And these terms may have been applied to God commanded Rehoboam and his people them, as persons who had consecrated them- not to go to fight with Israel: and they selves to the lewd service of some impure obeyed his voice. But this is easily satisfied, Deity; which was a common practice by observing that the Jews were commanded among the idolatrous nations. The ancient not to make war upon the Israelites; but versions give no countenance to our calling they are not commanded not to defend themthis a sodomite. Nor do I see any grounds selves, if the Israelites made war upon them. for charging the Israelites with being so And this was their case; the Israelites frequently, and so notoriously guilty of vexed them with continual incursions and sodomitical practices. depredations; though the house of David did not assault them, but only repelled their violence; or, perhaps, upon the borders, they were continually endeavouring to get ground one of another; though they never came to a set battle. Dr. A. Clarke.-, consecrated persons; persons who had devoted themselves, in practices of the greatest impurity, to the service of the most impure idols. Gesen.m. adj. pp. sacred, consecrated. Hence aỷTOû. Ver. 31. καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ̓Αβιοὺ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ ̓ 1. Spec. masc., a male prostitute, a catamite, sodomite, κívaidos so called as consecrated to the service of Astarte or Venus; Deut. xxiii. 18; 1 Kings xiv. 24; xv. 12; xxii. 47; 2 Kings xxiii. 7; Job xxxvi. 14. Au. Ver.-31 And Rehoboam slept with These wretched beings were priests or rather his fathers, and was buried with his fathers temple servants (iepódovλo) of Astarte at in the city of David. And his mother's Hierapolis in Syria; and having been emas-name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And culated and wearing a female dress, they Abijam [2 Chron. xii. 16, Abijah] his son wandered about through the cities and reigned in his stead. villages begging and bearing with them an image of the goddess. They were courted by females, and gave themselves up to unnatural lusts. See especially Lucian Luc. § 35 sq. Id. de Dea Syra, § 27, 51. Jerome ad Hos. iv. 14. Spencer de Legg. rit. ii. 35. Movers Phoenizier i., p. 678. Ged. And his mother's name was Naama, an Ammonitess. So the present text with Chald., Vulg., Arab. But it appears to be an interpolation, and is wanting in Sep. and Syr. Abijam. Ken.-Among the various corruptions, to Prof. Lee.-, m. pl. D, fem., which ancient MSS. have been liable, none (a) A Calamite; or, probably, a have happened more easily than the corpriest of Baal-Peor. (b) Fem. A prosti-ruptions of numbers and proper names: and tute. yet, as no words are of greater consequence to the sense, proportionable care should be taken for the correction of such mistakes. The name of this king of Judah is now expressed three ways. Here, and in four other places, it is Abijam or Abim; in two other places it is Abihu; but in eleven other places it is Abiah- -as it is expressed by St. Matthew, at i. 7-Poßoaμ eyev v ABIA. It is remarkable that in this first instance, Abijam is Abiah in our oldest Heb. MS., supported by ten other copies. Note also, that it is here Abiah in the Greek and Syriac versions; and though the printed Vulgate has Abiam, yet it is Abia in the only Latin MS. consulted on this occasion. Dr. A. Clarke-Dr. Kennicott observes that the name of this king of Judah is now expressed three ways: here and in four other places it is Abijam or Abim; in two others | he is called, 2 Chron. xi. 21. And because it is Abihu; but in eleven other places it is he is here mentioned as a known person, Abiah, as it is expressed by St. Mat. i. 7, without any addition of his kindred or 'Poßoaμ eyevinσe Tov ABIA; and this is the quality, some conceive that this was Absareading of thirteen of Kennicott's and Delom's daughter, called properly Tamar, Rossi's MSS., and of thirteen respectable 2 Sam. xiv. 27, and from her royal grandeditions of the Hebrew Bible. The Syriac