Chapter 14.
THAT DAVID MADE GREAT PREPARATIONS FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD;
AND THAT, UPON ADONIJAH'S ATTEMPT TO GAIN THE KINGDOM, HE APPOINTED SOLOMON
TO REIGN.FJAJ 7.83
1. AFTER the delivery of this prophecy, the king commanded the strangers
to be numbered; and they were found to be one hundred and eighty thousand;
of these he appointed fourscore thousand to be hewers of stone, and the
rest of the multitude to carry the stones, and of them he set over the
workmen three thousand and five hundred
He also prepared a great quantity
of iron and brass for the work, with many (and those exceeding large) cedar
trees; the Tyrians and Sidonians sending them to him, for he had sent to
them for a supply of those trees
And he told his friends that these things
were now prepared, that he might leave materials ready for the building
of the temple to his son, who was to reign after him, and that he might
not have them to seek then, when he was very young, and by reason of his
age unskillful in such matters, but might have them lying by him, and so
might the more readily complete the work.FJAJ 7.84
2. So David called his son Solomon, and charged him, when he had received
the kingdom, to build a temple to God, and said, "!I was willing to
build God a temple myself, but he prohibited me, because I was polluted
with blood and wars; but he hath foretold that Solomon, my youngest son,
should build him a temple, and should be called by that name; over whom
he hath promised to take the like care as a father takes over his son;
and that he would make the country of the Hebrews happy under him, and
that, not only in other respects, but by giving it peace and freedom from
wars, and from internal seditions, which are the greatest of all blessings.
Since, therefore," says he, "thou wast ordained king by God himself
before thou wast born, endeavor to render thyself worthy of this his providence,
as in other instances, so particularly in being religious, and righteous,
and courageous
Keep thou also his commands and his laws, which he hath
given us by Moses, and do not permit others to break them
Be zealous also
to dedicate to God a temple, which he hath chosen to be built under thy
reign; nor be thou aftrighted by the vastness of the work, nor set about
it timorously, for I will make all things ready before I die: and take
notice, that there are already ten thousand talents of gold, and a hundred
thousand talents of silver (25)
Of the quantity of gold and silver expended in the building of Solomon's
temple, and whence it arose, see the description of ch. 13.
collected together
I have also laid together brass and iron without number,
and an immense quantity of timber and of stones
Moreover, thou hast many
ten thousand stone-cutters and carpenters; and if thou shalt want any thing
further, do thou add somewhat of thine own
Wherefore, if thou performest
this work, thou wilt be acceptable to God, and have him for thy patron."
David also further exhorted the rulers of the people to assist his son
in this building, and to attend to the Divine service, when they should
be free from all their misfortunes, for that they by this means should
enjoy, instead of them, peace and a happy settlement, with which blessings
God rewards such men as are religious and righteous
He also gave orders,
that when the temple should be once built, they should put the ark therein,
with the holy vessels; and he assured them that they ought to have had
a temple long ago, if their fathers had not been negligent of God's commands,
who had given it in charge, that when they had got the possession of this
land, they should build him a temple
Thus did David discourse to the governors,
and to his son.FJAJ 7.85
3. David was now in years, and his body, by length of time, was become
cold, and benumbed, insomuch that he could get no heat by covering himself
with many clothes; and when the physicians came together, they agreed to
this advice, that a beautiful virgin, chosen out of the whole country,
should sleep by the king's side, and that this damsel would communicate
heat to him, and be a remedy against his numbness
Now there was found
in the city one woman, of a superior beauty to all other women, (her name
was Abishag,) who, sleeping with the king, did no more than communicate
warmth to him, for he was so old that he could not know her as a husband
knows his wife
But of this woman we shall speak more presently.FJAJ 7.86
4. Now the fourth son of David was a beautiful young man, and tall,
born to him of Haggith his wife
He was named Adonijah, and was in his
disposition like to Absalom; and exalted himself as hoping to be king,
and told his friends that he ought to take the government upon him
He
also prepared many chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
When his father saw this, he did not reprove him, nor restrain him from
his purpose, nor did he go so far as to ask wherefore he did so
Now Adonijah
had for his assistants Joab the captain of the army, and Abiathar the high
priest; and the only persons that opposed him were Zadok the high priest,
and the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah, who was captain of the guards, and
Shimei, David's friend, with all the other most mighty men
Now Adonijah
had prepared a supper out of the city, near the fountain that was in the
king's paradise, and had invited all his brethren except Solomon, and had
taken with him Joab the captain of the army, and: Abiathar, and the rulers
of the tribe of Judah, but had not invited to this feast either Zadok the
high priest, or Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah the captain of the guards,
nor any of those of the contrary party
This matter was told by Nathan
the prophet to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, that Adonijah was king, and
that David knew nothing of it; and he advised her to save herself and her
son Solomon, and to go by herself to David, and say to him, that he had
indeed sworn that Solomon should reign after him, but that in the mean
