First Kings
From the Original 1599 Geneva Bible Notes

1Ki 1:1

1:1 Now king David was {a} old [and] stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no {b} heat.

The Argument - Because the children of God should expect no continual rest and quietness in this world, the Holy Spirit sets before our eyes in this book the variety and change of things, which came to the people of Israel from the death of David, Solomon, and the rest of the kings, to the death of Ahab. Declaring that flourishing kingdoms, unless they are preserved by God's protection, (who then favours them when his word is truly set forth, virtue esteemed, vice punished, and concord maintained) fall to decay and come to nothing as appears by the dividing of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, who were one people before and now by the just punishment of God were made two. Judah and Benjamin were under Rehoboam, and this was called the kingdom of Judah. The other ten tribes held with Jeroboam, and this was called the kingdom of Israel. The king of Judah had his throne in Jerusalem, and the king of Israel in Samaria, after it was built by Omri Ahab's father. Because our Saviour Christ according to the flesh, comes from the stock of David, the genealogy of the kings of Judah is here described, from Solomon to Joram the son of Jehoshaphat, who reigned over Judah in Jerusalem as Ahab did over Israel in Samaria.

(a) He was about 70 years old, 2Sa 5:4.
(b) For his natural heat was worn away with travels.

1Ki 1:3

1:3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag {c} a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

(c) A city in the tribe of Issachar, Jos 19:18.

1Ki 1:5

1:5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and {d} fifty men to run before him.

(d) Read 2Sa 15:1.

1Ki 1:7

1:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah {e} helped [him].

(e) They took his part and followed him.

1Ki 1:10

1:10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and {f} the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

(f) As the Cherethites and Pelethites.

1Ki 1:12

1:12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own {g} life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

(g) For Adonijah will destroy you and your son, if he reigns.

1Ki 1:14

1:14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and {h} confirm thy words.

(h) By declaring such things, as may further the same.

1Ki 1:18

1:18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest {i} [it] not:

(i) The king being worn with age, could not attend to the affairs of the realm, and also Adonijah had many who kept it from the king.

1Ki 1:21

1:21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be {k} counted offenders.

(k) And so put to death as wicked transgressors.

1Ki 1:23

1:23 And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face {l} to the ground.

(l) Acknowledging him to be the true and worthy king appointed by God, as the figure of his Christ.

1Ki 1:27

1:27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed [it] unto thy {m} servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

(m) Meaning, that in such affairs he should undertake nothing unless he had consulted with the Lord.

1Ki 1:30

1:30 Even as I {n} sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

(n) Moved by the Spirit of God to do so, because he foresaw that Solomon would be the figure of Christ.

1Ki 1:33

1:33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the {o} servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

(o) Meaning, the king's servants and such as were of his guard.

1Ki 1:39

1:39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of {p} oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

(p) With which they were accustomed to anoint the priests and the holy instruments, Ex 30:23.

1Ki 1:42

1:42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou [art] a valiant man, and bringest {q} good tidings.

(q) He praised Jonathan, thinking to have heard good news but God wrought things contrary to his expectation, and so beat down his pride.

1Ki 1:47

1:47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the {f} bed.

(f) He gave God thanks for the good success.

1Ki 1:50

1:50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the {t} altar.

(t) Which David his father had built in the floor of Araunah, 2Sa 24:25.

1Ki 2:2

2:2 I go the {a} way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

(a) I am ready to die as all men must.

1Ki 2:3

2:3 And keep the {b} charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

(b) He shows how hard it is to govern and that no one can do it well except he obey God.

1Ki 2:4

2:4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in {c} truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

(c) Without hypocrisy.

1Ki 2:5

2:5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, [and] what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and {d} shed the blood of war in peace, and {e} put the blood of war upon his girdle that [was] about his loins, and in his shoes that [were] on his feet.

(d) He shed his blood in time of peace, as if there had been war.
(e) He put the bloody sword into his sheath.

1Ki 2:7

2:7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: {f} for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

(f) That is, they dealt mercifully with me.

1Ki 2:9

2:9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou [art] a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with {g} blood.

(g) Let him be punished with death, see 1Ki 2:46.

1Ki 2:13

2:13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, {h} Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

(h) For she was afraid lest he would work treason against the king.

1Ki 2:15

2:15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and [that] all Israel {i} set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.

(i) In sign of their favour and consent.

1Ki 2:19

2:19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and {k} bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

(k) In token of reverence, and that others by his example might have her in greater honour.

1Ki 2:22

2:22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the {l} kingdom also; for he [is] mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

(l) Meaning, that if he would have granted Abishag, who was so dear to his father, he would later have aspired for the kingdom.

1Ki 2:26

2:26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou [art] worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou {m} barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

(m) When he fled before Absalom, 2Sa 15:24.

1Ki 2:28

2:28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had {n} turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

(n) He took Adonijah's part when he would have usurped the kingdom 1Ki 1:7.

1Ki 2:29

2:29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, [he is] by the {o} altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

(o) Thinking to be saved by the holiness of the place.

1Ki 2:31

2:31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and {p} fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

(p) For it was lawful to take the wilful murderer from the altar, Ex 21:14.

1Ki 2:33

2:33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the {q} head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.

(q) Joab will be justly punished for the blood that he has cruelly shed.

1Ki 2:35

2:35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the {r} priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

(r) And so took the office of high priest from the house of Eli, and restored it to the house of Phinehas.

1Ki 2:39

2:39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the {s} servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants [be] in Gath.

(s) Thus God appoints the ways and means to bring his just judgments on the wicked.

1Ki 2:40

2:40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and {t} Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

(t) His covetous mind moved him to risk his life, rather than to lose the worldly profit he had by his servants.

1Ki 2:44

2:44 The king said moreover to Shimei, {u} Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;

(u) For though you would deny it, your own conscience accuses you for reviling and doing wrong to my father, 2Sa 16:5.

1Ki 2:46

2:46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was {x} established in the hand of Solomon.

(x) Because all his enemies were destroyed.

