The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of KingsFarrar, F. W. (Frederic William)
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Kings
Farrar, F. W. (Frederic William)
Bible. Kings, 1st -- Commentaries
One of these was Hadad, Prince of Edom. Upon the Edomites in the
days of David the prowess of Joab had inflicted an overwhelming and
all but exterminating reverse. Joab had remained six months in the
conquered district to bury his comrades who had been slain in the
terrible encounter, and to extirpate as far as possible the detested
race. But the king's servants had been able to save Hadad, then
but a little child, from the indiscriminate massacre, as the sole
survivor of his house.[421] The young Edomite prince was conveyed by
them through Midian and the desert of Paran into Egypt, and there,
for political reasons, had been kindly received by the Pharaoh of
the day, probably Pinotem I. of the Tanite dynasty, the father of
Psinaces whose alliance Solomon had secured by marriage with his
daughter. Pinotem not only welcomed the fugitive Edomite as the last
scion of a kingly race, but even deigned to bestow on him the hand
of the sister of Tahpenes, his own _Gebira_ or queen-mother.[422]
Their son Genubath was brought up among the Egyptian princes. But
amid the luxurious splendours of Pharaoh's palace Hadad carried in
his heart an undying thirst for vengeance on the destroyer of his
family and race. The names of David and Joab inspired a terror which
made rebellion impossible for a time; but when Hadad heard, with grim
satisfaction, of Joab's judicial murder, and that David had been
succeeded by a peaceful son, no charm of an Egyptian palace and royal
bride could weigh in the balance against the fierce passion of an
avenger of blood. Better the wild freedom of Idumea than the sluggish
ease of Egypt. He asked the Pharaoh's leave to return to his own
country, and, braving the reproach of ingratitude, made his way back
to the desolated fields and cities of his unfortunate people.[423]
He developed their resources, and nursed their hopes of the coming
day of vengeance. If he could do nothing else he could at least act
as a desperate marauder, and prove himself a "satan" to the successor
of his foe.[424] Solomon was strong enough to keep open the road to
Ezion-Gebir, but Hadad was probably master of Sela and Maon.[425]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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