and they all arose, and every man went his way, 50 And Adonias fearing Solomon, arose, and went, and took hold on the horn of the altar. 51 And they told Solomon, saying: Behold, Adonias, fearing king Solomon, hath taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not kill his servant with the sword. 52 And Solomon said: If he be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head; fall to the ground: but if evil be found in him, he shall die. 53 Then king Solomon sent and brought him out from the altar: and going in he worshipped king Solomon: and Solomon said to him: Go to thy house. CHAP. II. David, after giving his last charge to Solomon, dieth. Adonias is put to death: Abiathar is banished: Joab and Semei are slain. ND the days of David drew nigh that he should die: and he charged his son Solomon, saying: 2 I am going the way of all flesh: take thou courage, and show thyself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayst understand all thou doest, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself: 4 That the Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children|| shall take heed to their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel. Bethsabee the mother of Solomon. And she said to him: Is thy coming peaceable? He answered: Peaceable. 14 And he added: I have a word to speak with thee. She said to him: Speak. And he said: 15 Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had preferred me to be their king: but the kingdom is transferred, and is become my brother's: for it was appointed him by the Lord. 16 Now therefore I ask one petition of thee; turn not away my face. And she said to him: Say on. 17 And he said: I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee any thing) to give me Abisag the Sunamitess to wife. 18 And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king. 19 Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother: and she sat on his right hand. 20 And she said to him: I desire one small pe tition of thee; do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother ask: for I must not turn away thy face. 21 And she said: Let Abisag the Sunamitess be given to Adonias thy brother to wife. 22 And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag the Sunamitess for Adonias? ask for him also the kingdom: for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Sarvia. 23 Then king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: So and so may God do to me, and add more, if Adonias hath not spoken this word against his own life. 21 And now as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and placed me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adonias shall be put to death this day. 5 Thou knowest also what Joab* the son of Sarvia hath done to me; what he did to the two captains of the army of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace,|| 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Baand put the blood of war on his girdle that was naias the son of Joiada, who slew him, and he about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet 6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to hellt in peace. 7 But show kindness to the sons of Berzellai the Galaadite, and let them eat at thy table: for they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom thy brother. 8 Thou hast also with thee Semei the son of Gera, the son of Jemini of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went to the camp; but because he came down to meet me when I passed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying: I will not kill thee with the sword: 9 Do not thou hold him guiltless. But thou art a wise man, and knowest what to do with him: and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to hell. 10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the days that David reigned in Israel, were forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years; in Jerusalem thirty three. 12 And Solomon'sat upon the throne of his father David: and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly. 13 And Adonias the son of Haggith came to Joab. These instructions given by David to his son, with relation to Joab and Semei, proceeded not from any rancour of heart, or private pique, but from a zeal for justice, that crimes so public and heinous might not pass unpunished. To hell. This word hell doth not here signify the place or state of damnation; but the place and state of the dead. died. 26 And the king said also to Abiathar the priest: Go to Anathoth to thy lands; for indeed thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst carry the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and hast endured trouble in all the troubles my father endured. 27 So Solomon cast out Abiathar, from being the priest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke concerning the house of Heli in Silo. 28 And the news came to Joab, because Joab had turned after Adonias, and had not turned after Solomon: and Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold on the horn of the altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and was by the altar: and Solomon sent Banaias the son of Joiada, saying: Go, kill him. 30 And Banaias came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him: Thus saith the king: Come forth. And he said: I will not come forth; but here I will die. Banaias brought word back to the king, saying: Thus saith Joab, and thus he answered me. 31 And the king said to him: Do as he hath said: and kill him, and bury him; and thou shalt remove the innocent blood which hath been shed by Joab, from me, and from the house of my father. 