the kingdom

Ifrael.

chap. xi. ver. 11. and 12. that God foretold Solomon, that CHA P. for his fins he would rend the kingdom out of the hand of his fon; howbeit, not all the kingdom, but that he would give one tribe to his fon, for David's fake, and for Jerufalem's of Judah and fake. And accordingly, ver. 32. Ahijah the prophet acquaints kingdom of Jeroboam, that as God had decreed to give ten tribes to him, fo he had decreed that Solomon's fucceffors fhould have one tribe for his fervant David's fake, and for Jerufalem's fake, the city which he had chofen out of all the tribes of Ifrael. Now it being thus faid in these two texts, that God would give one tribe to the defcendants of Solomon, and it being plain from chap. xii. ver. 21, 23. that the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin did adhere to Rehoboam; nay, it being expressly said, 2 Chron. xi. 12. that he had Judah and Benjamin on his fide; hence at first view there feems to be fome fhew of disagreement between these texts, which Commentators have endea-voured to reconcile after various manners. But whofoever confiders duly the phrase or manner of speaking made use of in those texts, where one tribe is faid to be reserved to the houfe of David, will find, that thereby is plainly enough denoted, that the house of David fhould have two tribes adhere ftill to it. For both the faid texts, i Kings, xi. 12. and 32. rendered according to their full importance, imply thus much, that to the houfe of David fhould be referved one tribe for David's fake, and one tribe for Jerufalem's fake; and so two tribes, viz. that of Judah, for David's fake, who was of that tribe; and the other of Benjamin for Jerufalem's fake, as being in that tribe, Josh. xviii. 28. And as this exposition is eafy, and takes away so much as the appearance of any disagreement, fo it is confirmed, not only expressly by the seventy Interpreters in 1 Kings xi. 32. but alfo by the original text itfelf, when it fays, in both the forecited paffages, that only ten tribes were given to Jeroboam; for thence it plainly follows, that the other two were referved to the houfe of David.

Again, though it be faid, that ten tribes were given to Jeroboam, yet this is not to be fo ftrictly understood, as if every city appertaining to the said ten tribes did fall off to Jeroboam. For the contrary expressly appears, 2 Chron. xi. 10. where,

among

III.

CHAP. among the cities which Rehoboam built for defence, we have mention made of Zorah and Aijalon, which were allotted to the tribe of Dan, as we read Joíh. xix. 41, 42. And as to the people, it is exprefsly faid, 2 Chron. xi. 13-17, that the priests and the Levites that were in all Ifrael (i. e. in all the other tribes that fell off to Jeroboam) resorted to him (i. e. Rehoboam) out of all their coafts. For the Levites left their fuburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his fons had caft them off from executing the priest's office unto the Lord. And after them, out of all the tribes of Ifrael, fuch as fet their hearts to feek the. Lord God of Ifrael, came to Jerusalem to facrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. And this gives clear light to the true meaning of 1 Kings xii. 17. where it is faid, but as for the children of Ifrael which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. The true and full meaning of which feems to be this: that Rehoboam reigned, not only over Judah and Benjamin, but alfo over fuch of the other ten tribes as, adhering to the fervice of the true God, came and dwelt in the cities of Judah. For upon the divifion of the kingdom into two, it is fufficiently known, that as the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and what else appertained to the house of David, was comprehended under the name of the kingdom of Judah, and the King thereof was ftyled the King of Judah; fo the other ten tribes were denoted by the name of the children of Ifrael, their country by the name of the kingdom of Ifrael, and their King was ftyled the King of Ifrael.

citics of the

As to the capital cities of these two kingdoms, Jerufalem all The capital along continued to be fo in refpect of the kingdom of Judah. kingdom of But as for the kingdom of Ifrael, its capital or regal city was Judah and Kingdom of at first for some time Shechem. For we read, 1 Kings xii. 25. that Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt there. That he did alfo fometime refide at Tirzah, is evident from chap. xiv. ver. 17: but whether he made it the place of his conftant or chief refidence in his latter days, fo as that the regal feat may be faid to be by him tranflated thither from Shechem, is not certain. Certain it is, from chap. xv. ver. 33. that Baasha (who flew Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, and fucceeded

ceeded him) made Tirzah his regal city.

And it appears CHA P.

from chap. xvi. 8—23. that so it continued to be, during the reigns of these succeeding Kings, viz. Elah, the son of Baasha, and Zimri, and Omri; which laft reigned fix years in Tirzah; and then he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer, and built on the bill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, (Shemeron, or) Samaria. And this was the regal or capital city of the kingdom of Ifrael, not only the remaining years of Omri's reign, but through the several reigns of all his fucceffors, even till an end was put to the kingdom of Ifrael by the conqueft of the King of Affyria. Of which more in its due place.

III.

II.

