Vers. 29-32. The officials for the external business. — Ver. 29. "As to the Izharites, Chenaniah (see on xv. 22) with his sons was for the outward business over Israel for scribes and judges." According to this, the external business of the Levites consisted of service as scribes and judges, for which David had set apart 6000 Levites (xxiii. 4). Without sufficient reason, Bertheau would refer the external business to the exaction of the dues for the temple, because in Neh. xi. 16 iWnn n5 t^- for the temple is spoken of. But it does not at all follow that in our verse the external work had any reference to the temple, and that the scribes and judges had only this narrow sphere of action, since here, instead of the house of God, wjfc*!?tf is mentioned as the object with which the external service was connected. — Ver. 30. Of llebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, 1700 valiant men, were 'fc^ 1T!i?S?y? for the oversight (inspection) of Israel this side Jordan, for all the business of Jahve and the service of the king. Bertheau takes rFjjja to mean " due," u fixed tribute," a meaning which the word cannot be shown to have. The LXX. have translated correctly, eVl t?}? eTTLo-fce-tyeods tov 'lo-parjX, ad inspectionem Israelis, i.e. pr&fecti erant (J. H. Mich.). For l"Hi?3?JJ is in ver. 32 rendered by?JJ ^Pp\ IT!?? "l?{?9 is shown by the addition HTiyo to refer to the land of Canaan, as in Josh. v. 1, xxii. 7, since Israel, both under Joshua and also after the exile, had come from the eastward over Jordan into Canaan. The words fl3KPD and rnhy are synonymous, and are consequently both represented in ver. 32 by "CT. — Ver. 31 f. David set another branch of the Hebronites, under the head Jeriah (cf. xxiii. 9), over the East-Jordan tribes. Between the words " Jeriah the head," ver. 31, and WJ*0» ver. 32, a parenthesis is inserted, which gives the reason why David made these Hebronites scribes and judges among the East-Jordan tribes. The parenthesis runs thus: " As to the Hebronites, according to their generations, according to fathers, they were sought out in the fortieth year of David's rule, and valiant heroes were found among them in Jazer of Gilead." Jazer was a Levite city in the tribal domain of Gad, assigned, according to Josh. xxi. 39, to the Merarites (see on vi. 66). The number of these Hebronites was 2700 valiant men (ver. 32). The additional ntafctn *B*n is obscure, for if we take fins to be, as it often is in the genealogies, a contraction for rtaRTPB^ the number given does not suit; for a branch of the Hebronites cannot possibly have numbered 2700 f athers'-houses (warpial, groups of related households): they must be only 2700 men (En.?0? or heads of families, i.e. households. Not only the large number demands this signification, but also the comparison of this statement with that in ver. 30. The 1700?)n *J3 of which the Hebronite branch, Hashabiah with his brethren, consisted, were not so many irarpLai, but only so many men of this Trarpid. In the same way, the Hebronite branch of which Jeriah was head, with his brethren, 2700 W ^ were also not 2700 warpiai, but only so many men, that is, fathers of families. It is thus placed beyond doubt that rri3S *6?fiO cannot here denote the heads of fathers'-houses, but only heads of households. And accordingly we must not understand fli3*J? (ver. 31) of fathers'-houses, as the LXX. and all commentators do, but only of heads of households. The use of the verb rah1]? also favours this view, for this verb is not elsewhere used of the legal census of the people, i,e. the numbering and entering of them in the public lists, according to the great families and fathers'- houses. There may therefore be in Vi^n: a hint that it was not a genealogical census which was undertaken, but only a numbering of the heads of households, in order to ascertain the number of scribes and judges to be appointed. There yet remain in this section three things which are somewhat strange: 1. Only 1700 scribes and judges were set over the cis-Jordanic land, inhabited as it was by ten and a half tribes, while 2700 were set over the trans-Jordanic land with its two and a half tribes. 2. Both numbers taken together amount to only 4400 men, while David appointed G000 Levites to be scribes and judges. 3. The scribes and judges were taken only from two fathers'-houses of the Kohathites, while most of the other Levitical offices were filled by men of all the families of the tribe of Levi. On all these grounds, it is probable that our catalogue of the Levites appointed to be scribes and judges, i,e. for the external business, is imperfect.
CHAP. XXVII. — DIVISION OF THE ARMY. TRIBAL PRINCES, AD- MINISTRATORS OF THE DOMAINS, AND COUNCILLORS OF STATE.
This chapter treats of the organization of the army (vers. 1-15) and the public administration; in vers. 16-24, the princes of the twelve tribes being enumerated; in vers. 25-31, the managers of the royal possessions and domains; and in vers. 32-34, the chief councillors of the king. The information on these points immediately succeeds the arrangement of the service of the Levites, because, as we learn from ver. 23 f., David attempted in the last year of his reign to give a more stable form to the political constitution of the kingdom also. In the enumeration of the twelve divisions of the army, with their leaders (vers. 1-15), it is not indeed said when David organized the men capable of bearing arms for the alternating monthly service; but the reference in ver. 23 f. of our chapter to the numbering of the people, spoken of in chap, xxi., leaves no doubt of the fact that this division of the people stands in intimate connection with that numbering of the people, and that David caused the people to be numbered in order to perfect the military constitution of the kingdom, and to leave his kingdom to his son strong within and mighty without.
