NA does not mean exactly the "guard-room," but had shown himself in Shechem at the commenceany place where the runners were staying. The ment of his reign (chap. xii. 5-9, 18, 21); he seems costly golden shields which Solomon had made also to have been under the influence of his idolwere in the house of the forest of Lebanon (chap. atrous mother (see on ver. 31) and wife (chap. x. 17), but it is doubtful whether the brazen XV. 13), and of his many wives (2 Chron. xi. 21). shields of Rehoboam were only kept in the wrong in referring, in his superficial way, the exMenzel (Staats- und Rel.-Gesch., s. 236) is wholly being considered as "of no value " (Thenius). Vers. 29-31. The rest of the acts, &c. What pression in 177 (2 Chron. xii. 14) which 2 Chron. xi. relates of the cities fortified by Reho- he translates "to ask the Lord," to "the relation boam, of the emigration of priests and those faith- of the king to the priesthood, and in that he is ful to Jehovah to the Judah-territory, and of the blamed for not inquiring of the Lord, we can perfamily relations of Rehoboam, is certainly derived ceive that Rehoboam had not been led, by the from ancient historical sources, probably from misfortune which had befallen him, to accord those mentioned in 2 Chron. xii. 15 (Thenius). greater consideration to the priesthood than they As also the account of the Chronicles gives no had enjoyed under his predecessors." That exdetails of a regular war of Rehoboam with Jero- pression denotes rather, as Dietrich very justly reboam, here ver. 30, and in 2 Chron. marks (Zu Gesenius W.-B. s. v.), "the striving of the spirit after God, the inward seeking, especially in xii. 15 only refer "to the hostile position of both prayer, and calling upon Him; cf. Isai. lv. 6; lviii. Kingdoms as manifested in single acts" (Winer), 2; Jer. xxix. 13; 2 Chron. xv. 2, 14, 6; Hos. x. therefore not to a warlike disposition simply.-12; Ps. xiv. 2." That the priesthood under ReThenius thinks that the repetition of the conclud-hoboam strove for greater consideration than ing words of ver. 21 (the name of his mother, &c.) they had under David (for instance) is a pure inwas caused by a fault in the copyist that cannot vention; but we see from chap. xii. 22-24 and be accounted for." This, however, is very improb- 2 Chron. xii. 5, 6, 12, that Rehoboam did not reable, for why should just these words have been sist or act in opposition to the prophetical word. taken by a copyist from ver. 21, have been repeated here, and then always have remained? The repetition appears rather to have been intentional, in order to show once more at the end of the account of Rehoboam that the mother of this king was descended from that rough heathenish peo-able, because Judah had the central sanctuary in ple, the Ammonites, who were always hostile to Israel, and that under Solomon the worship of Moloch, the "abomination of the Ammonites," was brought by her to Jerusalem (chap. xi. 7) and suffered to remain for her by his son Rehoboam. This appears also to be meant by 2 Chron. xii. 14, in connection with ver. 13.

HISTORICAL AND ETHICAL.

2. The idolatrous worship that commenced in Judah under Rehoboam was not begun by the latter but by the people; for ver. 22 does not say, he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as is said of other kings, but: Judah did, &c. This seems remark

