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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.
(^175) The LXX notice that she was the granddaughter of Nahash, king of Ammon.
(^176) It is hardly credible that Solomon should have contracted such an alliance before his
accession to the throne, which, of course, would be implied if Rehoboam was forty-one
years old at the time of his father's death. The Rabbis find a parallel to the marriage of
Solomon with Naamah in that of Ruth with Boaz (Jalkut, vol. ii., p. 32 a).
(^177) We arrive at this result by the following computation: - Years of public idolatry
under Rehoboam, 14; under Abijah, 3; under Joram, 6; under Ahaziah, 1; under
Athaliah, 6; under Ahaz, 16; or in all 46 years, to which we add 7, for the later
(^)