160
Whenever the Jewish kings were personally guilty of idolatry, the Hebrew word avad, "served," is used.
Comp. 1 Kings 16:31; 22:53; 2 Kings 16:3; 21:2-6, 20-22. Jewish tradition also emphatically asserts (Shab. 56
b.)that Solomon was not personally guilty of idolatry. The account of Josephus (Ant. 8:7, 5) is worthless.
161
Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Phoenicians, was worshipped with impure rites. Milcom, Malcom, or
Molech, was the principal deity of the Ammonites, but must be distinguished from Moloch, whose terrible
rites were only introduced at a later period (2 Kings 16:3). Chemosh was the sun-god and war-god of the
Moabites; his name frequently occurs on the celebrated Moabite Stone.
162
Comp. the account of this war in vol. 4. of this Bible History, chapter 18.
163
Hadad, "the Sun," or "Sun-god" - an ancient name, perhaps a royal title among the Edomite princes
(comp. Genesis 36:35). But it seems an ungrounded inference (by Ewald, Thenius, and even Canon
Rawlinson) to connect him (as grandson)with the last king of the Edomites, who in 1 Chronicles 1:50 is by a
clerical error called Hadad instead of Hadar (comp, Genesis 36:39.)
164
The name occurs also on Egyptian monuments. Tahpenes, or rather Thacpenes, was also the name of an
Egyptian goddess (Gesenius, Thesaurus, vol. 3., p. 1500 a.).
165
The LXX have here an addition, upon which Josephus bases a notice (Ant. 8. 7, 6), to the effect that
Hadad (Ader) raised the standard of revolt in Edom, but, being unsuccessful, combined with Rezon, and
became king of part of Syria. The notice cannot be regarded as of historical authority.
166
Canon Rawlinson (in the Speaker's Commentary, vol. ii., p. 550) arranges the succession of the Damascus
kings as follows: Hadad-Ezer (Hadad I.), contemporary of David; Rezon (usurper), contemporary of
Solomon; Hezion (Hadad II.), contemporary of Rehoboam; Tabrimon (Hadad III.), contemporary of Abijam;
Ben-hadad (Hadad IV.), contemporary of Asa.
167
Most critics erroneously identify it with Zarthan (1 Kings 7:46), or Zeredathah (2 Chronicles 4:17), which,
however, lay outside the possession of Ephraim.
168
This is the view of some German critics.
169
Much needless ingenuity has been employed to show in what sense Jeroboam had ten "pieces" or tribes,
and Rehoboam "one" -or rather two - assigned to him. The language must not be too closely pressed. The
"one" tribe left to the house of David was no doubt Judah, including "little Benjamin" as the second of the
twelve "pieces" or tribes.
170
I cannot adopt Canon Rawlinson's proposed rendering of ver. 34 "I will not take ought of the kingdom
out of his hand."
171
The expression "to lift up the hand," means actual revolt. Comp. 2 Samuel 18:28; 20:21.
172
That this is the meaning of the figurative expression "light," may be gathered from 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings
8:19; 2 Chronicles 21:7; Psalm 18:28; 72:17.
173
Of course this is only an inference from the narrative.
174
Josephus (Ant. 7, 8) assigns him a reign of eighty years. But this must either be a clerical error, or depend
on one in Josephus' copy of the LXX. Solomon probably died at the age of about sixty. The question of his
final repentance, so largely discussed at one time by theologians, may be safely left - where the Bible has
left it.