Vers. 1-15. The twelve divisions of the army. — Ver. 1. The lengthy superscription, " And the sons of Israel according to their number, the heads of the fathers'-houses, and the princes over the thousands and the hundreds, and their scribes, who served the king in regard to every matter of the divisions; which month for month of all months of the year went and came, one division 24,000 men," is towards the end so intimately interwoven with the divisions of the army, that it can only refer to this, i.e. only to the catalogue, vers. 2-15. Since, then, we find in this catalogue only the twelve classes, the number of the men belonging to each, and their leaders, and since for this the short superscription, u the Israelites according to their number, and the princes of the divisions which served the king," would be amply sufficient, Bertheau thinks that the superscription originally belonged to a more complete description of the classes and their different officers, of which only a short extract is here communicated. This hypothesis is indeed possible, but is not at all certain; for it is questionable whether, according to the above superscription, we have a right to expect an enumeration by name of the various officials who served the king in the classes of the army. The answer to this question depends upon our view of the relation of the words, "the heads of the fathers'-houses, and the princes," to the first clause, " the sons of Israel according to their number." Had these words been connected by the conjunction 1 (H?*TJ) with this clause, and thereby made co-ordinate with it, we should be justified in having such an expectation. But the want of the conjunction shows that these words form an apposition, which as to signification is subordinate to the main idea. If we take this appositional explanation to mean something like this, " the sons of Israel, according to their number, with the heads of the fathers'-houses and the princes," the emphasis of the superscription falls upon Dnsppp, and the number of the sons of Israel, who with their heads and princes were divided into classes, is announced to be the important thing in the following catalogue. That this is the meaning and object of the words may be gathered from this, that in the second half of the verse, the number of the men fit for service, who from month to month came and went as one class, is stated nnsn, one at a time (distributive), as in Judg. viii. 18, Num. xvii. 18, etc.; cf. E\v. § 313, a, note 1. W3
Kjn, used of entering upon and leaving the service (cf. 2 Chron. xxiii. 4, 8; 2 Kings xi. 5, 7, 9). But the words are hardly to be understood to mean that the classes which were in service each month were ordered from various parts of the kingdom to the capital, and there remained under arms; but rather, as Clericus, that they paratce essent ducum imperils pavere, si quid contigissety dum ceterce copice, si necesse essent, convenirent. — Ver. 2 ff. Over the first division was Jashobeam, sciL commander. The second ini??n&?y is to be rendered, u in his division were 24,000 men," i.e. they were reckoned to it. As to Jashobeam, see on xi. 11 and 2 Sam. xxiii. 8. — Ver. 3 further relates of him that he was of the sons (descendants) of Perez, and the head of all the army chiefs in the first month (i.e. in the division for the first month). — Ver. 4. Before H^1, according to xi. 12, |2 1JPK has been dropped out (see on 2 Sam. xxiii. 9). The words ifippnDl T&fl m?\>Kb are obscure. At the end of the sixth verse similar words occur, and hence Bertheau concludes that } before rivpo is to be struck out, and translates, " and his divisions, Mikloth the prince," which might denote, perhaps, u and his division is that over which Mikloth was prince." Older commentators have already translated the word in a similar manner, as signifying that Mikloth was prince or chief of this division under the Ahohite Eleazar. All that is certain is, that fivpft is a name which occurred in viii. 32 and ix. 37 among the Benjamites. — Ver. 5. Here the form of expression is changed; NDSfn *&, the chief of the third host, begins the sentence. As to Benaiah, see xi. 22 and the commentary on 2 Sam. xxiii. 20. G^fcO does not belong to faSH, but is the predicate of Benaiah: " the prince of the... was Benaiah... as head," sc. of the division for the third month. This is added, because in ver. 6 still a third military office held by Benaiah is mentioned. He was hero of the (among the) thirty, and over the thirty, i.e. more honoured than they (cf. xi. 25 and 2 Sam. xxiii. 23). — With ver. Qb cf. what is said on the similar words, ver. 4. — Ver. 7. From here onwards the mode of expression is very much compressed: thcf fourth of the fourth month, instead of the chief of the fourth host of the fourth month. Asahel (see xi. 26 and on 2 Sam. xxiii. 24) was slain by Abner (2 Sam. ii. 18-23) in the beginning of David's reign, and consequently long before the division of the army here recorded. The words, u and Zebadiah his son after him," point to his death, as they mention his son as his successor in the command of the fourth division of the
Vers. 16-24. The princes of the twelve tribes. — The enumeration of the tribal princes, commencing with the words, " and over the tribes of Israel," immediately follows the catalogue of the divisions of the army with their commanders, because the subjects are in so far connected as the chief management of the internal business of the people, divided as they were into tribes, was deposited in their hands. In the catalogue the tribes Gad and Asher are omitted for reasons unknown to us, just as in chap, iv.-vii., in the genealogies of the tribes, Dan and Zebulun are. In reference to Levi, on the contrary, the Nagid of Aaron, i.e. the head of the priesthood, is named, viz. Zadok, the high priest of the family of Eleazar. — Ver. 18. Elihu, of the brethren of David, is only another form of the name Eliab, ii.. 13, David's eldest brother, who, as Jesse's first-born, had become tribal prince of Judah. — Ver. 20 f. Of Manasseh two tribal princes are named, because the one half of this tribe had received its inheritance on this side Jordan, the other beyond Jordan. n"jyp a) towards Gilead, to designate the East-Jordan Manassites. — Vers. 23 and 24 contain a concluding remark on the catalogue of the twelve detachments into which the men capable of bearing arms in Israel were divided, contained in vers. 2-15. David had not taken their number from the men of twenty years and under, i.e. he had only caused those to be numbered who were over twenty years old. The word DiEDtt points back to DHQDftS Ver. 1. "lEDD Nb'3 as in Num. iii.
