CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.—
1 Kings 10:15. Beside … of the merchantmen, and … merchants—the words rendered “merchantmen,” אַנְשֵׁי הַתָּרִים have been conjectured to mean “fines of the subject” (provinces); but, literally, they signify “men of the travellers” i.e., travelling traders dealing in the larger merchandise; then the word “merchants” רֹכְלִים—will mean “pedlers” dealing in inferior wares. Yet הַתָּרִים is used in Numbers 14:6 of the men Moses sent to view and report upon the land; hence some critics would here render the word by “ambassadors” instead of “merchantmen.” All the kings of Arabia—מַלְכֵי הָעֶרֶב, not “of Arabia,” the points will not allow of that rendering; צֶרֶב is a mixed multitude; and these “kings” were kings over mixed races—the bordering tribes, Bedouins. These “tributary kings and governors of the country” would bring from their respective provinces, periodically, presents of the produce of their territories (see note on chap. 1 Kings 4:7-19).
1 Kings 10:16. Targets—“צִנָּה is a large square shield, rounded down upon its length, covering the whole body” (Lange).
1 Kings 10:18. The best gold—Gold of Uphaz. The “throne of ivory” is not to be understood as of solid massive ivory, but inlaid.
1 Kings 10:22. A navy of Tharshish—Tartessus in Spain, the ancient Phœnician emporium, where silver was so freely obtained; but the better interpretation of the word is Tharshish navy, a common phrase, equivalent to a strongly built fleet. “Silver” could have been gained from Spain, but not the gold, apes, peacocks, or ivory; these were obtainable in Africa.
1 Kings 10:28. Horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn—A decided error here in the translation: מִקְוֶה cannot be “linen yarn,” it means a “troop;” hence the verse reads, “As for the export of the horses which Solomon got from Egypt, a troop of royal merchants used to fetch a troop (of horses) at a price.” The chapter thus indicates the vast wealth, splendour, and luxury of Solomon’s court.—W. H. J.
HOMILETICS OF 1 Kings 10:14-29
THE FLOOD-TIDE OF NATIONAL PROSPERITY
I. Seen in the super-abundance of wealth (1 Kings 10:14-17; 1 Kings 10:21-23). Gold was so plentiful that silver was “nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon; he exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches.” He was the ideal of an Eastern monarch, all the attributes of greatness were united in him—riches, dignity, ability, fame, splendour. The Old Testament kingdom reached its culminating point in David’s Son; all the promises of temporal prosperity were fulfilled in it. Such is the nature of worldly wealth, the more abundant it is, the less valuable it is. Great fears are expressed that recent discoveries in the diamond fields of South Africa will depreciate the value of the precious stone. Oh! how ought the possession of mental and spiritual riches to lessen our love for the perishable things of earth! If we are citizens of the New Jerusalem, the very streets will be pure gold, and the walls the richest jewels; so much will our eternal blessedness exceed all earthly joy and felicity.
II. Seen in the external grandeur of the throne (1 Kings 10:18-20). In the ruder stages of national life the king would dispense justice and promulgate law by the side of some favourite stream, under the shadow of a well-known tree, on an elevated mound of earth, at the entrance of the city, or by the side of a spear thrust into the ground; but as the monarch and people increased in wealth, these simple, primitive methods gave place to more ceremonious and ornate displays of regal greatness. Solomon’s throne was made of ivory inlaid with the best gold. It was erected in the Porch of Judgment, leading out of the Porch of Pillars (chap. 1 Kings 7:7). Here Solomon sat to receive his officers of state, and foreign ambassadors and princes on important occasions, and especially to hear and decide the cases that were submitted to his judgment. The dazzling splendour of the throne was well calculated to inspire awe, and was a striking evidence of the wealth and luxury of the time.
III. Seen in the consummate wisdom of the ruler (1 Kings 10:23-25). The wisdom of Solomon was eminently practical. It suppressed the malcontents, and ensured the peace of the kingdom. It organised a complicated and flourishing system of commerce. It raised the nation to affluence and fame, so that “king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.” This was in accordance with the Divine promise (1 Kings 3:13). In the depressed condition at that time both of Egypt and Assyria, it would seem to have been literally true that Solomon’s kingdom was, for wealth and splendour, the first in all the world. Grandees from afar flocked to the court of the Israelitish king to listen to the profound wisdom that fell from his lips, and to learn the secret of his brilliant rule. In an age when so much depended on the character and policy of the sovereign, to be gifted with almost superhuman wisdom was a sure way of securing increased prosperity and power. Happy is the nation that, with an expanding and profitable commerce, possesses a wise and considerate king.