1Ki 3:1

3:1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the {a} city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

(a) Which was Bethlehem.

1Ki 3:2

3:2 Only the people sacrificed in {b} high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

(b) Where altars were appointed before the temple was built, to offer to the Lord.

1Ki 3:3

3:3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his {c} father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

(c) For his father had commanded him to obey the Lord and walk in his ways, 1Ki 2:3.

1Ki 3:4

3:4 And the king went to {d} Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that [was] the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

(d) For there the tabernacle was 2Ch 1:3.

1Ki 3:6

3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast {e} kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as [it is] this day.

(e) You have performed your promise.

1Ki 3:7

3:7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I [am but] a little child: I know not [how] to {f} go out or come in.

(f) That is, to behave himself in executing this charge of ruling.

1Ki 3:9

3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so {g} great a people?

(g) Which are so many in number.

1Ki 3:11

3:11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine {h} enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

(h) That is, that their enemy would die.

1Ki 3:15

3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, [it was] {i} a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

(i) He knew that God had appeared to him in a dream.

1Ki 3:16

3:16 Then came there two women, [that were] harlots, unto the king, and {k} stood before him.

(k) By this example it appears that God kept his promise to Solomon in granting him wisdom.

1Ki 3:20

3:20 And she arose at midnight, and {l} took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

(l) She stole the living child to avoid both the shame and punishment.

1Ki 3:24

3:24 And the king said, {m} Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

(m) Unless God gives judges understanding, the impudency of the trespasser will overthrow the just cause of the innocent.

1Ki 3:26

3:26 Then spake the woman whose the living child [was] unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and {n} in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, [but] divide [it].

(n) Her motherly affection appears in that she would rather endure the rigor of the law than see her child cruelly slain.

1Ki 4:2

4:2 And these [were] the {a} princes which he had; {b} Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

(a) That is, his chief officers.
(b) He was the son of Achimais and Zadok's nephew.

1Ki 4:4

4:4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and {c} Abiathar [were] the priests:

(c) Not Abiathar whom Solomon had put from his office, 1Ki 2:27 but another of that name.

1Ki 4:13

4:13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him [pertained] the towns of {d} Jair the son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; to him [also pertained] the region of Argob, which [is] in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:

(d) Which bore Jair's name, because he took them from the Canaanites, Nu 32:41.

1Ki 4:17

4:17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in {e} Issachar:

(e) Solomon did not observe the division that Joshua made, but divided it as might best serve his purposes.

1Ki 4:20

4:20 Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, {f} eating and drinking, and making merry.

(f) They lived in all peace and security.

1Ki 4:21

4:21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the {g} river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

(g) Which is the Euphrates.

1Ki 4:24

4:24 For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the {h} kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

(h) For they were all tributaries to him.

1Ki 4:25

4:25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from {i} Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

(i) Throughout all Israel.

1Ki 4:29

4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and {k} largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.

(k) Meaning, great understanding and able to comprehend all things.

1Ki 4:30

4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the {l} east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

(l) That is, the philosophers and astronomers who were judged most wise.

1Ki 4:32

4:32 And he spake three thousand {m} proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

(m) Which for the most part are thought to have perished in the captivity of Babylon.

1Ki 4:33

4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon even unto the {n} hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

(n) From the highest to the lowest.

1Ki 5:4

5:4 But now the LORD my God hath given me {a} rest on every side, [so that there is] neither adversary nor evil occurrent.

(a) He declares that he was bound to set forth God's glory for as much as the Lord had sent him rest and peace.

1Ki 5:6

5:6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give {b} hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that [there is] not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.

(b) This was his equity, that he would not receive a benefit without some recompence.

1Ki 5:7

5:7 And it came to pass, when {c} Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed [be] the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.

(c) In Hiram is prefigured the calling of the Gentiles who would help build the spiritual temple.

1Ki 5:9

5:9 My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive [them]: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for {d} my household.

(d) While my servants are occupied with your business.

1Ki 5:12

5:12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they {e} two made a league together.

(e) Concerning the furniture of wood.

1Ki 5:18

5:18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's {f} builders did hew [them], and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

(f) The Hebrew word is Giblim, which some say were excellent masons.

1Ki 6:1

6:1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month {a} Zif, which [is] the second month, that he began to build the {b} house of the LORD.

(a) Which contains part of April and part of May.
(b) By which is meant the temple and the oracle.

1Ki 6:3

6:3 And the {c} porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits [was] the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; [and] ten cubits [was] the breadth thereof before the house.

(c) Or the court where the people prayed which was before the place where the altar of burnt offerings stood.

1Ki 6:5

6:5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, [against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of {d} the oracle: and he made chambers round about:

(d) When God spoke between the Cherubim, called also the most holy place.

1Ki 6:6

6:6 The nethermost chamber [was] five cubits broad, and the middle [was] six cubits broad, and the third [was] seven cubits broad: for without [in the wall] of the house he made narrowed {e} rests round about, that [the beams] should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

(e) Which were certain stones coming out of the wall, as stays for the beams to rest upon.

1Ki 6:9

6:9 So he built the {f} house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

(f) In Exodus it is called the tabernacle, and the temple is here called the sanctuary and the oracle the most holy place.

1Ki 6:13

6:13 And I will {g} dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

(g) According as he promised to Moses, Ex 25:22.

1Ki 6:15

6:15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and {h} the walls of the cieling: [and] he covered [them] on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

(h) Meaning, to the roof which was also sealed.

1Ki 6:17

6:17 And the {i} house, that [is], the temple before it, was forty cubits [long].

(i) For when he spoke of the house in the first verse, he meant both the oracle and the temple.

1Ki 6:19

6:19 And the oracle he prepared in the {k} house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

(k) That is, in the most inward place of the house.

1Ki 6:22

6:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the {l} whole altar that [was] by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

(l) Meaning, the altar of incense, Ex 30:1.

1Ki 6:28

6:28 And he {m} overlaid the cherubims with gold.

(m) For the others which Moses made of beaten gold were taken away with the other jewels by their enemies, whom God permitted at various times to overcome them for their great sins.

