First Kings
1Ki 1:11 Now
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
1Ki 1:11 [1] The striking point of the historical books concerning Israel is that they portray in detail, in the way of typology, how to experience Christ as the good land given to us by God as our portion (see note 71 in Deut. 8). First, the book of Joshua shows the way to gain, to take possession of, and to keep the good land. Then the books of Judges, Ruth, and 1 and 2 Samuel show how certain persons remained in the good land and enjoyed the good land after they took possession of it. First and 2 Kings are needed to show how more persons remained in and enjoyed the good land.
1Ki 1:11 [2] The kings, as representatives of Israel, enjoyed the good land on the highest level. They are types of the New Testament believers, who were saved by God to enjoy Christ as their good land up to the level of the kingship (Rom. 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4, 6; 22:5b). The picture portrayed in the two books of Kings depicts in detail the character, intention, preferences, habits, morality, and actions of all the kings who reigned over Israel after David the king. Such a picture indicates that what we are, what we desire, what we intend to do, and how we behave have very much to do with our remaining in Christ and participating in all His unsearchable riches for our enjoyment. This picture concerning Israel ends with a tragedy of all the kings who were put into the blessed situation of the kingship and who were not faithful to God and did not take good care of their inheritance: they lost the good land and were carried away as captives to the idol-worshipping world. This should be a solemn alarm and warning to us in our relationship with Christ. If we are wrong in any of the matters mentioned above, we will suffer the loss of Christ as our enjoyment. See note 252 in Lev. 18.
1Ki 1:11 [3] The central thought of the books of Kings is God’s governmental dealing, in God’s economy, with the devastating and ruining of the divine kingship on the earth by the kings, and the tragic issue of the just dealing of God, i.e., the loss of the Holy Land, which was the base of God’s kingdom on the earth, and the capture of the holy people, who maintained the line of Christ’s genealogy. The devastating of the land and the carrying away of the holy people almost ended the two lines needed for the bringing of Christ into humanity (see note 162 in Matt. 1). Nevertheless, according to the genealogy in Matt. 1:1-17, these two lines were continued even through the captivity. In His sovereignty God carried out the return from captivity in order to recover the good land and preserve fourteen generations of Christ’s genealogy (Matt. 1:17c). Thus God still carried out His intention to bring Himself in His Trinity into humanity and to set up His spiritual kingdom.
1Ki 1:12 David
The record of the first two chapters of 1 Kings could be considered a conclusion of the history of David recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel.
1Ki 1:13 years
David not only became old but also was fading away. David’s life had a good beginning, like the bright sun rising, and his life with his career became like the sun shining at noon. However, his indulgence in lust (2 Sam. 11) spoiled his career and caused his bright life to fade like the sunset in the evening. In David’s old age there was nothing bright, excellent, or splendid.
1Ki 1:5a Adonijah 2 Sam. 3:4; 1 Chron. 3:2
1Ki 1:71a Joab 2 Sam. 8:16; 2:18
Joab, the captain of David’s army, who participated in the murder of Uriah (2 Sam. 11:6-17), might never have lost his negative feeling concerning David’s sin. It might have been because of this that Joab joined Adonijah in his rebellion.
1Ki 1:7b Abiathar 1 Sam. 22:20; 2 Sam. 8:17
1Ki 1:8a Zadok 2 Sam. 20:25; 1 Kings 1:26, 32
1Ki 1:8b Benaiah 2 Sam. 8:18
1Ki 1:8c Nathan 2 Sam. 7:2; 12:1
1Ki 1:10a Solomon 2 Sam. 12:24
1Ki 1:13a reign 1 Kings 1:30; cf. 1 Chron. 22:9
1Ki 1:17a Solomon 2 Sam. 12:24; Matt. 1:6
1Ki 1:181 you
Some MSS read, now.
1Ki 1:29a redeemed 2 Sam. 4:9
1Ki 1:30a reign 1 Kings 1:13, 17
1Ki 1:34a anoint 1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13; 2 Sam. 5:3; 1 Kings 1:39
1Ki 1:35a ruler 1 Sam. 9:16; 13:14; 2 Sam. 7:8
1Ki 1:36a Amen Deut. 27:15-26; Psa. 72:19; Jer. 28:6; 1 Cor. 14:16
1Ki 1:39a oil cf. Exo. 30:23-32
1Ki 1:39b anointed 1 Chron. 29:22
1Ki 1:42a Jonathan 2 Sam. 15:27, 36
1Ki 1:46a throne 1 Kings 2:12; 1 Chron. 29:23
1Ki 1:47a bowed cf. Gen. 47:31
1Ki 1:48a Blessed 1 Chron. 29:10; Psa. 41:13; 106:48; Luke 1:68
1Ki 1:50a horns Exo. 27:2; 21:14; 1 Kings 2:28
1Ki 1:52a hair 1 Sam. 14:45; Acts 27:34
1Ki 2:11 David’s
The first two kings, David and Solomon, are important types of Christ in two aspects. First, David typifies Christ in the aspect of His suffering on earth before His resurrection. From the time of His birth, Christ suffered. His life began in a manger in the lowest estate and ended in His being crucified on the cross. The manger and the cross were the two ends of His suffering life. David also suffered from his youth; yet through his suffering he prepared the materials (1 Chron. 18:7-11; 22:2-5, 14-16a; 28:2; 29:2-9), gained the proper ground for the building of the temple (1 Chron. 21:18-30; 2 Chron. 3:1), and prepared Solomon, the builder, and all the helpers (1 Chron. 28:9-11, 20-21). Second, Solomon typifies Christ (Matt. 12:42) in His speaking God’s word of wisdom (Matt. 13:35), in His building the church as the temple of God (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21-22), and in His being glorified in the kingdom of God and its splendor (Isa. 9:7; Rev. 11:15). These two types are strong evidences that the history of the kings of Israel is related to God’s eternal economy, which concerns Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the organic Body of Christ.
1Ki 2:1a die Gen. 47:29
1Ki 2:2a going Josh. 23:14
1Ki 2:4a spoke 2 Sam. 7:25, 28; cf. 1 Kings 6:12
1Ki 2:4b throne 2 Sam. 7:12-13; 1 Kings 8:25; 9:5
1Ki 2:51 Joab
David’s charges to Solomon in vv. 5-9 regarding Joab, Shimei, and Barzillai indicate that while David was on his deathbed he had no peace or comfort in his heart. His dealing with these persons was the issue of his indulgence in sin. God forgave him (2 Sam. 12:13), but God’s righteous judgment would not let him go. See note 101 in 2 Sam. 12.
1Ki 2:5a Abner 2 Sam. 3:27; 1 Kings 2:32
1Ki 2:5b Amasa 2 Sam. 20:10
1Ki 2:7a Barzillai 2 Sam. 17:27-29; 19:31-38
1Ki 2:8a Shimei 2 Sam. 16:5-8; 19:23
1Ki 2:10a slept Acts 13:36; 2:29
1Ki 2:11a And vv. 11-12: 1 Chron. 29:26-28
1Ki 2:13a Adonijah 1 Kings 1:5-10
1Ki 2:17a Abishag 1 Kings 1:3
1Ki 2:25a Benaiah 2 Sam. 8:18
1Ki 2:26a bore 2 Sam. 15:24, 29
1Ki 2:26b suffered 1 Sam. 22:20-23
1Ki 2:27a spoken 1 Sam. 2:27-36
1Ki 2:28a horns 1 Kings 1:50
1Ki 2:29a altar cf. Exo. 21:14
1Ki 2:31a blood Num. 35:33; Deut. 19:13; 21:8-9
1Ki 2:32a Abner 2 Sam. 3:27; 1 Kings 2:5
1Ki 2:32b Amasa 2 Sam. 17:25; 20:9-10
1Ki 2:35a Benaiah 2 Sam. 8:18; 23:20; 1 Kings 4:4
1Ki 2:35b Zadok 1 Chron. 29:22
1Ki 2:36a Shimei 1 Kings 2:8
1Ki 2:45a throne cf. Isa. 9:6-7
1Ki 3:11 Pharaoh’s
In marrying the daughter of the king of Egypt, Solomon followed his father in indulging his lust to gain a Gentile wife (2 Sam. 11). This was the annulling of the separation of God’s holy people from the people of Satan’s cosmos, the evil world. Solomon was not regulated and restricted by the law of God, in which God charged Israel not to marry the Gentiles, because the Gentiles would cause Israel to worship idols (Exo. 34:16; Deut. 7:3-4; Josh. 23:12-13). In this matter Solomon was disobedient to God in carrying out God’s economy, which included the destroying of all the idol-worshipping Gentiles in the land (Deut. 7:2). Solomon’s marriage to an Egyptian also laid a foundation for his future fall in corruption and ruin (ch. 11; cf. Gal. 6:7-8).