32 And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, because he murdered two men, just and better than himself: and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it, Abner the son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, general of the army the precepts of David his father; only he sacriof Juda. 33 And their blood shall return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever. But to David, and his seed, and his house, and to his throne, be peace for ever from the Lord. 34 So Banaias the son of Joiada went up, and setting upon him slew him: and he was buried in his house in the desert. 35 And the king appointed Banaias the son of Joiada in his room over the army: and Sadoc the priest he put in the place of Abiathar. 36 The king also sent, and called for Semei, and said to him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there: and go not out from thence any whither. 37 For on what day soever thou shalt go out, and shalt pass over the brook Cedron, know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head: 38 And Semei said to the king: The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. ficed in the high places, and burnt incense. 4 He went therefore to Gabaon, to sacrifice there: for that was the great high place: a thousand victims for holocausts did Solomon offer upon that altar in Gabaon. 5 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee. 6 And Solomon said: Thou hast shewn great mercy to thy servant David my father, even as he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern be39 And it came to pass after three years, that tween good and evil. For who shall be able to the servants of Semei ran away to Achis the son judge this people thy people which is so nuof Maacha the king of Geth: and it was told Se-merous. nei, that his servants were gone to Geth. 42 And sending he called for him, and said to him: Did I not protest to thee by the Lord, and tell thee before: On what day soever thou shalt go out, and walk abroad any whither, know that thou shalt die? And thou answeredst me: The word that I have heard is good. 43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I laid upon thee? 44 And the king said to Semei: Thou knowest all the evil, of which thy heart is conscious, which thou didst to David my father: the Lord hath returned thy wickedness upon thy own head: 45 And king Solomon shall be blessed: and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever. 46 So the king commanded Banaias the son of Joiada: and he went out, and struck him: and he died. CHAP. III. 10 And the word was pleasing to the Lord that Solomon had asked such a thing. 11 And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment, 12 Behold, I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart; insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, por shall arise after thee. 13 Yea, and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit, riches and glory, so that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my precepts and my commandments, as thy father walked, I will lengthen thy days. 15 And Solomon awaked, and perceived that it was a dream: and when he was come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered holocausts, and sacrificed victims of peace-offerings, and made a great feast for all his servants. 16 Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him: 17 And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber. 18 And the third day, after that I was delivershe also was delivered; and we were toge ther, and no other person with us in the house, Solomon marrieth Pharao's daughter. He sacri- AND the kingdom was established in the hand only we two of Solomon: and he made affinity with Pha- 19 And this woman's child died in the night: rao the king of Egypt: for he took his daughter, for in her sleep she overlaid him. and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. 2 But yet the people sacrificed in the high places: for there was no temple built to the name of the Lord until that day. 3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in 20 And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I thy handmaid was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but considering him more diligently when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore. 22 And the other woman answered: It is not *High places. That is, altars where they wor- so as thou sayest: but thy child is dead, and mine shipped the Lord, but not according to the ordi- is alive. On the contrary she said: Thou liest: nance of the law; which allowed of no other pla- for my child liveth; and thy child is dead. And ces for sacrifice but the temple of God. Among in this manner they strove before the king. these high places that of Gabaon was the chiefest, 23 Then said the king: The one saith: My because there was the tabernacle of the testimo- child is alive; and thy child is dead. And the ny; which had been removed from Silo to Nobe, other answereth: Nay, but thy child is dead; and and from Nobe to Gabaon. mine liveth. life. 24 The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. him presents, and served him all the days of his And when they had brought a sword before the king, 23 Divide, said he, the living child in two; and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26 But the woman, whose child was alive, said to the king: (for her bowels were moved upon her child:) I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 27 The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed; for she is the mother thereof. 28 And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged: and they feared the king," seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment. ND reigned over all Israel: Aking Solomon regprinces which he had: Azarias the son of Sadoc the priest: Elihoreph, and Ahia, the sons of Sisa, scribes: hat the son of Ahilud, recorder: Banaias the son of Joiada, over the army: and se and Abiathar priests. Azarias the son of Nathan, over them that e about the king: Zabud the son of Nathan st, the king's friend: And Ahisar governor of the house: and Adom the son of Abda over the tribute. And Solomon had twelve governors over all ael, who provided victuals for the king and for (household: for every one provided necessaries, ich man his month in the year. And these are their names: Benhur, in mount ohraim. 