1Ki 6:32

6:32 The two doors also [were of] olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid [them] with gold, and {n} spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.

(n) So that the fashion of the carved work might still appear.

1Ki 6:36

6:36 And he built the inner {o} court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.

(o) Where the priests were, and was thus called in respect to the great court, which is called the porch of Solomon in Ac 3:11 where the people used to pray.

1Ki 6:38

6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month {p} Bul, which [is] the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

(p) Which contains part of October and part of November.

1Ki 7:1

7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he {a} finished all his house.

(a) After he had built the temple.

1Ki 7:2

7:2 He built also the house {b} of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof [was] an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

(b) Because of the beauty of the place, and great abundance of cedar trees that went into the building of it, it was compared to mount Lebanon.

1Ki 7:4

7:4 And [there were] windows [in] three rows, and light [was] {c} against light [in] three ranks.

(c) There were as many and like proportion on the one side as the other, and at every end even three in a row one above another.

1Ki 7:6

7:6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof [was] fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch [was] before {d} them: and the [other] pillars and the thick beam [were] before them.

(d) Before the pillars of the house.

1Ki 7:7

7:7 Then he made a porch {e} for the throne where he might judge, [even] the porch of judgment: and [it was] covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

(e) For his house which was at Jerusalem.

1Ki 7:9

7:9 All these [were of] costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto {f} the coping, and [so] on the outside toward the great court.

(f) Which were rests and stays for the beams to lie on.

1Ki 7:11

7:11 And {g} above [were] costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.

(g) From the foundation upward.

1Ki 7:12

7:12 And the great court round about [was] with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, {h} both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.

(h) As the Lord's house was built so was this, only the great court of Solomon's house was uncovered.

1Ki 7:14

7:14 He [was] a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father [was] a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and {i} he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

(i) Thus when God will have his glory set forth, he raises up men, and gives them excellent gifts for the accomplishment of the same, Ex 31:2,3.

1Ki 7:19

7:19 And the chapiters that [were] upon the top of the pillars [were] of {k} lily work in the porch, four cubits.

(k) As was seen commonly wrought in costly porches.

1Ki 7:21

7:21 And he set up the pillars in the {l} porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof {m} Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof {n} Boaz.

(l) Which was in the inner court between the temple and the oracle.
(m) That is, he will stablish, that is, his promise toward this house.
(n) That is, in strength: meaning the power of it will continue.

1Ki 7:23

7:23 And he made a molten {o} sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: [it was] round all about, and his height [was] five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

(o) So called for the size of the vessel.

1Ki 7:26

7:26 And it [was] an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand {p} baths.

(p) Bath and ephah seem to be one measure, Eze 45:11 a bath contains about 5 gallons.

1Ki 7:31

7:31 And the {q} mouth of it within the chapiter and above [was] a cubit: but the mouth thereof [was] round [after] the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it [were] gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

(q) The mouth of the great base or frame entered into the chapiter, or pillar that bore up the cauldron.

1Ki 7:35

7:35 And in the top of the base [was there] a round {v} compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof [were] of the same.

(v) Which was called the pillar, chapiter or small base, in which the cauldron stood.

1Ki 7:38

7:38 Then made he {s} ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: [and] every laver was four cubits: [and] upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

(s) To keep waters for the use of the sacrifices.

1Ki 7:39

7:39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the {t} house eastward over against the south.

(t) That is, of the temple or sanctuary.

1Ki 7:45

7:45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which {u} Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, [were of] bright brass.

(u) By this name also Hiram the king of Tyrus was called.

1Ki 7:48

7:48 And Solomon made all the vessels that [pertained] unto the house of the LORD: the {x} altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread [was],

(x) This was done according to the form that the Lord prescribed to Moses in Exodus.

1Ki 7:50

7:50 And the bowls, {y} and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers [of] pure gold; and the hinges [of] gold, [both] for the doors of the inner house, the most holy [place, and] for the doors of the house, [to wit], of the temple.

(y) Some take this for some musical instrument.

1Ki 8:1

8:1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might {a} bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion.

(a) For David brought it from Obed-edom, and placed it in the tabernacle which he made for it in 2Sa 6:17.

1Ki 8:2

8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month {b} Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month.

(b) Containing part of September and part of October, in which they held three solemn feasts, Nu 29:1.

1Ki 8:6

8:6 And the {c} priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims.

(c) That is, the Kohathites, Nu 4:5.

1Ki 8:8

8:8 And they {d} drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy [place] before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.

(d) They drew them out only far enough to be seen, for they could not pull them out completely, Ex 25:15.

1Ki 8:9

8:9 [There was] nothing in the ark {e} save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

(e) For it is likely that the enemy when they had the ark in their hands took away the rod of Aaron and the pot of manna.

1Ki 8:13

8:13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for {f} ever.

(f) He spoke according to the tenor of God's promise which was on the condition that they served him correctly.

1Ki 8:21

8:21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein [is] the {g} covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

(g) The two tables in which the articles of the covenant were written.

1Ki 8:23

8:23 And he said, LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with {h} all their heart:

(h) Truthfully and without hypocrisy.

1Ki 8:27

8:27 {i} But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

(i) He is ravished with the admiration of God's mercies, who being incomprehensible and Lord over all will become familiar with men.

1Ki 8:31

8:31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, {k} and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:

(k) That is, the judge or neighbours.

1Ki 8:32

8:32 Then hear thou in heaven, and {l} do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

(l) That is, make it known.

1Ki 8:33

8:33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and {m} confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:

(m) Acknowledge your just judgment and praise you.

1Ki 8:35

8:35 When heaven is {n} shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:

(n) So that there is a drought to destroy the fruit of the land.

1Ki 8:38

8:38 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 {o} heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:

(o) For such are most suitable to receive God's mercies.

1Ki 8:41

8:41 Moreover concerning a {p} stranger, that [is] not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;

(p) He means such as should be turned from their idolatry to serve the true God.

1Ki 8:43

8:43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as [do] thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy {q} name.

(q) That this is the true religion with which you will be worshipped.