their midst, and the priests and levites; indeed all the true worshippers of Jehovah had left the aposthe kingdom of Jeroboam was weakened, but that tate ten tribes and had gone to Judah, by which of Rehoboam strengthened (2 Chron. xi. 13-17). That Judah, nevertheless, fell so deeply was owing to an after-influence of the condition of things under Solomon's reign, and particularly the latter Commerce and intercourse with 1. We learn only a few facts from these books re- part of the same. garding, king Rehoboam and his reign, and from foreign nations, acquaintance with their customs those few no certain conclusion can be drawn re- and mode of life, great riches and uninterrupted garding his relation to the fundamental law of peace, had exercised an enervating and demoralizIsrael; the general phrase also which expresses ing influence. Ease, superfluity, and luxury gradthe relation to Jehovah, and which always imme-ually undermined serious thought, and brought diately follows the account of the personal cir- forth lukewarmness, indifference, and even avercumstances of all the later kings (cf. chap. xv. 3, sion to the strict covenant-law: what was written 11, 25, 34, &c.) is omitted here. But Chron. con- in Deut. xxxii. 15 (Hos. xiii. 6) came to pass. cludes its rather more explicit account with the Added to this, Solomon at last removed every obwords: "he did evil, because he prepared not his stacle to the strange heathen-worship of his wives, heart to seek the Lord ()," 2 Chron. xii. 14; so that although Jerusalem was the centre of the Jehovah-worship, it was at the same time the spot and the remark is made before (ver. 1), that "he where the most various national gods were adored, forsook the law of the Lord." We are not to con- and where their unchaste worship found a ready clude from this, however, that he himself served soil (see on chap. xi. 1-8). Immediately after Soidols; on the contrary, it is emphatically said that, lomon's death this "religious liberty" could only in solemn procession, accompanied by his whole have been abolished by force and iron severity; body-guard, he continually visited the temple, and but the times were not adapted for this task, and thus showed himself publicly to all the people as still less was his successor, Rehoboam, the son of a worshipper of Jehovah. As such he showed the Ammonitess, the (2 Chron. xiii. 7); himself also when Shishak made war against him (2 Chron. xii. 6, 12) But he forsook the law in so that idolatry and immorality rather increased so far that he did not obey its injunctions; he suf- than decreased, and the fall of Judah seems to fered idolatrous worship in Jerusalem and did have been even deeper than that of Israel. Hownothing towards exterminating it. This was ever, the condition of Judah was not so bad as the "the evil" he was accused of; he continued condition of Israel in this respect; as in the Jehovah's servant, but he wanted firmness and latter, the breach of the fundamental law had be decision. Sometimes fiery and arrogant, some- come the State religion and institution of the imes yielding and weak, he was unstable, as he kingdom, the separate existence of which de

pended on the new worship; whilst in Judah the | thendom, how many soever may be the churches apostasy was only permitted, and the lawful worship of Jehovah had always a firm footing at the central sanctuary. Many good elements also still existed in Judali (2 Chron. xx. 12). Judah always repented as often as they fell into idolatry, and they continued to be the guardian of the law, whilst Israel, on the contrary, never completely returned to the right way.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL.

King Rehoboam, too, sinned grievously in this wise-he, although not himself an idol-worshipper, yet failed as a servant of God, in that he did not oppose idol-worship with all his might, and even regarded it as having equal rights with the service of the true God-even, alas, as we find Christian sovereigns who permit unbelief and revolt from the truth to rank upon a level with faith and confession of God in Christ.-Vers. 25 sq. Where the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together (Matt. xxiv. 28). The chastisements of God are never delayed where immorality and godlessJudah, to the humble confession: The Lord is righteous! (2 Chron. xii. 6).—CALW. B.: Sovereigns are often only the instruments of God in their undertakings, although they do not or will not recog nize the fact.-Ver. 26. The true treasures of the temple are the worship of God in spirit and in truth, prayer, faith, love, and obedience; these no thieves nor robbers can steal, and without them all the gold and silver in temples and churches is vain and empty show. Golden or copper shields are alike in value if only we can say: The Lord is our shield, and the Holy One of Israel our King.-Vers. 27, 28. It is better to pray to our heavenly Father in our closet, rather than to worship with pomp in church to be seen by men. Yet now there are many who ceremoniously frequent the churches, but neglect to maintain the fear of God, discipline, and good morals in their own houses and neighborhoods.-Vers. 30, 31. It is not to a man's honor when, at his grave, these words are said: There was life-long enmity between him and his neighbor.