9 Bendecar, in Macces, and in Salebim, and in thsames, and in Elon, and in Bethanan." 10 Benhesed in Aruboth: his was Socho, and all the land of Epher. 11 Benabinadab, to whom belonged all Nephath-Dor: he had Tapheth the daughter of Solomon to wife. 12 Bana the son of Ahilud, who governed Thanac, and Mageddo, and all Bethsan, which is by Sarthana beneath Jezrael, from Bethsan unto Abelmehula over-against Jecmaan. 13 Bengaber, in Ramoth Galaad: he had the towns of Jair the son of Manasses in Galaad: he was chief in all the country of Argob, which is in Basan, threescore great cities, with walls and brazen bolts. 14 Abinadab the son of Addo was chief in Manaim. 15 Achimaas in Nephtali: he also had Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife. 16 Baana the son of Husi, in Aser and in Baloth. 17 Josaphat the son of Pharue, in Issachar. 18 Semei the son of Ela in Benjamin. 19 Gaber the son of Uri, in the land of Galaad, in the land of Sehon the king of the Amorrhites and of Og the king of Basan, over all that were in that land. 20 Juda and Israel were innumerable, as the sand of the sea in multitude; eating and drinking, and rejoicing. 21 And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms from the rivert to the land of the Philistines even to the border of Egypt: and they brought 22 And the provision of Solomon for each day, was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, 23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty out of the pastures, and a hundred rams, besides venison of harts, roes, and buffles, and fatted fowls. 24 For he had all the country which was beyond the river, from Thaphsa to Gazan, and all the kings of those countries: and he had peace on every side round about. 25 And Juda and Israel dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon. 26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the sad¡dle. 27 And the foresaid governors of the king fed them: and they furnished the necessaries also for king Solomon's table, with great care in their time. 28 They brought barley also and straw for the horses, and beasts, to the place where the king was, according as it was appointed them. 29 And God gave to Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30 And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals, and of the Egyptians: 31 And he was wiser than all men; wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Dorda the sons of Mahol: and he was renowned in all nations round about. 32 Solomon also spoke three thousand parables:‡ and his poems were a thousand and five. 33 And he treated about trees from the cedar that is in Libanus, unto the hyssop that cometh out of the wall; and he discoursed of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes. 34 And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom. CHAP. V. Hiram king of Tyre agreeth to furnish timber and workmen for building the temple: the number of workmen and overseers. A Solomon: for he heard that they had anoint ND Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to ed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram had always been David's friend. 2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying: 3 Thou knowest the will of David my father, and that he could not build a house to the name of the Lord his God, because of the wars that were round about him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God hath given me rest round about: and there is no adversary nor evil occurrence. 5 Wherefore I purpose to build a temple to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying: Thy son, whom I will set upon the throne in thy place, he shall build a house to my name. 6 Give orders therefore that thy servants cut me down cedar trees out of Libanus; and let my servants be with thy servants: and I will give thee the hire of thy servants whatsoever thou wilt ask; for thou knowest how there is not among my people a man that has skill to hew wood like to the Sidonians. 7 Now when Hiram had heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced exceedingly, and said: Abiathar. By this it appears that Abiathar Blessed be the Lord God this day, who hath was not altogether deposed from the high-priesthood; but only banished to his country house, and by that means excluded from the exercise of his functions. †The river. Euphrates. Three thousand parables, &c. These works are all lost, excepting some part of the parables extant in the book of Proverbs; and his chief lpoem called the Canticle of Canticles. given to David a very wise son over this nume-there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool rous people. of iron heard in the house when it was in building. 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: I have heard all thou hast desired of me; and I will do all thy desire concerning cedar trees, and fir trees. 9 My servants shall bring them down from Libanus to the sea, and I will put them together in floats in the sea, and convey them to the place, which thou shalt signify to me; and will land them there, and thou shalt receive them; and thou shalt allow me necessaries, to furnish food for my household. 10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees, according to all his desire. 11 And Solomon allowed Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat, for provision for his house, and twenty measures of the purest oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram every year. 12 And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. 