40 = B^"l K?tt, Ex. xxx. 12, Num. i. 49, to take up the sum or total. The reason of this is given in the clause, " for Jahvc had said
(promised) to increase Israel like to the stars of heaven" (Gen. xxii. 17), which cannot mean: For it was impossible for David to number all, because they were as numerous as the stars of heaven, which of course cannot be numbered (Berth.). The thought is rather that David never intended to number the whole people from the youngest to the eldest, for he did not desire in fidem divinarum promissionum inquirere aut earn labefactare (J. H. Mich.); and he accordingly caused only the men capable of bearing arms to be numbered, in order to organize the military constitution of the kingdom in the manner recorded in vers. 2-15. But even this numbering which Joab had begun was not completed, because wrath came on Israel because of it, as is narrated in chap. xxi. For this reason also the number, i.e. the result of the numbering begun by Joab, but not completed, is not included in the number of the chronicle of King David, i.e. in the official number which was usually inserted in the public annals. "iBpba neither stands for ^£?2l (according to 2 Chron. xx. 34), nor does it denote, " in the section which treats of the numberings" (Berth.). DW ^1*J is a shorter expression for 'n *>*}T\ "iQp? book of the events of the day.
Vers. 25-31. The managers of David' '$ possessions and domains. — The property and the income of the king were (ver. 25) divided into treasures of the king, and treasures in the country, in the cities, the villages, and the castles. By the " treasures of the kino;" we must therefore understand those which were in Jerusalem, i.e. the treasures of the royal palace. These were managed by Azmaveth. The remaining treasures are specified in ver. 26 ff. They consisted in fields which were cultivated by labourers (ver. 26); in vineyards (ver. 27); plantations of olive trees and sycamores in the Shephelah, the fruitful plain on the Mediterranean Sea (ver. 28); in cattle, which pastured partly in the plain of Sharon between Ccesarea Palestina and Joppa (see p. 107 f.), partly in various valleys of the country (ver. 29); and in camels, asses, and sheep (ver. 30 f.). All these possessions are called K^3"|, and the overseers of them cwn,nb\ They consisted in the produce of agriculture and cattle-breeding, the two main branches of Israelitish industry. — Ver. 27. Special officers were set over the vineyards and the stores of wine. The P in DWSStP is a contraction of IPK.: " over that which was in the vineyards of treasures (stores) of wine." The officer over the vineyards, Shimei, was of liamah in Benjamin (cf. Josh, xviii. 25); be who was over the stores of wine, Zabdi, is called ^p&n, probably not from Djp^ on the northern frontier of Canaan, Num. xxxiv. 10, the situation of which has not yet been discovered, but from the equally unknown T\)Dpu} in the Negeb of Judah, 1 Sam. xxx. 28. For since the vineyards, in which the stores of wine were laid up, must certainly have lain in the tribal domain of Judah, so rich in wine (Num. xiii. 23 ff.; Gen. xlix. 11), probably the overseers of it were born in the same district. — Ver. 28. As to the njse^ see on Josh. xv. 33. W, he who was born in Geder, not Gedera, for which we should expect W"B5 (xii. 4), although the situation of Gedera, south-east from Jabne (see on xii. 4), appears to suit better than that of TJ9 or ">Vl3 in the hill country of Judah; see Josh. xii. 13 and xv. 58. — Ver. 30. The name of the Ishmaelite who was set over the camels, Obil (^itf), reminds us of the Arab
Jj\ multos possedit vel acquisivit camelos. VCngn, he of Mero- noth (ver. 30 and Neh. iii. 17). The situation of this place is unknown. According to Neh. iii. 7, it is perhaps to be sought in the neighbourhood of Mizpah. Over the smaller cattle (sheep and goats) Jaziz the Hagarite, of the people Hagar (cf. v. 10), was set. The oversight, consequently, of the camels and sheep was committed to a Hagarite and an Ishmaelite, probably because they pastured in the neighbourhood where the Ishmaelites and Hagarites had nomadized from early times, they having been brought under the dominion of Israel by David. The total number of these officials amounted to twelve, of whom we may conjecture that the ten overseers over the agricultural and cattlebreeding affairs of the king had to deliver oyer the annual proceeds of the property committed to them to the chief manager of the treasures in the field, in the cities, and villages, and towns.
Vers. 32-34. David's councillors. This catalogue of the king's officials forms a supplementary companion piece to the catalogues of the public officials, chap, xviii. 15-17, and 2 Sam. viii. 15-18 and xx. 25, 26. Besides Joab, who is met with in all catalogues as prince of the host, i.e. commander-in-chief, we find in our catalogue partly other men introduced, partly other duties of the men formerly named, than are mentioned in these three catalogues. From this it is clear that it is not the chief public officials who are enumerated, but only the first councillors of the king, who formed as it were his senate, and that the catalogue probably is derived from the same source as the preceding cata logues. Jonathan, the iSl of David. The word in generally denotes a father's brother; but since a Jonathan, son of Shimea, the brother of David, occurs xx. 7 and 2 Sam. xxi. 21, Schmidt and Bertheau hold him to be the same as our Jonathan, when 1)1 would be used in the general signification of " relative," here of a nephew. Nothing certain can be ascertained in reference to it. He was YV)\ councillor, and, as is added, a wise and learned man. "l&iD is here not an official designation, but signifies literatus, learned, scholarly, as in Ezra vii. 6. Jehiel, the son of Hachmon, was with the children of the king, i.e. was governor of the royal princes. — Ver. 33. Ahithophel was also, according to 2 Sam. xv. 31, xvi. 23, David's confidential adviser, and took his own life when Absalom, in his conspiracy against David, did not regard his counsel (2 Sam. xvii.). Hushai the Archite was also a friend and adviser of David (2 Sam. xv. 37 and xvi. 16), who caused Absalom to reject Ahithophel's counsel (2 Sam. xvii.). — Ver. 34. After Ahithophel, i.e. after his death, was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah {soil, counsellor of the king), and Abiathar. As Benaiah the son of Jehoiada is elsewhere, when named among the public officials of David, called chief of the royal body-guard (cf. xviii. 17), Bertheau does not scruple to transpose the names here. But the hypothesis of such a transposition is neither necessary nor probable in the case of a name which, like Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, so frequently occurs (e.g. in ver. 5). Since sons not unfrequently received the name of the grandfather, Jehoiada the son of the hero Benaiah may have been named after his grandfather Jehoiada. Abiathar is without doubt the high priest of this name of Ithamar's family (xv. 11, etc.; see on v. 27-31), and is here mentioned as being also a friend and adviser of David. As to Joab, see on xviii. 15.