IV. Seen in the prevalence of expensive luxuries (1 Kings 10:21-22; 1 Kings 10:26-29). The drinking cups were of gold: there was no silver in them. And yet a draught of water is as sweet and refreshing from the moss-covered cistern among the hills as from the most richly-chased goblet of gold. The fleets of Solomon supplied Jerusalem with the rarities and dainties of foreign lands—gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. Wordsworth sees a sort of irony and sarcasm in the mention of apes and peacocks as “the climax of the produce of the commerce of Solomon. Apes and peacocks to Solomon, the wise king at Jerusalem! To gratify curiosity, to amuse the people, and, perhaps, to while away the time of the strange women to whom Solomon clave in love, instead of cleaving to the Lord.” He indulged in the costly extravagance of chariots and horses, with which he established a new species of military force, strongly discouraged by the law of Moses, and from which all previous rulers of this people had abstained. The country was mountainous, and wholly unsuited for cavalry. It was also a time of peace; and all the great victories of his father and other conquerors had been won in reliance upon the strength of the Lord’s arm, without using any such force, and in opposition to the enemy who employed it (Psalms 20:7). Besides, such a number of chariots and horses was out of all proportion to so small a country; and perhaps no act of royal indulgence was more unpopular among the people. This was doubtless a strong element in the spirit of discontent which afterwards shattered the empire. Prosperity has its accompanying perils, and not the least of these is the tendency to indulge in costly and emasculating luxuries.
V. Marks the beginning of national decline. As the flood-tide of the ocean begins to ebb soon after it has registered its highest water-mark, and as the earth sinks towards the darkness and cold of winter the moment after it has risen to its highest point in the summer solstice, so the period in which a nation bursts forth into its grandest display of material splendour presents indications of inevitable decay. Wealth, fame, and the most massive works of man are perishable, while wisdom, righteousness, and moral goodness bloom with immortal beauty.
LESSONS:—1 There is the wisdom of gold, and the gold of Wisdom
2. National prosperity is ever attended with serious perils.
3. The religious character of a nation survives the decay of its external glory.
THE IVORY THRONE A SYMBOL OF REGAL GOVERNMENT
One of the most attractive objects in the Palace of Solomon was the great ivory throne. It was a massive and imposing structure, and exceeded in splendour anything of the kind in any other kingdom. It was in the form of an ancient round-topped, two-armed chair, with the figure of a lion on either side, probably of cast metal gilt; and fixed on an elevated platform, the ascent to which consisted of six steps, each step being adorned with the life-sized figure of a lion, facing another at the opposite end of the step. The chair of state, and the steps up to it, were covered with ivory and gold. Representations of thrones are frequent in the Egyptian and Assyrian sculptures. They have no steps up to them, but frequently stand upon square bases. The back appears to be flat at the top, not rounded. Assyrian thrones have “stays” or arms on either side, and they stand generally on lions’ feet. Ivory was a material used in them; but they were chiefly of wood and metal. We read in after years of the Parthian kings, whose throne was of gold, encompassed with four golden pillars adorned with precious stones; and of the Persian kings who sat in judgment under a golden vine and other trees of gold, the bunches of grapes and other fruits being formed of different kinds of precious stones. We may regard the throne of Solomon as a symbol of regal government.
I. That regal government should be righteous in its principles.
1. In order to maintain the dignity of the throne. Ivory and gold were emblems of purity, and point out the incorruption that should belong to kings, whose duty it is to administer justice with the utmost strictness and purity. The dignity of the judge consists, not in the richness of his robe or in the splendour of his surroundings, but in the justness and integrity of his decisions. Where partiality and injustice predominate, the dignity is transferred to the innocent prisoner, who is unrighteously accused and condemned.