1Ki 8:47

8:47 [Yet] if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee {r} in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;

(r) Though the temple was the chief place of prayer, yet he does not exclude them who being forced by necessity to call upon him in other places.

1Ki 8:48

8:48 And [so] return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward {s} their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

(s) As Daniel did in Da 6:10.

1Ki 8:50

8:50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may {t} have compassion on them:

(t) He understood by faith, that God of enemies would make friends with them who converted to him.

1Ki 8:54

8:54 And it was [so], that when Solomon had made an {u} end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

(u) Solomon is a figure of Christ, who continually is the mediator between God and his Church.

1Ki 8:58

8:58 That he may {x} incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

(x) He concludes that man of himself is enemy to God, and that all obedience to his law proceeds from his mercy.

1Ki 8:63

8:63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the {y} house of the LORD.

(y) Before the oracle where the ark was.

1Ki 8:65

8:65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of {z} Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, {a} seven days and seven days, [even] fourteen days.

(z) That is, from North to South: meaning all the country.
(a) Seven days for the dedication, and seven for the feast.

1Ki 9:4

9:4 And {a} 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 judgments:

(a) If you walk in my fear, and withdraw yourself from the common manner of men, who follow their sensualities.

1Ki 9:6

9:6 [But] if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will {b} not keep my commandments [and] my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:

(b) God declares that disobedience against him, is the cause of his displeasure, and so of all misery.

1Ki 9:7

9:7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the 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 {c} proverb and a byword among all people:

(c) The world will make a mockery of you for the vile contempt and abusing of God's most liberal benefit.

1Ki 9:14

9:14 And Hiram sent to the king {d} sixscore {e} talents of gold.

(d) For his tribute toward the building.
(e) The common talent was about 60 pound weight.

1Ki 9:15

9:15 And this [is] the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and {f} Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

(f) Millo was as the town house or place of assembly which was open above.

1Ki 9:19

9:19 And all the cities {g} of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

(g) Cities for his ammunition.

1Ki 9:20

9:20 [And] all the people [that were] {h} left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which [were] not of the children of Israel,

(h) These were as bondmen and paid what was required, either labour or money.

1Ki 9:23

9:23 These [were] the chief of the officers that [were] over Solomon's work, {i} five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.

(i) The overseers of Solomon's works were divided into three parts: the first contained 3300, the second 300, and the third 250 who were Israelites. Here are the two last parts, which make 550. See 2Ch 8:10.

1Ki 9:28

9:28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, {k} four hundred and twenty talents, and brought [it] to king Solomon.

(k) In 2Ch 8:18 , 30 more are mentioned who seem to have been employed for their wages.

1Ki 10:1

10:1 And when the queen of {a} Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

(a) Josephus says that she was Queen of Ethiopia, and that Sheba was the name of the chief city of Meroe, which is an island of the Nile.

1Ki 10:5

10:5 And the {b} meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

(b) That is, the whole order, and trade of his house.

1Ki 10:8

10:8 Happy [are] thy men, happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, [and] that hear thy {c} wisdom.

(c) But much more happy are they, who hear the wisdom of God revealed in his word.

1Ki 10:9

10:9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which {d} delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do {e} judgment and justice.

(d) It is a chief sign of God's favour, when godly and wise rulers fit in the throne of justice.
(e) This is the reason kings are appointed.

1Ki 10:15

10:15 Beside [that he had] of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the {f} country.

(f) That is, Arabia, which for the great abundance of all things was called Happy.

1Ki 10:19

10:19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne [was] round behind: and [there were] {g} stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

(g) As the chair bows, or places to lean upon.

1Ki 10:22

10:22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of {h} Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

(h) By Tharshish is meant Cilicia, which was abundant in the variety of precious things.

1Ki 11:1

11:1 But king Solomon loved many {a} strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, [and] Hittites;

(a) Who were idolaters.

1Ki 11:3

11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred {b} concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

(b) To whom belonged no dowry.

1Ki 11:4

11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not {c} perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father.

(c) He did not serve God with a pure heart.

1Ki 11:5

11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after {d} Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

(d) Who was also called Molech in 1Ki 11:7. See also 2Ki 23:10.

1Ki 11:7

11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the {e} abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

(e) Thus the scripture calls whatever man reveres and serves as God.

1Ki 11:11

11:11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as {f} this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

(f) That you have forsaken me and worshipped idols.

1Ki 11:13

11:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; [but] will give one {g} tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

(g) Because the tribes of Judah and Benjamin had their possessions mixed, they are here taken as one tribe.

1Ki 11:14

11:14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he [was] of the king's {h} seed in Edom.

(h) Of the king of Edom's stock.

1Ki 11:15

11:15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the {i} slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;

(i) Of the Edomites.

1Ki 11:17

11:17 That Hadad {k} fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad [being] yet a little child.

(k) Thus God reserved this idolater as scourge to punish his people's sins.

1Ki 11:19

11:19 And Hadad {l} found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

(l) God brought him honour, that his power might be more able to compass his enterprises against Solomon's house.

1Ki 11:23

11:23 And God stirred him up [another] adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which {m} fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:

(m) When David had defeated Hadadezer and his army.

1Ki 11:24

11:24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them [of Zobah]: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, {n} and reigned in Damascus.

(n) That is, the men whom he had gathered to him.

1Ki 11:28

11:28 And the man Jeroboam [was] a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him {o} ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

(o) He was overseer of Solomon's works for the tribe of Ephraim and Manasseh.

1Ki 11:30

11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that [was] on him, and {p} rent it [in] twelve pieces:

(p) By these visible signs the prophets would more deeply print their message into the hearts of those to whom they were sent.

1Ki 11:36

11:36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a {q} light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

(q) He refers to the Messiah, who would be the bright star that would shine through all the world.

1Ki 11:39

11:39 And I will {r} for this afflict the seed of David, {s} but not for ever.

(r) For this idolatry that Solomon has committed.
(s) For the whole spiritual kingdom was restored in the Messiah.

1Ki 11:41

11:41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, [are] they not written in the {t} book of the acts of Solomon?