In order to give over the throne before his death to his son Solomon, and so secure to him the succession, and facilitate his accomplishment of the great work of his reign, the building of the temple, David summoned the estates of his kingdom, the court officials, and the heroes of the people in Jerusalem. In a solemn address he designated Solomon as his divinely chosen successor on the throne, and exhorted him to keep the commandments of God, to serve the Lord with devoted heart, and to build Plim a house for a sanctuary (xxviii. 1-10). He then committed to Solomon the sketches and plans for the sacred buildings and sacred objects of various sorts, with the confident promise that he, by the help of God, and with the co-operation of the priests and of the people, would complete the work (vers. 11-21). Finally, he announced, in the presence of the whole assembly, that he gave over his treasures of gold and silver to this building, and called upon the chiefs of the people and kingdom for a voluntary contribution for the same purpose; and on their freely answering this call, concluded with a solemn prayer of thanks, to which the whole assembly responded, bowing low before God and the king (xxix. 1-20). This reverence they confirmed by numerous burnt - offerings and thank-offerings, and by the repeated anointing of Solomon to be king (vers. 21 and 22).
Chap, xxviii. 1-10. David summoned the estates of the kingdom, and presented Solomon to them as his divinely chosen successor on the throne. — Ver. 1. " All the princes of Israel'' is the general designation, which is then specialized. In it are included the princes of the tribes who are enumerated in chap, xxvii. 16-22, and the princes of the divisions which served the king, who are enumerated in xxvii. 1-15; the princes of thousands and hundreds are the chiefs and captains of the twelve army corps (xxvii. 1), who are subordinate to the princes of the host; the princes of all the substance and possessions of the king are the managers of the domains enumerated in xxvii. 25-31. ^5- is added to %f?, u of the king and of his sons," because the possession of the king as a property belonging to the house (domanium) belonged also to his sons. The Vulg. incorrectly translates VJJp filiosque suos, for in this connection? cannot be nota accus. D^p^nen Dy? with (together with) the court officials. lTD^iD are not eunuchs, but royal chamberlains, as in 1 Sam. viii. 15; see on Gen. xxxvii. 36. D'Hiaan has been well translated by the LXX. tovs Swao-ras, for here the word does not denote properly or merely war heroes, but powerful influential men in general, who did not occupy any special public or court office. In <n "riarTOT all the others who were present in the assembly are comprehended. — Ver. 2. The king rose to his feet, in order to speak to the assembly standing; till then he had, on account of his age and feebleness, sat, not lain in bed, as Kimchi and others infer from 1 Kings i. — Ver. 3. The address, "My brethren and my people," is expressive of condescending goodwill; cf. on '■nx, 1 Sam. xxx. 23, 2 Sam. xix. 13. What David here says (vers. 3-7) of the temple building, he had in substance already (chap. xxii. 7-13) said to his son Solomon: I, it was with my heart, i.e. I purposed (cf. xxii. 7) to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Jahve, and the footstool of the feet of our God, i.e. for the ark and for the capporeth upon it, which is called " footstool of the feet of our God," because God was enthroned above the cherubim upon the capporeth. a And I have prepared to build," i.e. prepared labour and materials, xxii. 2-4 and 14 ff.; on ver. 3, cf. xxii. 8. — In ver. 4 David states how his election to be king was of God, who had chosen Judah to be ruler (cf. v. 2); and just so (vers. 5, 6) had God chosen Solomon from among all his many sons to be heir to the throne, and committed to him the building of the temple; cf. xxii. 10. The expression, " throne of the kingdom of Jahve," and more briefly, " throne of Jahve " (xxix. 23, or '■Hw*?, xvii. 14), denotes that Jahve is the true King of Israel, and had chosen Solomon as He had chosen David to be holder and administrator of His kingly dominion. — On vers. 66 and 7, cf. xxii. 10 and xvii. 11 f.; and with the condition '\X\ ptrp DX? cf. 1 Kings iii. 14, ix. 4, where God imposes an exactly similar condition on Solomon, njn Dis3, as is done at this time; cf. 1 Kings viii. 61, and the commentary on Deut. ii. 30. On this speech J. H. Mich, well remarks: " iota heve narratio aptata est ad propositum Davidis: vult enim Salomoni auctoritatem apud principes et fratres conciliare^ ostendendo, own humana, sed divina voluntate electum esse." To this David adds an exhortation to the whole assembly (ver. 8), and to his son Solomon (ver. 9), to hold fast their faithfulness to God. — Ver. 8. '; And now before the eyes of all Israel, of the congregation of Jahve (collected in their representatives), and into the ears of our God (so that God should hear as witness), (scil. I exhort you), observe and seek... that ye may possess (that is, keep as possession) the good land (cf. Deut. iv. 21 f.), and leave it to your sons after you for an inheritance" (cf. Lev. xxv. 46). — In ver. 9 he turns to his son Solomon in particular with the fatherly exhortation, " My son, know thou the God of thy father (i.e. of David, who has ever helped him, Ps. xviii. 3), and serve Him with whole (undivided) heart (xxix. 9, 19; 1 Kings viii. 61) and willing soul.r To strengthen this exhortation, David reminds him of the omniscience of God. Jahve seeks, I.e. searches, all hearts and knows all the imagination of the thoughts; cf. Ps. vii. 10, 1 Sam. xvi. 7, Jer. xi. 20, Ps. cxxxix. 1 ff. ntaSFTO 1£ as in Gen. vi. 5. With the last clauses cf. Deut. iv. 29, Isa. lv. 6, etc. n\3r;? only here and 2 Chron. xi. 14, xxix. 19. — With ver. 10 the discourse turns to the building of the temple. The exhortation HOT p]n is interrupted by the giving over of the sketches and plans of the temple, and is taken up again only in ver. 20.