2. In order to enforce the authority of the law. A selfish, corrupt, time-serving government has endless difficulty, and has to resort to the most brutal methods in enforcing its authority. Its laws are an insult, and their maintainance an intolerable cruelty. The throne is secure in itself, and in the willing obedience of the people, only as it is based in righteousness. That king is truly glorious who makes his subjects affluent and happy under his wise and righteous administration. Solomon on his ivory throne is typical of Him who is greater than Solomon, seated on the great white throne of Judgment, pronouncing sentence on the eternal state of men and angels (Revelation 20:2). Justice and judgment are the habitation of the Divine throne (Psalms 89:14).
II. That regal government should be imposing in its administration.
1. In outward ceremony. The glittering throne, the stately figure of the king, the numerous attendants, and the solemnity of the order of proceeding could not fail to impress the spectators with the awful majesty and power of law. The magistrate is to be a terror to evil-doers (Romans 13:3). All legitimate external means should be adopted that will tend to beget a wholesome reverence of law, not simply to create a slavish dread. It is said that Attila, king of the Huns, had a custom of fiercely rolling his small, deep-set eyes, as if he wished to enjoy the terror he inspired. Law has nothing terrifying in it to the innocent.
2. In moral significance. The lions which supported and adorned the throne not only signified its stability, but also the vigilance with which the prince watched over the interests of the kingdom, and the courage and power with which he defended his people. The arms of Assyrian thrones are occasionally supported by figures of animals. The throne of Rameses II., at Medinet Abou, has a sphinx at the side, and a lion below the sphinx. As the lion is the natural king of beasts, so the figure of the lion is naturally adopted by any imaginative race as an emblem of sovereignty. The object of all true government should be, not simply to indulge in outward display, but to teach, in every possible way, the lessons of truth, righteousness, and virtue. The throne should be more conspicuous for moral excellencies than for ivory and gold.
III. That regal government should be beneficent in its aims. The twelve lions represented the twelve tribes of Israel united under one sovereign. The ruler should aim at uniting the people under his care into a law-abiding, industrious, and virtuous nation. Government is instituted, not to gratify the ambition and lust of the few, but to promote the best welfare of the many. No government can be permanent that does not aim at this. Thrones may fall, dynasties pass away, but righteousness abides for ever.
LESSONS:—
1. Justice is the weapon and defence of all true government.
2. Great is the responsibility and glorious the reward of the righteous ruler.
3. The throne of Jesus is impregnable, and will survive all the thrones of earth.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
1 Kings 10:14-29. The glory of Solomon. I. Wherein it lay. Power, dominion, pomp, splendour, glory, and honour, everything that men wish or desire in this world, all these we see before us in the life of this one man. But the glory of man is as the grass of the field, which fades and withers; truly, the lilies of the field exceed it in glory, and Solomon himself confessed, “All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 2:11; Psalms 49:17-18).
II. Its significance for us. That we should seek after that other and imperishable glory, prepared for us by Him who is greater than Solomon (John 17:24). Scarcely one of many thousands can attain to the glory of Solomon, but to the glory of God we are all called (1 Thessalonians 2:12). If our life be hidden with Christ in God, then, &c. (Colossians 3:3-4). Therefore shall we rejoice in the hope of future glory, and not only so, but in tribulations also (Romans 5:2-3; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
Power and dominion. I. The responsibility involved therein. To whom much is given, of him shall much be required (Luke 12:48). Singular endowments bring with them singular requirements. Authority is power given for the use and benefit of inferiors; wealth is bestowed upon the rich that they may relieve necessity according to their means.
II. The perils connected with it. Pride and haughtiness, forgetfulness of God, and unbelief (Psalms 62:11; Psalms 52:9; 1 Timothy 6:9; Matthew 16:26). Therefore envy not the rich and powerful, for they are exposed to many temptations (1 Timothy 6:6). Devout Christians may have and hold gold and silver, lands and possessions, cattle, in short everything, and with a good conscience, it only they do not misuse them by idle pomp or for the oppression of their fellow-creatures, for they are gifts and favours of God, which He lends them (Haggai 2:8; Psalms 50:10). The throne of Solomon, stately and magnificent as it was, is long since crumbled to dust; but His throne before whose judgment seat we must all appear, endures to all eternity. The man to whom God has given great wealth and high position in the world may indeed dwell in splendour; but every man sins whose expenses exceed his income, or are greater than his position requires. Golden vessels are not necessaries of life, nor do they conduce to greater happiness or content than do earthen and wooden ones. It is the duty and right of a prince to bring an armed force to the defence of the country against her enemies; but prince and people must ever remember what the mighty Solomon himself says: “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31; Psalms 33:16-19; Isaiah 31:1).—Lange.
