Terse 39. 7^t king kiseed BarzUtat, and bleeted him] The kiat was the token oifriendahip aoA/armeeU; the irteanv^ was a prayer to Ood for his prosperi^: probably ft prophetical benediction.
erse 42. 1Vh€r^ort then be ye angry for Mm maUer] d«te this fbr our own MTanUsei we have
I did it through loyal anadunent
We have nat ^ned nothing byitt lo our king.
Terse 43. We have ten parte in the king, and — fli«r« right] We are ten tribe* to one; or we are ten timea wo many fts you; and, consequently, itunild hftva been ooosulteo in this fauahwss.
TV vforde qf Ike men of Judah wereJUreer Aan the wonb Ike men of Itrad.) Ttiey had more weight, for diejr had more reason on their side.
It is pleasant when every province, canton, district, and country, vie widi each other in pemmal attachment to the priitce, and loyal attachment to his government. From such contentions as these, civil wars are never likely lo arise. And how blessed it must be far the country where the king merits all ihisl where the prince is the pastor aad father M his people, and in all things the minisier of Ood to them for ^ood.
It is criminal in the prinee not lo eadeavour to deserve the confideiuw and love of his pet^le i and it h higlily oriminal in die people not lo repay such eadeavoun with rtie nest loyal and affectionate attachraent.
Where die govenmentia not dMpoH^dH king Beta fay
AND there happened to be there a i>-EMiic man of Beliali whose name vmt An»wa Sbeba, the son of Btchri, a Bemamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, 'We have no part in David, neither have we inheritanee in the son of Jesse: ''every man to his teats, O Israel.
2 So every man of Israel went up from after Davkl, and followed Sheba the eon of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 1[ And David came to his house at Jeranlem; and the king took the ten women, At« 'concubines, whom he had led to keep the house, find put them in ^ ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were * shut up imto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 1[ Then said the kmg to Amasa. 'Assemble ■< me the men of Jtldah within three days, and be thou here present.
5 So Amasa went to assemble the men qf Judah: but he tarried loiiger tlun the set time which he had appointed him-
6 And David said to Abishai, Now ehall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Abealom: take thou ' thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and k escape ub.
7 And tnere went out after him Joab's men, and the > Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and an the mighty men j and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
die counsels of his ministers: and while he does so^ bt ia not chargeable with miscarriages and misfortunes: ibey either came through bad counsels, or directlv thwarting providences. On this ground is that political maxim in our laws forrned, Ae king eon da no wrong. SoflnetiiMS God will have things otherwise than the best counsels hvre determined: because be sees that the results will, on iba whole, be better for the peace and promeri^ vt thai stus. "Glodia the only Ruler of princes.^' And as the peaoe flf the world depends much on civil gnventment, henm kmes and civil governors are peculiar objects of ibe AJmighty s care. Wo to him who labours to bring about a genen) disaffection; as such things almost invariably end in gaa> end disanpointment aqd calamity. It is much easier to unsettle Uuui to settle; to pull down than lo build up.
Terse 1. iSheba, the eon d' Bidm] Am this man ww ft Benjamite, he probably belonged to the family of Saul; and ne-aeema to nave mid conaidenble influenoe in Israel to raise anch an insurrecdon: but we know nodkmg far> ther <k him than what ia related in this jrfaea
We have no part in AmjcQ We of Israel, ve of die ten tribes, are under no oUigatioa lo the house of David. Leave him, and let every man fall into the noki in ' his own leader.
Terse 3. Tho ten iMmen] He oould not well dive them: be oould not poniah them, ftstb^were not ini greasimit and be ooald no nore bt funiliarwith iheait because they had been defiled by his soo. To have Married Ifaem to other men might have been daogerons to dw state, therefore he shut them up and fed them i ■Mdeihaw quite comfi»td>le; and they coDHnued as wtoowa u Uiair death.
Terse4. ITim eaid the king lo Amata} TVaahfttevests him with the command oif the army, ftod mmdm hia to collect the men of Judah, and lo o«ne back to reeerv* his orders in relation to Shefao, in three days. It afftMn diat Amasa found more difficulty in eoUecdng bda earatiymen than was at first supposed t and tlu% oetoantng lu« beyond die three days, David, fcftring diet Sbefaa's i«*ellion would get head, sent Abnhai, woo it ^qieftn wu ae- Gompanied ay Joob, to pursue after Sbeba.
Amasa, it seems, got up widi diem at Gibeosi, vcr. & where he vas treacfaeroudy munteted by the Jodk.
8 When they -were at the great Btone which i$ in Qibeon, Amaaa went before them. And Joa^B sarmenC that he had put on waa girded nnto hnn, and upon it a girdle with a eword Asteoed upon hie loins in the eheath thereofi and as he went forth it felt out.
0 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother i ■ And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kias him.
10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that 'mu in Joab's band: ao he smote him therewith
• in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and i* struck him not again; and he died. So Joab odA Abiahai bia brotEer pursued after Sheba the Bon of Biehri.
11 And one of Joab*B men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, M him go after Joab.
1^ And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa ouf of the nighway into the field, and east a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
13 Whenhewasremovedoutofthehighway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bicbri.
14 1) And he went through the tribes of Israel unto 'Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered toother, and went also after him.
15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they 'cast up a bank against the city, and it ^ stocia in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab "battered the wall, to throw it down.
16 1[ Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Bear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may apeak with thee.
V«ne 8. Joab't garmetU] It appears that this was not a military garment \ and that Jonb nad no arms but a ifaort ■word, which be had concealed in hii girdle i and thia ruora, or knife, was bo loose in its aheath, dtat it could be easily drawn out. It is though &Lrther, that Joi^ in paaaing to Amaaa, stumbled, for ao some of the versiona, and able critics, understand the words UfiU out; and that the aword fell down when he atumbled; that he took it up with his left hand, as if he had no bad intention; and then, taking Amasa by the beard with hia ri^ht hand, pretending to kiss him, be. wtA his sword in hia left hand, ripped up Us bowels. Tnia seems to be the meaning of tlua very olmcarB verse. It is worthy of remark that, in the Eastern country, it is the htatd, not die man, iniich is usually kiaaed.
Verae 10. In ^JUVi rib] I believe von Aonuthy which WB render here, aiiif elsewhere^the fl/Zft jib, means any pftrt of the abdomiiud rwion. The Septuagini translate It nrv the groin; the Targam, the right aide of the OtigK; i. e. the phrase of the Targumiat being interpreted, the privy parts. 'That it means some part of the abdomi' nal region, is evident from what follows, And out his bowel* to the ground. It appears from this that, in plain Engli^ be ripped up his belly- Verse II. Ha that/avmreik Joab\ As if be had said, there is now no other commander besides Joab; and Joab is Bteaflily atmched to David: let those^ therefore, who are loyal, fbllow Joab.
Verae 12. Amasa waUoaed in blood] It la very likely that Amaai did not immediately die: I have known in- ■tonccs of persons living several hours after their bowels bod been sned ou'.
Verse 14. Unlo Abel] This is Buppoaed to have been tlie capital of the district called Abilene, in St. Luke iii. 1.
Beih-maacka^ It is supposed to have been in the nw them part of ttie Holy Land, on the conllnea of Syria, and prooably in tin: tribe of Naphtali.
