Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Chronicles 29:22

22 And did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness, and they made Solomon the son of David king the second time , and anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governour , and Zadok to be priest .

i. e. Before the Ark, in Courts or Places as near to it as they conveniently could. Or, as in Gods Presence, in a Solemn and Religious manner, praising God for this great Mercy, and begging his Blessing upon this great Affair.

This is called the second time in reference to the first time, which was either 1. when he was made King during Adonijahs Conspiracy, of which see 1 King. 1. 34, &c. And so this was done after Davids death, and not upon that day, when this Feasting and Solemnity lasted, as the words at first view seem to insinuate, this being related in the same verse, and immediately after the Relation of the Feast. But there are Examples of things done at distant times put together in one verse, as Act 7. 15. So Iacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our Fathers, i. e first he, and afterward our Fathers. So here, They did eat——on that day with great gladness, and afterward they made Solomon—king the second time. And this Opinion seems to be confirmed by the following Passages, in which it is related that at this same time they anointed Zadok to be Priest, and that Solomon was King instead of David, and that all Israel, and all Davids sons submitted to him: All which was not done till after Davids death, as may be gathered by comparing this with 1 King. 1. & 2. or 2. in 1 Chron. 23. 1. where it is said that David—made Solomon his Son King over Israel; i. e. he declared him his Successor. And so this second time was during Davids Life. And what David had more privately declared, ch. 23. he now more solemnly owns in this great and general Assembly, in which by Davids Order and the Consent of all that Assembly Solomon was anointed King, i. e. to be King after his Fathers death. And this Opinion the Text seems most to favour. For it is said, And they made Solomon King, &c. they, who? That must be fetched out of the foregoing Words and Verses, they who did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness, as it is here said, and then immediately it follows, and that with a copulative conjunction, and they made Solomon King, &c. which without violence cannot be pulled away from the foregoing Words. And therefore they must be David and all the Congregation, who were then present, v. 20. of whom it is said, they sacrificed, &c. v. 21. and they did eat, &c. and they made Solomon, &c. The great Objection against this Opinion is, that they anointed Zadok to be Priest at this time, which was not done till after Davids death; for till then Abiathar [illegible: 1+ letters]s not thrust out from being Priest, &c. 1 King. 2. 26, 27. This indeed is a difficulty, but not insoluble. It must be remembred that the High-priest had his Vicegerent who might officiate in his stead when he was hindred by Sickness or other indispensable Occasion; and that there seems to be something more than ordinary in Zadoks case; for although Abiathar was properly the Highpriest, yet Zadok seems after a sort to be joyned in Commission with him, as we see 2 Sam. 15. 29. & 19. 11. and it is expresly said Zadok and Abiathar were Priests, 2 Sam. 20. 25. and 1 King. 4. 4. And it may be further considered, that this anointing of Zadok might be occasioned by some miscarriage of Abiathar not recorded in Scripture. Possibly he was unsatisfied with this Design of translating the Crown to Solomon, and did now secretly favour Adoni [illegible: 1+ letters]ahs Person and Right, which afterward he did more openly defend: Which being known to David by information, might induce him and the Princes who favoured Solomon to take this course. Which they might the more willingly do in consideration of that Divine Threatning, 1 Sam. 2. 31, &c. of translating the Priesthood from Ithamars and Elis House, of which Abiathar was, to Eleazars Line, to which it had been promised to perpetuity, Numb. 25. 13. of which Line Zadok was. And they might judge this a sit Season, or might be directed by God at this time to execute that Threatning to the one, and promise to the other Family. And yet this Action of theirs in anointing Zadok did not, as I suppose, actually constitute him High-priest, but onely settled the Reversion of it upon him and his Line after Abiathars death. Even as Davids making Solomon king, ch. 23. 1. and their anointing Solomon to be the chief Governour here did not put him into actual Possession of the Kingdom, but onely gave him a Right to it in Reversion after the present Kings death, as Samuels anointing of David, 1 Sam. 16. had done to David before him. Hence, notwithstanding this Anointing, Abiathar continued to exercise his Office till Solomon thrust him out, 1 King. 2. 27 and even after he was removed from the Execution of his Office, yet he was reputed the Priest till he died, being so called 1 King. 4. 4. And this, I hope, may in some sort resolve that difficulty. For the other Arguments they seem not considerable. For as for what follows v. 23, 24, 25. Then Solomon sat on the Throne, &c. that indeed seems to belong to the time after Davids death, being sufficiently [illegible: 1+ letters]eparated from this 22d. verse; and not so knit to the foregoing Words, as those words, and they made Solomon King, &c. are. And for the particle, then, that is confessed by all to be often used at large and indefinitely for, about or after that time.

i. e. To be King after Davids death.

Of which the last Note but one.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 21. 39.