1Ki 3:1a daughter 2 Chron. 8:11; cf. Exo. 34:16; Deut. 7:3-4
1Ki 3:1b house 1 Kings 7:1
1Ki 3:1c house 1 Kings 6:1-38
1Ki 3:1d wall 1 Kings 9:15
1Ki 3:31 high
On the one hand, Solomon was seeking God. On the other hand, he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places (vv. 3b-4; cf. Deut. 12:5-14). In the Old Testament high places is a negative term, for it refers to the places where the Gentile people, the Canaanites, worshipped their idols (Num. 33:52). In this matter Solomon was foolish and lacking in vision. See 11:7 and note, and 12:31-32 and notes.
1Ki 3:4a And 2 Chron. 1:3
1Ki 3:5a In vv. 5-15: 2 Chron. 1:7-13
1Ki 3:9a understanding Prov. 2:6, 7; James 1:5; Luke 11:31
1Ki 3:101 Lord
Many MSS read, Jehovah.
1Ki 3:11a asked cf. Luke 12:31
1Ki 3:12a wisdom 1 Kings 4:29-34; 5:12; 10:23-24; Eccl. 1:16; Luke 11:31
1Ki 3:151 Jehovah
Some MSS read, the Lord.
1Ki 3:28a wisdom 1 Kings 3:9, 11, 12; cf. Ezra 7:25
1Ki 4:2a Azariah 1 Chron. 6:10
1Ki 4:4a Benaiah 2 Sam. 8:18; 23:20; 1 Kings 2:35
1Ki 4:5a Nathan 2 Sam. 7:2
1Ki 4:161 Bealoth
Or, in Aloth.
1Ki 4:20a sand Gen. 22:17; 2 Chron. 1:9
1Ki 4:211a River Gen. 15:18; Exo. 23:31; Josh. 1:4; Psa. 72:8
I.e., the Euphrates. So also in v. 24. Solomon’s dominion extended from the great river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines (at the seashore of the Mediterranean) and to the border of Egypt (2 Chron. 9:26) as the fulfillment of the promise of God to His elect Israel (Gen. 15:18; Exo. 23:31; Deut. 11:24). The ultimate fulfillment of this promise will be in the millennium, at the restoration of Israel, after the second coming of Christ (see note 181 in Gen. 15).
1Ki 4:21b brought Psa. 68:29; 72:10
1Ki 4:221 cors
Equal to a homer or to ten ephahs, approximately five bushels.
1Ki 4:24a peace 1 Chron. 22:9
1Ki 4:25a vine 2 Kings 18:31; Isa. 36:16; Micah 4:4; Zech. 3:10
1Ki 4:25b Dan 2 Sam. 3:10; 17:11; 24:2
1Ki 4:29a wisdom 1 Kings 3:12; Luke 11:31
1Ki 4:301 wisdom
Solomon’s wisdom was absolutely in the physical realm, without any spiritual element. His wisdom was altogether different from the wisdom of Paul, which was a spiritual wisdom concerning Christ making His home in our hearts (Eph. 3:17), our walking and having our being according to the spirit (Rom. 8:4), and the two spirits—the divine Spirit and the human spirit (Rom. 8:16). Solomon’s wisdom was a shadow of the real wisdom that was to come. The real wisdom is God, and God is embodied in Christ (Col. 2:9), who has become our wisdom to be in us (1 Cor. 1:24, 30), making us one with God and making us the same as God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead. What wisdom this is!
1Ki 4:31a Ethan 1 Chron. 15:19; Psa. 89:1
1Ki 4:32a proverbs Prov. 1:1; Eccl. 12:9
1Ki 4:341 came
Solomon’s splendid kingdom, with his prosperity under the rich blessing of God (4:20—5:18; chs. 9—10), is a type of Christ’s kingdom in the millennium. During the millennium all the nations will come to Christ (Zech. 14:16).
1Ki 4:34a wisdom 2 Chron. 9:23; 1 Kings 10:1; cf. 1 Kings 10:8
1Ki 5:1a Hiram 2 Sam. 5:11
1Ki 5:2a And vv. 2-16: 2 Chron. 2:3-18
1Ki 5:3a build 2 Sam. 7:5; 1 Chron. 22:7-8; 28:3
1Ki 5:4a rest 1 Kings 4:24; 1 Chron. 22:9
1Ki 5:5a build 2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Chron. 17:12; 22:10; 28:6
1Ki 5:81 cedar
See note 151 in ch. 6.
1Ki 5:111 cors
See note 221 in ch. 4.
1Ki 5:17a stones 1 Kings 6:7; 1 Chron. 22:2
1Ki 6:1a fourth 2 Chron. 3:2
1Ki 6:11 Solomon
Solomon’s building of the temple was according to the promise of Jehovah given to David (5:5; 2 Sam. 7:12-13). Solomon built the temple according to his father King David’s charge, with the materials prepared by David (1 Chron. 22:6-11, 14-16), according to God’s own design given to David (1 Chron. 28:11-19; cf. Gen. 6:14-16; Exo. 25:8-9).
1Ki 6:12b house 1 Kings 8:13; 2 Chron. 3:1; Acts 7:47; cf. Ezra 5:2; John 2:14, 19
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
1Ki 6:12 [1] The temple replaced the tabernacle as God’s dwelling on earth. The temple first signifies the incarnated Christ, the embodiment of God (Col. 2:9), as God’s dwelling on the earth (John 2:19-21; 1:14). It also signifies the church, including all the believers, the members of Christ, as the enlargement of Christ to be God’s dwelling on the earth (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; Eph. 2:21-22). Christ and the church are one, Christ being the Head and the church being the Body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18a). The Body is the enlargement of the Head for God’s dwelling. Hence, God’s dwelling in Christ is God’s dwelling in the church.
1Ki 6:12 [2] Solomon and the temple built by him typify Christ and His Body, the church, respectively, as the center, the reality, and the goal of God’s eternal economy. Since Solomon and the temple play the strongest roles in the history of Israel and occupy a wide realm in such a history, they are strong evidence that the history of Israel is very much related to the accomplishing of God’s eternal economy in the Old Testament in the way of typology. This is a clear indication that the books of history were written from the point of view of God’s eternal economy concerning Christ and the church.
1Ki 6:12 [3] The temple was built on the ground of Mount Zion, called Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac (Gen. 22:2) and David offered his sacrifice to Jehovah (1 Chron. 21:18—22:1; 2 Chron. 3:1). This is a further indication that the Bible is a record concerning God’s economy. Isaac was a type of Christ, who was crucified in the same place where Isaac was offered to God (see notes 21 in Gen. 22 and 11 in Mark 10).