1 Kings 10:20. One lion at each end of each of the six steps by which the king ascended the throne. They were symbolic figures, and in that position might teach that resolute and determined courage and firmness should characterize all the actions of the king.
1 Kings 10:22. It is said by some authorities that these Hebrew words for ivory, apes, and peacocks, are identical with the Tamil names by which they are known in Ceylon at the present day. It has long since been decided, says Cuvier, that India was the cradle of the peacock. It is in the countries of Southern Asia, and the vast archipelago of the Eastern Ocean, that this bird appears to have fixed its dwelling, and to live in a state of freedom. All travellers who have visited these countries make mention of these birds.
—Like unto these ships thus laden are the books of some sectaries, wherein, as in the Jewish Talmud, sunt mala mista bonis, sunt bona mista malis. In some parts of their writings are wholesome and good passages; as in a wood or forest full of briers and brambles there may be some violets and primroses; and as here, with apes and peacocks, were gold, silver, and ivory.—Trapp.
1 Kings 10:23. Wealth and wisdom compared and contrasted. I. Compared.
1. Both are the gifts of God.
2. Both involve much care and toil.
3. Both are scources of great power.
4. Both are liable to great abuse. II. Contrasted.
1. Wealth and wisdom not necessarily possessed by the same person.
2. Wealth may adorn the body; wisdom adorns the mind.
3. Wealth may buy influence, wisdom commands it.
4. Wealth is material and perishable, wisdom is immortal.
—When King Demetrius had sacked and razed the city of Megaera to the very foundation, he demanded of Stilpo, the philosopher, what losses he had sustained. “None at all,” said Stilpo, “for war can make no spoil of virtue.” And it is said of Bias, that his motto was, omnia mea mecum porto—I carry all my goods with me; viz, his goodness.
—Perfect freedom hath four parts: wisdom, the principle of doing things aright; justice, the principle of doing things equally in public and private; fortitude, the principle of not flying danger, but meeting it; and temperance, the principle of subduing desires and living moderately.—Plato.
1 Kings 10:23-24. Every other quality besides is subordinate and inferior to wisdom, in the same sense as the mason who lays the bricks and stones in a building is inferior to the architect who drew the plan and superintends the work. The former executes only what the latter contrives and directs. Now, it is the prerogative of wisdom to preside over every inferior principle, to regulate the exercise of every power, and limit the indulgence of every appetite, as shall best conduce to one great end. It being the province of wisdom to preside, it sits as umpire on every difficulty, and so gives the final direction and control to all the powers of our nature. Hence it is entitled to be considered as the top and summit of perfection. It belongs to wisdom to determine when to act, and when to cease; when to reveal, and when to conceal a matter; when to speak, and when to keep silence; when to give, and when to receive; in short, to regulate the measure of all things, as well as to determine the end, and provide the means of obtaining the end pursued in every deliberate course of action. Every particular faculty, or skill, besides, needs to derive direction from this: they are all quite incapable of directing themselves.
The art of navigation, for instance, will teach us to steer a ship across the ocean, but it will never teach us on what occasions it is proper to take a voyage. The art of war will instruct us how to marshal an army, or to fight a battle to the greatest advantage, but you must learn from a higher school when it is fitting, just, and proper to wage war, or to make peace. The art of the husbandman is to sow and bring to maturity the precious fruits of the earth; it belongs to another skill to regulate their consumption by a regard to our health, fortune, and other circumstances. In short, there is no faculty we can exert, no species of skill we can apply, but requires a superintending hand, but looks up, as it were, to some higher principle, as a maid to her mistress for directions; and this universal superintendent is wisdom.—Robert Hall.
1 Kings 10:24. A notable type of Christ, so generally frequented and yet still so cheerfully resorted to in His ordinances by His people, flying thereto as so many “clouds, and as doves to their windows” (Isaiah 60:8).—Trapp.
