Bible Commentaries
1 Kings 9

Verses 2-9

1 Kings 9:2-9. That the Lord appeared to Solomon— Lest this young prince's heart should be too much elated by this extraordinary grandeur, God was pleased to appear to himin a dream on the first night of the dedication, when he expressed his acceptance of that sumptuous edifice, and renewed his promises to him and his posterity, provided he and they served him with an upright heart. On the other hand, he assured him, that in case they provoked him by their idolatry and disobedience, that glorious building, which was now the wonder of the world, should infallibly become a desolation, a dwelling for owls and bats, and a proverb of reproach among all nations. See Univ. Hist.

REFLECTIONS.—1. God declares his acceptance of Solomon's prayer, and promises to answer it. As he had manifested his presence in his temple, his eye and heart shall be always upon it, and his ear attentive to the prayers of all who come thither for help. Note; God's eyes are now in every place over the righteous, and his ears open to their prayers.

2. He promises him, on his obedience, the establishment of his house and throne to the latest posterity. Note; They who would secure to their children the entail of God's blessings, must leave them the examples of their fidelity.

3. He warns Him of the dreadful consequence of his, and the people's, and their posterity's departure and apostacy from God, which would cause the destruction of his family, the ruin of his kingdom, the demolition of this glorious temple, the contempt of the heathen, and the mournful reflection of those who remained, on the sins which brought down such desolating judgments. Thus Solomon and the people were admonished not to pride themselves on their outward privileges, or rest on the glory of the temple, seeing that its greater beauty was the holiness of the worshippers; and that that once lost, the fine gold would become dim, and this lofty fabric be laid in the dust. Note; (1.) If our growth in grace does not correspond with our privileges, our boast of the temple, and the best form of worship, will but delude and destroy us. (2.) Whenever we see or read the desolations that God hath wrought in the earth, we should reflect on the dreadful evil and malignity of sin, and take warning.

Verse 13

1 Kings 9:13. And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day— Houbigant thinks that Cabul is derived from an Arabic word, signifying to defer the payment of a debt; perhaps because he had not given them to king Hiram before he had finished all his buildings. The Arabic word signifies also to refuse, to be short in; which signification may imply, that those cities were either too small, or such as a Tyrian king should refuse. Some think, that the word כבול Cabul should here be considered as a compound of כ caph, (like, as,) and בל bal, or בול bul, (nothing:) thus well expressing king Hiram's dislike, as signifying that those cities were worthless, next to nothing. See Parkhurst on the word. It is uncertain why Hiram so much disliked these cities. Bedford thinks it was because the Tyrians were wholly addicted to trade and merchandize, and therefore would not remove from the sea-shores to live in a soil which required a great deal of labour to cultivate it; a business to which they were little accustomed. See Calmet.

Verse 15

1 Kings 9:15. And this is the reason of the levy— Therefore this was the reason of the levy or tribute. That is, the money which Solomon borrowed of Hiram, 1Ki 9:14 was the reason of his raising the tribute upon his people. Houbigant.

And Millo— See 2 Samuel 5:9. מלוא Millo was a place in Jerusalem in which the people of Israel assembled, when there was any consultation to be made about public affairs. It is derived from the Hebrew word מלא male, which signifies full, because the people filled the place.

Verse 18

1 Kings 9:18. And Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land— See 2 Chronicles 8:3-4. This Tadmor in the wilderness is generally supposed to be the same with the city of Palmyra, whose ruins are at present so extraordinary, and of which some valuable travellers of our nation have given us the most pleasing and accurate accounts. We refer our reader to these, not only that they may receive great pleasure but great improvement; since it is not possible to conceive higher ideas of Solomon's magnificence than these ruins present, nor more humiliating ideas of the vanity and weakness of all human splendor. See Messrs. Dawkins and Wood's ruins of Palmyra.

Verse 19

1 Kings 9:19. And in Lebanon— That is, in the palace which was styled of the forest of Lebanon, near Jerusalem; for Solomon built nothing in mount Lebanon, nor do we any where read that any part of that mountain was within his jurisdiction. Houbigant.

Verse 28

1 Kings 9:28. And they came to Ophir— Infinite are the conjectures of different writers concerning this land of Ophir. The authors of the Universal History have taken great pains to confute those opinions which appear less probable; and upon the whole their conclusion is, "that Ophir appears most likely to have been in some of those remote rich countries of India beyond Ganges, and perhaps as far as China or Japan; which last still abounds with the finest gold, and several other commodities in which Solomon's fleet dealt, as silver, precious stones, ebony, and other valuable sorts of wood; to say nothing of spices, peacocks, parrots, apes, and other such creatures; and by its distance best answers to the length of the voyage."

Note; Even the gold of Ophir perishes in the using; but the treasures of grace never wax old, or decay. He that is possessed of these, hath that fine gold which constitutes the truest riches, Revelation 3:18.