Vers. 11-19. The sketches and plans of the sacred buildings and vessels. — The enumeration begins in ver. 11 with the temple house, progressing from outside to inside, and in ver. 12 goes on to the courts and the buildings in them, and in ver. 13 ff. to the vessels, etc. n^3fi, model, pattern; cf. Ex. xxv. 9; here the sketches and drawings of the individual things. VrG'TifcO is a contraction for VP3 mnrrriKI and the suffix refers, as the succeeding words show, not to &^iN?, but to ^2n? which may be easily supplied from the context (ver. 10). In the porch there were no houses. The B^2 are the buildings of the temple house, viz. the holy place and the most holy, with the three-storeyed side-building, which are specified in the following words. V3U3 occurs only here, but is related to D^tta, Esth. iii. 9, iv. 7, Ezra xxvii. 24, and to the Chald. PW3, Ezra vii. 20, and signifies store and treasure chambers, for which the chambers of the three-storeyed sidebuilding served, rrivy are the upper chambers over the most holy place, 2 Chron. iii. 9; EWsn vTin are the inner rooms of the porch and of the holy place, since l"nb3n 1V3, the house of the ark with the mercy-seat, i.e. the most holy place, is mentioned immediately after. — Ver. 12. And the pattern, i.e. the description of all that was in the spirit with him, i.e. what his spirit had designed, rrn¥r6 as to the courts. 2^D niD£9!V727 in reference to all the chambers round about, i.e. to all the rooms on the four sides of the courts. rn"l¥N?? for the treasures of the house of God; see on xxvi. 20. — Ver. 13. '^n rrippnDTi (continuation of nn>'N7)7 a and for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of the service, and for all vessels," — for for all these purposes, viz. for the sojourn of the priests and Levites in the service, as well as for the performance of the necessary works, e.g. preparation of the shew-bread, cooking of the sacrificial flesh, holding of the sacrificial meals, and for the storing of the vessels necessary for these purposes, the cells and buildings of the courts were set apart. — With ver. 14 begins the enumeration of the vessels, nn^ is co-ordinate with nbK9!T?3?... nnvr6 ver. 12:
he gave him the description of that which he had in mind " with regard to the golden (i.e. to the golden vessels, cf. xxix. 2), according to the weight of the golden, for all vessels of every service/' in regard to all silver vessels according to the weight. — With ver. 15 the construction hitherto employed is dropped. According to the usual supposition, the verb \^)_ is to be supplied from ver. 11 after?i^'Efi: " and gave him the weight for the golden candlesticks and their golden lamps," 3HT being in a state of free subordination to the word BiTrroi (J. H. Mich., Berth., and others). But apart from the fact that no analogous case can be found for such a subordination (for in 2 Chron. ix. 15, which Berth, cites as such, there is no subordination, for there the first ttlfflp 3HT is the accusative of the material dependent upon fe$3), the supplying of |JW gives no suitable sense; for David here does not give Solomon the metal for the vessels, but, according to vers. 11, 12, 19, only a l")\nn, pattern or model for them. If \W} be supplied, jrij must be u he appointed," and so have a different sense here from that which it has in ver. 11. This appears very questionable, and it is simpler to take s\>y® without the article, as an accusative of nearer definition, and to connect the verse thus: " and (what he had in mind) as weight for the golden candlesticks and their lamps, in gold, according to the weight of each candlestick and its lamps, and for the silver candlesticks, in weight — n*!UV3, according to the service of each candlestick" (as it corresponded to the service of each). — In ver. 1G the enumeration is continued in very loose connection: " And as to the gold (nx, quoad; cf. Ew. § 277, d) by weight (%**?, ace. of free subordination) for the tables of the spreading out, i.e. of the shew-bread (n^JflD = Dr6 nr»J{», 2 Chron. xiii. 11; see on Lev. xxiv. 6), for each table, and silver for the silver tables." Silver tables, i.e. tables overlaid with silver-lamin, and silver candlesticks (ver. 15), are not elsewhere expressly mentioned among the temple vessels, since the whole of the vessels are nowhere individually registered even in the description of the building of the temple. Yet, when the temple was repaired under Joash, 2 Kings xii. 14, 2 Chron. xxiv. 14, and when it was destroyed by the Chaldeans, 2 Kings xxv. 15, vessels of gold and silver are spoken of. The silver candlesticks were probably, as Kimchi has conjectured, intended for the priests engaged in the service, and the tables for reception of the sacrificial flesh after it had been prepared for burning upon the altar. — Ver. 17. Before 'ttl nfoj?©ni we should probably supply from ver. 11: " he gave him the pattern of the forks... *3$B3pi, and for the golden tankards, according to the weight of each tankard." For nWTD and nip"iTD, see on 2 Chron. iv. 22. frtfef, (nrovSeia, cups for the libations, occur only in Ex. xxv. 29, xxxvii. 16, and Num. iv. 7. "tine 3HT, in free subordination: of pure gold. D^tifiS) from 1S^, to cover, are vessels provided with covers, tankards; only mentioned here and in Ezra i. 10, viii. 27. — Ver. 18. And (the pattern) for the altar of incense of pure gold by weight. In the second member of the verse, at the close of the enumeration, n^3n, from vers. 11, 12, is again taken up, but with?, which Berth, rightly takes to be nota accus.: and (gave him) " the model of the chariot of the cherubim of gold, as spreading out (wings), and sheltering over the ark of the covenant of Jahve." Mtfisn is not subordinated in the genitive to i"Q3"]ttn, but is in explanatory apposition to it. The cherubim, not the ark, are the chariot upon which God enters or is throned; cf. Ps. xviii. 11, xcix. 1, Ex. xxv. 22. The conception of the cherubim set upon the golden cover of the ark as nn3"in is derived from the idea 3Vi3"?y 33"P, Ps. xviii. 