Vers. 21-30. The deep fall of Judah: (a) Whence it came (Deut. xxxii. 15; Hosea xiii. 6;ness prevail, but they do not always lead, as with Prov. xxx. 9-see Hist. and Ethic. 2); whither it led (Rom. i. 25-28). Amongst individual men as in entire communities, cities, and nations, revolt against the living God results from haughtiness, over-prosperity, and carnal security, bringing as inevitable consequences, poverty, ruin, and misfortune in war. High as stood Judah under David and Solomon, so deep in proportion did it sink under Rehoboam.-Vers. 21, 22. Wherever God has a house, the devil always builds a chapel close at hand. How often does it happen that cities and countries, whence it has been ordained by God that the light of His knowledge should shine forth, have become the seat alike of superstition and of scepticism, and thus infinitely sink below the level of those lands which have never heard His blessed word. When an individual man, or a whole community and people, who have received and acknowledged the truth, again depart from it, then is their last state worse than their first (Isa. xi. 26). Vers. 23, 24. Wherever profligacy and fornication are in the ascendant, there is true hea

1

3

B.-The reigns of Abijam and Asa.

CHAP. XV. 1-24 (2 CHRON. XIII. XIV.)

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned 2 Abijam' over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's 3 name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with 4 the Lord [Jehovah] his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless, for David's sake did the Lord [Jehovah] his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set 5 up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord [Jehovah], and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah 6 the Hittite. And there was war between Rehoboam' and Jeroboam all the days 7 of his life. 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 8 war between Abijam and Jeroboam. And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. 9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over 10 Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's 11 name was Maachah,' the daughter of Abishalom. And Asa did that which was 12 right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it 14 by the brook [ir. the valley of] Kidron. But the high places were not removed.

10

And

15 nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the Lord [Jehovah] all his days. And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated,' into the house of the Lord [Jehovah], silver, and gold, and vessels. 16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not 18 suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left1o in the treasures of the house of the Lord [Jehovah], and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son 19 of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 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 20 Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, 21 with all the land of Naphtali. And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, 22 that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted": and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; 23 and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah." 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 ? 24 Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.

Ver. 2-[The Alex. Sept. makes his reign sixteen years. 3 Ver. 4.-In the author's translation the name Rehoboam is inserted in brackets as explanitory of the pronoun him. The natural reference to Abijam may, however, as well be preserved.

Ver. 5.-[The Vat. Sept, omits the mention of this exception, and also omits the following verse.

Ver. 6.-[For Rehoboam eight MSS., followed by the Syr. and Arab., substitute Abijah. The Alex. Sept. puts the last pronoun of ver. 6 in the plural-a variation in the opposite direction.

Ver. 8-[The Vat. Sept. adds, "in the twenty-fourth year of Jeroboam," and in ver. 9 changes the number to correspond-a manifest error.

* Ver. 10.-[The Vat. Sept. escapes the difficulty connected with the queen-mother's name, here and in ver. 13, by substituting Ana for Maachah, The Arab. omits the name here, but gives Maachah in ver. 13.

Ver. 18.-[i ny. The mearing of these words has been much discussed and is variously given in

the VV.-The most probable sense seems to be "an idol of Asherah." See Exeg. Com.

• Ver. 13.—For jupi must be read with 2 Chron. xv. 18. [The k'ri is, which Kiel says “is a bad emendation for the above correct, which is to be read

[. קָדְשָׁו or more correctly perhaps

10 Ver. 18-[The Sept. in translating by rò evpełév give the sense as expressed in the Exeg. Com. All the other VV., like the A.V. translate literally.

11 Ver. 22.—[The adverbial use of p = nemine immuni i. e. excepto is peculiar to this passage. Keil refers for its source to such passages as Dent. xxiv. 5; Num. xxxii. 22. The Sept., not understanding the phrase, has rendered it as a proper name, εἰς Ενακίμ (Alex. ̓Αννακείμ.) 12 Ver. 22-[The Sept. has undertaken to translate the names Geba and Mizpah as common nouns, av Souvòr Βενιαμὶν καὶ τὴν σκοπιάν.-F. G.]

:

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL.

