Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/259

Rh away the face of thine anointed; remember the mercies of David thy servant. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the, because the glory of the filled the 's house. And all the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of the was upon the house; and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and gave thanks unto the, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the. And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. And the priests stood, according to their offices; the Levites also

remember the mercies of David] i.e. either show David's son the mercies thou didst show to David himself (Is. lv. 3), or (as mg.), remember the good deeds, or "mercies" (so also xxxii. 32), which David did, and reward his son.

VII. 1—3 (not in 1 Kings).&emsp;

1. the fire came down from heaven] As the discovery of the spot, approved by Jehovah, for the site of the Temple was ratified by the sign of fire from heaven (see 1 Chr. xxi. 26, note), so tradition or the Chronicler thought that the conclusion of the dedication must have been marked by the same sign of Divine favour.

consumed the burnt offering] Cp. Lev. ix. 24; 1 Kin. xviii. 38.

2. the priests could not enter] Cp. v. 14.

4—10 (= 1 Kin. viii. 62—66).&emsp;

5. twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep] These high numbers appear also in 1 Kings.

6. This verse, which is characteristic of the Chronicler, does not appear in 1 Kings.