VerM 15. 7%ey cast up a bank against the cUi/] The word r^'jo moIIoo, which we render &an^ means, moat piobMiiv, a baliering engine of some luod, or a lower ovorlookinz the walls; on. which archers and alingers eoal.i Btand and annoy the inhabitants, while others ol the beaiqE«n rould proceed to aap the walls. That it cannot
17 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Ar; thou Joab 1 And be answered, I am he. Then she said unto him. Hear the words of thine hftndmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
18 Then she spake, saying, ' They were wont to speak in old time, eayinff, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel; 001 so tlMy ended tXe
19 I am one of them that are peaceable cend &ithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in larael: why wilt thou swallow up * the inheritance of the Loro 7
20 And Joab answered and aaid. Far be it, lar be it trom me, that I should swallow op or de^ stroy.
31 The matter is not so: but a mEin of mount Ephraira, Sheba the son of Biehri ■ by name, hath lifted up his hand against the tcing^ even againat David: deliver him only, and I will de-
Cfrom the city. And the woman said unto Behold, his head ahall be thrown to thee over the wall.
33 Then the woman went unto all the people ' in her wisdom: and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Biehri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and ihcy ■ retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
33 Jf Now *Joab vias over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
34 And Adoram was ' over the tribute: and ' Jehoshaphat, the eon of Ahilud, was ' recorder:
35 And Sheva was scribe: and * Zadok and Abiatiiar loere the priests:
36 And Ira also the JairiCe was fa chief ruler about David.
be a bank that stood in the trmeh, is evident from lbs oit*- cumaunce thus expressed.
Verse 18. TTiey shall «ure/y ask oounsel at Abel] Hub is a proverb, but from what it originated we know not i nor can we exactly say what it means: much must bo supplied to bring it to speak sense. Abel waa probably bmed for the wisdom of Us inhabitants; and parties who had disputes, appealed to tlieir judgment: which appears to have been in auch high reputation as to be final by consent of all parties. To this the wise woman refers; and intimates to Joab that be should have proceeded in this way before he began to storm the city, and destroy the peaceable inhabitants.
Verse 19. I— peaceable and fail{\fvl in laraeC^ I ant for peace, not contention of any kind; I am faUkfiU, I adhere to David; and neither seek nor shall sanction any rebellion or anarchy in the land. Why then dost thou proceed in such a violent manner 1 Perhaps the woman
Verse 21. His head AaU ht Ihrmtn to thee] Tiuim it appears she had great sway In tlie counsels or the d^i ana that the puniHiment of a state rebel was then, wmt it is now in this kingdom, beheading.
Verse 23. JbabviMover oil the host] He had murdered Amasa, and seized on the supreme command: and auch was hia power at present, and the service whioh he hod rendered to ihe stats by quelling the rebellion of Sheba, that David waa obliged to continue him; and dared not t» call him to account for his murdera, without endangering the safety of the state bv a civil war.
Benauih — over the Cherethiies] Benaiah waa over Ihe archers and stingers. See the notaa on chap. viii. 18.
Verae 24. Adoram was o«<r the tribute] Probably the chief receiver of the taxes j or Chancellor qf the Sxduqusr, OS we term it.
A.M.n». rr^HEN there was a famiae ia the *» E^tlf.** J- days of David three yeare, year 1 aJVer year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord aoBwered, It is for SaiU, and for hts bloody house, because he alew the Gibeonitea.
2 And the king called the GIbeonites. and said unto them: (now the Gibeonkes were not of the children or Israel, but 'of the remnant of the Amoritea; and the children of Israel had sworn unto Uiem: and Saol sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah 0
3 "Wlierefore David aald unto the Qibeonitefl, What shall I do for you? and urtierewith shall I make the atonement, that ya may bleM ^ the iaberitance of the Lord 7
4 And the Gibeonites said unto him. 'We wOl have no silver nor sold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kiU any man in Israel. And he said, WhaX ye diatt ady, that vOI I do for you.
5 And they answered the king. The man ^t consumed usi and that " devisra against us that we should he destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of IbtmL
6 Let seven men or his sons be delivered onto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Qibeah of Saul, ° vKem p the Lord did choose- And the kinf said, I will give tliem.
7 But the Ring spared Mephiboshetfa, the sop of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of '* the Lord's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the sou of Saul.
8 But the kiiv took the two sons of ' Rtepth the daughter cnAiah, whom she bare unto 3aal« Armom and Mepbibosheth; and the five whm of ■ Miehal the daughter of SanL whom ah* I brought up for Adrtel toa son of Barzillai iba MehoTathite:
9 And be delivered them into the (lc5 hands of the Qibeooites, and they tm-^d-tm. hanged them in the hill ■ before the jm> m Lord: and they fell ail sevoD together. '■o»i^—-_ and were put to death in the days of harvest. Id the first dov^ in the beginning orberley-barvest.
10 And * ilizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock. *from the begmning of harvest until water dropped upon toem out of heaven, and suffered neither tte birds of the air to rest on them hf day, nor the beasts of the field by night
11 And it was told David what Riz- i^JSt pah the daughter of Aiah, the coocu- A*E»dto. bine of Sanl, bad done. AmSLm
12 Ajid Davul went and took the ^^»im.m. bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan hia son from the men of ■ Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street m Beth-sbaa, where the ' Philistines had hanged ibam, whea the PhiliBtines had slain Saul m Gilboa:
13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Sam, and the bones of Jonathan his sob; and they gathered the bones of them that were
Helirev is "miS \ro cohen le David, a priest to Datid / aod ■o die Vulgate, Satuagitxl, Syriae, and Arabic "nit Chaldte haM r\ raS, a prince, or ehief: he waa probably a sort of doTiuttic Aaptain to die king. We know that lbs kinp of Jadah had their tetra, which la nearlr die same: Gad waa David's aeer, 2 Sam. xxiv. 11.; and Jedudiun was the eeer of kin^ Joaiah, 2 Chroa. xxxv. 16.
Tm conclurion of diu chapter is very nmilar to the eoachulon of chapter the eishtn: whore lee the notes.
Became he *tmB the Otbeonile:} No auch ttct is mentiened in the life and transaetiona of Saul; nor ia thue •Dv leCerenee to it in any other part of Scripture.
Verse 2. The ramrumt nf Ae Amorita} The Oibeonhas were Birrite*, not Amoritea, aa appears from Jodma vi.l9-t but jimortfat is a name oftan given to the Canaanlias in general. G«n. xr. 16. Amoa xi. 9. and elsewhere.
▼erseS. llwrswIA Wbofl /tfuifce ttsolmemenf} It is very strange that a choice of this kind should be left to flum a people. Why not ask thia of God himself 7
Verse 6. SsMii nun ^ Mm mm] Meaning sons, grand- MDs, or other near branches of his fiunily. It is supposed that the persons chgaen were prineipal in assisting Saul to •ztsauiBaiatheaibeonitm. Bat wbere ia the proof of this?
Terse & Pht mm» nf MiAai-vhom tiu bre^d up] Mkhal, Saors daughter, was never married to AdHA, but to David, and afterward to nialtiel; thou^ it is hen said atie bar* niV yaladak, not brm^ up, as we falsely translate it; but we learn from 1 Sam. xviii. 19. that Mtrab, one of Saul's daughters, was married to Adriel.
