Verse 3. "Take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey."-See the note on 1 Sam. 1x. 7. This does not prove, as Bishop Patrick conjectures, that the queen had disguised herself as a poor country woman; for presents of provisions are still made, in the East, by persons in good circumstances to others whom they respect. We need not therefore suppose that the queen thought the affectation of a very low condition necessary to her purpose. The word

translated "cracknels" (【】, nikkudim) doubtless means some kind of small cake or biscuit; and as the word suggests the idea of something spotted, Harmer fairly enough conjectures that they were some such sort of biscuit, sprinkled with seeds, as are still much used in the East. We use caraway-seeds for this purpose: poppy-seeds are usually employed by the Orientals, who often also sprinkle thus their ordinary kinds of bread.

10. "Him that is shut up and left in Israel."-This is the literal Hebrew, which has been differently understood. We believe Boothroyd's version, "bond or free," is too restricted. It probably means that all Jeroboam's family should perish-not one escaping, however carefully shut up and hidden from calamity-till the last remaining fragment of the family should be extirpated.-We adopt the opinion, that the clause immediately preceding this does not refer to the human male, but to a dog, and for this reason, that the custom of the East prevents its application to any but the canine species. This frequently-recurring expression will therefore mean, that not even a dog belonging to the condemned family should escape destruction. This is a stong metaphor, expressing utter extirpation.

13. "In him there is found some good thing." "The Jews say that this good thing was, that he disapproved of the golden calves; and that he had persuaded his father to withdraw the guards and sentinels which he had posted along the frontier to prevent those from going to Jerusalem, at the three great annual festivals, who still felt inclined to do so.

15. "Shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water."-Instead of shall smite (T), the Arabic reads shall shake (TT), which if correct, agrees better with the comparison.

29. "The book of the chronicles."--Not the books of that name, but the current annals of the kingdom, from which the canonical books of Kings and Chronicles seem to have been compiled. See the note on Esther vi. 1.

CHAPTER XV.

1 Abijam's wicked reign. 7 Asa succeedeth him. 9 Asa's good reign. 16 The war between Baasha and him causeth him to make a league with Benhadad. 23 Jehoshaphat succeedeth Asa. 25 Nadal's wicked reign. 27 Baasha conspiring against him executeth Ahijah's prophecy. 31 Nadab's acts and death. 33 Baasha's wicked reign.

Now in the eighteenth year of king 'Jeroboam the son of Nabat reigned Abijam over Judah.

2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father,

4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem :

5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, 'save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the 'book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and 'Asa his son reigned in his stead.

32 Sam. 11 4, and 12. 9.
8 Heb, cut off.

9

And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.

10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his 'mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.

12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

13 And also 'Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

15 And he brought in the 'things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to "Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon. the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

42 Chron. 13. 3. 52 Chron. 14. 1. 6 That is, grandmother's. Heb. holy. 40 2 Chron, 16. 1. 11 2 Chron. 16. 2,

his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.

31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of 34 And he did evil in the sight of the Israel? LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, 32 And there was war between Asa and and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to Baasha king of Israel all their days. sin.

Chap. xv. From hence to the end of the second book of Kings, we have a history of the affairs of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah; while, in the second book of Chronicles, from the tenth chapter to the end, the parallel history refers almost exclusively to the affairs of the latter kingdom, the particulars of which are there given more in detail than in the books of Kings. Under these circumstances, it will be found a very convenient arrangement to confine our present attention chiefly to the history of the northern kingdom, which will not again come so fully under our consideration; reserving much that relates to Judah in particular for the second book of Chronicles. It will therefore be understood by the reader, that, under the parallel texts of that book he will find whatever observations, on the affairs of the kingdom of Judah, may seem to be included within our range of illustration. We do not, however, altogether preclude ourselves from noticing occasionally, even in the books of Kings, whatever, connected with the southern kingdom, it may not seem desirable to postpone to the Chronicles.

17. "Ramah.”—The name means an eminence; and there are several places distinguished by it, which have been strangely confounded by travellers. The present is evidently the Ramah in the tribe of Benjamin, on the borders of Ephraim, which Jerome places six miles to the north of Jerusalem. It still exists as a village, under its ancient name. It is pleasantly situated on an eminence, the sides of which are covered with olive-trees and sycamores. Some traces of old buildings still existed when Ranwolff was there. The Jews believe that this is the Ramah where Samuel was born, lived, and was buried; and Calmet concurs in this opinion, which has several circumstances in its favour. The old traveller, John Sanderson, says, "The second day of July we went to Rama, to the prophet Samuel his house, where the Jewes say he was buried; upon the top of the said house is the place where the children of Israel had their haire cut off, at which time they made vowes, and gave great sums to the sanctorum. At this day, there are of the Jewes that vow and performe, carrying their children to have their haire cut off there, for devotion: on the right hand is a well, which is called Samuel's well. Other matters I observed not." The present inhabitants are chiefly Christians of the Greek persuasion.

18. “Damascus.”—We give a view of this city, the description of which has already been supplied under Gen. xiv. 15. 20. “Ijon,” &c.—All the places here named were in the north of Israel, nearest to Syria. They have all been men tioned already, except Ijon, the precise situation of which cannot be determined.

27. "Gibbethon."-This belonged to the tribe of Dan, and was given by that tribe to the Levites (Josh. xix. 44; xxi. 23). The Levites seem to have been dispossessed of the towns they held in the ten tribes, which may have afforded the Philistines an opportunity of getting Gibbethon into their own hands. That it was within the limits of Dan is all we can know with certainty, except that the text sufficiently indicates the town to have been one of considerable strength and importance.

CHAPTER XVI.

1,7 Jehu's prophecy against Baasha. 5 Elah succeedeth him. 8 Zimri conspiring against Elah succeedeth him. 11 Zimri executeth Jehu's prophecy. 15 Omri, made king by the soldiers, forceth Zimri desperately to burn himself. 21 The kingdom being divided, Omri prevaileth against Tibni. 23 Omri buildeth Samaria. 25 His wicked reign. 27 Ahab succeedeth him. 29 Ahab's most wicked reign. 34 Joshua's curse upon Hiel the builder of Jericho.

THEN the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

2 Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;

3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house;

1 Chap. 15. 29.

and will make thy house like 'the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

4 'Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.

5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.

Chap. 14. 11.

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