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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Dedication of the Temple. (b. c. 1003.)
THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. (B. C. 1003.) The temple, though richly beautified, yet while it was without the ark was like a body without a soul, or a candlestick without a candle, or (to speak more properly) a house w…
Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 8:12-21
Here, I. Solomon encourages the priests, who came out of the temple from their ministration, much astonished at the dark cloud that overshadowed them. The disciples of Christ feared when they entered into the cloud, tho…
Solomon's Prayer. (b. c. 1003.)
SOLOMON'S PRAYER. (B. C. 1003.) Solomon having made a general surrender of this house to God, which God had signified his acceptance of by taking possession, next follows Solomon's prayer, in which he makes a more parti…
Solomon Blesses and Exhorts the People. (b. c. 1003.)
SOLOMON BLESSES AND EXHORTS THE PEOPLE. (B. C. 1003.) Solomon, after his sermon in Ecclesiastes, gives us the conclusion of the whole matter; so he does here, after this long prayer; it is called his blessing the people…
Solomon Holds a Great Feast. (b. c. 1003.)
SOLOMON HOLDS A GREAT FEAST. (B. C. 1003.) We read before that Judah and Israel were eating and drinking, and very cheerful under their own vines and fig-trees; here we have them so in God's courts. Now they found Solom…
God's Answer to Solomon. (b. c. 1001.)
GOD'S ANSWER TO SOLOMON. (B. C. 1001.) God had given a real answer to Solomon's prayer, and tokens of his acceptance of it, immediately, by the fire from heaven which consumed the sacrifices (as we find 2 Chronicles 7:1…
Solomon and Hiram. (b. c. 1001.)
SOLOMON AND HIRAM. (B. C. 1001.) What agreement was made between Solomon and Hiram, when the building-work was to be begun, we read before, 1 Kings 5:1-18 Here we have an account of their fair and friendly parting when…
Solomon's Buildings; Solomon's Greatness. (b. c. 991.)
SOLOMON'S BUILDINGS; SOLOMON'S GREATNESS. (B. C. 991.) We have here a further account of Solomon's greatness. I. His buildings. He raised a great levy both of men and money, because he projected a great deal of building…
Visit of the Queen of Sheba. (b. c. 990.)
VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA. (B. C. 990.) We have here an account of the visit which the queen of Sheba made to Solomon, no doubt when he was in the height of his piety and prosperity. Our Saviour calls her the queen of…
Solomon's Wealth. (b. c. 990.)
SOLOMON'S WEALTH. (B. C. 990.) We have here a further account of Solomon's prosperity. I. How he increased his wealth. Though he had much, he still coveted to have more, being willing to try the utmost the things of thi…
Solomon's Defection and Degeneracy. (b. c. 983.)
SOLOMON'S DEFECTION AND DEGENERACY. (B. C. 983.) This is a sad story, and very surprising, of Solomon's defection and degeneracy. I. Let us enquire into the occasions and particulars of it. Shall Solomon fall, that was…
God's Displeasure against Solomon. (b. c. 983.)
GOD'S DISPLEASURE AGAINST SOLOMON. (B. C. 983.) Here is, I. God's anger against Solomon for his sin. The thing he did displeased the Lord. Time was then the Lord loved Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24) and delighted in him (1 Ki…
Solomon's Adversaries. (b. c. 980.)
SOLOMON'S ADVERSARIES. (B. C. 980.) While Solomon kept closely to God and to his duty there was no adversary nor evil occurrent (1 Kings 5:4), nothing to create him any disturbance or uneasiness in the least; but here w…
Jeroboam's Promotion Foretold. (b. c. 977.)
JEROBOAM'S PROMOTION FORETOLD. (B. C. 977.) We have here the first mention of that infamous name Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin; he is here brought upon the stage as an adversary to Solomon, whom God…
The Death of Solomon. (b. c. 975.)
THE DEATH OF SOLOMON. (B. C. 975.) We have here the conclusion of Solomon's story, and in it, 1. Reference is had to another history then extant, but (not being divinely inspired) since lost, the Book of the Acts of Sol…
The Folly of Rehoboam. (b. c. 975.)
THE FOLLY OF REHOBOAM. (B. C. 975.) Solomon had 1000 wives and concubines, yet we read but of one son he had to bear up his name, and he a fool. It is said (Hosea 4:10), They shall commit whoredom, and shall not increas…
Revolt of the Ten Tribes. (b. c. 975.)
REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES. (B. C. 975.) We have here the rending of the kingdom of the ten tribes from the house of David, to effect which, I. The people were hold and resolute in their revolt. They highly resented the p…
Jeroboam's Idolatry. (b. c. 975.)
JEROBOAM'S IDOLATRY. (B. C. 975.) We have here the beginning of the reign of Jeroboam. He built Shechem first and then Penuel—beautified and fortified them, and probably had a palace in each of them for himself (1 Kings…
A Prophet Sent to Jeroboam; the Withering of Jeroboam's Hand. (b. c. 974.)
A PROPHET SENT TO JEROBOAM; THE WITHERING OF JEROBOAM'S HAND. (B. C. 974.) Here is, I. A messenger sent to Jeroboam, to signify to him God's displeasure against his idolatry, 1 Kings 13:1. The army of Judah that aimed t…
The Prophet Deceived. (b. c. 974.)
THE PROPHET DECEIVED. (B. C. 974.) The man of God had honestly and resolutely refused the king's invitation, though he promised him a reward; yet he was over-persuaded by an old prophet to come back with him, and dine i…
The Deceived Prophet Slain. (b. c. 974.)
THE DECEIVED PROPHET SLAIN. (B. C. 974.) Here is, I. The death of the deceived disobedient prophet. The old prophet that had deluded him, as if he would make him some amends for the wrong he had done him or help to prev…
Abijah's Sickness; the Prophet Ahijah Consulted. (b. c. 960.)
ABIJAH'S SICKNESS; THE PROPHET AHIJAH CONSULTED. (B. C. 960.) How Jeroboam persisted in his contempt of God and religion we read in the close of the foregoing chapter. Here we are told how God proceeded in his controver…
The Ruin of Jeroboam's House Foretold; Abijah's Character and Death. (b. c. 960.)
THE RUIN OF JEROBOAM'S HOUSE FORETOLD; ABIJAH'S CHARACTER AND DEATH. (B. C. 960.) When those that set up idols, and keep them up, go to enquire of the Lord, he determines to answer them, not according to the pretensions…
Rehoboam's Disgrace and Death. (b. c. 960.)
REHOBOAM'S DISGRACE AND DEATH. (B. C. 960.) Judah's story and Israel's are intermixed in this book. Jeroboam out-lived Rehoboam, four or five years, yet his history is despatched first, that the account of Rehoboam's re…