Two of Dr. Xeaniwtt's HSS. have Merab, not Hichal; the Syriae aod AroMc have Nadab; the CKaldee has properly Merab; but it imdara lha passage thtia: — And Ihsjbfeeotuqf Mfrab,iikiAMUuUtludaurkter^Satd brought up, uMA Ae brought forth to AdHel Ae son of BarxiilaL This euta the knot.
1^ Apd the bones tsS Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the countrv trf" Ben jamin in ■ Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they perlbrived al) that the king commanded. And afler that ■ God was entreated for the land.
16 1[ Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and hiH servants with him, and fought agaioat the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
16 And Isbbi-benob, which wo* of the sons of ^ the giant, the weight of whose * spear iceighed
Verse 10- Rizpah—took taJcdtlh) Who can read the account of Rizpui'a naaiernal afibetna tn her aona thsL were now hanged, wiihout foeling hia miod de^ly an. pressed vith aormw 7
Did Giod require this nerifice of Saul'a sons, probably alt innocent oi the alleeed erime of their fad>er1 Was there no other method of averting the divine displeaautl Was ths requisition of the Gibeonites to have Saul's bobs sacrificed to QodL to be considered as an oracle of Godt Certainly not; God will not havenum'aUoodforsneriSc^ no more than be will have awine's blood. The bmiie might have beep removed, and the land properly puind, by ofi^ing the sacrifleea prescribed by the law i and aj a general humiliation of the people.
Uniil water dropped upon mem] Until die lioM of dbs autumnal rains; wnich, in that countiv, commence about October. Is it possible that this poor broken-bearled woman could have endured die feiigue (and probaUy ia ths open air) of watching these bodies for more than five monthal Some think that the ovi of hMVen means the removal of the fiuoine which was occasioned by drought, bv now sending ntiK, which mieht have been shortly after Uiese men were hansed: but mis by no means agrees with the manner in which the aocouat is introduced — Tluy tsere put to dcaih in the daft of kartat. in the fir H Any, in the beginning qf (arftw-Asr. vest AndRirpaS — took taekcloth, and tpread ^ Jar her on the rock, from the beginning of karvett, untU voter dropped upon them out qf hcaeen. No casual, or imiaediately providential rain can be here intended; reference must be to theveriodicai rains above-mentioned..
Verse 12. TW the bonea of Sau£\ The reader will recollect that the men of Jabesh-gilead burnt the bodies ol Saul and his sons, and buried the remaining boiMa under a tree at Jabesh i see 1 Sam. rzxi. 12, 13. Uiese David might have di^ed up again, in order to bury them io ib« family sepulchre.
three hundred shekels of brass I'n weight, he being efirded with a new sword, thought to nave ■lain David.
17 But AbUhai, the son of Zeruiah, succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and hilled him. Then the men of David swareunto him, saying, * thou shalt go HO more out with ue to battle, that thou quench not the * light ' orierael.
18 t And it came to pass aiter this, that there was again a battle wiln the Philistines at Qob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew ■ Saph, which vas of the sons of ' the giant.
19 And there was again a baitle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanao the 'son of
Verae 16. Being girded toUk a nm> sword] As the word noord ia not m me or^^nol, we may apply the term new to hia armour in genen): he had got new anne, a new coat of mail, or (omething that d^nded him well, and rendered him very formidable.
Veree 17. TTiat thou quench not tke lighl qf In-aet] David if here ccmaidered aa the lamp hj which all larael wai guided t and, without whom, all the nation must be involved in darkness. The ]tmp in the emblem of directimi and tupport Light is naed in this sense by Homer: —
Verse 16. A baate^. bjs ■gob} Instead of Oob, several editions, and about /^iCflW KennitoWa and Z>s RonCt M3S. have iVob; biii Otzer is the name in the iHuallel place, 1 Chron. zz. 4.
Terse 19. Ethanan the tan nf Jinre-eregim — */etp — CtoHath the Oitlite\ Here is a most manifest corruption of the text, or gross mistake of the transcriber; David, not BIhman, slew Ootiodi. In 1 Chron. zx. 6. the parallel
Jilaee, it stands thus — Elhanan, Ote son t(f Jatr, aUw johmi, the brother iff Goliath the Qittite, vihoee wpearataff was like a aeaver't beam. This is plain; and our translators have borrowtd some words from Chronicles to make both texts agree. The corruption may be easily accounted for, by considering that oregxm, which signifies weavers, has stipt out of one line into the other; and that *onSn Beth Aa /acAmi, the Beth-Uhemite, ia corrupted from nK eth laehmi; then the reading will be the same as in Chronicles. Dr. KenniaM has made this appear very plain in hia first Dissertation on the Bibrew Ttrt, pB«. 78. &c.
Verse 20. On erery hand sisjtngere] lliia is not a •olitary instance: Tiivemier informs us, that the eldest >on of^ Ihe^mperor of Java (who reified in I648)hada>f Mnger» oa each hand, and sir toe* on eai^ foot. And JUimpertuie, in his seventeenth letter, says, that he met with two fiunilies near BerliiL where texdigUiem was «<pially transmitted on both sioes of father and mother. I saw once a youn^ girl in the county of Loirionderry, in Ireland, who nad siz fingers on each hand, and siz toes on each foot; but her stature had nothing gigantic in it. The daughters of Caitw Horativs, of (ntncian dignity, vsn called eedigUce, because they had six finders on each hand. VoleaHu», a poet, was called eedigttae, for the ■una reason. See Plinjfa Hiat. Nat. lib. xL cap. 43.
Tnui are anitentlj maay placaa in thia enapter in whieh the text haa sunered much from the ignorance or carelessness of transcribers; and, indeed, I suspect the whole has suflered so materially as to distort if not mi». represent, the principal focts. It seems as if a Qibeonite has had sometin^ to do with the copies that are come down to US) or that the fourteen first verses have been inserted from a leas authentic document than the rest of die book. I shall notice some of the most unacoountable^ and apparently exceptionable, particulars: —
1. The Jamine, ver. 1. is not spoken of any where else; nor at all referred to in the books of King* or Chronica; and, being of three years' duration, it was too remarkable U> be omitted in the nistory of David.
2. The circumstance of Soul's attempt to exterminate the Oibeonite*, is nowhere else mentioned; and^ had it taken F^ace, it is not likely that it would have been pasasil over in ihe history of Saul's transgressions. Indeed, it
1 Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lchemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear wa« like a weaver's beam.
8(X And " there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six tees, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to • the giant.
21 And when he p defied Israel, Jonathan the son of 0 Shimeah, the brother of David, slew
23 ' These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand ofhis servants.
would have been such a breach of the good faith by which the whole nation was bound to this people, that an attempt of the kind could scarely have biled to raise an insurrection through all Israel.
3. The wish of David, ftat (he 0ibeonite% little better than a heathenish people, should bUst the irAerUance qf the Lord, is uncoiutituCitmal and unlikely.
4. Ttint God should leave the choice of the atonement to such a people, or indeed to any people, seems contrary to bis estoblisned taws, and particular providence.
6. Tliatheshouldrequireseveninnocentmentobehui^ up in plate of their ofieodtng&ttier, in whose imqaiwthev most likely never bad a shtue, seems ineonsiatent mth lua justice and mercy.
6. In ver. 6. there is mention made of Jlte aone of MuAal, which she bore (niV^ yaledah) unto Adriel. Now, 1. Hichal was never the wife of Adriel, but of David aixi Phaltiel. 2. She never appears to have had any children, see 2 Sam. vi 23; this I nave been obliged to correct in the text, by patting Merab in the place of Miehal.