1Ki 6:21a sixty 2 Chron. 3:3; cf. Exo. 26:16, 18, 22-24; Ezra 6:3
The dimensions of the temple and the Holy of Holies in the temple were twice those of the tabernacle (vv. 2, 20; cf. notes 31, 181, and 331 in Exo. 26). Furthermore, with the exception of the Ark (v. 19), the size and number of the furnishings and the utensils were greatly enlarged (2 Chron. 4:1-8). This indicates that although Christ Himself (signified by the Ark) cannot be enlarged, our experience of Christ in all His riches, as signified by the temple and its furnishings and utensils, should be greatly increased and enlarged (Eph. 3:8, 14-19; Phil. 3:7-14) to match His enlarged expression. See note 11, par. 2, in Ezek. 40.
1Ki 6:3a portico 2 Chron. 3:4
1Ki 6:41a windows Ezek. 40:16; 41:16, 26
The windows of the temple were for air and light. They signify the life-giving Spirit’s fellowship, which brings in the spiritual air and the divine light.
1Ki 6:42 fixed
The fixed lattices were for keeping the windows open and for keeping the negative, undesirable things away. They signify the fellowship of the life-giving Spirit keeping the opening for the divine communication and protecting from the invasion of all negative matters.
1Ki 6:51 temple
I.e., the Holy Place. The outer temple, the Holy Place (v. 17), signifies the soul of the believers as God’s temple, which is sanctified unto God, whereas the innermost sanctuary, the Holy of Holies (vv. 5b, 16), signifies the spirit of the believers as God’s temple (Eph. 2:22 and note 4; Heb. 10:19 and note). The Holy of Holies was the same in its three dimensions, as is the New Jerusalem, the largest form of the Holy of Holies (v. 20; Rev. 21:16 and note 4).
1Ki 6:52 innermost
Lit., oracle. So throughout this chapter. This is the Holy of Holies (v. 16).
1Ki 6:53 side
The side chambers, as the fullness of the temple, signify the unsearchable riches of Christ becoming His extension, which is the church, the Body of Christ, as the fullness, the expression, of Christ (Eph. 3:8; 1:22b-23). The temple refers to both Christ (John 2:19-22) and the church (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21), whereas the side chambers signify the church in the aspect of its being the extension of Christ as His fullness.
1Ki 6:61 story
That the side chambers were in three stories (the number three signifying the Triune God in resurrection) signifies that the church expresses Christ, as His fullness, in the Triune God and in resurrection.
1Ki 6:71a stone 1 Kings 5:17; 2 Chron. 3:6
The stones signify Christ’s humanity in transformation, the transformed Christ (vv. 7, 36; 5:17; 2 Chron. 3:6). As God, Christ in His incarnation put on man’s flesh (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14). Having become a man in the flesh, i.e., a man in the old creation, He needed to be transformed in His human part. Such a transformed Christ is now the foundation stone, the cornerstone, the living stone, the precious stone, and the topstone in God’s divine building (Isa. 28:16; 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 4:3; Zech. 4:7). The stones in the temple also signify the believers in Christ who have been transformed by Christ as the stone (Matt. 16:18; John 1:42; 1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 21:11, 14, 19-20).
1Ki 6:81 door
The door of the side chambers signifies the communication, the fellowship, of the church as the fullness of Christ. The lacking of a door would have indicated the autonomy of the churches. All the local churches as chambers of Christ should widen their doors, i.e., be open to fellowship with the other churches, thus avoiding autonomy.
1Ki 6:151 cedar
The different kinds of wood used in constructing the temple signify different aspects of Christ’s humanity. In ancient times the Jews planted cypress trees above their graves; hence, cypress (vv. 15b, 34) signifies Christ’s humanity in His death, the crucified Jesus (cf. Gen. 6:14 and note 2). Cedar trees grew on the mountains of Lebanon (Psa. 104:16); thus, cedar (vv. 9, 10b, 15a, 16, 36) signifies Christ’s humanity in resurrection, the resurrected Christ (cf. S.S. 4:8 and note 2). Olive oil typifies the Spirit of God; hence, olive wood (vv. 23, 31-33) signifies Christ’s humanity in the Spirit of God, the anointed Christ (Heb. 1:9). In order to become materials for God’s building (1 Cor. 3:9, 12), we need to experience Christ in His death, His resurrection, and His Spirit (Phil. 3:10; 1:19).
1Ki 6:16a Holy Exo. 26:33-34; 1 Kings 7:50; 8:6, 8; 2 Chron. 3:8; Ezek. 41:4; Heb. 9:3; cf. Rev. 21:16
1Ki 6:19a And vv. 19-28: 2 Chron. 3:8-13
1Ki 6:191b Ark 1 Kings 8:6-10; Exo. 40:20-21; 2 Chron. 5:7; Heb. 9:3-4
There is no mentioning in 1 Kings 6—7 of the building of the Ark of the Covenant because Solomon kept the Ark made by Moses (6:19; 8:3-9). See notes on Exo. 25:10-22.
1Ki 6:201 gold
Gold signifies God’s divine nature, divinity (vv. 20-22).
1Ki 6:202 altar
The altar in vv. 20-22 is the incense altar (Exo. 30:1-10 and notes). See note 41 in Heb. 9.
1Ki 6:211 it
Referring probably to the altar of the preceding verse.
1Ki 6:22a altar Exo. 30:1, 3, 6; Heb. 9:4
1Ki 6:27a wings Exo. 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kings 8:7; 2 Chron. 5:8
1Ki 6:291 cherubim
See note 181 in Ezek. 41.
1Ki 6:361 inner
The inner court of the temple signifies the separation from the common world through God’s sanctification. It was built with three courses of hewn stone, signifying the crucified (hewn) Christ in His resurrection (the number three), and with one course of cedar beams, signifying the resurrected Christ in His humanity.
1Ki 7:11a house 1 Kings 3:1; cf. 1 Kings 9:10; 2 Chron. 8:1
[ par. 1 2 ]
1Ki 7:11 [1] Solomon built his palaces in association with God’s dwelling (vv. 1-12). Solomon’s palaces were built with the same materials as those used for the temple. This indicates that his palaces were of the same rank as God’s dwelling. God’s dwelling was for God to be worshipped by His people. Solomon’s palaces were for him to administrate his government over the people. Solomon’s government was the governmental administration of God over His people (2 Chron. 9:8). The fact that Solomon’s palaces were built in association with God’s dwelling indicates that God’s government over His people should go along with His worship by His people.
1Ki 7:11 [2] In the type the king’s palaces and God’s temple were separate, whereas in the New Testament reality these two are one building. The New Testament believers are on the one hand God’s priests to serve, to worship, God and on the other hand God’s kings to reign for God (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). The New Jerusalem will be the temple as God’s dwelling place and the place in which the believers will live and serve God as priests, and also a palace in which God the Father as the King of kings and all His children as His co-kings will live and reign as kings (Rev. 21:22; 22:3, 5).
1Ki 7:13a And vv. 13-14: 2 Chron. 2:13-14
1Ki 7:131 Hiram
Solomon, the builder of the temple, is a type of Christ (Matt. 12:42), and Hiram, the builder of the pillars, is a type of the gifted persons in the New Testament, who perfect the saints for the building up of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:8, 11-12, 16). That the work of building was not done by Solomon directly but by Solomon through Hiram indicates that Christ builds up the church not directly but through the gifted persons.