11. Ezekiel, it is true, saw wheels on the throne of God under the cherubim (i. 15 ff., 26), and in accordance with this the LXX. and Vulg. have made a cherubim-chariot out of the words (apfia tcov Xepov/31/ji, quadriga cherubim); but as against this Berth, rightly remarks, that the idea of a chariot of the cherubim does not at all appear in the two sculptured cherubim upon the ark, nor yet in our passage. D^BHb? (without the article, and with?) Berth, thinks quite unintelligible, and would alter the text, reading MSDftl D*fcnfen? because the two participles should be in apposition to DWQH. But this is an error; for neither by the meaning of the words, nor by the passages, 2 Chron. v. 8, Ex. xxv. 20, 1 Kings viii. 7, are we compelled to make this alteration. The two first-mentioned passages prove the opposite, viz. that these participles state for what purpose the cherubim are to serve. Mibl DHenbfc have the signification of *na DWian vrn D*JM3j " that the cherubim might be spreading wings and protecting" (Ex. xxv. 20), as J. II. Mich, has rightly seen. This use of?, where in? even without a verb the idea of u becoming something" lies, but which Berth, does not understand, has been already discussed, E\v. § 217, <7, and illustrated by passages, among which 1 Chron. xxviii. 18 is one. The reference to Ex. xxv. 20 explains also the use of feHB without D?SJ3, the author of the
Chronicle not thinking it necessary to give the object of bna^ as he might assume that that passage would be known to readers of his book. — Yer. 19. In giving over to Solomon the model of all the parts and vessels of the temple enumerated in vers. 11-18, David said: u All this, viz. all the works of the pattern, has He taught by writing from the hand of Jahve which came upon me."?3H is more closely defined by the apposition flin^D?3 'nn. That the verse contains words of David is clear from vy. The subject of?*3&ri is Jahve, which is easily supplied from mrv "Pp. It is, however, a question with what we should connect vy. Its position before the verb, and the circumstance that ^t^n construed with?y pers. does not elsewhere occur, are against its being taken with 9*3^1; and there remains, therefore, only the choice between connecting it with nilY1 TO and with 3TD3. In favour of the last, Ps. xl. 8, vy 3^3, prescribed to me, may be compared; and according to that, vy 3H3 can only mean, " what is prescribed to me;" cf. for the use of 3fl3 for written prescription, the command in 2 Chron. xxxv. 4. Bertheau accordingly translates vy nirp TO 31333, " by a writing given to me for a rule from Jahve's hand," and understands the law of Moses to be meant, because the description of the holy things in Ex. xxv. ff. is manifestly the basis of that in our verses. But had David wished to say nothing further than that he had taken the law in the Scriptures for the basis of his pattern for the holy things, the expression which he employs would be exceedingly forced and wilfully obscure. And, moreover, the position of the words would scarcely allow us to connect 3H33 with vy, for in that case we should rather have expected nin*1 TO *py ^^O?. We must there take vy alono; with TVfiV TO; « writing from the hand of Jahve came upon me," i.e., according to the analogy of the phrase HJVn •6y mrv T (2 Kings iii. 15, Ezek. i. 3, iii. 14, etc.), a writing coming by divine revelation, or a writing composed in consequence of divine revelation, and founded upon divine inspiration. David therefore says that he had been instructed by a writing resting upon divine inspiration as to all the works of the pattern of the temple. This need not, however, be understood to mean that David had received exemplar vel idcam tcnqili et vasorum sacrorum immediately from J alive, either by a prophet or by vision, as the model of the tabernacle was shown to Moses on the mount (Ex. xxv. 40, xxvii. 8); for it signifies only that he had not himself invented the pattern which he had committed to writing, i.e. the sketches and descriptions of the temple and its furniture and vessels, but had drawn them up under the influence of divine inspiration.
Vers. 20, 21. In conclusion, David encourages his son to go forward to the work with good courage, for his God would not forsake him; and the priests and Levites, cunning workmen, and the princes, together with the whole people, would willingly support him. With the encouragement, ver. 20a, cf. xxii. 13; and with the promise, ver. 20b, cf. Deut. xxxi. 6, 8, Josh. i. 5. WN, my God, says David, ut in mentem ei revocet, quomodo multis in periculis servatus sit (Lav.). n*J2JJ ^fcytt"?^, all the workbusiness, i.e. all the labour necessary for the building of the house of God. — Ver. 21. n?r\) {s fittingly translated by Clericus, " en habesT The reference which lies in the H3n to the classes of the priests and Levites, i.e. the priests and Levites divided into classes, does not presuppose their presence in the assembly. With the rtifil corresponds ^W^\ with thee, i.e. for assistance to thee, in the second half of the verse. The? before n^rOT a are all freely willing with wisdom," in the middle of the sentence introducing the subject is strange; Bertheau would therefore strike it out, thinking that, as ot goes immediately before, and follows immediately afterwards twice,?y? here may easily be an error for?3. This is certainly possible; but since this? is very frequently used in the Chronicle, it is a question whether it should not be regarded as authentic, " serving to bring into emphatic prominence the idea of the 3HJ?3: with thee is for each business, what regards each willing person, for also all willing persons;" cf. Ew. § 310, a. nnj - ajj 3HJ, 2 Chron. xxix. 31, Ex. xxxv. 5, 22, usually denotes him who brings volun tary gifts, but here, him who voluntarily brings wisdom to every service, who willingly employs his wisdom and knowledge in a service. Cunning, intelligent workmen and artists are meant, xxii. 15, 2 Chron. ii. 6. T"^'^, " towards all thy words," i.e. as thou sayest or commandest them, the princes and the people, or callest upon them for assistance in the work.