7. The seven sons of Saul, mmtioned here, ora repreeented as a eacr\ftee required by God, to make an oton^ ment for the sin of Saul. Does God, in any case, require human blood for sacriGcel And ia it not nuh a aaeriflce that is represented herei Dr. Delaney^ and others, imagine thai these seven sona were principal agents in the execution of their fothePa purpose; but of thia there is no protf. Mephibosheih, the son of Jonathan, certainly had no hand in this projected massacre; he was ever lame, and could Dot be so employed; and yet be would have been one of the seven, had it not b^n for the covenant made before with his father: But the king spared Mephiboaheth the son qf Jonathan — because tf the Lord^e oath that was between them, ver. 7,
6. Tiie ciraimetanoe of Rizpoh's watching the bodies of those victims, upon a rock, and probably in the open air, both day and nig^it, from March to October, or tvtn far a much tees period, ta, as it ia here related, very extraordinary and improbable.
9. The hasginff the bodies so long was against an express law of God, which ordained, that those who were hanged on a tree should be taken down before sunset, and buHed Ae tame day, lest the land thauld be defiled, Deut. xzi.^23. liiereiore — 1. God did not command a breach of his own law. 2. David was too exact an observer of that law to require it. 3. Hie people could not have endured it; for, in that sultry seasoit, the land would indeed have been defiled by the pulr^aeHon of (he dead bodies 1 and this would, in all likelihood, have added pestilence to famine.
10. The story of collecting and burying the bones of Saul and Jonathan, is not very likely; considering that the men of Jabeah-gilead had burned their bodiea, and buried the remaining bonea under a tree at Jabeah, 1 Sam. xxxi. 12, 13. yet still it ia possible.
1 1. JosephuB takes as much of ibis stoir ss he (hinlta proper; but says not one word about Rizpah, and her long watching over her slaughtered sons.
12. Even the fads in this chapter, which are mentioned in other places, see 1 ChroiL zx. 4, Ac. are greatly distorted and corrupted; for we have already seen ihat EU hanan is made here to kill Goliath the Cfittitt, whom tt is well known David slew: ondit iaoofyby means of the paimllelplaee above that we can restore this to historioil truth.
'That there have been attempts to remove some of these objections I know; and, I know also, (hat these attempts have been, in general, without success.
Till I get fiuther light on the subject, I am led to conclude that the whole cKapier ia not now what it would be conuDg from the pen of an inspired wriisri and that this part of the JeviMi records has snfiend nmoi from rabbinical glosses elterations, and addtliona. IV law, the
«t>.Ei*i.to. A ND DnvM "apaVe unto the Lord jtn»\nu the words of this song in the day i-otrap-ag fj^gi the LoHD had » delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, " The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 The God of my rock; ' in him will 1 trust: fte M my • shield, and the ' horn of my salvation, ray high ' tower, and my 'refugfi, my saviour; Uion saveet me from violence.
4 I will call on the Lord, who ie worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
5 When the * waves of death compassed me, the floods of uo^rodly men made me afraid;
6 The<Borrow8<>ofheUcompa88edmeabout; the snares of death prevented me;
7 In my distress * I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did *■ hear mj' voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter mto his ears.
prtnAtU, and die hariogrnpha, including Psalm*, Provoro*, Eccteaiattet, &e. n&vtj been ever considered as pos- Bcuing the kigftetl title to divint iiupiratUm; and, therefore, have been moat carefully preaerVed and tranambed; but the historical bookst especially Samuel, Kings, and OironieUs, have not raided ao high, have been less carefiilly preaorved, and have been the lubjecu of frequent altemtion and cormption- Yet atill the great Cnindation «f God aiandelh aure, and ia Bofficienily auested by him own Iffoad seal oF coneiatency, truth, and holinesa.
Terae 1. David spake unto the Lord the ipords qf this This i« the aame in substance, and alraoat in wons, with Paalnt xviii.; and, therefore, the exposition of it must be reserved till it ocoun in its course in tbia book, with the exception of a very few observations, and Dr. XWijcsM'sjjeneral view of Qie suUect
Verse 6. Whm the -waves qf death compassed me] Though, in a primary sense, many of these tilings belong to David; ye^ generally, and fully, they belong to the Messiah alone.
Verae U. He rode upon a diendt, and did Jty; — he was seen upon the wings qf the wind.] In the original of Mm subUnu paasage, tense end sound are astoniahingly well eonoected: I sHall insen the Hebrew, represent it in Englisk IstUrt for the sake of the anleanied reader, and have only to observe, he must nod from the ri^t to the left.
The clap of the wing, the agitation and rusk through the air, are expressed here in a very extraordinary nutoner.
Other beauties of this hind will be noted in the exposition of the Psalm referred to above.
'"Hte very sublime poeiry contained in this ehtpter is universally admired j and yet it cannot be perfectly understood, (till it is known,) who is the apaaksri kAo the person, thus triumphant over mighty enemies; wAoss sufnrings occasioned such • dreadiul convulsion of nature; and two, tipon his deliverance, inflicted suchvengeaneeon his own people, and also became thus a king over the heathen. Should we be told that this person was David, it will be very diiHcult to show how this description can possibly agree with that choracicr; but, if it did in fact agree, yet would it coatradict St. Paul, who quotes pan of iC a« predicting tK» conversion the Oeniiles, under Orisf the Messiah, Rom. xv. 9^ Heb. ii. 13; and see Psirc^s Commentary, page 60. Now, if the person rejiresentcd as speaking through this divine ode, be David only, the Messiah is excluded; and, if it be the Hesaiah only, then David ia excluded. In consequence of the difficulties resulting from each of these suppositions, die general idea has been that it relates both to David and to the Mmiah. ns a prophecy qf^ a double senmt first, as apoinn by David of himi^; and yet to be understood, in a se- •ondary sense» of the Mes^ah. But, U must be lemaiked
8 Then < the earth shook and tren^led; ^ tb* foundations of heaven moved and shook, becanse he was wroth-
9 There went up asmoke > out of his nostril*, and ><fire out ofliis mouth devoured: coals wen kindled by U.
10 He 'bowed the heavens also, and came down; and ■ darkness vaa under bis feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; and he was seen ■ upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made * darkness pavilions round about him, 'dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
14 The Lord ' thundered from beareD, and the Most High uttered his voice:
15 And he sent out 'arrows, and scattered them; lightoinff, and d)seom6ted them.
16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the < rebuking of the Lord, at the blast erf" the Weatli of his <■ nostrils.
