• The Reign of Solomon. 1 Kings 1:-11:43; 2 Chron. 1:1-9. 31.

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FIRST KINGS
AND
SECOND CHRONICLES.

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THE REIGN OF SOLOMON.

I. Ki. i. 1-xi. 43; II. Chron. i. 1-ix. 31.

§ I. SOLOMON IS MADE KING. I. Ki. i. 1-53.

1. David's Decrepitude. i. 1-4. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why not use stimulating medicine?

2. Adonijah's Conspiracy. 5-10. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Ground of his pretensions? See II. Sam. iii. 4, 5.
• Why the remark about the king's kindness to him? 6.
• Why the defection of Joab and Abiathar? 7.
• Why did Zadok and other stand firm? 8.
• Where is En-rogel?

3. Nathan's Counterplot. 11-27. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why were Bath-sheba and Solomon in danger? 12, 21.
• Why this method adopted?
• Why speak as if David had authorized Adonijah? 27.

4. The Oath Renewed and Solomon Anointed. 28-40.
(Not in Chronicles.) [52]

• Why did David now act so promptly?
• Why on the king's mule? 33.
• What horn of oil? and what tent? 39.

5. The Conspiracy Abandoned. 41-53. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why did the guests scatter? 49.
• Why flee to the altar? and what altar? 50.
• On what condition spared? 52.

§ II. DAVID'S DEATH AND SOLOMON'S FULL ACCESSION.I. Ki. ii. 1-46.

1. Charge to Solomon in Regard to the Law. ii. 1-4;
I. Chron. xxviii. 9, 10, 20.

• Did they then have the law of Moses? 3.
• What similar charge before this? See Josh. i. 7-9.

2. Charges Concerning Joab, Barzillai's Sons and Shimei.
5-9. (Not in Chronicles.)

• How, on his girdle and his shoes? 5.
• Why was Joab yet to be slain? and when? 6.
• Why Shimei? 8, 9.

3. David's Death. 10, 11; I. Chron. xxix. 26-30.

• How buried in the city?
• What the exact length of his reign? Cf. II. Sam. v. 4, 5.
• When the proceedings of I. Chron. xxviii. 1-xxix. 30?

4. Death of Adonijah. 12-25. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why so ceremonious with his mother? 19.
• Why the petition so offensive? 22.

5. Ejectment of Abiathar, and Death of Joab. 26-35.
(Not in Chronicles.) [53]

• Where was Anathoth? 26.
• Why did Joab flee? 29.

6. The Death of Shimei. 36-46. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why specify the brook Kidron? 37.
• Why did he venture out? 39, 40.

§ III. SOLOMON'S MARRIAGE, AND HIS WISDOM. iii. 1-28.

1. His Marriage and Sacrifices. iii. 1-3; II. Chron. i. 1-6.

• Policy of this marriage? iii. 1.
• Why have to build the wall of Jerusalem?
• In what sense, "no house built for the name of the Lord"?
• What, "the high places"?
• Why sacrifice at those contrary to the law?

2. His Choice of Wisdom. 4-15; II. Chron. i. 7-13.

• Who went with him to Gibeon? and why did he go there? II. Chron. i. 2-5.
• Why say, "I am but a little child"?
• What New Testament text illustrated by his choice? I. Ki. iii. 11-14, cf. Matt. vi. 33.

3. His Wisdom Tested. 16-28. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Had the case been brought before the lower court?
• What made it difficult?
• What the purpose of ordering the child to be divided?
• What knowledge did this display?

§ IV. SOLOMON'S CHIEF OFFICERS, AND HIS MAGNIFICENCE.
I. Ki. iv. 1-34.

1. His Ten Princes. iv. 1-6. (Not in Chronicles.)

• In what sense princes? 1, 2.
• Meaning of priest, in 4, 5?
• Why Benaiah put over the host?
• Why Abiathar still named as [54] a priest? 4, cf. ii. 27.
• What, the office of scribe?
• What, the office of recorder?
• What, the "levy"? 6, cf. v. 13-16.

2. His Twelve Commissaries. 7-19. (Not in Chronicles.)

• What the design of this? 7.

3. Peace and Prosperity. 20, 21. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why say, "eating and drinking and making merry"?
• Meaning of, "brought presents"?

4. His Provisions, Horses and Chariots. 22-28; II. Chron. i. 14-17.

• Why so much food?
• Meaning of, "under his vine and under his fig tree"? 25.
• What about the number of horses? 26, cf. II. Chron. ix. 25.

5. Another Statements of His Wisdom. 29-34. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Who the men with whom he is compared? 31.
• Where his proverbs and songs? 32.
• What the other subjects of his study?