Chap. xxix. 1-9. Contributions of the collected princes for the building of the temple. — David then turns to the assembled princes to press upon them the furthering of the building of the temple. After referring to the youth of his son, and to the greatness of the work to be accomplished (ver. 1), he mentions what materials he has prepared for the building of the temple (ver. 2); then further states what he has resolved to give in addition from his private resources (ver. 4); and finally, after this introduction, calls upon those present to make a voluntary collection for this great work (ver. 5). The words, " as only one hath God chosen him," form a parenthesis, which is to be translated as a relative sentence for "my son, whom alone God hath chosen." ^"JJ "WJ as in xxii. 5. The work is great, because not for man the palace, scil. is intended, i.e. shall be built, but for Jahve God. "Ty?"?, the citadel, the palace; a later word, generally used of the residence of the Persian king (Esth. i. 2, 5, ii. 3; Neh. i. 1), only in Neh. ii, 8 of the citadel by the temple; here transferred to the temple as the glorious palace of Jahve, the God-king of Israel. With ver. 2a, cf. xxii. 14. 'til ZSvb nnjn, the gold for the golden, etc., i.e. for the vessels and ornaments of gold, cf. xxviii. 14. \J2X D'K)?D* DAB? as in Ex. xxv. 7, xxxv. 9, precious stones for the ephod and choshen. Dnfe^ probably beryl. D^?p HX3&9 stones of filling, that is, precious stones which are put in settings. ipB VDK, stones of pigment, i.e. ornament, conjecturally precious stones which, from their black colour, were in appearance like TpB, stibium, a common eye pigment (see 2 Kings ix. 30). »"I^i?"? *3*% stones of variegated colour, i.e. with veins of different colours. rnj£ ]2Ky precious stones, according to 2 Chron. iii. 6, for ornamenting the walls. 6W V)2K3 white marble stones. — Ver. 3. "And moreover, because I have pleasure in the house of my God, there is to me a treasure of gold and silver; it have I appointed for the house of my God over and above all that..." •Jjfr?n with hh without the relative, cf. xv. 12.— Ver. 4. Gold 3000 talents, i.e. about 13J, or, reckoning according to the royal shekel, 6 J millions of pounds; 7000 talents of silver, circa 2 J or 1^ millions of pounds: see on xxii. 14. Gold of Ophir, i.e. the finest, best gold, corresponding to the pure silver. D^?? to overlay the inner walls of the houses with gold and silver leaf. P^SH as in xxviii. 11, the different buildings of the temple. The walls of the holy place and of the most holy, of the porch and of the upper chambers, were overlaid with gold (cf. 2 Chron. iii. 4-6, 8, 9), and probably only the inner walls of the side buildings. — Ver. 5. 3HP nnjPj for every golden thing, etc., cf. ver. 2. "siX HSfcOD, and in general for every work to be wrought by the hands of the artificer. W, who then is willing (n expressing it as the consequence). To fill one's hand to the Lord, means to provide oneself with something which one brings to the Lord; see on
Ex. xxxii. 29. The infinitive ni&OD occurs also in Ex. xxxi. 5 and Dan. ix. 4, and along with Kpb, 2 Chron. xiii. 9. — Ver. 6 f. The princes follow the example, and willingly respond to David's call. rfawj -nb = ntafcjn qftn, xxiv. 31, xxvii. 1, etc. *$* 'on ^5^v^> an(^ as regards the princes of the work of the king. The ijteS mpa efcn n^ xxviii. 1, the officials enumerated in xxvii. 25-31 are meant; on p see on xxviii. 21. They gave 5000 talents of gold (22J or 11J millions of pounds), and 1000 darics = 11J millions of pounds. tfSTHK, with X prosth. here and in Ezra viii. 27, and ItofJI, Ezra ii. 69, Neh. vii. 70 ff., does not correspond to the Greek Bpa^/nijj Arab, dirhem, but to the Greek Bapet,fc6$, as the Syrian translation |jo2_»55, Ezra viii. 27, shows; a Persian gold coin worth about 22s. 6d. See the description of these coins, of which several specimens still exist, in Cavedoni bill. Numismatiky iibers. von A. Werlhof, S. 84 ff.; J. Brandis, das Miinz-Mass und Gewiclits system in Vorderasien (1866), S. 244; and my bibl. Arc/idol. § 127, 3. a Our historian uses the words used in his time to designate the current gold coins, without intending to assume that there were darics in use in the time of David, to state in a way intelligible to his readers the amount of the sum contributed by the princes " (Bertheau). This perfectly correct remark does not, however, explain why the author of the Chronicle has stated the contribution in gold and that in silver in different values, in talents and in darics, since the second cannot be an explanation of the first, the two sums being different. Probably the sum in darics is the amount which they contributed in gold pieces received as coins; the talents, on the other hand, probably represent the weight of the vessels and other articles of gold which they brought as offerings for the building. The amount contributed in silver is not large when compared with that in gold: 10,000 talents = £3,500,000, or one half that amount. The contribution in copper also, 18,000 talents, is not very large. Besides these, those who had stones, i.e. precious stones, also brought them, iflN N¥E3n? that was found with him, for: that which he (each one) had of stones they gave. The sing. ifiX is to be taken distributively, and is consequently carried on in the plural, UHD; cf Ew. § 319, a. B^3S is accus. of subordination. T 2tf IOJj to give over for administration (Ew. § 282, b). «W, the Levite family of this name which had the oversight of the treasures of the house of God (xxvi. 21 f.). — Ver. 9. The people and the king rejoiced over this willingness to give. Cip^ npzi^ as in xxviii. 9.