13 And king Solomon chose workmen out of all Israel; and the levy was of thirty thousand men. 14 And he sent them to Libanus, ten thousand every month by turns, so that two months they were at home: and Adoniram was over this levy. 15 And Solomon had seventy thousand to carry burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountain: 8 The door for the middle side was on the right hand of the house: and by winding stairs they went up to the middle room, and from the middle to the third. 9 So he built the house, and finished it: and he covered the house with roofs of cedar. 10 And he built a floor over all the house five cubits in height: and he covered the house with timber of cedar. 11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: 12 This house, which thou buildest, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments, walking in them, will fulfil my word to thee, which I spoke to David thy father. I 13 And I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it. 15 And he built the walls of the house on the inside, with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house to the top of the walls, and to the roofs, he covered it with boards of cedar on the inside: and he covered the floor of the house with planks of fir. 16 And he built up twenty cubits with boards of cedar at the hinder part of the temple, from the 16 Besides the overseers who were over every floor to the top; and made the inner house of the work, in number three thousand, and three hun-oracle to be the Holy of Holies. dred that ruled over the people, and them that did the work. 17 And the king commanded, that they should bring great stones, costly stones, for the foundation of the temple, and should square them: 18 And the masons of Solomon, and the masons of Hiram hewed them: and the Giblians prepared timber and stones to build the house. CHAP. VI. The building of Solomon's temple. 17 And the temple itself before the doors of the oracle was forty cubits long. 18 And all the house was covered within with cedar, having the turnings, and the joints thereof artfully wrought, and carvings projecting out: all was covered with boards of cedar: and no stone could be seen in the wall at all. 19 And he made the oracle in the midst of the house, in the inner part, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20 Now the oracle was twenty cubits in length, AND it came to pass in the four hundred and and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits eightieth year after the children of Israel in height. And he covered and overlaid it with came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year most pure gold. And the altar also he covered of the reign of Solomon over Israel, in the month with cedar. Zio (the same is the second month,) he began to build a house to the Lord. 2 And the house, which king Solomon built to the Lord, was threescore cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and thirty cubits in height. 3 And there was a porch before the temple, of twenty cubits in length, according to the measure of the breadth of the temple: and it was ten cubits in breadth before the face of the temple. 4 And he made in the temple oblique windows. 5 And upon the wall of the temple he built floors round about,t in the walls of the house round about the temple and the oracle:‡ and he made sides round about. 6 The floor that was underneath, was five cubits in breadth; and the middle floor was six cubits in breadth; and the third floor was seven cubits in breadth. And he put beams in the house round about on the outside, that they might not be fastened in the walls of the temple. 7 And the house when it was in building, was built of stones hewed and made ready:§ so that Upon the wall, i. e. joining to the wall. +He built floors round about. Chambers or cells adjoining to the temple, for the use of the temple and of the priests, so contrived as to be between the inward and outward wall of the temple, in three stories, one above another. The oracle. The inner temple or holy of holies, where God gave his oracles. 21 And the house before the oracle he overlaid with most pure gold, and fastened on the plates with nails of gold. 22 And there was nothing in the temple that was not covered with gold: the whole altar of the oracle he covered also with gold. 23 And he made in the oracle two cherubims of olive-tree, of ten cubits in height. 24 One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub was five cubits: that is, in all ten cubits, from the extremity of one wing to the extremity of the other wing. 25 The second cherub also was ten cubits: and the measure, and the work was the same in both the cherubims: 26 That is to say, one cherub was ten cubits high, and in like manner the other cherub. 27 And he set the cherubims in the midst of the inner temple: and the cherubims stretched forth their wings; and the wing of the one touched one wall; and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall: and the other wings in the midst of the temple touched one another. 28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold. 29 And all the walls of the temple round about he carved with divers figures and carvings: and he made in them cherubims and palm trees, ing of God's eternal temple in the heavenly Jerusalem, (who are the faithful) must first be bewn and polished here by many trials and sufferings, before they can be admitted to have a place in that § Made ready, &c. So the stones for the build-celestial structure. and divers representations, as it were standing he was come to king Solomon, he wrought all out, and coming forth from the wall. his work. 30 And the floor of the house he also overlaid with gold within and without. 