§ V. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE. I. Ki. v. 1-vi. 38.

1. Solomon's Contract with Hiram. v. 1-12;
II. Chron. ii. 1-16.

• Hiram's purpose in sending servants? 1, cf. I. Sam. x. 2.
• Why send to Lebanon? 6.
• Why the Sidonians skilful hewers? 6.
• Means of transportation? 9, cf. II. Chron. ii. 16.
• Why pay in food? 11, cf. Acts, xii. 20.

2. The Levies of Workmen. 13-18; II. Chron. ii. 17, 18.

• Meaning of levy? 13.
• Why by courses? 14.
• Why so many bearers of burdens? 15.
• Hewers of what in the mountains? 15. [55] 
• Whence the last two bodies? 15, cf. II. Chron. ii. 17, 18.
• Discrepancy as to number of overseers? 16; ix. 23, cf. II. Chron. ii. 18; viii. 10.
• Why say, "great stones," etc.? 17, cf. Lands of the Bible, 205, 562; Josephus Antiquities, Book V, chapter v, 1.

3. Date of the Foundation. vi. 1; II. Chron. iii. 1, 2.

• [This was B. C. 1000.]

4. Dimensions of the House and Chambers. 2-10;
II. Chron. iii. 3-8.

• Size as compared with the tent of meeting?
• Height of the porch? II. Chron. iii. 4.
• Purpose of the latticed windows? 4.
• What were the side-chambers? 5.
• Their use?
• How were the upper stories the wider? 6.
• Why no tools of iron used? 7.
• What kind of roof? 9.

5. Solomon Encouraged. 11-13. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Purpose of this?

6. The Inside Finish, and the Divisions. 14-30;
II. Chron. iii. 9-13.

• How was the oracle twenty cubits high, and the temple thirty? 20.
• Why the wooden wainscoting? See 21, 29.
• Why the golden chains? 21, cf. vi. 31.
• Quantity of gold? and how fastened on? II. Chron. iii. 8, 9.
• Which way did the cherubim face? II. Chron. iii. 13.
• Design of these?

7. The Doors and the Court. 31-38. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Material of the hinges? vii. 50.
• How a fifth part of the [56] wall? 31.
• What of the veil? II. Chron. iii. 14.
• How the stone and cedar combined? 36.
• What implied as to an outer court?
• Why so long in building so small a house? See Lands of the Bible, 148-150.

§ VI. OTHER BUILDINGS AND THE HOLY VESSELS. I. Ki. vii. 1-51.

1. Solomon's Palace. vii. 1-12. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why the name, "house of the forest of Lebanon"? 2.
• Design of it?
• Why a porch for judging? 7.
• Where did this palace stand?

2. Hiram the Brass-founder. 13, 14; II. Chron. ii. 13, 14.

• King Hiram's account of him? II. Chron. ii. 13, 14.
• How his mother of Naphtali and also of Dan? Cf. Judg. xviii. 27, 28.

3. Jachin and Boaz. 15-22; II. Chron. iii. 14-17.

• Meaning of the names?
• Design of the pillars?
• Their whole height? 15, cf. II. Chron. iii. 15.

4. The Brazen Sea. 23-26; II. Chron. iv. 1-5.

• Its use? II. Chron. iv. 6.
• Why called a sea?
• How was the water drawn?
• Capacity of the sea. 26, cf. II. Chron. iv. 5.

5. The Ten Lavers and Their Bases. 27-39; II. Chron. iv. 6.

• Why the wheels? 30.
• What kind? 33.
• What their design? and why their positions?

6. Recapitulation of the Brass Work. 40-47; II. Chron. iv. 7-18.

• Why do the casting in the plain of Jordan? 46.

7. The Golden Vessels and the Dedicated Treasuries. 48-51;
II. Chron. iv. 19-v. 1. [57]

• Why the altar and table made of gold? 48.
• Why so many candlesticks? 49.
• What, "the treasuries of the house"? 51.
• The brazen altar? II. Chron. iv. 1.
• Why so large?

§ VII. THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. I. Ki. viii. 1-66.

1. The Ark and the Holy Vessels Put in Place. viii. 1-11;
II. Chron. v. 2-14.

• At what feast was this? 2, cf. Lev. xxiii. 34.
• Why the remark about the length of the staves of the ark? 8.
• What had become of the pot of manna, and of Aaron's rod? 9, cf. Ex. xvi. 33, 34; Num. xvii. 10.
• Significance of the cloud of glory? 10, 11, cf. Ex. xl. 34, 35.
• What service accompanied the taking in the holy vessels? II. Chron. v. 11-14.