mother, 2 Sam. iii. 3, Maachah; and that is the same. The Septuagint in the London she is called Michaiah (which differs not Polyglot has Aẞtov, Abihu; but in the Com- much from Maachah) the daughter of Uriel, plutensian and Antwerp Polyglots it is Aßia, 2 Chron. xiii. 2, because she was first married Abiah. Though the common printed Vulgate to Uriel, as Josephus affirms, Antiq. viii. 3, has Abiam, yet the Editio Princeps of the and afterwards to Rehoboam. Others think Vulgate, some MSS., and the text in the this was another person, and that both she Complutensian and Antwerp Polyglots have and her father had each of them several Abia which without doubt is the reading names, which was not unusual among the that should in all cases be followed. Hebrews. CHAP. XV. 1, 2. Au. Ver.-1 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, [2 Chron. xiii. 2, Michaia the daughter of Uriel,] the daughter of Abishalom [2 Chron. xi. 21, Absalom]. In the eighteenth year. Bp. Patrick.-1. This seems to disagree with what is said below (ver. 9) concerning Asa, that he began to reign the twentieth year of Jeroboam, and Abijam reigned three years. But it is usual both in Scripture and in other authors to reckon part of a year for a whole year. So Abijam began to reign in some part of Jeroboam's eighteenth year, and continued his reign the whole nineteenth and died in the twentieth: and so was reckoned to have reigned three years [so Pool], as it here follows. Ver. 5. Au. Ver.-5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. Pool.-Quest. How is this true, seeing David sinned in the matter of Nabal, 1 Sam. xxv., and Achish, chap. xxvii., and Mephibosheth, and his indulgence to his children, Adonijah, Amnon, and Absalom, and in the numbering of the people? Answ. This and the like phrases are not to be understood as exclusive of every sinful action, but only of a sinful course or state, or of an habitual and continued apostacy from God, or from his ways, as the very phrase of turning aside from God, or from his commands, doth constantly imply, as appears from Exod. xxxii. 8; Deut. ix. 12, 16; 1 Sam. viii. 3; Psal. Ixxviii. 57; Isa. xliv. 20; 1 Tim. i. 6; v. 15, &c. And thus it is most true. For David's other sins were either sudden and transient acts, proceeding from human infirmity, and extraordinary temptations, and soon repented of and blotted out; whereas that which concerned Uriah's wife was a designed and studied sin, long continued in, defended with a succession of other sins, presumptuous, and scandalous to his government and to the true religion, which he Others think this is a mere so eminently professed. fancy, and with great reason; for Abishalom Commentaries and Essays.—“Save only is a different name from Absalom, as David's in the matter of Uriah." I much suspect son is always called. And they think he had this clause to be an interpolation. 1st. two names as his daughter also had. But Because the Greek version hath not this Pellicanus seems to me to have given the saving clause. 2dly, Because it is contrary plainest account of this, that Maachah was to fact. The first part of the verse, that his grandmother, and Michaiah his mother. "David did what was right in the eyes of Pool.-Of Abishalom, or, of Absalom, as Jehovah, and turned not aside from any His mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.] Abarbinel fancies she was the daughter of Absalom (as he is called (2 Chron. xi. 21), who rebelled against his father David. She is called by another name, 2 Chron. xiii. 2, viz., Michaiah the daughter of Uriel. But he thinks that is the name of the family, and this her proper name. 7 The chronicles of the kings of Judah. See above on chap. xiv. 19. thing that he commanded him," is most be thus rendered, Yet there was war, &c., probably genuine, and is true with respect to i. e., although God was pleased to show so the public character of David, as a king, much respect to David, as for his sake to and his administration of the laws and statutes continue the succession to the kingdom in of Jehovah