time Adonijah had already taken the kingdom
He said that he, the prophet
himself, would come after her, and when she had spoken thus to the king,
would confirm what she had said
Accordingly Bathsheba agreed with Nathan,
and went in to the king and worshipped him, and when she had desired leave
to speak with him, she told him all things in the manner that Nathan had
suggested to her; and related what a supper Adonijah had made, and who
they were whom he had invited; Abiathar the and Joab the general, and David's
sons, excepting Solomon and his intimate friends
She also said that all
the people had their eyes upon him, to know whom he would choose for their
king
She desired him also to consider how, after his departure, Adonijah,
if he were king, would slay her and her son Solomon.FJAJ 7.87
5. Now, as Bathsheba was speaking, the keeper of the king's chambers
told him that Nathan desired to see him
And when the king had commanded
that he should be admitted, he came in, and asked him whether he had ordained
Adonijah to be king, and delivered the government to him, or not; for that
he had made a splendid supper, and invited all his sons, except Solomon;
as also that he had invited Joab, the captain of his host, [and Abiathar
the high priest,] who are feasting with applauses, and many joyful sounds
of instruments, and wish that his kingdom may last for ever; but he hath
not invited me, nor Zadok the high priest, nor Benaiah the captain
of the guards; and it is but fit that all should know whether this be done
by thy approbation or not
When Nathan had said thus, the king commanded
that they should call Bathsheba to him, for she had gone out of the room
when the prophet came
And when Bathsheba was come, David said, "I
swear by Almighty God, that thy son Solomon shall certainly he king, as
I formerly swore; and that he shall sit upon my throne, and that this very
day also." So Bathsheba worshipped him, and wished him a long life;
and the king sent for Zadok the high priest, and Benaiah the captain of
the guards; and when they were come, he ordered them to take with them
Nathan the prophet, and all the armed men about the palace, and to set
his son Solomon upon the king's mule, and to carry him out of the city
to the fountain called Gihon, and to anoint him there with the holy oil,
and to make him king
This he charged Zadok the high priest, and Nathan
the prophet, to do, and commanded them to follow Solomon through the midst
of the city, and to sound the trumpets, and wish aloud that Solomon the
king may sit upon the royal throne for ever, that so all the people may
know that he is ordained king by his father
He also gave Solomon a charge
concerning his government, to rule the whole nation of the Hebrews, and
particularly the tribe of Judah, religiously and righteously
And when
Benaiah had prayed to God to be favorable to Solomon, without any delay
they set Solomon upon the mule, and brought him out of the city to the
fountain, and anointed him with oil, and brought him into the city again,
with acclamations and wishes that his kingdom might continue a long time:
and when they had introduced him into the king's house, they set him upon
the throne; whereupon all the people betook themselves to make merry, and
to celebrate a festival, dancing and delighting themselves with musical
pipes, till both the earth and the air echoed with the multitude of the
instruments of music.FJAJ 7.88
6. Now when Adonijah and his guests perceived this noise, they were
in disorder; and Joab the captain of the host said he was not pleased with
these echoes, and the sound of these trumpets
And when supper was set
before them, nobody tasted of it, but they were all very thoughtful what
would be the matter
Then Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the high priest,
came running to them; and when Adonijah saw the young man gladly, and said
to him that he was a good messenger, he declared to them the whole matter
about Solomon, and the determination of king David: hereupon both Adonijah
and all the guests rose hastily from the feast, and every one fled to their
own homes
Adonijah also, as afraid of the king for what he had done, became
a supplicant to God, and took hold of the horns of the altar, which were
prominent
It was also told Solomon that he had so done; and that he desired
to receive assurances from him that he would not remember the injury he
had done, and not inflict any severe punishment for it
Solomon answered
very mildly and prudently, that he forgave him this his offense; but said
withal, that if he were found out in any attempt for new innovations, that
he would be the author of his own punishment
So he sent to him, and raised
him up from the place of his supplication
And when he was come to the
king, and had worshipped him, the king bid him go away to his own house,
and have no suspicion of any harm; and desired him to show himself a worthy
man, as what would tend to his own advantage.FJAJ 7.89
7. But David, being desirous of ordaining his son king of all the people,
called together their rulers to Jerusalem, with the priests and the Levites;
and having first numbered the Levites, he found them to be thirty-eight
thousand, from thirty years old to fifty; out of which he appointed twenty-three
thousand to take care of the building of the temple, and out of the same,
six thousand to be judges of the people and scribes, four thousand for
porters to the house of God, and as many for singers, to sing to the instruments
which David had prepared, as we have said already
He divided them also
into courses: and when he had separated the priests from them, he found
of these priests twenty-four courses, sixteen of the house of Eleazar,
and eight of that of Ithamar; and he ordained that one course should minister
to God eight days, from sabbath to sabbath
And thus were the courses distributed
by lot, in the presence of David, and Zadok and Abiathar the high priests,
and of all the rulers; and that course which came up first was written