(t) Which it is thought was lost in their captivity.

1Ki 12:4

12:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, {a} lighter, and we will serve thee.

(a) Do not oppress us with such high taxes, which we are not able to pay.

1Ki 12:7

12:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a {b} servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

(b) They showed him that there was no way to win the people's hearts but to grant them their just petition.

1Ki 12:9

12:9 And he said unto them, {c} What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

(c) There is nothing harder for them that are in authority than to control their desires and follow good counsel.

1Ki 12:10

12:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou [it] lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little [finger] shall be {d} thicker than my father's loins.

(d) I am much more able to keep you in subjection than my father was.

1Ki 12:12

12:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had {e} appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

(e) The people declare their obedience in this that they attempted nothing before the king gave them just opportunity.

1Ki 12:16

12:16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in {f} David? neither [have we] inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

(f) Though their cause was good, yet it was hard for the people to control their desires, as these vile words declare.

1Ki 12:19

12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house {g} of David unto this day.

(g) By the just judgment of God for Solomon's sins.

1Ki 12:21

12:21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he {h} assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

(h) For as yet he did not realize that the Lord had so appointed it.

1Ki 12:22

12:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the {i} man of God, saying,

(i) That is, the Prophet.

1Ki 12:24

12:24 Thus saith the {k} LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

(k) Who of his just judgment will punish the trespasser, and of his mercy spare the innocent people.

1Ki 12:27

12:27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD {l} at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

(l) He feared least his people should have by this means been enticed to rebel against him.

1Ki 12:28

12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, {m} It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

(m) So crafty are carnal persuasions of princes, when they will make a religion serve their appetite.

1Ki 12:31

12:31 And he made an {n} house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

(n) That is, a temple, where altars were built for idolatry.

1Ki 12:32

12:32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the {o} fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that [is] in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.

(o) Because he would bind the people's devotion to his idolatry even more, he made a new holy day, besides those that the Lord had appointed in the law.

1Ki 13:1

13:1 And, behold, there came {a} a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto {b} Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

(a) That is, a prophet.
(b) Not that that was called Luz in Benjamin, but another of that name.

1Ki 13:3

13:3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This [is] the {c} sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that [are] upon it shall be poured out.

(c) By this sign you will know that the Lord has sent me.

1Ki 13:4

13:4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, {d} Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

(d) The wicked rage against the prophets of God, when they declare God's judgment to them.

1Ki 13:6

13:6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, {e} Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as [it was] before.

(e) Though the wicked humble themselves for a time when they feel God's judgment, they return to their old malice and declare that they are but vile hypocrites.

1Ki 13:9

13:9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, {f} Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

(f) Seeing he had the express word of God, he should not have declined from it, neither for the persuasion of man nor angel.

1Ki 13:15

13:15 Then he said unto him, {g} Come home with me, and eat bread.

(g) This he did of a simple mind, thinking it his duty to declare friendship to a prophet.

1Ki 13:18

13:18 He said unto him, I [am] a prophet also as thou [art]; and an {h} angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. [But] he lied unto him.

(h) His fault is here double, first in that he did not permit the prophet to obey God's express commandment, and next that he pretended to have a revelation to the contrary.

1Ki 13:21

13:21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, {i} Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

(i) God would reprove his folly by him who caused him to err.

1Ki 13:24

13:24 And when he was gone, {k} a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

(k) By this fearful example, God sets forth how dangerous it is for men to behave coldly, or deceitfully in the charge to which God has called them.

1Ki 13:28

13:28 And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had {l} not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.

(l) To declare that this was only the judgment of God: for if the lion had done it for hunger, he would also have devoured the body.

1Ki 13:30

13:30 And he laid his carcase in his {m} own grave; and they mourned over him, [saying], Alas, my brother!

(m) Which he had prepared for himself.

1Ki 13:33

13:33 After this thing Jeroboam {u} returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became [one] of the priests of the high places.

(u) So the wicked do not profit by God's threatenings, but go backward and become worse and worse, 2Ti 3:13.

1Ki 14:2

14:2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, {a} and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there [is] Ahijah the prophet, which told me that [I should be] king over this people.

(a) His own conscience bore witness to him that the prophet of God would not satisfy his desires, who was a wicked man.

1Ki 14:3

14:3 And take with {b} thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.

(b) According to the custom when they went to ask counsel of prophets, 1Sa 9:7.

1Ki 14:5

14:5 And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he [is] sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself [to be] {c} another [woman].

(c) Than the wife of Jeroboam.

1Ki 14:6

14:6 And it was [so], when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou {d} wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself [to be] another? for I [am] sent to thee [with] heavy [tidings].

(d) For God often discloses to his own the craft and subtilty of the wicked.

1Ki 14:7

14:7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted {e} thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel,

(e) Who was but a servant.

1Ki 14:9

14:9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and {i} molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:

(i) That is, two calves.

1Ki 14:10

14:10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that {g} pisseth against the wall, [and] him that {h} is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.

(g) Every male even to the dogs, 1Sa 25:22.
(h) As well him that is in the stronghold, as him that is abroad.

1Ki 14:11

14:11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: {i} for the LORD hath spoken [it].

(i) They will lack the honour of burial in token of God's curse.

1Ki 14:13

14:13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found {k} [some] good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

(k) In the midst of the wicked, God has some on whom he bestows his mercies.

1Ki 14:14

14:14 Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: {l} but what? even now.

(l) The Lord will begin to destroy it out of hand.

1Ki 14:15

14:15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the {m} river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.

(m) Meaning the Euphrates.

1Ki 14:16

14:16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who {n} made Israel to sin.

(n) The people will not be excused when they do evil at the commandment of their governors.

1Ki 14:20

14:20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned [were] two and twenty years: and he {o} slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.

(o) The Lord smote him and he died, 2Ch 13:20.

1Ki 14:21

14:21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen {p} years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess.

(p) And died about four years before Jeroboam.

1Ki 14:24

14:24 And there were also sodomites in the {q} land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

(q) Where idolatry reigns, all horrible vices are committed, till at length God's just judgment destroys them completely.

