Besides - Besides what he gave her of his royal bounty, as is expressed, 1Kings 10:13, which was in compensation for her presents.
And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon - All in those parts of the world.
Iddo - This, and the other prophets mentioned, were also historians, and wrote annals of their times; out of which these sacred books were taken, either by these, or other prophets.
And Solomon slept - We have here Solomon in his throne, and Solomon in his grave; for the throne could not secure him from the grave. Here is he stripped of his pomp, and leaving all his wealth and power, not to one whom he knew not whether he would be a wise man or a fool; but one he knew would be a fool! This was not only vanity, but vexation of spirit.
Grievous - It is probable, when Solomon had declined from God, that God left him to himself to act thus impolitically.
If thou be kind, &c. - Moderate counsels are generally best. Gentleness will do what violence will not do. Good words cost nothing but a little self - denial, and yet they purchase great things.
See to thine own house - When public affairs are in a ferment, violent proceedings do but make ill worse. Many have been driven to the mischief they did not intend, by being too severely dealt with.
Son of Solomon - Intimating, that this was determined for the sin of Solomon, and therefore could not be reversed.
Built - Repaired, enlarged, and fortified them. They were built before.
Cast them off - They would not suffer them to instruct the Israelites in the worship of God, nor to go up to Jerusalem to worship in their courses: and these priests would not join with them in the worship of the calves, as they were commanded to do; and therefore they, willingly forsook all their patrimonies and possessions for God's sake. No secular advantages whatsoever should detain us there, where we are in danger of making shipwreck of faith and a good conscience.
High places - Or, for the high places, both for the devils (the Baals, or false gods, which divers of his people worshipped, whom he encouraged to do so, giving them liberty to do anything but to serve God at Jerusalem) and for the calves. So he erected two sorts of high places, some for Baal, and some for the true God, whom be pretended to worship, in and by the calves.
Set their heart - Such as loved and feared God in truth.
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah - Not only by the addition of so many persons to it: but by their piety and prayers they procured a blessing upon the kingdom which was a sanctuary to them. They made him strong three years; for so long he served God; but when he forsook God, none could strengthen him. We retain our strength as long as we cleave to God and our duty, and no longer. And Solomon - This honourable mention of Solomon, as a pattern of piety, is a considerable evidence of his true repentance before his death.
Ruler - He declared him his successor, and gave him the dominion over, his brethren.
Dispersed - Lest his other sons should after his death unite together against Abijah, he wisely dispersed them into distant places.
And all Israel - So called, because they forsook God, as Israel had done.
Fifth year - Presently after the apostacy of the king and people, which was in the fourth year.
Lubims - A people of Africk bordering upon Egypt. Sukkiims - A people living in tents, as the word signifies; and such there were not far from Egypt, both in Africk and in Arabia. Ethiopians - Either those beyond Egypt, or the Arabians.
Some deliverance - I will give some stop to the course of my wrath, which was ready to be poured forth upon them to their utter destruction. Those who acknowledge God is righteous in afflicting them, shall find him gracious.
May know - That they may experimentally know the difference between my yoke and the yoke of a foreign and idolatrous prince.
Went well - The began to recruity themselves, and regain some degree of their former prosperity.
Did evil - Or, settled not, although he humbled himself, for a season, yet he quickly relapsed into sin, because his heart was not right with God.
Of salt - By a perpetual covenant.
Golden calves - There is that among you which may damp your confidence: you worship those images which God abhors.
Consecrate - To make himself a priest.
The Lord - Heb. Jehovah, the only true God. We - Maintain his worship which you have rejected.
Pure table - Made of pure gold, Exod 25:23,24, he saith table and candlestick, though there were ten of each, because ordinarily there was but one of each used at a time for those uses. We keep - Perhaps he flattered himself, that his keeping up the external worship of God would make satisfaction for the errors of his life.
Trumpets - Upon the sounding whereof God hath solemnly promised to assist his people, Numb 10:9. The Lord - You have not only us for your enemies, but God, even the God whom your fathers served. It is folly to fight against the God of almighty power: but it is treachery and base ingratitude, to fight against your father's God.
Jeroboam - While Abijah was discoursing, Jeroboam takes the advantage of it to lay an ambush. It does not appear that he made any answer to all that Abijah said. The longest sword he thinks will determine the matter, not the better cause.
Gave a shout - It is unspeakable comfort, that no stratagem or ambush can cut off our communication with heaven. To the cry of prayer they added the shout of faith, and so became more than conquerors.
The Lord struck him - He escaped the sword of Abijah: but God struck him: there is no escaping his sword.
Married - Not after this victory, for he died presently after it, but in the whole time of his life.
Quiet - There was no open war, but there were private hostilities between his and Baasha's subjects.
The land had rest - Those have rest indeed, to whom God gives rest; peace indeed, to whom Christ gives peace. We find by experience, it is good to seek the Lord. While we pursue the world, we meet with nothing but vexation.
Before us - In our power.
Ethiopian - Or, the Arabian, as the Hebrew word Cush is commonly used: these being much nearer to Asa than the Ethiopians.
Let not man prevail - If he prevails against us, he prevails, as it were, against thee; because thou art our God. And we rest on thee, and go forth in thy name, which thou hast encouraged us to do.
Smote - With terror, and an unaccountable consternation.
Smote the cities - because they had joined, with Zerah in this war.
Spirit of God - Both to instruct him what to say, and to enable him to say it plainly and boldly.
Now Israel - They have long lived without the found knowledge and worship of the true God. Israel is here understood of the whole nation of Israel in former times, and especially in the times of the judges: for then many times they were in a great measure, without God and his law, and teaching priests, as plainly appears from the book of the Judges; they were brought to all the exigencies and calamities following; and they sometimes turned to the Lord, and he was found of them.
In those times - When Israel lived in the gross neglect of God and his law. No peace - Men could not go abroad about their private occasions without great danger; as it was in the days of Shamgar, Judg 5:6.
And nation, &c. - One part of the people of Israel destroyed the other by civil wars. As all Israel are called a nation, so the several tribes of them are sometimes called nations.
Be strong - Go on resolutely to maintain God's worship and to root out idolatry, as you have begun to do; for this is the only method of preserving yourselves from such calamities as your predecessors have felt.
Of Oded - Of Azariah, ver.1, who was also called by his father's name Oded.