17 * He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of ' mtuty waters;
here, that, if spoken only of David, it is not a pre^tHm of any thing future, but a thanksgiving for favours past; and, therefore, is no prophecy at all. And farther, it could not be a prof^ecy descriptive of f>avid unless the partka. lars agreed to David; which tf^g-^vidently do noL If^ then, David be here necesaarily anhialBd from tbe singU sense, he must be excluded also -ij^he dauUe tarn; Eeeause nothing can be iniended,byiBfyj«eMd writer, Wnlate to two person^ unless it be Tin of both s bot, it Ml being the case here as to David, we must co&chidc tbat this song relates only to tbe Afuctoft and on this sotjccl an excellent dissertation, by the late Mr. Peine, is subjoined to his comment on the Epistle to ths Hebrews. It may be necessary to add here two remarka; the 24th vene now ends with, / have kept myseifjrom mine inimmty: vhich words, it is objected^ are not proper, if a}^uied to the Messiah. But this difficulty is lemoved, in part, by the context, wbicli represents the speaker as petfeethf utnoceni and righteous; and this exactly agrees with tbs proof arising from the Syriae and the Arabia version^ (and also the Chaldee paraphrase,) that this word was anciently s'<]>irD ab iniquitaiibus; consequently, this is one of the many instances where the final in«m is improfieriy omitted the Jewi^ tnnsGriber& See my Geruarai Dif sertation, page 12. Lastly, the difficulty arisiiw from dw title, which ascribes the paedm to Datid, and which seems to make him tke speaker in it, may be removed; eicbo- by supposing that the title hne, (l>ke those now prdSxed to several psalms,) is of no sufficient authority; or rnlfcer, by considering this title as <mly meant to describe Ou tim* when David composed this prophetio hynm; that what delivered from. aU hi* other memies, as wetl as /rtm A» hand qf Saul, he then consecrated his leisure, by composing this sublime propliecy concerning Hmsiah, his Son; whom he represents here as apeaktng, (just as in Psa. xxii. xl. and other places,) and as descrioing— 1. His triumph over death and hell — 2. Tbe manifestation of Cmnipotence in his favour; earth and heaven trembling at Ood'a awful presence — 3. The speaker's inpoceoce diua divinely attested — t. The vengeance he ma to lakean&t* own peo^ the Jews, in the destnMstion of Jwunlssfr— and, 0. The adoption of the kealKen, over whom be was to he the head and ruler.
"Another instance of a titU, denoting only the Maw aft prophecy, occurs in the very next dtftpter; where a prophecv concerning tbe Messiah is entitled, TTbe iast issrds qf David: i. s. a hymn which be composed a Uttle befim his deadt, q/Iw all his other prophseles. And, perhaps, lilts ode in chap. xxii. which immediately pteoedea that ia chap, xxiii. was composed but a little while before: namsly, when all hie wars were oeer. Let it be added, that scoots, immediately before he speaks of David's mJ^i^ men, (which follow in tfaia same chapter of Samuel,) considers the two hymna in chap. xxu. and xxiii. as bocfa written after his wars were over — Jam Davides, beOia et perkuUs pet^^nctus, paeemqus deine^ prefiindam i^itansf odas tit Deum hymnesqae eov^tomtii, Tom. i. p>.
IS ' He delivered me from imr strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too rtrong for me.
19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity -, but tlie Lord was mv stay.
20 ' He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he 'delighted in me.
21 ■ The Lord rewarded me according to my righteouBDees; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
22 For I have ' kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from iny God.
23 For all his 'judgmenta were before me: and a» far his statutes, I did not depart from
24 I was also * upright before him, and have kept myeelffrom mine iniquitv.
25 Therefore ' the Lord nath recompenBed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness ^ in hiB eyesight.
26 With 1 the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man Ibou wilt ■Imw thyself upright.
27 With the pure thou wilt show thyeelf pare; and * with the froward thou wilt > show ihrself unsavoury.
28 And the ■ afflicted peo^e thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the "naughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
29 For thou art my ' lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have p run through a troop; by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 4«^r God, <i his way i« perfect; the word of the Lord is * tried:he is& buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For • who i» God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God f
33 God ut ray ■ strength and power: and he » maketh ' my way * perfect.
34 He ' malteth my feet * like hinds' feet: and ' setteth me upon my high places.
35 ^ He teacheth my hands < to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath 'made me great.
37 Thou hast * enlarged my stops under me; 80 that my ' feet did not slip.
38 1 have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them: and turned not again until I had coosomed them.
39 And I have consumed them, and wounded
Terse I. ThM be tlu la*t wnU of David.] I suppose the ta»t po^ieal eampMUion is here inteaded. He might hsva spoken many woids ftfter these in P"fi but none it) vcTM. Other meaotngs are given; this 1 preter.
The words of this song contain a glorious prediction of the Messiah's kiogdom and conquests, in highly poetic
^"^h^MtpKUnUt nf Uraȣ[ This character not only beknged to nim as the finest poet in /n-oeZ, but as (lie fioaat sad BMMt divine poet of die whole CSirMian world. The mesf pMbnM of Israel has been the sweet jMalmist gf every part of the habitable world, where religion and piety have been held in reverence.
Verse % Tht Spirit qf the Lou gpaie by me] Henee the malUr of his writing came by direct and immediate
Verse 3. Tlu Rock qf Uratl\ IV Fountain whsnea lanel was derived. a* Himt ruttth ottr nun must be Jus/] More literally,
them, that they could not arise: yea^ they are faHen ' under my feet.
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: ' them that rose up against me heat thou * subdued under me.
41 Thou hast also given me the 'necksofmine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; eeen " unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
43 Then did I beat them as small "aa the dtist of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the atreet, and- did spread them abroEuL
44 p Thou aUo hast delivered me from the strivings of mv people, thou hast kept ni» to be 4 head of the heathen: ' a people tohich I knew not shEilI serve me.
45 ' Strangers shall < submit " themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid * out of their close places.
47 The Lord liveth; and bleseed be my rock: and exalted be the God of the * rock of my salvation.
48 It M God that ' avengeth me, and that ' bringeth down the people under me,
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast liAed me up on high above them that rose up a^nst me: thoa hMt delivered me from the ^ violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanln unto thee| O Lord, among * the heathen, and I will siog praises unto tiiy name.
51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: ajid showeth mercy to his ' anointed, unto Da- ■ vid, and ' to his seed for evermore.
NOW theae be the last words of AB.EMd.iir. David. David the son of Jesse Anouu said, 'and the man who was raised kP'ry up on high, ' the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet pealmiat of Israel, said,
2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, the Rock oflsrael spake to me, >< He that ruleth over men must be just, riding in the fear of God.
4 And)>Ae shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riselh. even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earlh by clear ehining after rain.
jm DiHS Vans moshel ba adam tsadik; He that nUtlh in manistktJiut Ones 0T,theJuMtOnei*thtntUr among mat.
Ruling in the fear qf God.) It is by God's fear that Jeaua Christ rules the hearto ot all hia followers: and he who has not the tar of God before his eyea.ean never be a Christian,
Verse 4. Be shall he a* the Kght qfffu meming\ liiiu verae is very obscure, for it does not appear from it wft* the person is of whom the prophet speaks. As the Messiah seems to be the whole subject of these last words of David, be is probably the person here intended. One of Dr. Kennieotet HSS. supplies the word mrr Ytlunaht and he, therefore, translates. As tha light if the moming arUeih Jehovah; see below. He shntl be the Son M Righteousness; brins salvation in his rays j and, dtining, illuminating the children of men, with increemng a|riendour, as long as the sun and moon endure.
Am the tmder grass] The elleeu of this afcinfnf, and of the rays of bu grace, shall be like the shining of ihs son tipon' the young gnus or oom, after a plentiful shower of rain.
he hath made with me an everlastinff covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for ikia U all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to groiv.
6 But the sons of Belial shall be all <A them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
7 But the m&a that shall touch them must be ' fenced with iron, and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same
^sv^ 8 TTThesefttfthenamesorthemighty acioB- men whom David had: "The Tach- Aa.B^to. monite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino (he Eznite: pA« lifted up his spectr against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him «ta« 'Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with DaviJ, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Isriiel were gone away:
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cl ive unto the sword: and the Loud wrought a great victory that dny; and the people returned ailer liim only to spoil.