1Ki 7:141 Naphtali
Cf. 2 Chron. 2:14, which says that Hiram’s mother was “a woman of the daughters of Dan.” The tribe of Dan is the tribe of idolatry that caused God’s people to stumble and fall from God’s way (Gen. 49:17 and note). The fact that Hiram’s mother was of Dan indicates that Hiram’s origin, like that of all men, was of sin (Psa. 51:5; cf. John 8:44a). That Hiram became one who was “of the tribe of Naphtali,” the tribe of resurrection, i.e., of transformation (Gen. 49:21 and note), signifies that in order to be a part of God’s building and participate in its building work, we need to be transferred from the “tribe of Dan” into the “tribe of Naphtali” by being regenerated and transformed in Christ’s resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3; 2 Cor. 3:18).
1Ki 7:142 Tyre
Tyre was a Gentile city noted for its commerce; hence, it was one with Satan (Ezek. 28:12, 16). Hiram’s father was the source of Hiram’s skill in working with bronze. However, his father died, leaving his mother, the source of his existence, a widow. This signifies that in order to be useful to God for the building of the church, God’s dwelling place, we need to acquire the secular learning and skills but must allow our “Tyrian” father, the source of these things, to die. Furthermore, our “Danite” mother must be “widowed” (separated from the worldly source), and we must be of the “tribe of Naphtali,” the tribe of transformation. Thus, we continue to possess the learning and the skills without the source, our existence (mother) is no longer linked to our worldly origin, and we are in resurrection. Moses and the apostle Paul are excellent examples of this principle.
1Ki 7:14a wisdom cf. Exo. 31:3-5; 35:31-33
1Ki 7:143 came
Hiram was brought from Tyre to King Solomon in Jerusalem (vv. 13-14), the place where the temple was to be built. Jerusalem typifies the church. Both today’s Solomon (Christ) and God’s present building are in the church. Thus, in order to be useful to God for His building, we must gain secular skills, live in resurrection, and come to the proper ground, the ground of the church.
1Ki 7:15a And vv. 15-22: 2 Chron. 3:15-17
1Ki 7:151 pillars
The two large pillars set up by Solomon in front of the temple were a striking feature of the exterior of the temple. In the Scriptures the pillar is a sign, a testimony, of God’s building (Gen. 28:18-19a, 22a; 1 Kings 7:15-22; Gal. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rev. 3:12). That there were two pillars here (two being the number of testimony) indicates that these pillars stood as a testimony, like a signboard, of what God’s building is. The names of the two pillars (v. 21 and notes) testify that the Lord will establish His building (cf. Matt. 16:18) and that genuine strength is in the building (cf. Eph. 3:17-18). In typology, bronze signifies God’s judgment (Exo. 27:1-8; Num. 21:8-9; John 3:14). The temple’s two bronze pillars signify the Christ who was judged by God and who became the supporting strength of God’s dwelling on the earth (cf. Rev. 1:15 and notes 1 and 2). This Christ should be experienced by the believers in the church life and should be wrought into them to constitute them pillars to support God’s building.
1Ki 7:152 eighteen
Eighteen cubits (the height of each pillar—v. 15; 2 Kings 25:17) is half of three units of twelve cubits (the circumference of the pillar). The number three signifies the Triune God, and the number twelve signifies the mingling (multiplying) of the Triune God (three) with His creature man (four). It signifies further that this mingling is complete and perfect in God’s eternal administration (cf. note 122 in Rev. 21 and note 24 in Rev. 22). Thus, if we would be pillars as a testimony of God’s building, we must first judge ourselves under God’s judgment (bronze—Matt. 16:24; Gal. 2:20) and then be filled, saturated, and permeated with the Triune God. That each pillar is a half indicates that no matter how completely we are mingled with the Triune God, we are not complete in ourselves; we need others to match us (cf. note 161 in Exo. 26).
1Ki 7:153 each
Lit., the one pillar…the second pillar.
1Ki 7:161 capitals
[ par. 1 2 ]
1Ki 7:161 [1] The two bronze capitals covered the tops of the pillars. The total height of each capital was five cubits (v. 16; 2 Chron. 3:15), divided between the base (three cubits—2 Kings 25:17) and the two bowls on top of each capital (2 Chron. 4:12). The number three here signifies the process of resurrection; the number two, a testimony (Deut. 17:6); the number five, the bearing of responsibility (see note 21 in Matt. 25); and the number ten (the combined height of the two capitals), fullness in bearing responsibility. The bowls were the glory, beauty, decoration, and crown of the capitals. They were covered with nets of checker work (like a trellis) and wreaths of chain work (v. 17). These signify the complicated and intermixed situation in which those who are pillars in God’s building (Gal. 2:9; Rev. 3:12) live and bear responsibility. Lilies were on the nets (v. 19), and two rows of one hundred pomegranates were on the wreaths (v. 18; 2 Kings 25:17; 2 Chron. 3:16; 4:13). Lilies signify a life of faith in God (S.S. 2:1-2; Matt. 6:28, 30; Gal. 2:20), and pomegranates, having many seeds, signify the expression of the riches of the divine life. A life of faith that expresses the riches of the divine life is the issue of the experience of Christ’s crucifixion in and through the complicated and intermixed situation (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7-18). In spiritual significance the bowls of the capitals are a testimony (two) indicating that those who place themselves under God’s judgment (bronze), counting themselves as nothing, are able to bear responsibility (five) in full (ten) and express the riches of the divine life (pomegranates) in the midst of a complicated and intermixed situation (the checker work and chain work) out of the process of resurrection (the base of the capitals, three cubits in height) because they do not live by themselves but by God (lilies). A believer who is a pillar as a sign of God’s building must bear the testimony of living by faith to bear responsibility and express the riches of life through the process of resurrection under the crossing out of the checker work and the restriction of the chain work.
1Ki 7:161 [2] For additional details concerning the two bronze pillars and their capitals in relation to spiritual experience, see Life-study of Genesis, Messages Eighty-three and Eighty-four.
1Ki 7:181 pillars
Following many MSS and the Septuagint; other MSS read, pomegranates.
1Ki 7:201 both
Lit., the second.
1Ki 7:21a pillars cf. Gal. 2:9; Rev. 3:12; 1 Tim. 3:15
1Ki 7:211 Jachin
Meaning He will establish.
1Ki 7:212 Boaz
Meaning in Him is strength.
1Ki 7:23a And vv. 23-26: 2 Chron. 4:2-5
1Ki 7:231 molten
The bronze sea with ten bronze lavers (vv. 23-40) signifies the convicting, judging, and renewing Spirit of God, who, based on the death of Christ, washes away all the negative things from those participating in the dwelling of God on earth (John 16:8; Titus 3:5). Solomon also built an altar of bronze (9:25), which is not listed here (see notes in Exo. 27:1-8).
1Ki 7:311 the
Lit., it.
1Ki 7:38a And 2 Chron. 4:6; cf. Exo. 30:18
1Ki 7:40a And vv. 40-51: 2 Chron. 4:11–5:1
1Ki 7:401 pots
Following many MSS and the Septuagint; other MSS read, basins.
1Ki 7:481a altar Exo. 37:25-29
The golden altar with its incense signifies the resurrected and ascended Christ as the Intercessor (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25) and as the sweet savor for God’s acceptance of His redeemed (Rev. 8:3). See notes in Exo. 30:1-10, 34-38.
1Ki 7:482b table Exo. 37:10-16; 2 Chron. 4:8
The golden table for the bread of the Presence signifies the Christ who has gone through the processes of incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension and has become the life-giving Spirit to be the spiritual food of God’s elect (John 6:32-63). See notes in Exo. 25:23-30.
1Ki 7:491a lampstands Exo. 25:31-38; 2 Chron. 4:7
The lampstands of pure gold signify the Christ who has become the life-giving Spirit through His resurrection to be the divine light to His people (John 8:12). See notes in Exo. 25:31-40.
