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Before the Lord, i.e. before the ark, in courts or places as near to it as they conveniently could. Or, as in God’s presence, in a solemn and religious manner, praising God for this great mercy, and begging his blessing upon this great affair.
The second time. This is called the second time in reference to the first time, which was either,
1. When he was made king during Adonijah’s conspiracy, of which see 1Ki_1:34, &c. And so this was done after David’s death, and not upon that day, when this feasting and solemnity lasted, as the words at first view seem to insinuate, this being related in the same verse, and immediately after the relation of the feast. But there are examples of things done at distant times put together in one verse, as Act_7:15, So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, i.e. first he, and afterwards our fathers. So here, They did eat on that day with great gladness, and afterward they made Solomon king the second time. And this opinion seems to be confirmed by the following passages, in which it is related, that at this same time they anointed Zadok to be priest and that Solomon was king instead of David, and that all Israel, and all David’s sons, submitted to him; all which was not done till after David’s death, as may be gathered by comparing this with 1Ki 1 1Ki 2. Or,
2. In 1Ch_23:1, where it is said that David made Solomon his son king over Israel, i.e. he declared him his successor. And so this second time was during David’s life. And what David had more privately declared, 1Ch 23, he now more solemnly owns in this great and general assembly, in which, by David’s order, and the consent of all that assembly, Solomon was anointed king, i.e. to be king after his father’s death. And this opinion the text seems most to favour. For it is said, And they made Solomon king, &c.: they; who? That must be fetched out of the foregoing words and verses, they who did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness, as it is here said; and then immediately it follows, and that with a copulative conjunction,
and they made Solomon king, & c., which without violence cannot be pulled away from the foregoing words. And therefore they must be David and
all the congregation, who were then present, 1Ch_29:20, of whom it is said, they sacrificed, &c., 1Ch_29:21, and they did eat, &c., and they made Solomon, &c. The great objection against this opinion is, that they anointed Zadok to be priest at this time, which was not done till after David’s death; for till then Abiathar was not thrust out from being priest, &c., 1Ki_2:26,27. This indeed is a difficulty, but not insoluble. It must be remembered that the high priest had his vicegerent who might officiate in his stead, when he was hindered by sickness or other indispensable occasion; and that there seems to be something more than ordinary in Zadok’s case; for although Abiathar was properly the high priest, yet Zadok seems after a sort to be joined in commission with him, as we see 2Sa_15:29 19:11; and it is expressly said, Zadok and Abiathar were priests, 2Sa_20:25 1Ki_4:4. And it may be further considered, that this anointing of Zadok might be occasioned by some miscarriage of Abiathar not recorded in Scripture. Possibly he was unsatisfied with this design of translating the crown to Solomon, and did now secretly favour Adonijah’s person and right, which afterward he did more openly defend; which being known to David by information, might induce him and the princes who favoured Solomon to take this course; which they might the more willingly do, in consideration of that Divine threatening, 1Sa_2:31, &c., of translating the priesthood from Ithamar’s and Eli’s house, of which Abiathar was, to Eleazar’s line, to which it had been promised to perpetuity, Num_25:13, of which line Zadok was. And they might judge this a fit season, or might be directed by God at this time, to execute that threatening to the one, and promise to the other family. And yet this action of theirs in anointing Zadok did not, as I suppose, actually constitute him high priest, but only settled the reversion of it upon him and his line after Abiathar’s death. Even as David’s making Solomon king, 1Ch_23:1, and their anointing
Solomon to be the chief governor here, did not put him into actual possession of the kingdom, but only gave him a right to it in reversion after the present king’s death, as Samuel’s anointing of David, 1Sa 16$, had done to David before him. Hence, notwithstanding this anointing, Abiathar continued to exercise his office till Solomon thrust him out, 1Ki_2:27; and even after he was removed from the execution of his office, yet he was reputed the priest till he died, being so called 1Ki_4:4. And this I hope may in some sort resolve that difficulty. For the other arguments, they seem not considerable. For as for what follows, 1Ch_29:23-25. Then Solomon sat on the throne, &c., that indeed seems to belong to the time after David’s death, being sufficiently separated from 1Ch_29:22, and not so knit to the foregoing words as those words, and they made Solomon king, &c., are. And for the particle then, that is confessed by all to be often used at large and indefinitely for about, or after that time. To be the chief governor, i.e. to be king after David’s death. Zadok to be priest; of which the last note but one.