Of the Lu

and Ethio

In chap. xiv. ver. 25. we read, that in the fifth year of Rehoboam, Shishak King of Egypt came up against Jerufalem. bims, the And in 2 Chron. xii. 1-4. we are further informed that this Sukkiims, judgment came upon Rehoboam, because he forfook the law of pians. the Lord; and alfo, that the people were without number, that came with Shishak out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. As for the Lubims, it is generally agreed by the learned, that thereby are meant the Libyans, adjoining to Egypt. And not only the affinity of the names confirms this opinion, but also the fignification of the Hebrew word, it being derived from a root or primitive word, which denotes to thirst, or thirst; and so a very proper word to denote the inhabitants of Libya or Africa, as being a very thirsty, i. e. dry or fandy country. The Hebrew word Sukkiims is derived from a word, which denotes either a tent (whence the name of Succoth is given to the place where Jacob pitched his tents, when he came out of Mefopotamia, Gen. xxxiii. 17.) or else a cave. Hence the learned are not agreed, whether by the Sukkiims here mentioned are to be understood the Troglodyta, a people in the parts of Libya or Africk adjoining on to Egypt fouthwards, and fo called by the Greeks as living in caves; or else the Scenitæ, a people in Arabia Petræa, or the parts of Arabia adjoining next to Egypt, and so called by the Greeks as living in tents, and otherwise better known to these parts of the world by the name of Saracens. The last people mentioned in this place, and called by our translation,

VOL. II.

G

in

III.

CHAP. in conformity to the Septuagint, Ethiopians, are denoted in the Hebrew text by the name of Cufhim, as being defcendants of Cufh; and therefore thereby are most probably denoted the inhabitants of Arabia, namely, of the other parts of Arabia, befides that inhabited by the Sukkiims, if thereby were denoted the Scenite or Saracens. That by the Cufhim here mentioned cannot with any probability be understood the Ethiopians living in Africk and beyond Egypt, is confirmed by their being related, chap. xiv. ver. 9-15. to have invaded Judah in the days of Afa, under Zerah their king or leader. At which time the Lord fmote the Cufhim; and Afa, and the people that were with him, purfued them unto Gerar; and the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they (i. e. Afa and his people) fmote all the cities round about Gerar, &c.-Whence it plainly follows, that the Cufhim here mentioned were fuch as inhabited the parts adjoining to Gerar, and confequently not any part of the African Ethiopia, but Arabia.

12.

In chap. xv. ver. 16-22. of this firft Book of Kings we Of Ramah, read, that Baasha King of Ifrael went up against Fudah, and ljon, Abelbeth-maa- built Ramah, that he might not fuffer any to go out or come in chah, &c. to Afa King of Judah. Whereupon Afa by great prefents prevailed upon Benhadad King of Syria, to invade the kingdom of Ifrael; and the Syrian army fmote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphthali. Whereupon Baasha left off building of Ramah ; and King Afa made a proclamation throughout all Judah, and they took away the ftones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, and King Afa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. The circumstances here mentioned make it almost unqueftionable, that the Ramah here spoken of is to be understood of the Ramah near Jerufalem, lying in the tribe of Benjamin. By Baafha's building it, is probably to be understood his fortifying it, and perhaps, to that end, building a tower or citadel therein; the materials whereof were carried away by the men of Judah to build, i. e. to fortify, Geba and Mizpah, two other cities of Benjamin. The design of Baasha in building or fortifying Ramah, in order that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Afa King of Judah, probably al

ludes

III.

ludes to what is related 2 Chron. xv. 8, 9. where we learn, CHAP. that Afa had taken fome cities that were in mount Ephraim, and that the people came over to him out of Ephraim, and Manaffeh, and Simeon, in abundance. The cities Ijon and Abel-beth-maachah, being mentioned with Dan, and the country of Cinneroth, and the land of Naphthali, it is not to be doubted, but that they lay in thofe northern parts of the kingdom of Ifrael, though their fituation cannot be more particularly affigned from any thing faid in Scripture of them.

13.

Of Gibbc

At ver. 27. of this chap. xv. we read, that when Baasha fmote Nadab, the fon of Jeroboam, this latter was laying thon. fiege to Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philiftines. This city is expressly reckoned, Josh. xix. 44. among the cities allotted to the tribe of Dan, and also it was affigned as a Levitical city in that tribe. Wherefore, either the Ifraelites had never hitherto expelled the Philiftines out of it, or else the Philistines had again recovered it. It seems to have been a ftrong place; forafmuch as the fiege feems to have been carried on from before the death of Nadab, all along the reign of Baafha, till the death of his fon Elah, by Zimri, and the setting up of Omri for King against Zimri. For the text tells us, that the people were encamped at Gibbethon; and the people that were encamped heard fay, Zimri has confpired and flain the King: wherefore all Ifrael made Omri, the captain of the hoft, King over Ifrael that day in the camp.-Chap. xvi. ver. 15, 16.

14. Of Samaria,

dom of li

rael.

Omri, being made King, goes up from Gibbethon, and befieges Tirzah, and takes it, and reigns there fix years, the capital After which he removes his regal feat to Samaria, a city of the kingwhich he new built from the ground, on an hill bought of one Shemer, from whom he called the city by the name of Samaria, as has been above obferved. This city from thenceforth continued to be the regal or capital city of the kingdom of Ifrael, till a period was put to the faid kingdom. And hence the word Samaria is often used by the facred writers of the Old Testament, to denote the whole kingdom of Ifrael. It was firft befieged by Benhadad King of Syria, and reduced to fo great extremity, that the head of an afs