11 And after him vas • Shammah the son of Ageethe Hararite. 'And the Philistines were ^thered together " into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground,
mne be coniidered u on interrogation, including a positire anertiont and the sense will be at once clear and ooMiateot "For, is not my houae, (family,) establUhed with God; because he hath made with tm an everlastii^ covenant, ordered in all, and preserved? For this (he) is all my lalvMion, and all mv desire, although he make it {or bim) not to sprins up. All is sure relative to my spiritual BuccesAor: iKough he do not <u yet appear, the eovenant ia firm; and it will spring forth in due time. Sec Kennicotfs observations at toe end of the ch^ier.
Terse 6. Bui the sons of Belial shall he all of them a* thom»] There is no word in the text for tofts, it is simply Beliat, the good-Jbr-noUting man; and may here refer — first, to Saul; and, secondly, to the enemies of our Lord.
Aa thomt Artut au>ay] A metaphor from hedging; (he workman thrusts the thorns aside either with his bill or band, protected by his impenetrable initten, or glove, til!, getting a fair blow at the roots, he cuts them all down. The man is fenced vUh inm, and the handle of his bill is Hke the tt^ tff a spoor. This is a perfectly noturftl and intelligible image.
TerseSL Tmsa be Ocnamst ^AenUffUymen] lliis chapter should be collated with the parsllelplace, 1 Chron. xi. and see Kennitolfa first Diuertation on the printed Hebrew text, page 64—471.
Tfte Tae/imonUe thai tat in the aeat] Literally, and properly, Jathobeam the Hachnwnile. See 1 Chron. xi, 10.
tame was Adino the Eznite] This is a corruption tor he l^ed up hie tpear. See 1 Chron. xi. 10.
Eight hmCdred, whom he elew at one time] Thbex hwutred is the reading in Chronicles, and seems to be the true one. Tlie word VVn chalai, whicti we translate tlain, should probably be translated toldiera, as in the Septuagiat vrparturaf he withstood three hundred bouubrb at one time. See the note on David's lamentatim over Saul and Jonarhan, i Sam. 1. and Kennicotfe first DitsertatioD, p. 101. Dr. Eennieott olwerves, " 'Ihis one verse con- Iftina Utree (Treat corruptions in the Hebrew lext— I. The proper name of the hero Jaahobeam is turned into two common wonl& rendered, that sni in the teat. Z The words, he li/lea up hit tpear, W)n hk ntp kwi Am orer et thanito, are tumnd into two proper nunes wholly inadmisaible here:— '<»pn yy^in ttv\ hu Adiw Sheinti, nit VU Adino the Eznite: it being nearly as absurd to say that Jashobeam the Haclimoniie was the same with Adino the Eznite, as that David the Be th-Ieli emits was the same with the Tishbiie. 3. The number eieH hundred was (wwiablyM first three hundred;, as in" I Chron. xi. II Sm Kennteott, ubi supr.
and defended it, and slew the Phflistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory.
13 And ^three 'of the thirty cmeT went down, and came to David in the harvest-time unto ' iha cave of AduUam: and the troop of the Piiil»- tines pitched in 'the valley of Rephaim.
14 And David vas then in 'a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then tn Beth- Fehem.
15 And David longed, and said. Oh that one would give me drinlt of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which ts by the gate 1
16 And the three mighty men brake throi]^ the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem. that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not driut thereof, but poured it oat
17 And he said. Be it far from tne, O Lobd, that I should do this: is not this ■ the blood of the men that went in jeopard^r of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These thinsf did these three mighty men.
13 And >■ Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, 'and slew them, and had the name among three.
19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of ''Kabzeel, *who had done many acts, ^he slew ttvo * lion^hke men of Moab:
Verse 9. iVIien they defied the PhUieHnee that ver% Aere gathered] l^is is supposed to refer to the war in which David slew Goliath.
Vereell. Apieceqf groundfaUqfUntiSe»\ InlChnn. xi. 13. it is a parcel o/^ ground JitU qf barley, "nwre is probably a mistake of is^v^y adaahim, lentiles, for o^-fW tkeorim, baf ley; or vice vert&. Some think there wen both letUilee aad barley in the field, and tbu a marudiw par^ of the Philistines came to destroy, or cany tben oat and these worthies defeated die whole, and saved the produce of the field. T^is is not unlikely.
Verse 13. Tlie three the thirty] "Hie word o-*^ skalathim, which we translate thiriy, jnofaably sigDifin an l^e, or particular deacription of men. Oi these sftala ekim, we have here thirly-aeren; and it can scarcely ba said, with propriety, that we have thirty-teven oat of HUrty! and beitdes, in the parallel place, 1 Chron. xi. there are eixteen added I The eaptaina over Pbarsoti's diarioU are termed ta^vVv ahoZacAtm, Exod. xiv. 7.
The PhUiaHnea pitched in the vaSey ^ RepKt^mt.'l TtuM is the same war which is spoken of ehsp. 17, tut.
Terse 16. The it^ex qf the ■aell qf Bt&4iktm.'\ Hui was David's city, and he knew the excetleoce of tbevata' which was there; and beinr near the place, and parched with thirst, it was natural for him to wish for a draught of water out of that well. These three heroes having heard it, thoii|^ they received no Gommand front Davi^ brake through a company of the PhilistiDea, and brouf^ away some of the water. When bnugfit to David, ha refiised to drink it; for, as the men had got it at the hmd of their lives, he considered it as their blood, and gava thereby a noble instance of self-denial, "ntere is no evidence that David had -equssted them to bring it; thevhad gone for it of their own accord, and without Uu koowtedg* of David.
Verse 16. Poured il out unto the Lobo.1 Tn ninkn Hia tiona, both of water and wins, was a Ireqaent custcw among the healheos. We have an almoM aimilir mmuM in Arrian't Life of Alexander:— When his amy wna greatly oppressed with heat and thirst, a soldier brought him a cup of water: he ordered it to be carried back, saying I cannot bear to drink atone, while so many are in want | and this eup is too small to be divided among the whole.*'
TVne poeulo pteno eicut oblatum eat reddito i A'ns M&u>^ inquit, bibere auHnea, nee tarn crfgmin ditider* omnxbwa pouum. Abuait, lib. vi.
Hie example was noble in bodi cases; but David nddnd piety to bravery. He poured it out unto the Lord.
Versa 20. Two lion-lite nun qf Mwih\ Some think that two real Hans ore meant t some, that they wen two savage gigantic meni others, that tvo Jbrtreuts mn ftl And he Blew an Egyptian, >■ a goodly man: and the E^ptian had a Bpear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the Bpear out of the Eg:yptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
22 TheBe things did Benaiah the son of Jehotada, and had the name among three mighty
24 "Aariliel. the bratiifir of Jooh, woff one of the thifiF; £f««iMuithe MwpffiqtfoorBethlehem,
29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
meant. Th« wordi 3mi9 itinH -iv theitet/ arUt iMboA, may ■ignify, as the Targnm baa rendered it, atro ••rvn i^vi n" yat ttrin rabrebey Mbab, "The twoprincM of Moab."
