1 Kings 1:40

1Ki 1:40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

Ver. 40. Piped with pipes.] Or, Flutes; that Adonijah’s party might hear and be startled with those noises, which at once proclaimed Solomon’s triumph, and their confusion.

And rejoiced with great joy.] By the special operation of God’s Spirit, {see 1Ch 12:40} and to shadow forth the great joy which the saints should take in the kingdom of Christ. {Zec 9:9}

So that the earth rent.] After a sort, with their loud acclamations, Hyperbole sumpta a fragoris similitudine.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:40-41 Those attending Adonijah’s banquet at En-rogel could not see the celebration, but it was so joyously noisy that they could hear it.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Hebrew, brake.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

all the people came up after him--that is, from the valley to the citadel of Zion.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 40. The people piped with pipes] They danced, sang, and played on what instruments of music they possessed.

The earth rent] We use a similar expression in precisely the same sense: They rent the air with their cries.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(40) Piped with pipes.—The Greek Version has “danced in dances,” by a slight variation of reading. The graphic description of the acclamation of the people indicates something more than conventional loyalty. The attempt of Adonijah relied on the support only of the great men, and perhaps the army, but had no popular following.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

40. piped with pipes] The LXX. adopting some slight alteration of the Hebrew, renders ‘danced in dances.’ And Josephus speaks of the people (Antiq. vii. 14, 5) as ‘dancing and playing on pipes’; thus shewing a desire to combine both readings. That the Israelites were likely to have pipes on such an occasion seems probable from 1Sa_10:5, where they are enumerated among the instruments used by the company of prophets.

rent with the sound] The Hebrew text implies ‘cleaving asunder’ and must, if correct, be taken as hyperbolic: that it is correct seems clear from the LXX. which has ‘was broken asunder’ (ἐῤῥάγη), though a slight change in the letters of the Hebrew (reading תקע for בקע) would give the meaning which the Vulgate has, ‘insonuit,’ i.e. resounded. Josephus appears thus to have understood the phrase, whatever reading he had, for he writes ‘from the multitude of the instruments all the earth and the air resounded.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And all the people came up after him,.... Following him from the fountain to the city, with their loud acclamations:

and the people piped with pipes; which were hollow instruments, and full of holes which they blew with their mouths, and upon with their fingers; Jarchi says they were and very probably:

and rejoiced with great joy; which they expressed by such loud shouts:

so that the earth rent with the sound thereof; an hyperbolical expression, showing the great numbers gathered together on this occasion, and the sonorous acclamations they made.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Piped with pipes - Some prefer “danced with dances” - a meaning which the Hebrew would give by a change in the pointing, and the alteration of one letter. But the change is unnecessary. (Flutepipes were known to the Israelites 1Sa 10:5; they were very ancient in Egypt, and were known also to the Assyrians.

The earth rent - If the present Hebrew text is correct we have here a strong instance of Oriental hyperbole. But it is suspected that there is a slight corruption, and that the verb really used meant “resounded.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Rang. Hebrew, "was split." Chaldean, "shook." (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

All the people came up after him; which flocked in of so thither abundance; some out of curiosity to see so solemn an action; others to do their duty; and others in expectation some advantage by their cheerful attendance upon the new king.

Rejoiced with great joy; partly because this would certainly prevent civil wars, under which they had lately and so sorely groaned, and which they had reason to fear from Adonijah’s pretence to the crown, and the assistance he might have from the great and famous lord-general Joab, and from Abiathar the high priest, and from others who were or might easily be engaged for him, if David had not ended the controversy in his lifetime; and partly because of the singular wisdom and virtue for which Solomon was even then famous. See 1Ki 2:6,9. The earth rent; an hyperbolical expression; yet even solid bodies have been oft broken and rent by great sounds.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

40. Pipes — See note and cuts on 1Sa_10:5.

The earth rent with the sound — A hyperbolical expression to indicate the boundless joyfulness of the people on that occasion. From many facts recorded in the last half of the Second Book of Samuel it is not difficult to infer that the closing years of David’s reign were not popular in Israel. The growing infirmities of age prevented his appearing any more among the people; and though he held a large place in the nation’s heart, his voluntary resignation of the crown to Solomon, who had doubtless, by reason of his many amiable qualities, already become endeared to all who knew him, and the enthronization of that youthful prince, were an occasion of great rejoicings throughout the royal city. It was also a matter of rejoicing that there was no violent break in the succession. David enthrones Solomon by his own proclamation, so that, as Wordsworth beautifully says, “Solomon’s reign is to be regarded as a continuation of the reign of David his father. David’s reign did not end with David’s life, but it flowed on in the life of Solomon his son, for which it was a preparation. Thus the union of David and Solomon, as forming by their conjunction a typical representation of CHRIST, the king of the spiritual Zion, as a conqueror like David, and yet as the prince of peace like Solomon, is made more manifest.” So in the harmony of the Divine dispensations the kingdom of Israel was continued, and is perpetuated in the more glorious kingdom of the Messiah.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And all the people came up after him same expression as ver. 35. The procession, the sound of the trumpets, etc., had collected a large crowd, which followed Solomon on his return, and the people piped Hebrews were piping with pipes pipes or flutes were used on occasions of rejoicing (Isa_5:12 Isa_30:29. Cf., 1Sa_10:5) and so of mourning. (Jer_48:36; Mat_9:23) It is true that a very slight change ( pyliljom instead of will give the meaning, "dancing with dances," which Ewald prefers, on the ground that all the people" could not have produced their pipes at a moment"s notice. But the objection loses its force when it is observed (Rawlinson) that the text implies that only some of the people piped. All the people came up and the people," etc. Besides, even if it were not so, some allowance is surely to be made for Eastern hyperbole. And the received text is to be preferred on other grounds. The LXX, however, has ejcoreuon ejn coroiv, and rejoiced with great joy Hebrews "were rejoicing a great joy", and the earth rent this is certainly a strangly hyperbolical expression. For (Q"b; strictly means to cleave asunder, tear open. (see, e.g., Num_16:31; Amo_1:13; 2Ch_25:12) And Thenius suggests a slight emendation of the text, viz., qTTiw (i.e., " resounded") for qBTiw which would obviate this difficulty. He points out that while the LXX Cod. Vat. has ejrragh, some versions have hchsen, and the Vulg. insonuit. But perhaps it is safer to keep to the lectio ardua with the sound of them Heb. "with their voices".

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All the people, i.e., the crowd which was present at the anointing, went up after him, i.e., accompanied Solomon to the citadel of Zion, with flutes and loud acclamation, so that the earth nearly burst with their shouting. תּבּקע, "to burst in pieces" (as in Ch2 25:12), is a hyperbolical expression for quaking.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The flutes. Flute in O.F.

And the earth [seemed to] split. Prophets spoke in terms of exaggeration as [is common] among people.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.