Vers. 1-5. Abijam king of Judah. Instead of Chronicles has always 2 (2 Chron. xiii. 1 q.), 'Aẞtá in the Sept. The latter seems to be the rig'.t and original name, composed of ' and ', which mean (1 Sam. ix. 1), not, therefore, father of the sea, vir maritimus (Gesenius), but whose father (benefactor) is God. According to 2 Chron. xi. 20 sq. Abijam was the eldest son of Rehoboam's second wife Maacha, who was his favorite, for which reason he set Abijam above his brothers, and appointed him for his successor. As

there is no mention made of an Absalom except of him known as the son of David, ♫ must mean the granddaughter here, as means grandfather in ver. 3. Maacha must then have been the daughter of Tamar (2 Sam. xiv. 27), as Absalom had no sons (2 Sam. xviii. 18). The same name is no doubt meant in 2 Chron. xiii. 2, where Abijam's mother is called a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah; see on ver. 13. In all the sins, &c., is not to be taken in a universal sense, but of all the sins which Rehoboam committed regarding the service of Jehovah; in these he followed the ex

ample of his father (?). He was in his own person Jehovah's servant, but he did not oppose the idol-worship; he permitted it, and therefore in no respect resembled his great-grandfather David, who therefore for all kings continued to be the pattern and model of right conduct towards Jehovah. Thenius thinks that vers. 4 and 5 are the addition of an elaborator"; they are certainly not useless, but stand in a very proper connection. Abijam was the third king on David's throne who allowed idol-worship to exist side by side with that of Jehovah. Such kings had, in fact, deserved to lose their land and throne, because they had not acted as servants of the true king of Israel; but for David's sake, to whom God had promised that a descendant of his should always reign in Jerusalem (for see on chap. xi. 36), Jehovah suffered even such kings of the house of David, who, like this one, were not wholly and undividedly devoted to Him. The sin of David against Uriah was great indeed (2 Sam. xi. and xii.), but apart from the fact that he repented of it bitterly, it was not one which broke the fundamental law of the theocracy, the covenant and its chief commandment, and it did not therefore undermine the foundation of the Israelite nationality. Vers. 4 and 5 serve, then, to explain ver. 3, and in a certain measure to justify what is said

there.

כָּל-הַיָּמִים words

Vers. 6-8. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, &c. Ver. 6 says the same that was previously said in chap. xiv. 30, only with this difference, that there the concluding are changed to - here, from which it follows, at least, that this verse is not, as Thenius thinks, a mere repetition arising from the carelessness of a copyist. Instead of "Rehoboam," the Syrian, Arabic, and several manuscripts have "Abijam;" but this would make the conclusion of ver. 7 a mere repetition of our verse, which is even less tenable than the repetition from chap. xiv. 30. As the words stand they can scarcely be understood in connection with ver. 7 otherwise than as Schulz, Maurer, and Keil take them; they give their meaning to be this: that the hostile feeling which existed between Rehoboam and Jeroboam during the entire lifetime of the former, also lasted during the lifetime of his son Abijam. This interpretation is certainly rather forced, and it is very possible that the text is no longer the original one; happily, however, the substance of the narrative is in no wise affected by it, but it remains the same, howsoever those words may be read or explained.

tana Walida, under Asa, until Asa deposed her or account of her idolatrous worship (ver. 13), and that she had been such because, perhaps, Asa's mother had died early" (Keil and Ewald after the Rabbins). DN (ver. 10) would then stand for grandmother, which is very questionable for the reason that, often as the name of the mother of a king is given, his grandmother is never meant thereby; besides, the mother alone, and never the grandmother of a king, had the dignity and posi tion of the Gebirali, the name given to Asa's mother, ver. 13 and 2 Chron. xv. 16. Other commentators, who are not insensible to these considerations, think that Maachah, the mother of Abijam, was indeed, as is said in chap. xv. 2, and 2 Chron. xi. 20 and 21, a daughter of Abishalom, but ter of Uriel of Gibeah. They think that the Chronthat Maachah, the mother of Asa, was the daughicler (2 xiii. 2) committed an oversight when he mentioned the latter (whom he names Michaiah) as the mother of Abijam instead of Asa, whilst, inversely, our author names the daughter of Abish alom (ver. 10) instead of the daughter of Uriel, as the mother of Asa (Thenius, Bertheau). This much is certain, that the mother of Asa, as well as the mother of Abijam, was called Maachah.