relating to the church and state his posterity, yet he thought fit to manifest of the Jews, to which alone, I apprehend, his displeasure against David's successors what is here said of him refers; and herein for their sins, and to mix their honour and he was a man of God's own heart, who ful-happiness with wars and troubles. filled all his will in this respect in opposition to Saul, who made no scruple to deviate from it. But this has nothing to do with his private character. Some injudicious person, however, not perceiving this, and taking it to include his private character too, in order to save the credit of the sacred historian, might, I suppose, put this clause into the margin, "save only in the matter of Uriah," which relates to his character as a moral man; but in this respect the observation is unhappily not true, for David was guilty of several, and some very great breaches of God's moral law, besides the matter of Uriah. From the margin it might be taken into the text, as many other passages have been. Ver. 6, 7. ST: IT : : Bp. Patrick.-6 This was said before (xiv. 30), and therefore may seem to come in here impertinently because he is not speaking of Rehoboam, but of his son Abijam who was a valiant young man in the days of his father, and always fought his battles with Jeroboam. Which being related before in the history of Rehoboam, is here repeated, as Abarbinel thinks, to show that Abijam was the cause of these wars. And these words, "all his days," he thinks, relate to Abijam, who continued the war between his father and Jeroboam with great success: as we read 2 Chr. xiii. 17. Bochartus thinks a plainer account may be given of this, by supposing that Rehoboam signifies this son of his; children and fathers being one and the same in a moral account. Thus Abra 6 וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין־רְחַבְעָם וּבֵין ו וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי hann is said to have purchased the sepulchre יָרָבְעָם כָּל־יְמֵי חַיָּיו : הֲלוֹא הֵם אֲבִיָּם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה of the sons of Emor; which was indeed purchased by Jacob: and the Israelites say to Rehoboam (xii. 16), "What portion have we in David?" That is, in Rehoboam the יְהוּדָה וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אֲבִיָּם וּבֵין TIT 7 καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν λόγων ̓Αβιοὺ καὶ πάντα ἃ ἐποίησεν, οὐκ, ἰδοὺ, ταῦτα γεγραμμένα ἐπὶ βιβλίῳ λόγων τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν Ἰούδα; καὶ πόλεμος ἦν ἀναμέσον ̓Αβιοὺ καὶ ἀναμέσον Ιεροβοάμ. Au. Ver.-6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. Pool.-6 There was war, &c.; which was said chap. xiv. 30, and may be here repeated, to signify the cause and original of the war between Abijam and Jeroboam, which is implied here, and particularly described 2 Chron. xiii. Abijam continued the war which Rehoboam had begun, and pushed it on to a decisive battle. But the place may grandchild of David? In like manner, he thinks, it may be said, "there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam;” that is, between Abijam the son of Rehoboam and Jeroboam: whom Abijam grievously aflicted (Hierozoicon, par. i., lib. ii., cap. 43). But this doth not seem to be the true account; because the war between Abijam and Jeroboam is distinctly mentioned in the next verse. Therefore the meaning of these words is, that though God was pleased, for David's sake, who walked uprightly before him, to continue a lamp, that is, a successor to him in Jerusalem; yet these successors were vexed with continual wars (as appeared both in the reign of Rehoboam and Abijam), and did not enjoy their kingdom peaceably. Ken. 6 And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam, &c., &c. As the history of Rehoboam was ended in the former chapter, where the last verse but one had mentioned the continual war be tween him and Jeroboam: 'tis highly im- war between Abiah the son of Rehoboam probable, that the account of his successor and Jeroboam, all the days of his