Cause Solomon—to ride upon mine own mule— See 1 Kings 1:44. Maimonides tells us, that it was a capital offence to ride upon the king's ass of mule, to sit upon his throne, or to handle his sceptre, without his order; and, on the contrary, to have the honour to ride on the king's beast by his appointment, was accounted the highest dignity among the Persians, as appears from the history of Mordecai, in the 6th chapter of Esther. Gihon was a little river or brook near Jerusalem, which discharged itself into the brook Kidron, and in the Chaldee is called by its modern name Siloa; it was afterwards rendered famous by the noble work of Hezekiah, 2 Chronicles 32:30. Maimonides and other rabbis assert, that the kings of the house of David were all obliged to be anointed by the side of a fountain or river; which, they say, was the reason why David commanded his servants to bring his son down to Gihon, and anoint him there. At this place, without the walls of Jerusalem, not in the city, Zadok and Nathan anointed Solomon; that is, one of them poured out the oil, and the other anointed his head; drawing a circle round about it with oil, according to the maxim, that their kings were anointed in the form of a crown, to denote their delegation to the royal dignity. We shall add another reason, assigned by the Jews, for choosing such a situation for anointing their kings; namely, to shew the perpetuity of their kingdom, because rivers run always, though the cities which they wash are continually decaying, and liable to destruction. Probably Gihon was more particularly chosen on this occasion, as being near Jerusalem, the most public place of resort in the whole kingdom. Hence, from the principles of the Jews themselves, we are able to draw the reason why our blessed Saviour was anointed by the Holy Ghost as he came out of the waters of Jordan; and we may hence infer, that Jordan was preferred to any other place, to shew that HE was not only the king of Israel, who should sit on the throne of his father David, but likewise, as the angel adds, should sit upon it for ever; Luke 1:33. See Bishop Patrick's Witnesses, and Schickhard Jus Regium, cap. 1: theor. 4. Concerning the anointing of Solomon, the oil, &c. the reader who may be curious in these matters will find full satisfaction in the Mirothec. of Schacchus.
Note; (1.) The King of Peace, whom Solomon represented, was anointed (not with the oil of the Jewish sanctuary, but) with the oil of gladness above his fellows, and appointed and qualified for the administration of that kingdom which is an everlasting kingdom, by the Spirit, which the Father gave not by measure unto him. (2.) They are kings indeed, who reign in the affections of their subjects. (3.) When the believer shall ascend to his throne of glory, it shall be amidst the joyful acclamations of angels, and with the trump of God.