—There is no true wisdom that does not rest calmly on a basis of truthfulness of heart, and is not guarded and nurtured by righteousness and purity of life. Man is one—one and indissoluble. The intellect and the conscience are but two names for diverse parts of the one human being—or, rather, they are but two names for diverse workings of the one immortal soul. And though it be possible that a man may be enriched with all earthly knowledge, whilst his heart is the dwelling-place of all corruption, and that, on the other hand, a man may be pure and upright in heart, whilst his head is very poorly furnished, and his understanding very weak, yet these exceptional cases do not touch the great central truth: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.” Here, then, is the outline of the fair form that rises before you—a wisdom satisfying and entire for all the understanding, and not a dry, hard, abstract wisdom either, but one which is all glowing with light and purity, and is guidance for the will, and cleansing for the conscience, and strength for the practical life: wisdom which is morality and righteousness; morality and righteousness which is the highest wisdom. Go out into the world, I pray you, and strip everything that appeals to you of its disguises, and you will find it true that, where Christ is not, there—let it woo ever so sweetly, and sing ever so melodiously—there is only a siren that tempts you down beneath the sunny surface of pleasure to the black depths below, where she lives on dead mens’ bones! There is your choice. On the one side there calls you the god-descended, beautiful, and serene Wisdom, with diadem on her brow, and blessing in her hands, and peace upon her lips—a Wisdom behind which Christ stands with face fairer, yet lips fuller still of grace, a heart gentler than the woman-wisdom that Solomon knew of, and hands full of better blessing than any that dawned upon him; and, on the other side, a loud-voiced, clamorous, painted, deceiving harlot, who calls you to herself to stifle you with her poisonous breath.—A. Maclaren.
1 Kings 10:24-25. The charms of philosophy. I. Are found in the very nature of the science.
1. It promises so much. 2. It gratifies the pride of intellect.
3. It affords ample scope for speculation. II. Allure inquirers from the most distant places. “All the earth sought to Solomon to hear his wisdom.”
1. The love of knowledge braves all difficulties.
2. Influences all classes.
3. Is shown by disseminating knowledge, as by seeking it. III. Evoke the most costly offerings. “And they brought every man his present.”
1. Wisdom is better than gold.
2. Talent deserves suitable acknowledgment.
3. The learner should be grateful.
4. More money is wasted in useless luxuries than is spent in seeking knowledge. IV. Inspire unremitting devotion in its votaries. “Year by year.”
1. It demands constant attention.
2. Its unsolved problems sustain the interest of the student.
3. It has charms to many as a purely intellectual exercise.
—We are raised by science to an understanding of the infinite wisdom and goodness which the Creator has displayed in all His works. Not a step can we take in any direction without perceiving the most extraordinary traces of design; and the skill everywhere conspicuous is calculated in so vast a proportion of instances to promote the happiness of living creatures, and especially of ourselves, that we feel no hesitation in concluding that, if we knew the whole scheme of Providence, every part would appear in harmony with a plan of absolute benevolence. Independently, however, of this most consoling inference, the delight is inexpressible of being able to follow the works of the great Author of nature, and to trace the unbounded power and exquisite skill which are exhibited by the most minute as well as the mightiest parts of His system.—Brougham.
1 Kings 10:25. We have here expressed in words what the Egyptian and Assyrian monarchs recorded by means of elaborate sculptures on slabs and obelisks—the frequent coming to the court of tribute-bearers from the subject kings, who brought not only the fixed rate of bullion whereto each of them was liable, but a tribute in kind besides, consisting of the most precious products of their respective countries. Among these vessels, probably of silver and gold, garments and horses are very conspicuous on the monuments.—Speaker’s Comm.
1 Kings 10:26. The true defence of a nation.
1. Not in chariots and horses—weapons of war.
2. But in the devotion and valour of the people.
3. In the overshadowing presence of God.
4. In the prevalence of righteousness.
1 Kings 10:26-29. Trading.
1. An honourable calling.
2. Is a source of wealth to individuals and nations.
3. Encourages industry and enterprize.
4. Expands the knowledge of human nature.
5. Offers many temptations to roguery,
6. Is legitimate only when it is honest.
—How to be a Christian in trade (compared with Matthew 25:16) I. The fair possibility of being a Christian in trade.
1. There is the very certain fact that there have been good Christians in trade; and if that be so, then it follows, by a very short argument, that what has been can be—that is, can be again and often.