life. 7 Abiah should be interrupted by a repetition Now the rest of the acts of Abiah, and all of the same notice concerning Rehoboam. that he did, are written in the chronicles of And as there was a very memorable war the kings of Judah. between Abiah and Jeroboam; 'tis probable, that such a war did not pass entirely unnoticed here. It is therefore much to the honour of eight Heb. MSS., to have preserved here the true word Abiah, instead of the corrupted word Rehoboam. As to the words now in the next verse, and there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam; they are entirely wanting in one Hebrew MSS. So Bp. Horsley. Commentaries and Essays.—6 This verse looks like an interpolation; nor is it acknowledged by the LXX. The history of Rehoboam was closed in the former chapter, and there it is said, "there was war between him and Jeroboam all their days;" then follows the history of his son Abijam, and in the midst of it this passage comes in again, where it can have no business. Abiah the son of.] I have followed the reading of Syr. and Arab. which I deem the true one; and which is partly confirmed by fourteen Heb. and one Chald. MSS. The rest, except Sept. in which the whole comma is wanting, have Rehoboam for Abiah; a manifest blunder at the end of ver. 7. In the present text, and in all the versions except Syr., we have this addition: And there was war between Abiah and Jeroboam. But this is plainly an interpolation; or, perhaps, the words of ver. 6, stood here originally.-Ged. Houb.-7 Cætera autem quæ Abiam spectant, et cuncta quæ egit, hæc scripta reperiuntur in libro commentariorum regum Judæ. 6 Cæterum fuit Abiam, quamdiu vixit, cum Jeroboam bellum perpetuum. 6 Dyan pa oram pa, (fuit bellum) inter Roboam et Jeroboam. Nos hæc omittimus, Dr. A. Clarke.-6 There was war between et lacunam facimus intercapedine punctorum Rehoboam and Jeroboam.] This was men- sic... ut significetur hunc versum 6 fuisse ex tioned in the preceding chapter, ver. 30, and fine versus 7 male iteratum, ubi legitur fuisse it can mean no more than this; there was a inter Abiam et Jeroboam bella perpetua. continual spirit of hostility kept up between Assumimus tantum ex versu 6 hæc verba, the two kingdoms, and no doubt frequent, omnibus diebus vitæ ejus. Liquet, skirmishing between bordering parties; but præposterè hîc memorari bella Roboam et it never broke out into open war, for this was particularly forbidden. See chap. xii. 24. Hostility did exist, and no doubt frequent skirmishes; but open war and pitched battles there were none. Jeroboam perpetua, ubi agitur non jam Roboam, sed Abia filius ejus; ut non mirum sit hæc bella Roboam cum Jeroboam, omisisse Græcos Intt. in Codice Rom. ut et Arabem interpretem. Syrus, pro vam pa, inter But why is this circumstance repeated, and Roboam, legere videtur, om ' 72, the history of Abijam interrupted by the re- inter Abiam, filium Roboam, optimâ scrippetition? There is some reason to believe turâ ; quam si antepones, omittenda erunt that Rehoboam is not the true reading, and in fine versûs 7 eadem bella Abiam et Jerothat it should be Abijam: "Now there was boam, quomodò etiam hæc omittit Syrus. war between Abijam and Jeroboam all the Nos maluimus bella ea commemorare in fine days of his life." And this is the reading of versûs 6 quem post versum 7 collocamus, fourteen of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. seu postquàm de Abiâ dictum est, cætera The Syriac has Abia the son of Rehoboam; autem quæ fecit...hæc scripta reperiuntur, the Arabic has Abijam. In the Septuagint quia hic est ordo consuetus. Vide suprà the whole verse is omitted in the London Polyglot, but it is extant in those of Complutum and Antwerp. Some copies of the Targum have Abijam also, and the Editio Princeps of the Vulgate has Abia. This is doubtless the true reading, as we know there was a very memorable war between Abia and Jeroboam; see it particularly described 2 Chron. xiii. 3, &c. Dathe, Ged., Booth.-6 And there was cap. xiv. vers. 29 et 30, et infra vers. 31 et 32. Maurer.