of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king: "It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy wives! happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom! Blessed be the Lord thy God, which 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 judgment and justice." And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. Solomon's Apostasy (1 Kings xi. 1-13). But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel: "Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods; " Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: 1 and it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the god of the Ammonites. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the god of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the god of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, burning incense and sacrificing unto their gods. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon: "Forasmuch as 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. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen." 1 Many of Solomon's marriages were doubtless for political alliance, which would involve a mutual recognition of gods between the allied peoples. The proportion of wives to concubines would be more in accord with custom, if we read (with Klostermann) "seventy wives and three hundred concubines," although even then the concubines must have been reckoned as including all the female slaves of the harem. Solomon's Enemies and Death (1 Kings xi. 14-31, 40-43). And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom. For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom (for six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom); that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child. And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land. And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh: "Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country." Then Pharaoh said unto him: "But what hast thou lacked with me, that behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country?" And he answered: "Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise." This is the evil that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel, and reigned in Edom. And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: and he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band. And they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did. And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, the son of a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built the Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, made him ruler over all the charge 1 of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way and turned him aside; and Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: and Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: and he said to Jeroboam: "Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee." Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. 1 charge. Forced labor. 2 Shishak. See note, p. 382. B.C. JUDAH ISRAEL 937 Rehoboam. Division of the kingdom Jeroboam I B.C. 937 932 Ahaz becomes his vassal 686 Manasseh Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, 740 732 Damascus taken by Tiglath-pileser: Samaria taken by Sargon of Assyria 722 ISAIAH Judah invaded by Sennacherib Manasseh pays tribute to Assyria: (1) under Esarhaddon (d. 668) Religious reaction against the pro- (Assyrians conquer Egypt) 670 Pekahiah, Pekah Hoshea 734 Captivity of Israel 701 700 608 Jehoiakim, vassal to Necho II of Egypt (Nineveh taken by the Babylonians 607 and Medes) 605 Nebuchadrezzar defeats Necho at Carchemish and makes Judah trib NORTHERN ISRAEL TO THE FALL OF SAMARIA Revolt of the Northern Tribes (1 Kings xii. 1-24). And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it [Solomon's death] - for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and dwelt in Egypt - he returned and went to his city Zereda which is in mount Ephraim. And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. And they spake unto Rehoboam, saying: "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee." And he said unto them: "Depart for three days, then come again to me." And the people departed. And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said: "How do ye advise that I may answer this people?" And they spake unto him, saying: "If thou wilt be a 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." But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: and he said unto them: "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?" 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 thicker than my father's loins. For whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." 1 So all Israel came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying: "Come to me again the third day." And 1 scorpions. Scourges. |