Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Kings 6:1

AND it came to pass in the four hundred and fourscore year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt , in the fourth year of Solomons reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to b[illegible: 1+ letters]ild the house of the LORD.

This Chronological difficulty, is too vast and comprehensive to be fully discussed here, or to be determined by Unlearned Readers: and for the Learned, I refer them to what is largely digested in my Latine Synopsis upon this place. It may suffice at present to suggest these particulars, 1. That Israels coming out of Egypt is variously understood in Scripture, and with some latitude, so as not onely to note the time when first they came out of Egypt, but the time of their being in, or coming out of the Wilderness; as is manifest from Deut. 4. 45. where the Words in the Hebrew are not after, &c. as we translate it, but in their coming forth out of Egypt: And Psal. 114. 1, 2, 3. When Israel came forth, &c. Heb. in their coming forth, &c. And it is not impossible it may be so understood here; after they were come out, &c. to wit, compleatly; i. e. towards the end of their Expedition out of Egypt into Canaan. Nor doth the difference between the Hebrew Praepositions, Lamed and Beth, which a Learned Man objects, hinder this sence; for as Beth signifies (as he saith) after; so also doth Lamed, Gen. 7. 4, 10. Numb. 33. 38. 2. That whereas the times of the Judges do chiefly cause this difficulty, there are many things which will relieve us therein; as, 1. That divers of the years there mentioned belong to one and the same time, as is evident from Iairs 22 years, within which fell out, as divers Learned Chronologers agree, the 18 years of the Oppression of the Ammonites, and several years of the Philistine Tyranny, who oppressed Israel in the West, whilest the Ammonites vexed them in the East: and the like might be observed in other cases. 2. That the years of Rest are not necessarily to be understood of so many distinct years, besides those of War, and Servitude; and those words which are generally rendred, the land had rest forty, or eighty years, or the like; may be thus rendred, and that very agreeable to the Hebrew, The land had rest, or began to rest, or recovered its rest, in the fortieth, or in the eightieth (the Cardinal Numbers being frequently put for the Ordinal, especially where the Number exceeds Ten) year, to be computed from some remarkable time; and so that Phrase doth not note how long time, or till what time the Rest continued, but at what time it began. As for instance, in Iudg. 3. 11. the land had rest, not forty years, as it is in our Translation, but in the fortieth year; to wit, from, and after their first Rest in, or quiet Possession of, the Land of Canaan, which Ioshua gave them; which time may very probably he made up of the days of Ioshua, after he had setled them in a state of Rest; and of the elders that out-lived him; Iudg. 2. 7. and the time of their Corruption after the Death of those Elders; and the Eight years of Servitude under the King of Mesopotamia. So Iudg. 3. 30. The land had rest in the eightieth year; to wit, from, and after the rest which Othoniel obtained for them, ver. 11. And Iudg. 5. 31. It rested in the fortieth year; to wit, after that Rest got by Ehud, Iudg. 3. 30. And Iudg. 8. 28. It rested in the fortieth year; to wit, from the last Rest got by Deborah. And thus the computation of Years is more plain and certain, being thus made from Rest to Rest, than theirs that proceed the other way. And this is the more considerable, because it was the Opinion of that famously Learned and Pious Bishop of Armagh. All which considered, it will be very easie to contain all the parts and passages of Sacred Story, from the coming out of Egypt, to this time, within the compass of 480 Years▪ of the several parcels whereof, See my Latine Synopsis. And as for other Scriptures, which some conceit to be contradictory to this, I shall by God's help Vintlicate them in their several places.

His three first Years being spent, partly, in settling the Affairs of his Kingdome; without which, neither Civil nor Ecclesiastical Concerns could have any Consistency; and partly, in making necessary Preparations for the Work.

For so it is expressed, 2 Chron. 3 1. And so it is explained here below, ver. 37. The foundation of the house was laid: though in the Hebrew it be onely, he built. Thus active words are oft understood of the beginning of the Action, as Gen. 5. 32. and 11. 26.

Marginal references: 2 Chron. 3. 1▪; Heb. built▪