1Ki 14:29

14:29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, [are] they not written in {r} the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

(r) Which were called the books of Shemaiah and Iddo the prophets, 2Ch 12:15.

1Ki 14:30

14:30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam {s} all [their] days.

(s) That is, all the days of Rehoboam's life.

1Ki 14:31

14:31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name [was] Naamah an {t} Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

(t) Whose idolatry Rehoboam her son followed.

1Ki 15:2

15:2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maachah, the daughter of {a} Abishalom.

(a) Some think that this was Absalom Solomon's son.

1Ki 15:4

15:4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a {b} lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:

(b) Meaning, a son to reign over Judah.

1Ki 15:10

15:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his {c} mother's name [was] Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

(c) That is, his grandmother, as David is often called the father of those who are his grandchildren.

1Ki 15:13

15:13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he {d} removed from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt [it] by the brook Kidron.

(d) Neither kindred nor authority should be regarded when they blaspheme God and become idolaters, but must be punished.

1Ki 15:14

15:14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was {e} perfect with the LORD all his days.

(e) Though he permitted them to worship God in other places than he had appointed it came from ignorance, and not from malice.

1Ki 15:17

15:17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built {f} Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

(f) For the same reason that Jeroboam did, because the people should not go up to Jerusalem, least they follow Asa.

1Ki 15:19

15:19 [There is] a league between me and thee, [and] between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may {g} depart from me.

(g) And vex me no longer.

1Ki 15:23

15:23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his {h} feet.

(h) He had gout and put his trust physicians rather than in the Lord, 2Ch 16:12.

1Ki 15:24

15:24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his {i} father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.

(i) His great-grandfather.

1Ki 15:29

15:29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, [that] he {k} smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:

(k) So God stirred up one tyrant to punish the wickedness of another.

1Ki 15:30

15:30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his {l} provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

(l) By causing the people to commit idolatry with his calves, and so provoking God to anger.

1Ki 15:33

15:33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in {m} Tirzah, twenty and four years.

(m) Which was the place where the kings of Israel remained.

1Ki 16:2

16:2 {a} Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;

(a) Thus spoke Jehu to Baasha in the Name of the Lord.

1Ki 16:3

16:3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make {b} thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

(b) Meaning, the house of Baasha.

1Ki 16:7

16:7 And also {c} by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed {d} him.

(c) That is, the prophet did his message.
(d) Meaning, Nadab Jeroboam's son.

1Ki 16:9

16:9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half [his] chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, {e} drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of [his] house in Tirzah.

(e) The Chaldee text has this, "Drinking till he was drunk in the temple of Arza the idol by his house in Tirzah".

1Ki 16:12

16:12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the {f} prophet,

(f) Both Hanani his father and he were prophets.

1Ki 16:15

16:15 In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people [were] encamped {g} against Gibbethon, which [belonged] to the Philistines.

(g) The siege had continued from the time of Nadab Jeroboam's son.

1Ki 16:17

16:17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged {h} Tirzah.

(h) Where Zimri holed up.

1Ki 16:21

16:21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: {i} half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.

(i) That is, the people who were not at the siege of Gibbethon: for there they had chosen Omri.

1Ki 16:25

16:25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did {k} worse than all that [were] before him.

(k) For such is the nature of idolatry, that the superstition of it daily increases, and the older it is, the more abominable it is before God and his Church.

1Ki 16:28

16:28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in {l} Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

(l) He was the first king that was buried in Samaria, after that the kings house was burnt in Tirzah.

1Ki 16:31

16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took {m} to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

(m) By whose influence he fell into wicked and strange idolatry and cruel persecution.

1Ki 16:34

16:34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build {n} Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest [son] Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

(n) See Jos 6:26.

1Ki 17:1

17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, [As] the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I {a} stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but {b} according to my word.

(a) That is, whom I serve.
(b) But as I will declare it by God's revelation.

1Ki 17:4

17:4 And it shall be, [that] thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the {c} ravens to feed thee there.

(c) To strengthen his faith against persecution, God promises to feed him miraculously.

1Ki 17:8

17:8 And the {d} word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

(d) As the troubles of the saints of God are many, so his mercy is always at hand to deliver them.

1Ki 17:10

17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman [was] there {e} gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

(e) All this was to strengthen the faith of Elijah, to the intent that he would look for nothing worldly, but only trust God's providence.

1Ki 17:12

17:12 And she said, [As] the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I [am] gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and {f} die.

(f) For there is no hope of any more sustenance.

1Ki 17:14

17:14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, {g} The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day [that] the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

(g) God receives no benefit for the use of his own, but he promises an ample recompence for them.

1Ki 17:15

17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat {h} [many] days.

(h) That is, till he had rain and food on the earth.

1Ki 17:17

17:17 And it came to pass after these things, [that] the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no {i} breath left in him.

(i) God would test whether she had learned by his merciful providence to make him her only stay and comfort.

1Ki 17:20

17:20 And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also {k} brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

(k) He was afraid lest God's name be blasphemed and his ministry contemned, unless he continued his mercies as he had begun them, especially while he remained there.

1Ki 17:24

17:24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this {l} I know that thou [art] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in thy mouth [is] truth.

(l) It is hard to depend on God, unless we are confirmed by miracles.

1Ki 18:1

18:1 And it came to pass [after] many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the {a} third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

(a) After that he departed from the river Cherith.

1Ki 18:3

18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which [was] the governor of [his] house. (Now Obadiah {b} feared the LORD greatly:

(b) God had begun to work his fear in his heart, but had not yet brought him to the knowledge which is also required of the godly: that is, to profess his Name openly.

1Ki 18:7

18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah {c} met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, [Art] thou that my lord Elijah?

(c) God often pities the wicked for the sake of the godly, and causes Elijah to meet with Obadiah, that the blessing might be known to be granted for the sake of God's children.

1Ki 18:12

18:12 And it shall come to pass, [as soon as] I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and [so] when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant {d} fear the LORD from my youth.

