_even unto the land of the Philistines_] The Philistines, it is implied, were able to maintain their independence. ²⁷And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance. =27.= _cedars_] Rather, =cedar wood=. _sycomore_] i.e. the fig-mulberry, not now a common tree in Palestine; compare 1 Chronicles xxvii. 28, note. _the lowland_] (Hebrew _Shephelah_). See G. A. Smith, _Historical Geography of the Holy Land_, chapter x. “The Shephelah,” and the note on i. 15. ²⁸And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt, and out of all lands. =28.= _And they brought_, etc.] Compare i. 16, 17. =29‒31= (= 1 Kings xi. 41‒43). THE EPILOGUE. An important section of 1 Kings (xi. 1‒40) giving an account of Solomon’s patronage of idolatry and of the troubles of his reign is significantly omitted by the Chronicler: see the note on 1 Chronicles xxix. 25, p. 168. For the authorities to which the Chronicler appeals in these verses, see Introduction § 5. ²⁹Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the history¹ of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo² the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? ¹ Hebrew _words_. ² Hebrew _Jedai_, or, _Jedo_. =29.= _the history of Nathan_] Compare 1 Chronicles xxix. 29. _Ahijah the Shilonite_] 1 Kings xi. 29, xiv. 2 ff. _Iddo_] Hebrew _Jedai_ or _Jedo_ (probably a misspelling); compare xii. 15. ³⁰And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. =30.= _forty years_] The number is a round number; compare Judges iii. 30, v. 31, viii. 28, xiii. 1. ³¹And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. =31.= _slept with his fathers_] This formula is not used of David (1 Chronicles xxix. 28), doubtless because David’s father was not a king! _in the city of David_] 1 Chronicles xi. 7. CHAPTERS X.‒XXXVI. THE HISTORY OF JUDAH FROM REHOBOAM TO THE EXILE. CHAPTER X. =1‒15= (= 1 Kings xii. 1‒15). THE CONFERENCE AT SHECHEM. ¹And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. =1.= _Shechem_] Chosen by Rehoboam for its central position, for it is in the heart of Western Palestine between Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim. ²And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon,) that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. ³And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spake to Rehoboam, saying, =2.= _Jeroboam_] For his antecedents (which are not given by the Chronicler) see 1 Kings xi. 26 ff.