1Ki 7:51a sanctified 2 Sam. 8:11; 1 Chron. 26:26
1Ki 8:1a Then vv. 1-11: 2 Chron. 5:2-14
1Ki 8:1b Ark cf. 2 Sam. 6:17
1Ki 8:2a feast Lev. 23:34; 1 Kings 8:65; 2 Chron. 7:8-10
1Ki 8:41 Tent
Verses 1-11 show that the tabernacle was merged with the temple. The contents of the tabernacle were placed in the temple, indicating that as God’s dwelling place the tabernacle and the temple were one. The tabernacle was a portable precursor moving through the wilderness, whereas the temple was a consummation of God’s building in typology.
1Ki 8:6a Holy Exo. 26:33-34; 1 Kings 6:16
1Ki 8:9a tablets Exo. 25:21; 40:20; Deut. 10:1-5; Heb. 9:4
1Ki 8:10a And vv. 10-11: cf. Exo. 40:34-35; Ezek. 10:3-4; Rev. 15:8; Acts 2:2
1Ki 8:111a glory 2 Chron. 5:14; 7:1-2; Ezek. 43:5; 44:4
The glory of Jehovah filled the temple (cf. Exo. 40:34), bringing the God who is in the heavens to the earth and joining the earth to the heavens. See note 122 in Gen. 28.
1Ki 8:12a Then vv. 12-50: 2 Chron. 6:1-39
1Ki 8:12b deep Exo. 20:21; Deut. 4:11; Psa. 97:2
1Ki 8:13a built 2 Sam. 7:13; Acts 7:47
1Ki 8:13b dwell Exo. 15:17; cf. Psa. 132:14; Matt. 23:21
1Ki 8:16a name Deut. 12:11; 1 Kings 8:29
1Ki 8:16b chose 1 Chron. 28:4
1Ki 8:17a heart cf. 2 Sam. 7:3; 1 Chron. 17:2
1Ki 8:19a build 2 Sam. 7:5; 1 Kings 5:3
1Ki 8:191 son
See note 13 in Matt. 1.
1Ki 8:20a throne 2 Sam. 7:12-13
1Ki 8:21a Ark Deut. 31:26; 1 Kings 8:9
1Ki 8:25a There 1 Kings 2:4; 9:5
1Ki 8:27a heavens 2 Chron. 2:6; Deut. 10:14; Neh. 9:6; cf. Isa. 66:1; Acts 7:48-49
1Ki 8:27b house Matt. 12:6; Acts 17:24
1Ki 8:29a name Deut. 12:11; 1 Kings 8:16; 9:3
1Ki 8:29b listen 1 Kings 8:52; cf. 2 Chron. 6:40; 7:15; Neh. 1:6
1Ki 8:301 heavens
Solomon prayed that God would hear from His dwelling place in the heavens the supplication offered to Him by His people when they prayed toward the temple as His dwelling place on the earth. This indicates that God has two dwelling places, one in the heavens and one on the earth. Actually, these two are one; they are the two ends of God’s one dwelling place. Today the believers in Christ as God’s dwelling place (Eph. 2:21-22) are a particular people, a people who are in the heavens and on the earth (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1-3). See note 171 in Gen. 28.
1Ki 8:40a fear Psa. 130:4; Deut. 6:2
1Ki 8:46a sin Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10
1Ki 8:47a to cf. Jer. 31:18-19; Hosea 14:1-3; Luke 15:18
1Ki 8:481 land
Verses 31-48 mention seven conditions concerning God’s listening to the prayers of His elect. In this, the last, condition three things are stressed (v. 48): the Holy Land, typifying Christ as the portion allotted by God to the believers (see note 71 in Deut. 8); the holy city, signifying the kingdom of God in Christ (Psa. 48:1-2); and the holy temple, signifying God’s house, the church, on the earth (Eph. 2:21; 1 Tim. 3:15). These are the three crucial things regarding God’s economy. During the Babylonian captivity Daniel prayed toward the Holy Land, the holy city, and the holy temple three times a day by opening his window toward Jerusalem (Dan. 6:10). This indicates that God will listen to our prayer when our prayer to God is toward Christ, the kingdom of God, and the house of God as the goal in God’s eternal economy. This means that no matter for whom we are praying, our prayers should be aimed at the interests of God, i.e., at Christ and the church as God’s interests on earth, for the fulfilling of God’s economy.
1Ki 8:51a furnace Deut. 4:20; Jer. 11:4
1Ki 8:53a separated Exo. 19:5-6; Deut. 14:2
1Ki 8:53b inheritance Deut. 9:26, 29
1Ki 8:591 cause
For God to maintain the cause of His people means that He executes justice regarding their situation. Throughout the centuries God has maintained the cause of His people Israel. When they were wrong with Him, He chastised them and disciplined them through the hands of the Gentile powers, including the Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires. But when these nations went too far in dealing with Israel, God maintained Israel’s cause, punishing those who mistreated them (see note 51 in Isa. 10 and note 131, par. 1, in Isa. 26). This indicates that behind the physical realm there is the spiritual realm, in which God governs the entire universe, executing justice for His people every day as each day requires. God does this for His elect, for both Israel and the believers in Christ (1 Pet. 4:17 and note 1).
1Ki 8:60a Jehovah Deut. 4:35, 39; 1 Kings 18:39
1Ki 8:62a And vv. 62-63: 2 Chron. 7:4-5
1Ki 8:64a On vv. 64-66: 2 Chron. 7:7-10
1Ki 8:641 burnt
See notes on the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the peace offering in Lev. 1—3.
1Ki 9:1a And vv. 1-9: 2 Chron. 7:11-22
1Ki 9:11 Solomon
See note 341 in ch. 4. Chapters 9 and 10 portray the highest peak of Solomon’s glory among the nations. Solomon was glorified in the kingdom of Israel with the splendor of that kingdom. This is a prefigure of Christ in the millennium.
1Ki 9:2a appeared 1 Kings 3:5; 11:9; 2 Chron. 1:7
1Ki 9:3a name 1 Kings 8:16, 29; 2 Kings 21:4
1Ki 9:5a forever 2 Sam. 7:13, 16
1Ki 9:5b You 1 Kings 2:4; 8:25
1Ki 9:81 heaps
According to some versions; the Hebrew text reads, exalted.
1Ki 9:10a And vv. 10-28: 2 Chron. 8:1-18
1Ki 9:151 Millo
I.e., the citadel. So also in v. 24.
1Ki 9:24a daughter 1 Kings 3:1; 7:8
1Ki 9:241 Solomon
Lit., he.
1Ki 9:25a three Exo. 23:14-17; Deut. 16:16
1Ki 10:1a And vv. 1-13: 2 Chron. 9:1-12
1Ki 10:1b queen Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:31
1Ki 10:4a all Matt. 6:29; Luke 12:27
1Ki 10:8a Happy Prov. 3:13; 8:34
1Ki 10:9a Because cf. 2 Chron. 2:11
1Ki 10:9b righteousness 2 Sam. 8:15
1Ki 10:14a Now vv. 14-28: 2 Chron. 9:13-28
1Ki 10:17a shields 1 Kings 14:26
1Ki 10:23a Solomon Luke 12:27
1Ki 10:23b kings 1 Kings 3:13
1Ki 10:23c wisdom Luke 11:31
1Ki 10:26a And vv. 26-29: 2 Chron. 1:14-17
1Ki 11:11 loved
Solomon’s fall was in his indulging his lust by loving many foreign women (vv. 1-3), in his forsaking God, who appeared to him twice (v. 9b), and in his worshipping the Gentile idols through the seducing by the foreign women whom he loved (vv. 4-8).
