Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/260

196 with instruments of music of the, which David the king had made to give thanks unto the, for his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry: and the priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Israel stood. Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the ; for there he offered the burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat. So Solomon held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt. And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And on the three

instruments of music of the ] mg., instruments for the song of the . Cp. 1 Chr. xxiii. 5; Amos vi. 5.

the priests sounded trumpets] Cp. v. 12.

7. the fat] Specially mentioned as the choice part of the sacrificial victim, a part never to be eaten but always to be burnt. Lev. iii. 16, 17.

peace offerings] See note on 1 Chr. xvi. 1.

the brasen altar which Solomon had made] Cp. iv. 1; 1 Kin. ix. 25.

meal offering] an offering consisting of fine flour mixed with oil and frankincense. Cp. Lev. ii. 1—7.

8. the feast] i.e. the Feast of Tabernacles (see note below on seven days, ver. 9).

from the entering in of Hamath] See note on 1 Chr. xiii. 5.

the brook of Egypt] i.e. not the Nile, but the stream called Shihor of Egypt in 1 Chr. xiii. 5 (see note).

9. a solemn assembly] mg., a closing festival. In the later stage of ritual, which is represented in the Priestly Code, an eighth day, to be observed as an holy assembly, was added to the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. xxiii. 36; Num. xxix. 35). The earlier custom terminated the festival on the seventh day, and the people went away on the eighth (Deut. xvi. 13, 15).

seven days, and seven days] Cp. 1 Kin. viii. 65, 66. The original text in Kings agreed with the earlier custom referred to in the previous note, the people being dismissed on the eighth day after observing the seven days Feast of Tabernacles. The evidence of the LXX. and also the opening words of ver. 66 put it beyond doubt that in the present text of Kings the words and seven days, even fourteen days are a late addition due probably to the influence of the statement in Chron. The