down as the first, and accordingly the second, and so on to the twenty-fourth;
and this partition hath remained to this day
He also made twenty-four
parts of the tribe of Levi; and when they cast lots, they came up in the
same manner for their courses of eight days
He also honored the posterity
of Moses, and made them the keepers of the treasures of God, and of the
donations which the kings dedicated
He also ordained that all the tribe
of Levi, as well as the priests, should serve God night and day, as Moses
had enjoined them.FJAJ 7.90
8. After this he parted the entire army into twelve parts, with their
leaders [and captains of hundreds] and commanders
Now every part had twenty-four
thousand, which were ordered to wait on Solomon, by thirty days at a time,
from the first day till the last, with the captains of thousands and captains
of hundreds
He also set rulers over every part, such as he knew to be
good and righteous men
He set others also to take charge of the treasures,
and of the villages, and of the fields, and of the beasts, whose names
I do not think it necessary to mention
When David had ordered all these
officers after the manner before mentioned, he called the rulers of the
Hebrews, and their heads of tribes, and the officers over the several divisions,
and those that were appointed over every work, and every possession; and
standing upon a high pulpit, he said to the multitude as follows: "My
brethren and my people, I would have you know that I intended to build
a house for God, and prepared a large quantity of gold, and a hundred thousand
talents of silver; but God prohibited me by the prophet Nathan, because
of the wars I had on your account, and because my right hand was polluted
with the slaughter of our enemies; but he commanded that my son, who was
to succeed me in the kingdom, should build a temple for him
Now therefore,
since you know that of the twelve sons whom Jacob our forefather had Judah
was appointed to be king, and that I was preferred before my six brethren,
and received the government from God, and that none of them were uneasy
at it, so do I also desire that my sons be not seditious one against another,
now Solomon has received the kingdom, but to bear him cheerfully for their
lord, as knowing that God hath chosen him; for it is not a grievous thing
to obey even a foreigner as a ruler, if it be God's will, but it is fit
to rejoice when a brother hath obtained that dignity, since the rest partake
of it with him
And I pray that the promises of God may be fulfilled; and
that this happiness which he hath promised to bestow upon king Solomon,
over all the country, may continue therein for all time to come
And these
promises O son, will be firm, and come to a happy end, if thou showest
thyself to be a religious and a righteous man, and an observer of the laws
of thy country; but if not, expect adversity upon thy disobedience to them."FJAJ 7.91
9. Now when the king had said this, he left off; but gave the description
and pattern of the building of the temple in the sight of them all to Solomon:
of the foundations and of the chambers, inferior and superior; how many
they were to be, and how large in height and in breadth; as also he determined
the weight of the golden and silver vessels: moreover, he earnestly excited
them with his words to use the utmost alacrity about the work; he exhorted
the rulers also, and particularly the tribe of Levi, to assist him, both
because of his youth, and because God had chosen him to take care of the
building of the temple, and of the government of the kingdom
He also declared
to them that the work would be easy, and not very laborious to them, because
he had prepared for it many talents of gold, and more of silver, with timber,
and a great many carpenters and stone-cutters, and a large quantity of
emeralds, and all sorts of precious stones; and he said, that even now
he would give of the proper goods of his own dominion two hundred talents,
and three hundred other talents of pure gold, for the most holy place,
and for the chariot of God, the cherubim, which are to stand over and cover
the ark
Now when David had done speaking, there appeared great alacrity
among the rulers, and the priests, and the Levites, who now contributed
and made great and splendid promises for a future Contribution; for they
undertook to bring of gold five thousand talents, and ten thousand drams,
and of silver ten thousand talents, and many ten thousand talents of iron;
and if any one had a precious stone he brought it, and bequeathed it to
be put among the treasures; of which Jachiel, one of the posterity of Moses,
had the care.FJAJ 7.92
10. Upon this occasion all the people rejoiced, as in particular did
David, when he saw the zeal and forward ambition of the rulers, and the
priests, and of all the rest; and he began to bless God with a loud
voice, calling him the Father and Parent of the universe, and the Author
of human and divine things, with which he had adorned Solomon, the patron
and guardian of the Hebrew nation, and of its happiness, and of that kingdom
which he hath given his son
Besides this, he prayed for happiness to all
the people; and to Solomon his son, a sound and a righteous mind, and confirmed
in all sorts of virtue; and then he commanded the multitude to bless God;
upon which they all fell down upon the ground and worshipped him
They
also gave thanks to David, on account of all the blessings which they had
received ever since he had taken the kingdom
On the next day he presented
sacrifices to God, a thousand bullocks, and as many lambs, which they offered
for burnt-offerings
They also offered peace-offerings, and slew many ten
thousand sacrifices; and the king feasted all day, together with all the
people; and they anointed Solomon a second time with the oil, and appointed
him to be king, and Zadok to be the high priest of the whole multitude.
And when they had brought Solomon to the royal palace, and had set him
upon his father's throne, they were obedient to him from that day.FJAJ 7.93