Vers. 12-15. All the idols. Ver. 12. The de

signation for idols, includes, confessedly, the idea of something contemptible, as appears from the many passages in Ezekiel where it occurs. The Rabbins, whom several commentators follow, have derived the word from or ba, ie, mud drained off, and translated it Dei stercorei, mudgods, which Thenius thinks the most correct interpretation. But in the Pentateuch, where the word first occurs, a, mud, is not used, but a, a, stoneheaps, masses of stone (Gen. xxxi. 46, 48, 51, 52), hence Hävernick (Comm. über Ezechiel, s. 75) understands it to mean stone monuments, with the additional notion of what was dead and lifeless (cf. Ezra v. 8; vi. 4); which translation seems better than: lumps (Keil). Cf. also Deut. xxix. 16; Lev. xxvi. 30. For 7

see on chap. xi. 19. means horrendum, and no doubt refers to a phallusimage, which was something terrible and detestable to the Hebrews. The Vulgate gives in sacris Priapi for it. The statue of the male and generative power in nature was placed next that of the female power (Astarte). That the former was of wood, like the latter, appears from the "burning in the valley of Kidron; the ashes were thrown into the brook, which carried them quite away. Vers. 9-11. In the twentieth year of Jero- The nig, ver. 14, mean here such as were dediboam, &c. Ver. 9 sq. If Abijam became king in the eighteenth and Asa in the twentieth year of cated to Jehovah, as in chap. iii. 2 therefore, and Jeroboam (vers. 1 and 9), Abijam could not have not as in chap. xi. 7, and 2 Chron. xiv. 2. These, reigned three full years (ver. 2). The incomplete to which the people were accustomed from ancient years are here, as elsewhere (see on ver. 25), reck- times, Asa did not destroy, perhaps because doing oned as if complete, in statements of the length of so might have given offence to many even of the the reigns. Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom, is lawful thing he permitted; in everything else he true servants of Jehovah. This was the only un named in ver. 2 as the mother of Abijam, and as the mother of Asa in "er. 10, but she could not, of adhered perfectly, as long as he lived, to the wor course, have been the mother of both father and ship of Jehovah as enjoined in the law. He even son at the same time. It has therefore been sup-began to fill again the treasure chambers of the posed that Maachah, Abijam's mother, was in Temple, which had been plundered by Shishak; the position of queen-mother or 77, i. e., sul-lo till them partly with what his father Abijam had taken (cf. 2 Chron. xiii. 19), partly with the

plunder he himself had seized (2 Chron. xiv. 12; | Kings v. 18). IV. 18).

Ver. 16. And there was war between Asa all their days. Ver. 16. The account of Chronicles does not agree with this, if the former be only understood in the sense as given above, chap. xiv. 30. For, according to 2 Chron. xiv. 1 (xiii. 23) the land had rest ten years under Asa; according to 2 Chron. xv. 19, "there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa," and in xvi. 1 it says that Baasha did not make war on Judah till the six and thirtieth year. But these numbers cannot possibly be correct, for according to our chapter ver. 33, Baasha became king of Israel in the third year of Asa, and only reigned four-and-twenty years, therefore he could not have made war against Asa, in the six-andthirtieth year of the latter. The number ten is also too great, and was used probably because the numeral sign was shortened to . Judah had rest before Baasha's accession to the throne of Israel, and also two years afterwards, but then, when he was properly prepared for war, Baasha undertook the invasion; this occurred, therefore, in the fifth or sixth year of Asa's reign. The numeral sign =30 of the Chronicles may very well have been taken out of the . Cf. Thenius and Bertheau on the same passages. The supposition of older commentators and of Keil, that the five-andthirty, that is, the six-and-thirty years dated from the time of the separation of the two kingdoms, is not admissible, because the text in 2 Chron. xvi. 1 says quite positively: "in the six-and-thirtieth year of the reign of Asa."