1Ki 11:1a foreign Neh. 13:26; cf. Deut. 17:17
1Ki 11:4a not cf. 1 Kings 8:61; 15:3, 14
1Ki 11:6a follow cf. Num. 14:24; Josh. 14:8, 14
1Ki 11:71 high
Places where the Gentile peoples worshipped their idols. When the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan to possess it, God commanded them to destroy all the high places of the nations (Num. 33:52). Here Solomon, the very one who had built the temple according to God’s desire on the ground of the oneness of God’s people, took the lead to build up the high places once again. These high places were related to fornication and idolatry. Solomon’s setting up of the high places was especially connected with the indulgence of lust in his loving many foreign women. See note 312 in ch. 12.
1Ki 11:91 So
After Solomon fell, God came in to punish and discipline him. God became angry with Solomon and determined to tear the kingdom away from him and give it to his servant (vv. 9-13). For David’s sake, however, God would not do this in Solomon’s days but would do it in the days of his son (vv. 12, 34). Moreover, for David’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, which God had chosen, God would still keep one tribe for the son of Solomon (vv. 13, 32-33, 35-36).
1Ki 11:9a appeared 1 Kings 3:5; 9:2; 2 Chron. 1:7
1Ki 11:11a tear 1 Kings 11:31, 35; 14:8
1Ki 11:131 one
The kingdom of God’s elect was split into two: the southern kingdom, the kingdom of Judah, of two tribes and the northern kingdom, the kingdom of Israel, of ten tribes (vv. 30-32). Judah was genuine, but Israel was a division in apostasy. The division among God’s elect issued in confusion, which always accompanies division (Gen. 11:7-9). See note 71 in Matt. 1.
1Ki 11:13a tribe 1 Kings 11:32, 36; 12:20
1Ki 11:15a Edom 2 Sam. 8:14; 1 Chron. 18:12-13
1Ki 11:21a slept 1 Kings 2:10
1Ki 11:23a Zobah 2 Sam. 8:3, 5
1Ki 11:26a Jeroboam 1 Kings 12:2; 2 Chron. 13:6
1Ki 11:271 Millo
I.e., the citadel.
1Ki 11:29a Ahijah 1 Kings 12:15; 14:2; 15:29; 2 Chron. 9:29
1Ki 11:291 Ahijah
Lit., he.
1Ki 11:30a tore cf. 1 Sam. 15:27; 2 Kings 2:12
1Ki 11:32a chosen 1 Kings 14:21; Deut. 12:5
1Ki 11:36a lamp 2 Sam. 21:17; 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chron. 21:7
1Ki 11:40a Shishak 1 Kings 14:25; 2 Chron. 12:2-9
1Ki 11:41a And vv. 41-43: 2 Chron. 9:29-31
1Ki 11:431 slept
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
1Ki 11:431 [1] Solomon’s decease (vv. 41-43) was in gloomy disappointment. His glory fell off like the flower of grass (Matt. 6:29; 1 Pet. 1:24), and his splendid career became “vanity of vanities,” as he had preached (Eccl. 1:2). However, what God did through him as a type of Christ remains forever (see note 11 in ch. 2).
1Ki 11:431 [2] Under the light of the spiritual life, it is clear that Solomon was a wise man but not a spiritual man; a man of capability, not a man of life; a man whose wisdom was a gift, not a measure of life. The careers he accomplished were evidences of his capacity from his God-given gift of wisdom, not manifestations of the ability of the maturity of the divine life. Capability apart from life is like a snake, poisoning God’s people; life is like a dove, supplying God’s people with life. Cf. note 181 in Ruth 4.
1Ki 11:431 [3] Solomon’s enjoyment of the God-given good land reached the highest level through his God-given gift. However, because of his small measure in the maturity of the spiritual life, he was cut off from the enjoyment of the good land in God’s economy because of his unbridled indulgence of his lust. His father David, a man according to God’s heart, failed in this same gross and ugly sin (2 Sam. 11). Solomon’s failure in this satanic temptation was much greater than his father’s. This caused his descendants to lose more than ninety percent of their kingdom and caused the people of God’s elect to suffer division and confusion among themselves throughout many generations. Eventually, they lost the God-given land and became captives in the foreign lands of idol worship. The nation of Israel is still suffering because of Solomon’s failure. What a warning and an alarm this should be to us! We must be careful. Even a little failure in the indulgence of lust can damage the church and kill the splendid aspects of the church life.
1Ki 12:1a Then vv. 1-19: 2 Chron. 10:1-19
1Ki 12:2a Jeroboam 1 Kings 11:26, 40
1Ki 12:41a yoke 1 Kings 4:7, 22-23; cf. 1 Sam. 8:11-18
The twelve tribes of Israel provided the daily necessities of Solomon and his vast family (4:22-23, 27-28), which included Solomon’s one thousand wives and concubines (11:3) with all their dependents. Eventually, the requirement to provide these daily necessities became a factor in the people’s rejecting of Solomon. Jeroboam took Solomon’s extraordinary, luxurious life and his heavy levying on the people as the cause of his rebellion. Solomon lost the kingdom partly due to his indulgence in lust and idol worship and partly because the people were burdened by the need to provide for Solomon’s vast family.
1Ki 12:6a counsel Job 12:12; 32:7
1Ki 12:15a Ahijah 1 Kings 11:31-38
1Ki 12:16a portion 2 Sam. 20:1
1Ki 12:21a And vv. 21-24: 2 Chron. 11:1-4
1Ki 12:22a Shemaiah 2 Chron. 12:5, 7, 15
1Ki 12:25a Shechem cf. Judg. 9:46-49
1Ki 12:25b Penuel Judg. 8:8-9, 17
1Ki 12:271 return
God had ordained that His people come together three times a year in Jerusalem (Deut. 16:16). Jeroboam was afraid that the ten tribes would return to their rightful king if they went to worship God in Jerusalem. Thus, he set up two divisive worship centers, saying that it was not convenient to travel to Jerusalem (vv. 28-29). The source of Jeroboam’s apostasy was selfish ambition, the desire to have his own kingdom. The divisions in Christianity are also caused mainly by selfish ambition.
1Ki 12:281a calves 2 Kings 10:29; 17:16; 2 Chron. 11:15; 13:8; Hosea 8:5-6; 10:5; 13:2
Jeroboam’s apostasy (vv. 25-33; 13:33-34) consisted of his (1) making two calves (idols) of gold, putting one in Bethel and the other in Dan, in order to distract his people from worshipping God in Jerusalem (vv. 25-30), thus breaking God’s ordination of having one unique worship center in the Holy Land for keeping the unity, the oneness, of the children of Israel (Deut. 12:2-18); (2) building a temple at the high places and appointing priests from among the common people who were not of the tribe of Levi (v. 31; 13:33b; 2 Chron. 13:9); (3) ordaining a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month (the month he had devised in his own heart), like the feast that was in Judah (vv. 32a, 33b); (4) offering sacrifices on the altar at Bethel to the calves that he had made, and placing in Bethel the priests of the high places (vv. 32b-33a); and (5) going up to the altar to burn incense (v. 33b) although he was not a priest. The apostasy of Jeroboam can be considered a type of the apostasy in today’s Christendom, with its divisive worship centers, its clergy-laity system, its self-ordained religious “feasts,” and its idolatry. Cf. note 51 in Judg. 17.
1Ki 12:28b gods Exo. 32:4, 8
1Ki 12:29a Bethel Gen. 28:19; 2 Kings 10:29
1Ki 12:301a sin 1 Kings 13:34; 2 Kings 17:21
Jeroboam’s apostasy became a serious sin that caused his entire family to be destroyed under God’s judgment (13:34; 14:7-11; 15:29-30) and eventually led to Israel’s being carried away into captivity (14:15-16; 2 Kings 17:20-23). The sins of Jeroboam are referred to repeatedly throughout the books of the Kings.