31 And in the entrance of the oracle he made little doors of olive-tree, and posts of five cor ners. 32 And two doors of olive-tree: and he carved upon them figures of cherubims, and figures of palm-trees, and carvings very much projecting; and he overlaid them with gold: and he covered both the cherubims and the palm-trees, and the other things with gold. 33 And he made in the entrance of the temple, posts of olive-tree four-square: 34 And two doors of fir-tree, one of each side: and each door was double, and so opened with folding leaves. 35 And he carved cherubims, and palm-trees, and carved work standing very much out: and he overlaid all with golden plates in square work by rule. 36 And he built the inner court with three rows of polished stones, and one row of beams of cedar. 37 In the fourth year was the house of the Lord founded in the month Zio: 38 And in the eleventh year in the month Bul (which is the eighth month) the house was finished in all the works thereof, and in all the appurtenances thereof: and he was seven years in building it. CHAP. VII. Solomon's palace, his house in the forest, and the queen's house: the work of the two pillars: the sea (or laver) and other vessels. AND Solomon built his own house in thirteen years, and brought it to perfection. 2 He built also the house of the forest of Libanus: the length of it was a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty cubits, and the height thirty cubits; and four galleries between pillars of cedar: for he had cut cedar-trees into pillars. 3 And he covered the whole vault with boards of cedar; and it was held up with five and forty pillars. And one row had fifteen pillars, 4 Set one against another, 5 And looking one upon another, with equal space between the pillars: and over the pillars were square beams in all things equal. 6 And he made a porch of pillars of fifty cubits in length, and thirty cubits in breadth; and another porch before the greater porch; and pillars, and chapiters upon the pillars. 15 And he cast two pillars in brass; each pil cubits compassed both the pillars. lar was eighteen cubits high: and a line of twelve 16 He made also two chapiters of molten brass, to be set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of one chapiter was five cubits; and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits: 17 And a kind of net-work, and chain-work wreathed together with wonderful art. Both the chapiters of the pillars were cast: seven rows of other chapiter. nets were on one chapiter, and seven nets on the 18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about each net-work to cover the chapiters, that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and in like manner did he to the other chapiter. of the pillars, were of lily-work, in the porch, the pillars above, according to the measure of the of the temple: and when he had set up the pillar 22 And upon the tops of the pillars he made lily-work: so the work of the pillars was finished. from brim to brim, round all about; the height of 23 He made also a molten sea of ten cubits it was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about. 24 And a graven work under the brim of it there were two rows cast of chamfered sculpcompassed it, for ten cubits going about the sea: tures. 25 And it stood upon twelve oxen, of which three looked towards the north, and three towards the west, and three towards the south, and three towards the east: and the sea was above upon them; and their hinder parts were all hid within. 26 And the laver was a hand-breadth thick: and the brim thereof was like the brim of a cup, or the leaf of a crisped lily: it contained two thousand bates.t 27 And he made ten bases of brass; every base was four cubits in length, and four cubits in breadth, and three cubits high. 28 And the work itself of the bases, was inter7 He made also the porch of the throne, where-graven: and there were gravings between the in is the seat of judgment; and covered it with joinings. cedar-wood from the floor to the top. 29 And between the little crowns and the 8 And in the midst of the porch, was a small ledges were lions, and oxen, and cherubims; and house where he sat in judgment, of the like work. in the joinings likewise above: and under the liHe made also a house for the daughter of Pha-ons, and oxen as it were bands of brass hanging rao (whom Solomon had taken to wife) of the same work as this porch. 9 All of costly stones, which were sawed by a certain rule and measure both within and without; from the foundation to the top of the walls, and without unto the great court. 10 And the foundations were of costly stones, great stones of ten cubits or eight cubits: 11 And above there were costly stones of equal measure hewed, and in like manner of cedar: down. 30 And every base had four wheels, and axletrees of brass: and at the four sides were undersetters under the laver molten, looking one against another. 31 The mouth also of the laver within, was in the top of the chapiter: and that which appeared without, was of one cubit all round; and *Jachin. That is, firmly established. Booz. 12 And the greater court round with three That is, in it is strength. By recording these rows of hewed stones, and one row of planed names in holy writ, the Spirit of God would have cedar, moreover also in the inner court of the us understand the invincible firmness and strength house of the Lord, and in the porch of the house. of the pillars on which the true temple of God, 13 And king Solomon sent, and brought Hiram which is the Church, is established. from Tyre, + Two thousand bates. 14 The son of a widow-woman of the tribe of thousand gallons. This was the quantity of waThat is, about ten Nephtali, whose father was a Tyrian, an artificer ter which was usually put into it: but it was cain brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, pable, if brim full, of holding 3000. See 1 Paralip. and skill to work all work in brass. And when liv. 5, 7. |