Thenius identifies Hezion with the

Rezon mentioned in chap. xi. 23, who was called so originally (?). The phrase "king of Syria" is certainly in opposition with Benhadad. There is a league, &c. (ver. 19), i. e., as between our fathers there was a league, let it continue between us also. Syria must have increased rapidly in power since the days of Solomon; for both kingdoms, Israel and Judah, sought its friendship, although it was the natural foe of both. There is no doubt that Benhadad was induced to break his league with Baasha by the larger sum that Asa offered him. The Syrian army, which came from the north, overran the whole land of Naphtali to the lake of Genesareth; the towns which it laid waste lay in a line from north to south. Ijon was the most northern, and is nowhere else named, except in the parallel passage 2 Chron. xvi. 4; according to Robinson (Researches, &c. II. p. 438), it is situated in the well-watered district of Merj Ayun. Dan could not have been far south of it. Abel-bethmaachah (2 Chron. xvi. 4; Abel-maim) is the same town as that mentioned in 2 Sam. xx. 14 and 15, and was situated at the mouth of the Merj Ayun; it is the modern Abil el Kamh (see Thenius on the place). Cinneroth, "evidently a district, not a town; it was the basin which stretches from the lake of Merom to the head of the lake of Genesareth" (the same). Although then Benhadad only disturbed the northern parts of the kingdom, Baasha saw himself induced to obey the demand to leave Judah (probably made to him) in order to prevent further losses. He left off building the fortifications of Ramah which he had begun, and returned to his residence Tirzah (chap. xiv. 17) without disThe latter now had the

building materials at Ramah removed, and he fortified Geba of Benjamin and Mizpeh with them; the former was one-half mile [two and a quarter Eng. miles] from Ramah, and the latter about three miles [thirteen and a half Eng.]. These two fortresses overlooked each side of the road that led northwards from Jerusalem.

Ver. 17. Ramah (ver. 17) was not in the moun-turbing Asa any more. tains of Ephraim (1 Sam. x. 2) but in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. xviii. 25; Jud. xix. 3), somewhat more than two hours' distance from Jerusalem: it is the modern Er-Ram. The fortification of Ramah presupposes that Baasha had recovered the towns that belonged to the kingdom of Israel (2 Chron. xiii. 19) which had been taken by Abijam. Vers. 23-24. His might and the cities. The conjectural reading in instead of (Thenius) is unnecessary; it is literally: "to the end, not so much potestas as deeds of might, that one should not give (or send) any one coming. e., brave deeds, as appears from chap. xvi, 27; in or going out, to Asa" (Bertheau) i. e., ut non pos- other fortresses in Judah (2 Chron. xiv. 5, 6), xxii. 46. Besides Geba and Mizpah, Asa erected set quispiam egredi vel ingredi de parte Asæ (Vulg.). As the principal road from Jerusalem to the north which were probably designed to protect the passed through Ramah, Baasha wished to cut off southern part of his kingdom. He was on the all traffic, and in fact to blockade Jerusalem comwhole prosperous, "only in his old age" he suffered much, and did not show a right trust in pletely. The in, ver. 18, does not mean here, God (2 Chron. xvi. 12). It is uncertain if his disin the strict sense of the word, the remainder, for ease were gout (Thenius). Chron. says that he Shishak had taken all (chap. xiv. 26); Asa, after had caused his tomb to be hewn out in the city of his victories and those of his father, filled the trea- David; probably the place of sepulture hitherto sure chambers again with the plunder he took used was not large enough. (ver. 5), and this, when compared with the former treasure, was the remainder. The Sept., therefore, gives rò expelèv, i. e., what he then found.

Vers. 18-22. Benhadad (ver. 18) means son of the sun," for the sun received divine honors from the Syrians, under the name of Adad (Maerob. Saturn. i. 23). Three kings of DamasceneSyria bore this name; the one named here was the first of them, and he who is mentioned in chap. xx. 1 sq. 34 was his son. The name could scarcely have been a general royal title (Keil), for the name Tabrimmon is certainly the name of a person, but it is, in composition, like "good is Rimmon" (2

HISTORICAL AND ETHICAL.

1. Chronicles gives not only more extended ac counts of king Abijam, but some also which recent criticism declares to be utterly irreconcilable with the representation here. 'According to the earlier narrative," says Winer (R.- W.-B. I. s. 6), "Abijam walked in the footsteps of his idolatrous father (1 Kings xv. 3); according to the later one, he appears to be a very zealous guardian of the worship of Jehovah and of the levitical system (2 Chron. xiii. 8 sq.). We must bear in mind that