_young_] Literally _a child_. If this word is to be literally understood, the statement made is inconsistent with xii. 13, where it is said that Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign. It is possible, however, that the word is used metaphorically to describe one who was _young_ (as indeed his conduct showed) in experience of government; so Solomon (1 Kings iii. 7) calls himself a _little child_, by which he meant simply to express his consciousness of the smallness of his own ability when compared with the greatness of the task which lay before him, compare 1 Chronicles xxix. 1. A similar difficulty arises in regard to the age of Solomon, see _Encyclopedia Britannica_ s.v. _Solomon_. _tenderhearted_] i.e., according to Hebrew phraseology, _weak in understanding_, the heart being considered to be the seat of the mind. Or we may translate the Hebrew phrase as in Deuteronomy xx. 8, _fainthearted_. ⁹Have ye not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the peoples of _other_ lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of _them that are_ no gods. =9.= _driven out_] see note on xi. 14. _after the manner of the peoples of other lands_] i.e. who, unlike Israel, had no special class from which alone their priests were taken. Possibly, following the LXX., we should read =from the people= of the land (i.e. anyone who chose to apply, whether a Levite or not), compare 1 Kings xii. 31, xiii. 33. _to consecrate himself_] Literally _to fill his hand_. Moses is directed (Exodus xxix. 1 ff.) to ordain Aaron and his sons priests by three ceremonies: (1) by anointing them, (2) by filling their hands, i.e. by presenting them with victims upon which they laid their hands, (3) by hallowing them, i.e. by sprinkling some of the blood of the victim upon them. _a young bullock and seven rams_] Aaronic priests were consecrated with a young bullock and _two_ rams (Exodus xxix. 1). ¹⁰But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and _we have_ priests ministering unto the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work: =10.= _in their work_] sc. _ministering unto the LORD_, as above. Part of the ideal of the Priestly Code was that the Levites should be restricted to the duty of helping the priests, and should be prevented from executing priestly functions themselves. With this ideal the Chronicler plainly sympathised, but it could not always be realised. ¹¹and they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense: the shewbread also _set they_ in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. =11.= _every morning and every evening_] Exodus xxix. 38‒42. _sweet incense_] Exodus xxx. 7.