ON Solomon's multiplying horses, Bishop Warburton has made some judicious remarks:- "Moses had expressly prohibited the multiplying of horses, Deut. xvii. 16, by which the future king was forbidden to establish a body of cavalry, because this could not be effected without sending into Egypt, with which people God had forbidden any communication, as this would be dangerous to religion. When Solomon had violated this law, and multiplied horses to excess, 1 Kings iv. 26, it was soon attended with those fatal consequences that the law foretold: for this wisest of kings having likewise, in violation of another law, married Pharaoh's daughter, (the early fruits of this commerce,) and then, by a repetition of the same crime, but a transgression of another law, having espoused more strange women, 1 Kings xi. 1; they first, in defiance of a fourth law, persuaded him to build them idol temples for their use, and afterwards, against a fifth law, brought him to erect other temples for his own. Now the original of all this mischief was the forbidden traffic with Egypt for horses; for thither were the agents of Solomon sent to mount his cavalry. Nay, this great king even turned factor for the neighbouring monarchs, ver. 17, and this opprobrious commerce was kept up by his successors and attended with the same pernicious consequences. Isaiah denounces the mischiefs of this traffic; and foretells that one of the good effects of leaving it would be the forsaking of their idolatries, Isa. xxxi. 1, 4, 6, 7." -See Divine Legation, vol. iii., p. 289 and Dr. Dodd's Notes.

Matthew Henry Commentary

--Solomon informs Huram of the particular services to be performed in the temple. The mysteries of the true religion, unlike those of the Gentile superstitions, sought not concealment. Solomon endeavoured to possess Huram with great and high thoughts of the God of Israel. We should not be afraid or ashamed to embrace every opportunity to spea of God, and to impress others with a deep sense of the importance of his favour and service. Now that the people of Israel kept close to the law and worship of God, the neighbouring nations were willing to be taught by them in the true religion, as the Israelites had been willin in the days of their apostacy, to be infected with the idolatries an superstitions of their neighbours. A wise and pious king is an evidenc of the Lord's special love for his people. How great then was God' love to his believing people, in giving his only-begotten Son to be their Prince and their Saviour __________________________________________________________________

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