(d) I am not of the wicked persecutors that you should procure to me such displeasure, but serve God and favour his children.

1Ki 18:15

18:15 And Elijah said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew {e} myself unto him to day.

(e) By my presence I will declare that you have told him the truth.

1Ki 18:18

18:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but {f} thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

(f) The true ministers of God should not only not permit falsehoods, but should boldly reprove the wicked slanderers without respect of persons.

1Ki 18:21

18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long {g} halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

(g) Be consistent in religion and do not be indifferent, whether you follow God or Baal, or whether you serve God wholly or in part, Zep 1:5.

1Ki 18:24

18:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth {h} by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

(h) By sending down fire from heaven to burn the sacrifice.

1Ki 18:26

18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed [it], and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But [there was] no voice, nor any that answered. And they {i} leaped upon the altar which was made.

(i) As men possessed by some strange spirit.

1Ki 18:27

18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he [is] a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, [or] peradventure he sleepeth, and must be {l} awaked.

(l) He mocks their beastly madness, who think that by any instance or suit, the dead and vile idols can help their worshippers in their necessity.

1Ki 18:35

18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he {m} filled the trench also with water.

(m) By this he declared the excellent power of God, who contrary to nature could make the fire burn even in the water, so that they should have no opportunity to doubt that he is the only God.

1Ki 18:37

18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou [art] the LORD God, and [that] thou hast turned their heart back {n} again.

(n) Though God permits his to run in blindness and error for a time, yet eventually he calls them home to him by some notorious sign and work.

1Ki 18:40

18:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not {o} one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

(o) He commanded them that as they were truly persuaded to confess the only God: so they should serve him with all their power, and destroy the idolaters his enemies.

1Ki 18:43

18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, [There is] nothing. And he said, Go again {p} seven times.

(p) As God's spirit moved him to pray, so was he strengthened by the same that he did not faint, but continued still till he had obtained.

1Ki 18:46

18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran {q} before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

(q) He was so strengthened by God's spirit that he ran faster than the chariot was able to run.

1Ki 19:1

19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the {a} prophets with the sword.

(a) That is, of Baal.

1Ki 19:2

19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, {b} So let the gods do [to me], and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

(b) Though the wicked rage against God's children, yet he holds them back so they cannot execute their malice.

1Ki 19:4

19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, {c} take away my life; for I [am] not better than my fathers.

(c) It is so hard to control our impatience in affliction, that the saints could not overcome the same.

1Ki 19:7

19:7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise [and] eat; because {d} the journey [is] too great for thee.

(d) He declares that unless God had nourished him miraculously it would have been impossible for him to have gone on this journey.

1Ki 19:10

19:10 And he said, I have {e} been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, [even] I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

(e) He complains that the more zealous he was to maintain God's glory, the more cruelly he was persecuted.

1Ki 19:11

19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; [but] the LORD [was] {f} not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; [but] the LORD [was] not in the earthquake:

(f) For the nature of man is not able to come near God, if he appeared in his strength and full majesty, and therefore he mercifully submits himself to our limitations.

1Ki 19:14

19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: {g} because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, [even] I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

(g) So should not depend on the multitude in maintaining God's glory, but because our duty requires us to do it.

1Ki 19:18

19:18 Yet I have left [me] seven thousand in Israel, {h} all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

(h) He declares that wicked deceivers and idolaters are not his.

1Ki 19:20

19:20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, {i} Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and [then] I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

(i) Though this natural affection is not to be contemned, yet it should not move us when God calls us to serve him.

1Ki 19:21

19:21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the {k} instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

(k) He would not stay till wood was brought, so great was his desire to follow his calling.

1Ki 20:1

20:1 And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and [there were] thirty and two {a} kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

(a) That is, governors and rulers of provinces.

1Ki 20:4

20:4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, {b} I [am] thine, and all that I have.

(b) I am content to obey and pay tribute.

1Ki 20:6

20:6 {c} Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, [that] whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put [it] in their hand, and take [it] away.

(c) He would not accept his answer unless he out of hand delivered whatever he asked, for he sought an opportunity to make war against him.

1Ki 20:8

20:8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken {d} not [unto him], nor consent.

(d) They thought it their duty to risk their lives, rather than grant that thing which was not lawful, only to satisfy the lust of a tyrant.

1Ki 20:10

20:10 And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the {e} dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

(e) Much less will there be found any prey that is worth anything, when they are so many.

1Ki 20:11

20:11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that girdeth on [his harness] boast himself as he that {f} putteth it off.

(f) Do not boast before the victory is won.

1Ki 20:13

20:13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know {g} that I [am] the LORD.

(g) Before God went about with signs and miracles to pull Ahab from his impiety, and now again with wonderful victories.

1Ki 20:17

20:17 And the {h} young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

(h) That is, young men trained in the service of princes.

1Ki 20:20

20:20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the {i} horsemen.

(i) They who were appointed for the preservation of his person.

1Ki 20:23

20:23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their {k} gods [are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

(k) Thus the wicked blaspheme God in their fury, who nonetheless he does not permit to go unpunished.

1Ki 20:27

20:27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all {l} present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

(l) All those who were in the battle of the previous years, 1Ki 20:15.

1Ki 20:28

20:28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD [is] God of the hills, but he [is] not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that {m} I [am] the LORD.

(m) Who has the same power in the valley as on the hills and can also destroy a multitude with few as with many.

1Ki 20:31

20:31 And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel [are] merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our {n} loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.

(n) In sign of submission and that we have deserved death, if he will punish us with rigour.

1Ki 20:33

20:33 Now the men did diligently observe whether [any thing would come] from him, and did hastily catch [it]: and they said, Thy brother {o} Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

(o) He is alive.

1Ki 20:34

20:34 And [Benhadad] said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in {p} Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then [said Ahab], I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

(p) You shall appoint in my chief city what you will, and I will obey you.

1Ki 20:35

20:35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, {q} Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.

(q) By this external sign he would more likely touch the king's heart.

1Ki 20:36

20:36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall {r} slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

(r) Because you have transgressed the commandment of the Lord.

