Wesley Corpus

Solomon - To whose ears this had come. Shishak - Solomon's brother - in - law, who yet might be jealous of him, or alienated from him, because he had taken so many other wives to his sister, might cast a greedy eye upon the great riches which Solomon had amassed together, and upon which, presently after Solomon's death, he laid violent hands, 2Chron 12:9. The book - In the publick records, where the lives and actions of kings were registered from time to time, so this was only a political, not a sacred book. Forty years - His reign was as long as his father's, but not his life; sin shortened his days. Slept - This expression is promiscuously used concerning good and bad; and signifies only, that they died as their fathers did. But did he repent before he died This seems to be put out of dispute by the book of Ecclesiastes; written after his fall; as is evident, not only from the unanimous testimony of the Hebrew writers, but also, from the whole strain of that book, which was written long after he had finished all his works, and after he had liberally drunk of all sorts of sensual pleasures, and sadly experienced the bitter effects of his love of women, Eccles 7:17, &c. which makes it more than probable, that as David writ Psalm 51:1 - 19. So Solomon wrote this book as a publick testimony and profession of his repentance.