1Ki 12:311a house 1 Kings 13:32
The word house here indicates that Jeroboam built a temple on the high places.
1Ki 12:312 high
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
1Ki 12:312 [1] To set up a high place is to have a division. Hence, the significance of the high places is division. These places were a substitute and an alternative for the unique place chosen by God to preserve the oneness of His people (see note 51 in Deut. 12). In this book two kings—Solomon and Jeroboam—took the lead to set up the high places, the former because of the indulgence of lust (see note 71 in ch. 11) and the latter because of ambition (see note 271). Thus, the high places were related to lust, ambition, and idolatry. All the divisions among God’s people are connected to these three evil things.
1Ki 12:312 [2] A high place is an elevation, something lifted above the common level. This indicates that a high place involves the exalting of something. In principle, every division in Christianity involves the uplifting, the exalting, of something other than Christ. Anything that is exalted above Christ, even biblical teachings and scriptural practices, can be used to set up a “high place” to cause division among God’s people. See notes 29 and 92 in 1 Cor. 1.
1Ki 12:312 [3] The high places in the Old Testament are a matter of great significance, for they seriously damaged the ground of oneness among God’s elect. Once these places were set up, they were not easily removed, even by the good kings (15:14; 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3; 14:4; 15:4, 35; cf. 2 Kings 18:4; 23:8, 12, 15, 19).
1Ki 12:31b priests 1 Kings 13:33; 2 Kings 17:32; 2 Chron. 11:14-15; 13:9
1Ki 12:32a feast cf. Lev. 23:34; Num. 29:12
1Ki 13:2a bones 2 Kings 23:15-16
1Ki 13:6a intercede Gen. 20:17; 2 Kings 20:2-5; Job 42:8; Prov. 15:9; cf. James 5:16
1Ki 13:8a gave cf. Num. 22:18; 24:13
1Ki 13:111 sons
Some MSS read, son.
1Ki 13:24a lion cf. 1 Kings 20:36
1Ki 13:31a bones 2 Kings 23:17-18
1Ki 13:32a altar 1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 23:15-19
1Ki 13:33a priests Judg. 17:5; 1 Kings 12:31
1Ki 13:331 consecrated
Lit., filled his hands.
1Ki 13:34a sin 1 Kings 12:30; 2 Kings 17:21
1Ki 14:2a disguise 1 Sam. 28:8; 2 Sam. 14:2; 1 Kings 22:30
1Ki 14:2b Ahijah 1 Kings 11:29-31
1Ki 14:4a eyes Gen. 48:10; 27:1; 1 Sam. 4:15
1Ki 14:7a ruler cf. 1 Kings 16:2
1Ki 14:8a tore 1 Kings 11:11, 31
1Ki 14:9a made 1 Kings 12:28; cf. Exo. 34:17
1Ki 14:11a Him cf. 1 Kings 16:4
1Ki 14:13a good 2 Chron. 19:3
1Ki 14:14a house 1 Kings 15:29
1Ki 14:15a good Josh. 23:15-16
1Ki 14:15b scatter 2 Kings 15:29; 17:6, 23; 18:11
1Ki 14:151 River
I.e., the Euphrates.
1Ki 14:16a sins 1 Kings 12:30; 13:34; 15:26, 30, 34; 16:19, 26
1Ki 14:17a Tirzah 1 Kings 15:21, 33; 16:6, 8, 15, 23; S.S. 6:4
1Ki 14:19a waged cf. 2 Chron. 13:2-20
1Ki 14:21a And vv. 21-22: 2 Chron. 12:13-14
1Ki 14:25a Then vv. 25-28: 2 Chron. 12:9-11
1Ki 14:29a And vv. 29-31: 2 Chron. 12:15-16
1Ki 15:1a And vv. 1-2: 2 Chron. 13:1-2
1Ki 15:41 David’s
I.e., for Christ, who was to be incarnated as one of David’s descendants (Matt. 1:1; Rom. 1:3). See note 71 in Matt. 1.
1Ki 15:4a lamp 1 Kings 11:36
1Ki 15:51 matter
See note 41 in 2 Sam. 11.
1Ki 15:5a Uriah 2 Sam. 11:3-4, 15; 12:9; Matt. 1:6
1Ki 15:7a And cf. 2 Chron. 13:22
1Ki 15:7b war cf. 2 Chron. 13:2-20
1Ki 15:101 mother’s
I.e., his grandmother. So also in v. 13.
1Ki 15:13a And vv. 13-15: 2 Chron. 15:16-18
1Ki 15:131 Asherah
The name of a female deity.
1Ki 15:14a not 1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3
1Ki 15:17a And vv. 17-22: 2 Chron. 16:1-6
1Ki 15:18a house 1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 12:18; 18:15-16
1Ki 15:23a And vv. 23-24: 2 Chron. 16:11-14
1Ki 15:231 diseased
See note 121 in 2 Chron. 16.
1Ki 15:24a Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17:1; 1 Kings 22:41
1Ki 15:25a Nadab 1 Kings 14:20
1Ki 15:26a sin 1 Kings 12:30; 14:16; 15:30, 34
1Ki 15:29a house 1 Kings 14:10, 14
1Ki 15:34a sin 1 Kings 15:26, 30
1Ki 16:1a Jehu 1 Kings 16:7; 2 Chron. 19:2; 20:34
1Ki 16:2a Because vv. 2-4: cf. 1 Kings 14:7, 10-11
1Ki 16:71 it
Or, him.
1Ki 16:9a Zimri 2 Kings 9:31
1Ki 16:12a house 1 Kings 16:3
1Ki 16:15a Gibbethon 1 Kings 15:27
1Ki 16:24a Samaria cf. 1 Kings 16:29; 20:1; 22:37
1Ki 16:25a Omri Micah 6:16; cf. 1 Kings 16:30
1Ki 16:311a Jezebel 1 Kings 19:1-2; 21:23, 25-26; 2 Kings 9:7; Rev. 2:20
See notes on Rev. 2:20.
1Ki 16:31b Baal 1 Kings 22:53; 2 Kings 3:2; 17:16
1Ki 16:32a house 2 Kings 10:21, 25-27
1Ki 16:33a Asherah 1 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 13:6; 21:3
1Ki 16:34a built cf. Josh. 6:26
1Ki 16:34b Jericho 2 Kings 2:4, 18, 19
1Ki 17:11a rain James 5:17; Rev. 11:6; cf. 1 Kings 18:1; Luke 4:25
See James 5:17 and note.
1Ki 17:9a Zarephath Obad. 20; Luke 4:26
1Ki 17:91 Sidon
See note 262 in Luke 4.
1Ki 17:14a oil cf. 2 Kings 4:2-7
1Ki 17:161 barrel
Elijah’s miracles, like Solomon’s riches, glory, and splendor, were altogether in the physical realm, in God’s Old Testament economy. They did not involve anything spiritual in God’s New Testament economy. See note 301 in ch. 4.
