Commentaria in III Regum
Tropologically, Jeroboam the first schismatic denotes heretics, who rend their Church by heresy: and especially princes, who in order to invade the kingdom of their orthodox king introduce heresy and call heretics to their aid, as Jeroboam did (we saw the same done in Belgium), who therefore lost the kingdom, as God here by foretelling threatens him. Hence aptly says Angelomus, “Jeroboam is interpreted ‘one who judges the people.’ For heretics seem to judge the people, when they make them followers of their error.” For then is fulfilled that: “Take to thee ten pieces.” So also Rupert, book 5, chapter 5, Eucherius, Bede and others.
32. BUT ONE TRIBE (Juda with Benjamin joined to it) SHALL REMAIN TO HIM,—namely to Solomon, that is, to Roboam, son and successor of Solomon. 36. THAT THERE MAY REMAIN A LAMP FOR DAVID MY SERVANT.—“Lamp” is the name given to the posterity of king David, not of any sort, but royal, splendid and glorious. For as the light of the sun, propagating itself, scatters new light in the air, and as one candle or lamp lights another, and this another and another; so likewise king David begot king Solomon, and Solomon begot king Roboam, and so of the rest of his posterity. “Lamp,” therefore, is here called the succession royal of David’s descendants, which was like a lamp and like a remnant of light, that is, of the splendour and glory of David, shining in Jerusalem. So Cajetan.
38. AND I WILL BUILD THEE UP A FAITHFUL HOUSE,—that is, a royal family, continuous and stable, so that your descendants may succeed in the kingdom of the ten tribes in unbroken series. It is strange that Jeroboam and princes like him do not believe these words and promises of God, who is the first truth; but by contrary means, through impiety, frauds and crimes, strive to prepare for themselves the stability of kingdom and royal offspring; whence it comes about that they stir up God against them, and so are utterly overthrown by him, as happened to Jeroboam and all the kings of Israel his successors.
39. AND I WILL AFFLICT THE SEED OF DAVID FOR THIS,—that is, on account of this, namely on account of thee, if thou be faithful to me; as if to say: If thou serve me faithfully, I will exalt thee, and will humble and depress the descendants of David, thy rivals.
BUT NOT FOR EVER.—The Rabbis in Seder Olam, chapter 15, refer this to the reign of Asa king of Juda, who greatly raised the kingdom of Juda. Salianus and others refer it to Ezechias; for in his sixth year the ten tribes were carried away into Assyria, and then the kingdom ceased, and the kings of the ten tribes, rivals of the kings of Juda. Mystically, this was chiefly fulfilled by the Messias, namely by Christ, who as son of David again reigned over all Israel, and the whole world, and is worshipped by it as God, Messias and King of kings. So Cajetan, Abulensis, Serarius and others. Whence the disciples asked Christ about to ascend into heaven: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1.
Moreover God so earnestly inculcates on Jeroboam his true religion and worship, because he foresaw that he would make a schism from God and the temple on account of the kingdom, whereas God wished through him to repair the schism made by Solomon in the worship of God. But why did God, foreseeing this, nevertheless make him king? I answer, to punish the people, and to give them an impious king like themselves, as he had already before given them the impious Saul, says Rupert, and from him Salianus. For the people was already in great part corrupt, both from imitation of the king, and from its own malice, to which ease, delights and the abundance of all things enticed it. God, wishing therefore to chastise the impious people, gave Jeroboam as king, who would comply with the people’s desires and longings for worshipping idols, and so would become the cause to them of so many calamities, and at length of final destruction, according to that of Job 34:30: “Who maketh a man that is a hypocrite (that is, impious) to reign for the sins of the people.”
40. SOLOMON THEREFORE SOUGHT (having understood the matter, namely that Ahias had conferred on Jeroboam the kingdom of the ten tribes) TO KILL JEROBOAM,—as a rival and invader of his kingdom. The Chaldee adds, Canticle chapter 7, verse 12, that he also wished to kill Ahias, because he had conferred the kingdom, and that Ahias likewise fled into Egypt: but of Ahias Scripture here has nothing; yet it is probable. For kings are delicate, and persecute any, even holy men, who strive to bring in other kings, as guilty of treason; for he who touches the kingdom touches the apple of their eye. But this, says Dionysius, was a great blindness, ambition and impatience of Solomon, as if he wished and could hinder the purpose of God about the division of the kingdom.
41. IN THE BOOK OF THE ACTS (that is, of the deeds or things done) OF SOLOMON,—namely in the Diaries, Chronicles and Annals of Solomon.