2. Solomon Addresses God and the People. 12-21;
II. Chron. vi. 1-11.

• Why the remark about thick darkness? 12.
• Why specify "a place for the ark"? 21.

3. The Dedication Prayer. 22-53; II. Chron. vi. 12-42.

• Plan of the prayer?

(1.) Praise to God for keeping his promise. 23, 24.
(2.) Prayer for perpetuity of David's throne. 25, 26.
(3.) Expressions of surprise that God would dwell in the house. 27.
(4.) Petition that all prayers toward this house may be heard.28-53. [58] 
• Why was all prayer to be toward this place? 29.

4. The Benediction. 54-61. (Not in Chronicles.)

• When did he kneel? 54, cf. 22.
• Universality of his aim? 60.

5. Sacrifices and Feasting. 62-66; II. Chron. vii. 4-11.

• How so many peace offerings eaten? 63.
• Which altar too little? 64.
• Where the entering in of Hamath? 65.
• Connection of "the eighth day"? 66.

§ VIII. SOLOMON'S PROSPERITY CONTINUED. I. Ki. ix. 1-x. 29;
II. Chron. vii. 12-22.

1. Answer to Solomon's Prayer. ix. 1-6. (Not in Chronicles.)

• When was this answer given? 1, cf. 10.

2. An Exchange of Presents with Hiram. 10-14. (Not in Chronicles.)

• How long did the contract continue?
• Meaning of Cabul? 13.
• What was then known as Galilee? 11, cf. Josh. xx. 7.

3. Solomon Fortifies His Country. 15-19; II. Chron. viii. 1-6.

• What done in Millo and the wall of Jerusalem?
• Where Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer? and why these "built"?
• Same of Baalath, Beth-Horon, and Tadmor? II. Chron. viii. 4, 5.

4. The Laborers Employed. 20-23; II. Chron. viii. 7-16.

• Why make them bondservants?

5. Pharaoh's Daughter, and the Three Annual Festivals. 24, 25.

• What three occasions?
• Did he officiate at the altar?

6. Solomon Builds a Navy. 26-28; II. Chron. viii. 17, 18. [59]

• What waters navigated? 26.
• Why need Phoenician sailors? 27.
• Where was Ophir, and what kind of gold mines? 28.

7. The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon. x. 1-13;
II. Chron. ix. 1-12.

• What kind of questions? 3.
• What his ascent to the house of the Lord? 5.
• Why think his servants happy? 8.
• Did she worship the same God? 9.
• Where was Sheba? 1.
• What are almug trees? 12.
• Why did the queen ask for any thing?

8. Solomon's Golden Shields, Ivory Throne, and Other Items
of Grandeur. 14-29; II. Chron. ix. 13-24.

• Difference between targets and shields? 16.
• Design of these?
• Why the ivory overlaid with gold? 18.
• Why the lions?
• Why the fleet so long on a voyage? 22.
• Why so many cedars? 27.
• Value in our money of the chariots and horses? 29.
• Why for the kings of the Hittites and of Syria? 29.

§ IX. SOLOMON'S SINS AND DEATH. I. Ki. xi. 1-43.

1. He Is Guilty of Polygamy and Idolatry. xi. 1-8.
(Not in Chronicles.)

• What was the sin of having so many wives? 2, cf. Deut. xvii. 16, 17.
• What was, "the mount that is before Jerusalem"? 7.

2. A Penalty Announced. 9-13. (Not in Chronicles.)

• Why for David's sake? 12, 13.
• Why for Jerusalem's sake? 13.
• Why not the penalty of the law?

3. Hadad Becomes an Adversary. 14-22. (Not in Chronicles.) [60]

• Why so honored by Pharaoh? 19, 20.
• In what way did he trouble Solomon?

4. Rezon the Syrian an Adversary. 23-25. (Not in Chronicles.)

• In what way an adversary?

5. Jeroboam Made an Adversary. 26-40. (Not in Chronicles.)

• What the design of Ahijah's prediction?
• Why the conditional promise? 38.
• How did Solomon hear of this? 40.
• Why flee to Egypt?

6. Solomon's Death. 41-43; II. Chron. ix. 25-31.

• What book was this? 41.
• Why the length of his reign the same as with those of David and Saul? 42.

THE EPOCH NOW REACHED.

1. The nation at its zenith of wealth and power.
2. Beginning of architecture and a national system of fortifications.
3. Beginning of scientific study.
4. Contemporaneous History.
      (1.) Assyrian Empire between two kings.
      (2.) Egypt divided between two kings.
      (3.) Greek History just begun--the period of Homer. [61]

[CNSH2 52-61]