Verse 21. He tleia an Egyptian] Thi* man, in I Chron. xi. 23. » stated to have been Jive eubiU high; about seem
He vent dawn to him vith a alaff] I have known men who, widi a tlaf only for their deience, could render the ■wordoflhebestpractiaed aoldierof nousetohim. I have seen even a parallel instance of a man vith his siafT being attacked by a soldier with bia hangerj he soon beat the wea,pon out of the soldier's hand, and could easily have •lain him with his own sword.
We have a good elucidation of this in die duel between DioxifpuM the Athenian, and Horrataa a Macedonian, before Alexander. — " The Ifacedonian, proud of his militaiy skilL treated (he naked Athenian with contempt, and iben challenged him to fight with him the ensuing day. 7^ Macedonian came, armed eap-ll-pit^ to the place: on his left arm he had a brazen shield, and in the sama hand the apear called tariaaa; he had a iavelin in his right hand, and a sword girded on his siae: in short, he pearecl armed as though be were going to contend with a boat. Dioxippus came into the field with a chaplet on his head, a purple sash on his left arm, his body naked, smeared over with oil; and in his right hand a strong knotty clubt {dexlr& vaiidum nodotumque tttpiUm prteftrebal.) HorrataJ^ supposing that he could easily kill his antaj^nist while at a distance, threw his javelin; which Diozippus, suddenlv stooping, dexterously avoided; and, before Horratas eoulJ transfer the spear from his lefl to his right hand, sprang forward, and with one blow of hia club broke it in two. Tho Macedonian, being de-
K rived of hoih his spears, b^»n to draw his sword t but,;fore he could draw it, Dioxippus seized him, tripped up bis heels, and threw him with great violence on tte ground, {pedibua repente tubductit arietavU in terram.) He then put hia foot on his neck, drew out his sword, and lifting up hia club, was about to dasli out the brains of the overthrown champion, had he not been prevented by the king." Q. Curt. lib. ix. cap. 7.
How similar are the two cases: Be vent down to him with a iti^ff", and plucked the epear out th« Egyptian' e hand*, and elea him with hu mm epear. Betuian appears to have been pist such another dubsman as Dioxippus. Verae 23. David aet him over hit guard.} The Vut- fate renders tbis^ect/Tue sum tibi David auricularium teereto; David made htm his privy counsellor; or, aceordin^ to the Hebrew, he ml him to hit tare; i. e. eonQdsd his secrets to him. Some think he made him a ny over the rest. It is supposed that the meaning of the fable which attrilrates to midaa very long ear», is, that this king carried the system of etpionaire to a great length; Amu he had a multitude of spies in different places.
Verse 24. A»ahet — was one qf the thirty] Aaahel was oos of thoK ofSeany or uoapa, called the ahataMm.
34 Eliphelet the son of AhasbaL the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the boo of Ahithophel the Oilooitej
36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gradite,
37 Zeiek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the Bon of Zeruiah.
A ND ' a^ain the anger of the Lohd i-^-^- Was Kuidled against Israel, and ^'eiI-l i^.
Verse 26. Shammah the ffarodite] Here are seven! varieties in the names of the following thala^im; which may be seen by comparing these verses with 1 Chron. xi. 27.
Verse 3d. Uriah the Hittite: thirty and aeven in oil.] To these the author of 1 Chron. xi. 41. adds Zabad won of Ahlai.
Verse 42. Adina the son of i$ft£za the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites. and thirty with htm. Verse 43. Ifanan ine son of Maaehah, and JoAaphat
Verse 45. Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha, bia brother, the Tizite,
Verse 46. Eliel the Mohaviie, and Jeribai, and JoAa^ viak, the sons of Elnaam and ahmah the HotJiit^
Thi 4ih and 6ih versea are very obscure; L. De DU» gives (hem a good meaning, if not the true one:
" l^e perpetuity of his kingdom David amplifies by a comparison to three natural things, which are very grateful to men, but not eonatani and tlabte. For the aun rises, and goes down again; the morning may be clear, but clouds afterward arise; and the tender graaa apringa up, but afterward witliera. Not ao, said he, ia my kii^ dom before Ood: it is fiouriahiog like all these, but perpetual, for he has made an everlasting covenant with me, though some afflictions have befallen me; and he baa not made all my ealvation and deaire to jgrow."
De Dieu repeats t^ke,) the note of similitude Arieei and the foUowine ia his versicm:
"Hie God of Isr«el sidd, the Rock of Israel spake tmto me, (or concerning me:] the juat man ruleth among men; he ruleth in the fear of God. And, as the aun anseih with a shining light; as the morning is widiout clouds, by reason of its splendour; as, from rain, the tender grass springeth out of the earth; truly so is not my house with God: because he hath made an tverlaating covenant with me; diapoaed in all things, and well kept and preaerved in that order. Although he doth not make all my deliverance and desire to grow — i, e. though some advenitiea happen to me and my family; yet, Ouit always remains, which, in the covenant of God made with me, is in all things orderly, dispoaed, and preserved."
Oncs more I must beg the reader to refer to the Jrtt diaaertation of Dr. Kennicolt, on the preatnt alate fjf the
Erinted Hebrew text; in which there is not only a great ght east on this subject, several cormptiona in the Ue^ brew text bctntr demonstrated, but alao many valuable critieians on diSerent texts in the Sacred Writings, lliare are two /NwerlcUianai 2 Tola. Bm t and both TciT WuaUe.
2 For the king said to Joab the c&ptain of the host, which was with him, " Go now through all the tribes of Israel, " from Dan even to fieersheba, and number ye the people, that ' I may know the number of the people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever thev be, a hundred foldj and that the eyes of my lora the king may see tt: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
4 Notwithstanding, the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against tne captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
6 IT And ttiey passed over Jordan, and pitched in ■ Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the ' river of Gad, and to-
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the *land of Tahtim-hodehi; and they came to * Dao-jaan, aqd about to * Zidon,
7 And came to the strong-hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba.
8 So when they had gone throngh all the
Verse 1. He nutted David agaiiut Ihtm] God could not be angry with Da.vid for numbering the people, if he moved' him to do it: but, in the parallel pleLce, IChron. xxi. 1. it IB expressly said, Satan flood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Itraa. David, in all probabiltty, slackening m his piety and confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of ht« dominions, without the divine counsel or command, was naturally curious to know whether the number of fig^tine men in his empire were sufficient fur the work which he nad pro-
Kted. See more on ver. 10. He therefore orders Joab, and captains, to take an exact account of all the effective men in Israel and Judah. God is justly displeased with this conduct, and determines that the props of his vain ambition shall be taken away; either by yamtne, ■war, OTpeslUenee.
Verse 3. Joah said unto tne king} This very bad man saw that the measure now recommended by the king was a wrone one, and might be ruinous to the people i and, therefora, ne remonstrates against it in a verr aenaibls speech: but the king was infatuated, and would near no reason.
Verse 6. And pitehed in Aroer] miis was beyond Jordan, on the river Amon, in the tribe of Oad; hence it appears, says Calmet, that they began their census with tM most tattem parts.of the country beyond Jordan.
Vene 6. Takttm-hodehi) Where this place was, is sot exactly known: some think that the words refer to a newly eotiquered country, as our margin, the netherUmd nsiHy inhabited; and, if sc^ this was probably the country tMlaard of Oileod, which the Israelites, in the time oi Soul, had conquered from the Hafarenes, and dwelt in it themaelves. See 1 Chron. v. 10. where ttus transaction is recorded.
