tizri or Ethanim, informed that on the 23d day of the seventh vol. i., p. 224. And here we are particularly מִלְבוֹא חֲמָתוּ עַד־נַחַל מִצְרַיִם לִפְנֵי month (which is also marked in those יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְשִׁבְעַת 66 בַּיּוֹם עָשָׂר יוֹם: -calendars as the octave of the feast of taber יָמִים אַרְבָּעָה nacles) he sent away the people into their הַשְׁמִינִי שְׁלַח אֶת־הָעָם וגו' 65 καὶ ἐποίησε Σαλωμὼν τὴν ἑορτὴν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ μετ ̓ αὐτοῦ, ἐκκλησία μεγάλη ἀπὸ τῆς εἰσόδου Ημαθ ἕως потаμοû Aiуúñтоv, évánιov Kupíov Oeoù nuov ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ, ᾧ ᾠκοδόμησεν, ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων καὶ εὐφραινόμενος ἐνώπιον Κυρίου Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας. 66 καὶ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἐξαπέστειλε τὸν λαὸν, κ.τ.λ. tents, glad and cheerful upon this happy -die oc, ביום השמיני שלח את העם 66 .Houb tavo dimisit populum. Loco parallelo, 2 Par. υπο, hæc omissa fuisse, diem solemnem celebrarunt, quia dedicationem altaris septem dies egerunt, et festum septimi mensis pariter Au. Ver.—65 And at that time Solomon septem dies; ut posteà sequatur, die vigesimo held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great tertio dimisit populum, quæ omnia extant congregation, from the entering in of loco suprà-dicto: vide et confer. Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Dva ad alterum saltum fecerint Scribæ. LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. 66 away: and they blessed [or, thanked] the glad of heart for all the goodness that the 3 CHAP. IX. 2, 3. Ex uno ST. : וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁלמָה שְׁנִית Go On the eighth day he sent the people כַּאֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה אֵלָיו בְּגִבְעוֹן : יְהוָה אֵלָיו שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת־תְּפִלָּתְךָ וְאֶת־ king, and went unto their tents joyful and תְּחִנָּתְךָ אֲשֶׁר הִתְחַנַּנְתָּה לְפָנַי Lorn had done for David his servant, and הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּנִתָה לָשׂוּם שְׁמִי שָׁם עַד־עוֹלָם וְהָיוּ עֵינַי illo tempore. Lego in בעת ההוא .Houb LORD for Israel his people. 65 At that time. omnibus meis Codicibus,, præterquàm in uno Colbertino, ut frustra hùc advocetur generis Enallage. Quædam Impressa habent . ההיא 2 καὶ ὤφθη Κύριος τῷ Σαλωμὼν δεύτερον, καθώς ὤφθη ἐν Γαβαών. 3 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν κύριος, ἤκουσα τῆς φωνῆς τῆς προσευχῆς River of Egypt. See notes on Numb. σου, καὶ τῆς δεήσεώς σου ἧς ἐδεήθης ἐνώπιόν xxxiv. 5, vol. i., p. 640. Pilkington.We are told in ver. 65, that “ Solomon held a feast seven days, and seven days, even fourteen days, and on the eighth day he sent away the people.” An account no ways consistent with that propriety which is observable through the whole Scriptures. Yet all the antient versions render this passage in the same manner: except that, in the Vatican copy of the LXX, we have an account very consistent with itself, and what we must be inclined to think is agreable to the original. "Solomon held a feast seven days; and on the eighth day he sent away the people." And this I apprehend to be entirely consistent with what is said 2 Chron. vii. 9, 10. That after Solomon had dedicated the temple, he held the feast of tabernacles, which began on the fifteenth day of μου· πεποίηκά σοι κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν προσευχήν Au. Ver.-2 That the LORD appeared to 3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. 4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgements: 5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. parentheses without example in Scripture. 3 That thou hast made before me. 6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not all, that thou hast prayed for, I have keep my commandments and my statutes granted [LXX]. which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Ver. 6. וגו' אִם־שׁוֹב תְּשָׁבוּן אַתֶּם וּבְנֵיכֶם מֵאַחֲרֵי Then will I cut off Israel out of the 7 land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a by-word among all people: 8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? 9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought| forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them : therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil. 10 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king's house. ἐὰν δὲ ἀποστραφέντες ἀποστραφῆτε ὑμεῖς καὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν ἀπ ̓ ἐμοῦ, κ.τ.λ. Au. Ver.-6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, &c. If ye shall at all turn from following me; or rather, if ye shall wholly turn, &c.; if you shall wilfully and obstinately depart from God, and violate his laws, as the doubling of the word implies. Whereby he also intimates that he would not be so rigid and that was amiss; but would bear with much, severe towards them as to mark everything as he did in David, &c., only that he would not endure a total defection from him. Houb.-6 jan 20 De, si avertimini. Tres Codices, non sine medio, quod pertinet ad radicem, quodque puncto Kibbuts hic supplêvere Codicum Punctatores hodiernorum. Ver. 8. καὶ ὁ οἶκος οὗτος ἔσται ὁ ὑψηλὸς, πᾶς ὁ διαπορευόμενος δὶ αὐτοῦ ἐκστήσεται καὶ συριεῖ, K.T.λ. Au. Ver.