2. All apprehensions of a specially harmful exposure in trade are mistaken. What it calls profits are just as truly earnings as any of the fruits of hand-labour.
3. Little room is there, under anything properly called trade, for what many seem to regard as the necessary skill, in raising colour by glosses of false recommendation, or by small lies sprinkled in for the due stimulation of the customer. That is not an accomplishment belonging to the genuine operation of trade, but only to the lowlived, inbred habit of the man. II. How to be a Christian in trade.
1. No man of course expects to be a Christian in trade without being a religious man in it. And just here, alas! is the difficulty most commonly encountered—the difficulty of continuing to be a Christian without beginning to be one; the difficulty of being kept safe in religion, or religious character, by a business carried on without such character, and wholly outside of religion.
2. It. is another important consideration that you are permitted, if at all, to go into this occupation by a really Divine call. God has a place for every man, in what is to be his particular employment, as He has a place for every rock, and tree, and river, and star.
3. Being thus installed in trade, as by the call of God, how surely may you have God’s help in the prosecution of it. How surely, that is, if you ask it, and train your ways of practice so that you can fitly receive it. All right employments are callings in which God puts His servants for their good, and what will He more surely do than help them to find their good!
4. The merchant in his calling of trade is put in a relation to God so inherently religious, if he will undertake it in that manner, that he is justified in passing his vow not to be in trade, or even for a day to stay in it, if he cannot have the enjoyment of God in it.
5. There are even special advantages in trade as regards the development of a Christian life, which do not occur as largely in any other employment. The transactions are many, crowding thick upon the shelves and counters all the day. The temptations, of course, are just as much more numerous as the transactions; and it must not be forgotten that the more tempted a man is, the more opportunities are given him to grow. Scarcely could he grow at all if none at all were put in his way.
6. There is also a considerable Christian advantage in the relation that subsists between the merchant and his customer. To be a customer signifies more or less of favour and confidence. The customer, in being such, commits himself in a large degree to the honour of the merchant, and then the merchant in turn accepts him naturally as a man who comes in expression of trust, and is fairly entitled to generosity.
7. Trade also furnishes occasions of beneficence to the poor, which are all the better to both parties, that they make no parade of charity, but may pass for a buying and selling between them It is trade on the one side, and trade on the other; only that on one side it is so near to the confines of beneficence that it consciously passes over. A more gentle, genial, and genuine influence on the man could hardly be devised.
8. It is yet another and very great moral advantage of trade, that it is just the calling in which a Christian man will best learn the uses of money. Hence it is going to be discovered, that the great problem we have now on hand, viz., the Christianizing of the money power of the world, depends for its principal hope on the trading class in society. Talent has been Christianized already on a large scale. The political power of states and kingdoms has been long assumed to be, and now at last really is, as far as it becomes their accepted office to maintain personal security and liberty. Architecture, arts, constitutions, schools, and learning have been largely Christianized. But the money power, which is one of the most operative and grandest of all, is only beginning to be; though with promising tokens of a finally complete reduction to Christ and the uses of His kingdom. Trade expanding into commerce, and commerce rising into communion, are to be the outline of the story. When the merchant seeking goodly pearls—all the merchant race—find the precious one they seek, and sell their all to buy it, they will make it theirs.—Bushnell.
—Luxury and extravagance.
1. Always go together.
2. Depreciate the true value of things.
3. Flourish on the oppression and distress of others.
4. Excite popular discontent.
5. End in disgrace and ruin.
1 Kings 10:27. This strong hyperbole marks in the most striking way the great wealth and prosperity of the capital during Solomon’s reign. The lavish expenditure which impoverished the provinces, and produced, or helped to produce, the general discontent that led to the outbreak under Jeroboam, enriched the metropolis, which must have profited greatly by the residence of the court, the constant influx of opulent strangers, and the periodical visits of all Israelites, not hindered by some urgent reason, at the great festivals.—Speaker’s Comm.
1 Kings 10:28. It is thought that the first people who used horses in war were the Egyptians; and it is well known that the nations who knew the use of this creature in battle had greatly the advantage of those who did not. God had absolutely prohibited horses to be imported or used; but, in many things, Solomon paid little attention to the Divine command.