43. AND SOLOMON SLEPT (with the sleep of death) WITH HIS FATHERS,—in the 60th year of his age, say Lyranus, Abulensis, etc. Zonaras and Cedrenus relate that his sepulchre under the Emperor Hadrian split open and fell in, and that this portended the Jewish movements and tumults. So also Dio in Hadrian, book 69, treating of the desertion of the Jews, on account of which almost all were slain by him, and the whole of Judea laid waste: “This,” he says, “had been foretold them before the war was waged, from the fact that the monument of Solomon, whom they worship with the highest reverence, had of its own accord split and fallen in.”
“My beloved is white and ruddy,” etc. So Pineda gathers, book 6, chapter 4, and from him Salianus. Solomon was of a white and ruddy colour, of a warm and moist nature, but somewhat warmer, with thick hair; his locks golden and moderately curling, like the branches of palm trees; his eyes of fitting size, filling their orb, shining and grey-blue, with a gentle and placid look; his cheeks blooming and cheerful, like lilies mixed with roses: his lips thin and soft, like the reddening lilies of Syria; the mouth itself breathing a breath of sweet odour; his hands delicate, soft, jointed, as if polished on a lathe; his fingers rather long, his arms drawn out; his breast and chest white, like an ivory box, of moderate size and form; his legs like marble columns, or most white Parian; his feet like most elaborate golden bases, of middle size; his gait firm and steady; his stature tall and erect; his voice most sweet: worthy to represent him who is beautiful in form above the sons of men. But the years that came on and his vices took away most of these from Solomon: and especially unbridled lust and the diseases, griefs and anguish for idolatry sent him by God in old age: whence Ecclesiasticus, chapter 47, concludes his eulogy with this mournful catastrophe and lament: “And thou didst bow thy thighs to women: thou wast brought under subjection by thy body, thou hast stained thy glory, and profaned thy seed, so as to bring wrath upon thy children, and to provoke thy folly, that thou shouldst make the kingdom be divided into two.” See what is said there.
About the twentieth year of Solomon’s reign was born Homer, the wisest poet of the Greeks, whom Virgil, prince of the Latin poets, everywhere imitated and followed in Latin verse. Wherefore seven cities of Greece contend about Homer’s birthplace, namely “Smyrna, Rhodes, Colophon, Salamis, Chios, Argos, Athens.” Nay, the Ietae, that is, the inhabitants of the island Ios, raised an altar to Homer, and sacrificed to him as to a god, as Gellius testifies, book 3, chapter 11. Contemporary with Homer and nearly his equal was Hesiod. So it was fitting that under Solomon, the wisest of the Hebrews, nay of all mortals, wisdom should be born among the Greeks, and thence be carried over to the Latins. So from St. Cyril, book 7 Against Julian, and others, Salianus, in the twentieth year of Solomon, which was the 168th year from the destruction of Troy, 160 before the founding of Rome; then also reigned in Latium the sixth king Silvius, son of Aeneas Silvius, and Dido founded Carthage, says Eusebius in his Chronicle.
Finally, Josephus, book 8, chapter 3, sets this epitaph on Solomon: “Solomon dies, the most fortunate, richest and most prudent of all kings, except for the sin into which in his old age he was drawn by women.” Already before Solomon had proclaimed and preached to the whole world: “Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity,”
and yet the vanity and vain show of women made him mad in old age, and made him vain, so that he made himself the supreme mirror of vanity. For his wisdom vanished, his holiness vanished, his power vanished, his felicity and glory vanished, finally health and present life vanished, would that not the life to come. What is man, even the wisest, richest, most powerful, if he forsake God, and be forsaken by God? Surely he is nothing else than a slave of vanity, an image of folly, a prey of death, an abyss of miseries. Oh! if Solomon were allowed to return to life, what penance he would do, what life he would lead, what he would cry out to mortals! Surely that of St. Salvius, recalled from death to life, in Gregory of Tours, book 7 of the History, chapter 1: “Hear, ye sons of Adam, and understand that what you see in this world is nothing; but all is vanity. Despise all, therefore, as vain, that you may deserve to obtain the true glory of God in heaven.” Vain are sceptres, vain tiaras, vain Venus, vain wealth, vain wines, vain the whole world. “O cares of men, O how much emptiness there is in things!” Nothing is true, nothing good, nothing great, but the eternal. Think on eternal things, aim at eternal things: that God may bless you for ever, for ever and ever. Amen.