To Dan-jaan'X Or, to Dan, iff the voodt. This is the place so frequently xae&tioned, situated at the foot of mount Libanua, near to the source oi the Jofdao, the most norA- *nt dty of all the posseMiona of the Israelites, in what was caUed the promised land as Beer-sheba was the most touthem I hence the common form of spcceh, JVvflt Dan to Beer-tktba, i. e. from nor^ to aouih.
Verse 7. The tlrong'hold qf TVre] This must have been the old city of lyre, which was built on dta main land: the new city was built on a rock in the sea.
Verse 6. Ifitu noniho md htaiUy tfays.] This was a eoDsiderable time: but they had much work lodo; nor did th^ complete the work, as appears from I Chron. xzi. 6. xxvii. 24. TVUiiam the Conqueror made a survey of all England,)>wticularizing " how many hides or canicates the land is taxed at; whose it was in the time of his predecessor Edward; who the present owner and sub* tenants t what sad how much arable ian^ meadow, oasture,and«oad,dtereiB; bow much in deoiesiM t i.e.held and cultivated by the land-owners; how much in teiuuiBy, and what number of ploughs it will keep i what mills ana flsherien; how many sockmen, freemen, co-liberti, eotarii, Mrdarii, radmanot, radchenistera, villains, rosid-servants, sndboodmeiv there are t how many hogs the woods would
land, they came to Jerusalem at the end nine months and twenty days.
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the nomber of the people unto the king: 'and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men thskt drew the sword; and the men of Judah vere five hundred thousand men.
10 And * David's heart smote him aAer that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now I beseMh thee, O Lord, take away tike iniquity of thy servaot; for I have ' done very foolishly.
11 For when David vras up in the morning, the word of the Lord came onto Aa prophrt * Gad. David's ' seer, saying,
12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall " seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land 7 or wilt thoa flee three months before thine enemies, while thej
fiursue thee? or that there be three days' pestience in thy land? Now advise, and see wliat answer I shall return to him that sent me.
14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a grtaX
support; how many churches, priests, or parsons; what customary rents, prestations, and services, are to be paid and rendered out of the lands; what has been added to the manor; wbathaabeen witlAeMfromit, and Wwk(») what land is waste, and what the whole was let tor in ibo time of King Edward; and what the net rent, and wbeiber it was too dear rented, and whether it mi^t be improyed." This survey was begun in the year 1080, and was finidted in the year 1086; nx yeart having been employed in the work. This most important document is still preserred: it is in the Chapter Houte, Weetminater; in two vohunes; one ^fo, on three hundred and eighty-two leaves ot vellum; the other in quarto, on./bur liundred aiid My leaves j and is in as good preservation as it was »nm ku«- dred years ago I This work was much more difficult than that which was performed by Joab and his fellows.
Verse 9. In Israel eight hundred thousand — tn Judah Jtve hundred Ihousana] In the parallel place, I Chron. xxi. 5. the sums are widely different: in Israel one milium one hundred thouaand; in Judah four hundred and se»- enty thousand. Neither of these sums la loo great; but they cannot be both correct; and which is the true number is aifficult to say. The former seems the most likely; box more corruptions have taken place in the minsters of the historical books of the Old Testament, than in any other part of the Sacred Records. To attempt to reconcile item IS lost labour: better at once acknowledge what caanot b« euccessfidly denied, that, aldioarii the original vritere of the Old Testament wrote under nie influenee of die Divine Spirit, yet we are not told that the same influence desmcs}- ed on all copiers of their words, so as absolutely U> praveot them from making mistakes. They might mjstake: and they did mistake.
Verse 10, David said — / hate sinned greatlyl We know not exactly in what this sin consisted. I have al-' ready hintid, var. 1. that probably David now began i« covet on extension of empire, and purposed to unite soma of the neighbouring states with his own; and havings tlirough the suggestions of Satan, or some odiier adta-wy,.U>T so the word implies, given way to this covetous disfosition, he could not well Took to God for help; and, thwefore, wished to know whether the thousands of Israel and Judah might be deemed eqtwl to the conquests which he meditated. When Ghx) is ofibndet^ and raiuses asaistanwy vain is the help of man.
Verse 1 1. for uhen David tsos up] It is supposed that David's contrition arose frpm the reproof given Inr Gsd: and that, in the order of time, the r^roof came beam the confession, stated in the lOth verse.
DavitTt Mer] A holy man of God, under the Anns inflnencp, whom David had as a domestic chaplain.
Verne 13. Shall mm ytara ^/aminej In 1 Cfanm. xxi. 12. the number is three, not ttxen; and herit, the Stptuagint hss thref^ the same as in Chronicles: diia no doubt, the true reading; the letter t ziitn, sxvxn, beinc mistaken (or i eimel, thbck, A mistake of this kind might be cswly made, from the similarity of ifat klters^
Btrait: let na fkll now into the hand of the Lobd; ■for his mercies are ' great: and ^let me not Eim into the hand of man.
15 11 So 0 the Lord sent a pestitence upon larael, from the morninc even to the time appointed: and there died of the people, from Daa even to Beer-sheba, seventy thousand men.
16 ' And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, ■ the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine band. Andtheangelof the Lord was by the thrashinj^-place of ' Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And Davtd spake unto the Lord, when he «aw the ongel that smote the people, and said, Lo, " I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done'f Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and againnt my father's house.
18 1[ And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, * Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the thrashing-floor of * Araunah the J^nsite.
19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded.
20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king
Tens 14. I am in a great atraii: let u» fait mne into 8u kandtif dUlisrrfl Dnid acted nobly in thia buaineM; had he choaen wr, nis own personal aafety was in no danger; becauie diere was already an ordinance preventingnim from going to battle. Had he choaeo yamtne, hia own weaWi would have secured hia and his ovn family's support: but he showed the greatness of his mind in choosing the peOiienct, to the mvages of which himself and housaboM were exposed equally with the meanest of his Bubieeta.
Verse IS. F^vm As morning— to At time mpointed] Tbal \», from the morning of the day after I>avid had made bis election, till the mird day. according to the condition which God had proposed, and he had accepted:'but it seems that the plague was terminated before tba oonclu- •ion of the third day; for Jerusalem might have been de- ■treved, but it waa not. Throughout uis land, iodwendnuy of the eit^. aetenty thouMtid persons wen slaio! ^niis was a ternble mortality in die space of less than three dajra,
Versel6. TluaTigtlttretAedmU his band upon Jerv- «al0m] By vhat means this destruction took place we know not: it appeva that an angel was employed in it; and that diis mmister (tf dirine justice actually appeared as an tibject of nght; for it is said, ver. 17. THun David taw the angtt that tmott Ike people, he said, &c.; and both Or nan and his four sons saw him and were afirighted, 1 Chron. xzi. 20.
The tkraAing-plaoe ^ Armxnah\ These, we have already seen, were made in the open air. In the parallel place, 1 Chroo. xxi. 18, 20, &a. this person is called Oman. The word that we render Araunah, is written in Ibis very chapter ni-vM Aumdi, ver. 16. rt-rm Amiah, yer. 18. wwt Arunah or Aravnakt ver. 20. and the following: but in every place in 1 Chron. zxi. where ii occurs, it IS written p-w Aman. It is likely he had boUi names, Arunah and Arnan; but the varieties of spelling in 3 Sam. must arise from the blunders of transcribers.