-6 Et bellum fuerat inter Rechabeamum cet. Bene Schulzius: "6 comma hoc, quod jam cap. xiv. 30, adfuit, repetitum est ob connexionem cum versu sequenti, ubi bellum cum Jerobeamo et Rehabeami filio continuatum fuisse discimus." Ver. 8. Au. Ver.-Abijam. Ken., Ged., Booth.-Abiah. See notes the Greek version, Ana. The same note on xiv. 31. Ver. 10. applicable to ver. 13. Houbigant, Booth. And his mother's name was Anah, the daughter of Absalom. hæc וְאַרְבָּעִים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה מָלַךְ (nomen matris ejus), מעכה בת אבישלום 10 fuit Maacha filia Ahessalom, De Asa haec בִּירְוּשָׁלָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ מַעֲכָה בַּת־ .Abia dicta sunt אֲבִישָׁלוֹם : ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ὄνομα τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ ̓Ανὰ, θυγάτηρ ̓Αβεσσαλώμ. Au. Ver.-10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's [that is, grandmother's, ver. 2] name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. nunc dicuntur, quæ eadem suprà ver. 2, de καὶ τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἐν ἔτος ἐβασίλευσεν trem Asæ, matrisque ejus patrem fuisse ejusdem nominis, ac matrem Abiæ, matrisque ejusdem patrem; ita ut mater Asæ fuerit Maacha filia Abessalom, et mater Abiæ fuerit similiter Maacha filia Abessalom. Hæc Arabs, cùm sentiret, evitavit et saltum fecit. Nos Græcorum Intt. scripturam seBp. Patrick.-Maachah.] This was the quimur, apud quos legitur 'Avà, Ana, tum name of his grandmother, who is called his hic, tum ver. 13. Librarius quidam pomother [so Pool], as Reuel is called the suerit, pro, ex memoriâ, quam father of Jethro's daughters, Exod. ii. 18, haberet, ante-dictorum, huicque aberrationi when he was their grandfather. Which materiam dabat o, quod nomen legitur example Kimchi here alleges to explain this. ver. 2, post .—Houb. And thus Abarbinel. The sense is not, that father's mother), but she brought him up Ver. 13. אֶת־מַעֲכָה אִמּוֹ וַיְסְרֶהָ Maachah brought forth Asa (for she was his וְגַם י מִגְבִילָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה מִפְלֶצֶת לַאֲשֵׁרָה and gave him his education : which made :777712 καὶ τὴν ̓Ανὰ τὴν μητέρα ἑαυτοῦ μετέστησε τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ἡγουμένην, καθὼς ἐποίησε σύνοδον ἐν τῷ ἄλσει αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐξέκοψεν ̓Ασὰ τὰς καταδύσεις αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐνέπρησε πυρὶ ἐν τῷ χειμάῤῥῳ τῶν Κέδρων. his piety the more remarkable that he was grove; and Asa destroyed [Heb., cut off] Bp. Horsley.-His mother's name Maachah, the daughter of Absalom. Rehoboam married Maachah the daughter of Absalom, and by her had Abijam; 2 Chron. xi. 20-22. Therefore Abijam's mother's name and family is rightly described, ver. 2. And this passage, where the same person is mentioned as Asa's mother, must be corrupt. Again, the second verse of 2 Chron. xiii. must be corrupt, where Michaiah the daughter of Uriel is mentioned as Abijah's mother. Nothing seems so probable as that some confusion has been made between these two women, and that Michaiah the daughter of Uriel was Asa's mother. Bp. Patrick —13 Also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen.] He took away her guards, all the ensigns of royal dignity, and reduced her to the condition of a private person. But the word being is not in the Hebrew; which others translate, "he removed her from the queen : " that is, from his wife. Because she had made an idol in a grove.] The word we translate idol is miphlezeth, which imports something of terror and horror; either because it was of a frightful aspect, or brought dreadful judgments upon its worshippers. St. Jerome understands by Ged.-Maacha. If this reading be right, it Priapus [so Clarke], or Baal-peor, to the word mother is here placed for grand- whom the women were much devoted. Themother; which is very possible. Houbigant odoret takes it for Astarte, or Venus: and, prefers the reading of the Vatican copy of indeed, in the northern countries, Priapus |