1Ki 20:39

20:39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, {s} Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

(s) By this parable he makes Ahab condemn himself who made a covenant with God's enemy, and let him escape whom God had appointed to be slain.

1Ki 21:2

21:2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, {a} Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it [is] near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; [or], if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

(a) Though Ahab's tyranny is condemned by the Holy Spirit, yet he was not so rigorous that he would take from another man his right without full recompense.

1Ki 21:4

21:4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down {b} upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

(b) Thus the wicked do not consider what is just and lawful, but fret inwardly when they cannot have their inordinate lusts satisfied.

1Ki 21:7

21:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, {c} Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, [and] eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

(c) As though she said, "You do not know what it means to reign. Command and do not beg".

1Ki 21:9

21:9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a {d} fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

(d) For then they used to enquire of men's faults: for no one could truly fast if he was a notorious sinner.

1Ki 21:11

21:11 And the {e} men of his city, [even] the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, [and] as it [was] written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

(e) Thus the worldlings contrary to God's commandment, who does not consent to the shedding of innocent blood, would rather obey the wicked commandments of princes than the just laws.

1Ki 21:15

21:15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, {f} Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

(f) This example of monstrous cruelty the Holy Spirit leaves to us, to the intent that we should abhor all tyranny, and especially in those whom nature and kind should move to be pitiful and inclined to mercy.

1Ki 21:19

21:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, {g} Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, {h} In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

(g) Do you think to have an advantage by murdering an innocent?
(h) This was fulfilled in Joram his son 2Ki 9:25,26.

1Ki 21:25

21:25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did {i} sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

(i) By the wicked counsel of his wife he became a vile idolater, and cruel murderer, as one that gave himself wholly to serve sin.

1Ki 21:27

21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went {k} softly.

(k) In token of mourning, or as some read, barefooted.

1Ki 21:29

21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: [but] in his {l} son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

(l) Meaning, in Joram's time, 2Ki 9:26.

1Ki 22:1

22:1 And they continued {a} three years without war between Syria and Israel.

(a) Ben-hadad the king of Syria, and Ahab made a peace which endured three years.

1Ki 22:2

22:2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah {b} came down to the king of Israel.

(b) To see and visit him.

1Ki 22:3

22:3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that {c} Ramoth in Gilead [is] ours, and we [be] still, [and] take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?

(c) The kings of Syria kept Ramoth before this league was made by Benhadad: therefore he did not think he was bound by it to restore it.

1Ki 22:4

22:4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, {d} I [am] as thou [art], my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

(d) I am ready to join and go with you , and all of mine is at your command.

1Ki 22:5

22:5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, {e} Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.

(e) He seemed that he would not go to war unless God approved it, yet when Michaiah advised the opposite he would not obey.

1Ki 22:6

22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the {f} prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king.

(f) Meaning the false prophets, who were liars and served for money whom Jezebel had assembled and kept after the death of those whom Elijah slew.

1Ki 22:7

22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the {g} LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?

(g) Jehoshaphat did not acknowledge the false prophets to be God's ministers, but contemned them.

1Ki 22:8

22:8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but {h} I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

(h) By which we see that the wicked cannot abide to hear the truth, but hate the prophets of God and molest them.

1Ki 22:9

22:9 Then the king of Israel called an {i} officer, and said, Hasten [hither] Micaiah the son of Imlah.

(i) Read Ge 37:36.

1Ki 22:10

22:10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their {k} robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

(k) In their kingly apparel.

1Ki 22:11

22:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him {i} horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

(i) The true prophets of God were accustomed to use signs for the confirmation of their doctrine, Isa 20:2, Jer 7:2 in which the false prophets imitated them, thinking by it to make their doctrine more believable.

1Ki 22:13

22:13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets [declare] good unto the king with {m} one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak [that which is] good.

(m) This is the common argument of the wicked, who think that no one should speak against anything if the majority approves of it, be they ever so ungodly.

1Ki 22:15

22:15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, {n} Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king.

(n) He speaks this in derision, because the king attributed so much to the false prophets, meaning that by experience he should discern that they were liars.

1Ki 22:17

22:17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, {o} These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

(o) It is better for them to return home than to be punished and scattered because they go to war without God's counsel and approval.

1Ki 22:19

22:19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the {p} host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

(p) Meaning, his angels.

1Ki 22:21

22:21 And there came forth a spirit, and {q} stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.

(q) Here we see that though the devil is always ready to bring us to destruction, yet he has no more power than God gives him.

1Ki 22:22

22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a {r} lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade [him], and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

(r) I will cause all his prophets to tell lies.

1Ki 22:24

22:24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, {s} Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

(s) Thus the wicked would that none were in the favour of God but they, and that God has given his graces to none so much as to them.

1Ki 22:27

22:27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this [fellow] in the prison, and feed him with {t} bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

(t) Let him waste away with hunger and be fed with a small portion of bread and water.

1Ki 22:28

22:28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, {v} Hearken, O people, every one of you.

(v) That when you see these things come to pass you may give God the glory, and know that I am his true prophet.

1Ki 22:32

22:32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it [is] the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat {x} cried out.

(x) That is, to the Lord for help.

1Ki 22:35

22:35 And the battle increased that day: and the {y} king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.

(y) That is, Ahab, king of Israel.

1Ki 22:36

22:36 And there went a proclamation throughout the {z} host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

(z) Of the Israelites.

1Ki 22:43

22:43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless {a} the high places were not taken away; [for] the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

(a) Meaning, that he was led with an error, thinking that they might still sacrifice to the Lord in those places, as they did before the temple was built.

1Ki 22:47

22:47 [There was] then no king in Edom: a {b} deputy [was] king.

(b) In the time of this king, Idumea was subject to Judah, and was governed by whom they of Judah appointed.

1Ki 22:48

22:48 Jehoshaphat made ships of {c} Tharshish to go to {d} Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.

(c) By Tharshish the scripture means Cilicia and all the Mediterranean Sea.
(d) Josephus writes that Ophir is in India, where the Egyptians and Arabians traffic for gold.

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