-8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house? Pool-The time of this revelation was either, 1. After all Solomon's buildings, as the words thus rendered plainly imply. Or, 2. Presently after the building of the temple, as may be thought from the matter of this revelation, which seems best to suit with that time when it was newly built, and when Solomon's prayer here mentioned was newly made; for seeing the following words contain God's answer to that prayer, it seems improbable, that the answer should come so many years after it. But then this second verse, and the rest, even to ver. 11, are to Pool. Which is high, i.e., exalted in its be enclosed with a parenthesis; and the privileges, glorious, and renowned. The place must be thus rendered, ver. 2, For (so particle which is oft understood, and is here the Hebrew vau is oft rendered) the Lord fitly supplied out of 2 Chron. vii. 21, where appeared, or had appeared, unto Solomon, it is expressed. Shall be astonished at its &c.; ver. 3, And the Lord had said unto unexpected and wonderful ruin. Shall hiss, him, &c. And this parenthesis may seem by way of contempt and derision. See to have a foundation in ver. 10, where the Jer. xix. 8; xlix. 17; l. 13. first verse (in substance, though not in the Hallett. And at this house, which is high, very same words) is repeated, as is usual &c. Our translators have well noted, that after long digressions; and then he completes the word, which, is not in the Hebrew, by the sentence, ver. 11, &c., which till then causing it to be printed in a different chahad been suspended. Nor are such long racter from the rest of the verse. It is obvious the word ought not to have been Au. Ver. 11 (Now Hiram the King of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. In the land of Galilee. omitted. It is well retained, 2 Chronicles Ged. And this house shall be laid in the dirt: every one who shall pass by it will be astonished, &c. Pool.-Or, near (as beth often signifies, as hath been proved before) the land of Galilee, bordering upon it; in those parts which were near and adjoining to Hiram's do Shall be laid in the dirt. This rendering minions: with the cities understand the arises from changing only the Masoretic punctuation. The text, as it is now pointed, runs literally thus: And this house shall be high, every one, &c. The parallel place in Chron. has this house which was high: every one-which mends not the matter much. Houb.-Hæc verò domus, quæ fuerat magni nominis, in eâ stupebunt et sibilum edent, &c. : Adde, que, ante '', ex loco parallelo, II. Par. vii. 21 (domus hæc) quæ fuerat excelsa. Verumtamen parùm commodè in futuro post relativum, ubi agitur tempus præteritum, non futurum; et suspicio est aliquid fuisse prætermissum: quam suspicionem movet Chaldæus, apud quem sic legitur, quæ erat excelsa, erit deserta, qui videtur legisse 2 pm, serie aptissimâ in quâ T, in Præterito, templi gloriam priorem notat, , in Futuro, ignominiam posteriorem. Quæ Chaldæi verba, si non tota in contextum revocantur, saltem legendum, non tantùm. lands and territories belonging to them. Quest. How could Solomon give away any part of that land wherein the people had a right by a Divine lot, and God had a right, as being the only proprietary of it; upon which ground the total alienation of it, or any part of it, was forbidden, Lev. xxv. 23? Answ. 1. It is not said that he gave them away wholly, and for ever; but he might assign them to him only for a time, until he was fully satisfied for his debt. 2. If these cities were possessed by Israelites, Solomon did not give him their particular possessions, but only his own royalties over them, and all the profits he received from them, which were very considerable, as may be gathered from that passage, chap. xii. 4. 3. These cities, though they were within those large bounds which God fixed to the land of promise, Gen. xv. 18; Josh i. 4, yet were not within those parts which were distributed by Lot in Joshua's time, nor belonging to the tribe of Asher (as some suppose,) as may be gathered both from Josh. xix. 27, where their border is said to go out only to the land of Cabul, to wit, exclusively; and ver. 30, where all their cities are said to be a) Verba textus pi (quanquam eadem but twenty and two; and from 2 Chron. legerunt oi ó: kaì ó oikos ovTos éσTai ó únλós, viii. 2, where it is said of those cities, when quæ male cohærent cum sequentibus, pro Hiram restored them, that Solomon built quibus habet Vulgatus: domus hæc erit in them, and caused the children of Israel to exemplum,) ex loco parallelo 2 Chron. vii. 21 dwell there; which makes it more than emendanda sunt, ubi legitur probable that these cities were not inhabited Sic quoque habet Kennicotti cod. 176. by Israelites, but by Canaanites or other Maurer.—¡ quamquam nobilis est, heathens; who being subdued and extirpropr. ist es auch erhaben. 2 Chron. vii. 21 :pated by David, or Solomon, those cities , quæ est jejuna recentioris Dathe. -8 Hanc ædem autem adeo celebrem a) viatores obstupefacti exsibilabunt, &c. became a part of their dominions, and at their disposal; and afterwards were reckoned a part of Galilee, as Josephus notes; and may be one reason why he gave these rather than other cities, because they were in his power to give, when others were not. Bp. Patrick.-Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.] They were near or adjoining to the country of Galilee |