Vers. 10—19. David's thanksgiving prayer. — David gives fitting expression to his joy on the success of the deepest wish of his heart, in a prayer with which he closes the last parliament of his reign. Since according to the divine decree, not he, the man of war, but his son, the peace-king Solomon, was to build a temple to the Lord, David had taken it upon himself to prepare as far as possible for the carrying out of the work. He had also found the princes and chiefs of the people willing to further it, and to assist his son Solomon in it. In this the pious and greyhaired servant of the Lord saw a special proof of the divine favour, for which he must thank God the Lord before the whole congregation. He praises Jahve, " the God of Israel our father," ver. 10, or, as it is in ver. 18, u the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, our fathers." Jahve had clearly revealed himself to David and his people as the God of Israel and of the patriarchs, by fulfilling in so glorious a manner to the people of Israel, by David, the promises made to the patriarchs. God the Lord had not only by David made His people great and powerful, and secured to them the peaceful possession of the good land, by humbling all their enemies round about, but He had also awakened in the heart of the people such love to and trust in their God, that the assembled dignitaries of the kingdom showed themselves perfectly willing to assist in furthering the building of the house of God. In this God had revealed His greatness, power, glory, etc.', as David (in vers. 11, 12) acknowledges with praise: u Thine, Jahve, is the greatness," etc. nV3n? according to the Aramaic usage, gloria, splendour, honour.?3 '■S, yea all, still dependent on T? at the commencement of the sentence, so that we do not need to supply T? after "'S. " Thine is the dominion, and the raising of oneself to be head over all." In His ny?nn
God reveals His greatness, might, glory, etc. Nt^r1*? js not a participle requiring nn«; " thou art," to be supplied (Berth.), but an appellative, an Aramaic infinitive, — the raising oneself (Ew. § 160, e). — Ver. 12. " From Thee came the riches and the glory..., and in Thy hand is it (it lies) to make all things great and strong." — Ver. 13. For this we must thank God, and sing praise to His holy name. By the partic. DHto, from rrPn, confess, praise, the praising of God is characterized as an enduring praise, always rising anew. — Ver. 14. For man of himself can give nothing: " What am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to show ourselves so liberal? " nia "ivy, to hold strength together; both to have power to do anything (here
3-8). From Thy hand, i.e. that which is received from Thee, have in this connection we have no property, no enduring possession, since God had only given them the usufruct of the land:; and as of the land, so also of all the property of man. it is only a gift a pilgrimage (Heb. xi. 12, 13, 14), is presented to us by the brevity of life. As a shadow, so swiftly passing away, are our
Jer. xiv. 8). — Ver. 16. All the riches which we have prepared for the building of the temple come from the hand of God.
of heart, and that the people also have, to his joy, shown equal willingness. n?K~?3, all the treasures enumerated (vers. 3-8). The plural ^KSD|TJ refers to ^ftV, and the demonstrative n stands for ">KW as in xxvi. 28. — Ver. 18. He prays that God may enable the people ever to retain this frame of heart. DNT is more closely defined by 'no "W^ viz. the frame of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people. " And direct their heart (the people's heart) to Thee," cf. 1 Sam. vii. 3. — Ver. 19. And to Solomon may God give a whole (undivided) heart, that he may keep all the divine commands and do them, and build the temple. &?$? 3? as in ver. 9.?an r\\Wy?f that he may do all, soil, that the commands, testimonies, and statutes require. For »TV!3D, see ver. 1.
Vers. 20-22. Close of the public assembly. — Ver. 20. At the conclusion of the prayer, David calls upon the whole assembly to praise God; which they do, bowing before God and the king, and worshipping. ttHFlBfy *np4 connected as in Ex. iv. 31, Gen. xliii. 28, etc. — Ver. 21. To seal their confession, thus made in word and deed, the assembled dignitaries prepared a great sacrificial feast to the Lord on the following day. They sacrificed to the Lord sacrifices, viz. 1000 bullocks, 1000 rams, and 1000 lambs as burnt-offering, with drink-offerings to correspond, and sacrifices, i.e. thank-offerings (DS£X>), in multitude for all Israel, i.e. so that all those present could take part in the sacrificial meal prepared from these sacrifices. While E^C1?? in the first clause is the general designation of the bloody offerings as distinguished from the meat-offerings, in the last clause it is restricted by the contrast with ni?y and the &^t?, from which joyous sacrificial meals were prepared. — Ver. 22. On this day they made Solomon king a second time, anointing him king to the Lord, and Zadok to be priest, i.e. high priest. The TV)W refers back to chap. xxiii. 1, and the first anointing of Solomon narrated in 1 Kings i. 32 ff. iTHv, not: before Jahve, which? cannot signify, but: u to Jahve," in accordance with His will expressed in His choice of Solomon (xxviii. 4). The r5 before PH¥ is nota accus., as in nbpKv. From the last words we learn that Zadok received the high-priesthood with the consent of the estates of the kingdom.