1Ki 17:17a son cf. 2 Kings 4:18-20
1Ki 17:18a man Deut. 33:1; 1 Kings 20:28
1Ki 17:21a stretched 2 Kings 4:34-35; Acts 20:10
1Ki 17:23a gave Luke 7:15; Acts 9:41; Heb. 11:35
1Ki 18:1a Elijah cf. 1 Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17
1Ki 18:4a cave 1 Kings 19:9; Heb. 11:38
1Ki 18:12a Spirit 2 Kings 2:16; Ezek. 3:12, 14; 8:3; Acts 8:39
1Ki 18:13a what 1 Kings 18:4
1Ki 18:18a Baals 1 Kings 16:31
1Ki 18:19a four cf. 1 Kings 18:22, 40; 22:6; 2 Kings 3:13; Jer. 14:14; 27:9-10, 16; 2 Pet. 2:1; Rev. 2:20
1Ki 18:21a two Matt. 6:24; cf. 2 Kings 17:41
1Ki 18:21b If cf. Josh. 24:15
1Ki 18:22a prophets 1 Kings 18:19
1Ki 18:24a fire 1 Kings 18:38
1Ki 18:26a called Matt. 6:7
1Ki 18:29a meal cf. Exo. 29:39-41
1Ki 18:30a broken 1 Kings 19:10, 14
1Ki 18:31a twelve Josh. 4:3
1Ki 18:31b Israel Gen. 32:28; 35:10; 2 Kings 17:34
1Ki 18:36a Abraham Exo. 3:6
1Ki 18:36b known 1 Sam. 17:46; Josh. 4:24
1Ki 18:38a fire Lev. 9:24; Judg. 6:21; 1 Kings 18:24
1Ki 18:39a Jehovah Deut. 4:35, 39; 1 Kings 8:60
1Ki 18:40a Seize 1 Kings 19:1; cf. 2 Kings 10:25
1Ki 18:44a cloud cf. Luke 12:54
1Ki 18:45a rain James 5:18
1Ki 18:461a hand 2 Kings 3:15; Ezek. 1:3; 3:14
Referring to the Spirit of Jehovah. Cf. note 62 in Ezra 7.
1Ki 18:46b girded Exo. 12:11; 2 Kings 4:29; 9:1; Jer. 1:17; Luke 12:35
1Ki 19:1a Jezebel 1 Kings 16:31; Rev. 2:20
1Ki 19:1b slain 1 Kings 18:40
1Ki 19:4a It cf. Num. 11:15; Jonah 4:3, 8
1Ki 19:7a angel 1 Kings 19:5; Acts 12:7
1Ki 19:8a forty cf. Exo. 24:18; 34:28; Deut. 9:9, 18; Matt. 4:2; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2
1Ki 19:8b Horeb Exo. 3:1; Deut. 4:10
1Ki 19:9a cave Heb. 11:38
1Ki 19:10a jealous 1 Kings 19:14; 2 Kings 10:16
1Ki 19:10b slain 1 Kings 18:4; Rom. 11:3
1Ki 19:10c left 1 Kings 18:22
1Ki 19:11a mountain Exo. 24:12; 34:2
1Ki 19:11b wind Ezek. 1:4
1Ki 19:11c earthquake Ezek. 37:7
1Ki 19:121 a
The fact that God spoke to Elijah in a gentle, quiet voice indicates that God was ushering Elijah into the New Testament age, in which God speaks to His people not by thundering but gently and quietly (cf. 1 John 2:27).
1Ki 19:12a voice cf. Job 4:12, 16
1Ki 19:13a face Exo. 3:6
1Ki 19:14a jealous 1 Kings 19:10
1Ki 19:16a Jehu 2 Kings 9:1-6
1Ki 19:16b Elisha 2 Kings 2:9, 15; cf. 1 Kings 19:19-21
1Ki 19:17a Hazael 2 Kings 8:12; 13:3, 22
1Ki 19:17b Jehu cf. 2 Kings 9–10
1Ki 19:181 seven
These faithful ones, the overcomers, were still standing with God. Eventually, God punished Israel by sending Israel away from their fathers’ land as captives (2 Kings 24—25). Later, it was the overcomers among the captives who brought Israel back. One of these overcomers, Daniel, prayed with his window open toward Jerusalem (Dan. 6:10). Through his gracious prayer God brought Israel back to their fathers’ land.
1Ki 19:19a mantle 2 Kings 2:8, 13
1Ki 19:20a Let cf. Matt. 8:21; Luke 9:61
1Ki 19:21a implements cf. 2 Sam. 24:22
1Ki 19:21b ministered 2 Kings 3:11
1Ki 20:1a Ben-hadad 1 Kings 15:18; 2 Kings 6:24; 8:7
1Ki 20:13a delivering 1 Kings 20:28
1Ki 20:201 opponent
Lit., man.
1Ki 20:22a return 1 Kings 20:26
1Ki 20:23a mountains 1 Kings 20:28
1Ki 20:27a two cf. Gen. 32:2, 7; S.S. 6:13
1Ki 20:28a Jehovah 1 Kings 20:23
1Ki 20:32a sackcloth 2 Sam. 3:31; cf. Josh. 9:3-5
1Ki 20:34a cities cf. 1 Kings 15:20
1Ki 20:36a lion 1 Kings 13:24
1Ki 20:42a devoted cf. 1 Sam. 15:9-11
1Ki 21:2a vineyard cf. 1 Sam. 8:14
1Ki 21:3a inheritance Num. 36:7; cf. Ezek. 46:18
1Ki 21:10a cursed Exo. 22:28; Acts 6:11; 23:5
1Ki 21:13a carried Lev. 24:14; Num. 15:35-36; Acts 7:58; Heb. 11:37
1Ki 21:19a blood 2 Kings 9:25-26; 1 Kings 21:29; cf. 1 Kings 22:38
1Ki 21:20a sold 1 Kings 21:25; 2 Kings 17:17; Rom. 7:14
1Ki 21:22a Jeroboam 1 Kings 15:29
1Ki 21:22b Baasha 1 Kings 16:4, 11
1Ki 21:23a Jezebel 2 Kings 9:36; Rev. 2:20
1Ki 21:24a dies cf. 1 Kings 14:11; 16:4
1Ki 21:25a Jezebel cf. 1 Kings 16:31-33; Rev. 2:20
1Ki 21:27a carefully Isa. 38:15
1Ki 21:29a son’s cf. 2 Kings 10:7
1Ki 22:2a Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 15:24
1Ki 22:2b came vv. 2-35: 2 Chron. 18:2-34
1Ki 22:3a Ramoth-gilead Deut. 4:43; Josh. 20:8; 2 Kings 8:28
1Ki 22:6a prophets cf. 2 Pet. 2:1
1Ki 22:61 Lord
Many MSS read, Jehovah.
1Ki 22:7a prophet 2 Kings 3:11
1Ki 22:14a that Num. 22:18-19; 24:13
1Ki 22:17a sheep Num. 27:17; Matt. 9:36
1Ki 22:19a throne Psa. 11:4; 103:19; Isa. 6:1; Dan. 7:9; Rev. 4:2
1Ki 22:19b standing Job 1:6; 2:1; Dan. 7:10; Rev. 5:11
1Ki 22:24a struck Lam. 3:30; Mark 14:65; Acts 23:2; Matt. 5:39; Luke 6:29
1Ki 22:27a prison 2 Chron. 16:10; Jer. 20:2; 37:15; 38:6
1Ki 22:28a Jehovah cf. Num. 16:29; Deut. 18:22
1Ki 22:28b Listen Micah 1:2
1Ki 22:281 you
Lit., them.
1Ki 22:30a disguised 2 Chron. 35:22
1Ki 22:31a king cf. 2 Sam. 17:2
1Ki 22:34a wounded 2 Chron. 35:23
1Ki 22:38a blood 1 Kings 21:19
1Ki 22:39a ivory Psa. 45:8; Amos 3:15
1Ki 22:41a And vv. 41-50: 2 Chron. 20:31–21:1
1Ki 22:43a way cf. 2 Chron. 17:3
1Ki 22:43b not 1 Kings 15:14; 2 Kings 12:3
1Ki 22:48a ships 1 Kings 9:26
1Ki 22:51a Ahaziah 1 Kings 22:40
1Ki 22:53a Baal 1 Kings 16:31