Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
, 2 SAMUEL Vll, VIII. He Subdues the Philislineb.
Atvid Proposes to B iill Cue Temple.
thee an house—As a reward for his pious purpose, God would increase and maintain the family of David, and al Qath, or more prolinlily from Gath-rimnioii, one of the Levitical cities (J«slin;i 21. 24, >r>).
12-19. David Ai-'TURWAKns I'.kinhs xiiE Auk to Zion. 12. It was fold K.lii>/;- 2>i«vid, iiif';, TIuLoi-jl Uatli blessed tl»e lionsf nl" Oln-(i-<doiti ainl »ll t'nat i «rtalnrtli unto liiin, firvmwe of tlie i«rlt of Clott—The
secure tlie succession of the throne to his dynasty. 1:1. I will set up thy seed after thee, iScr.—It is customar.v for tlie C(f(/c4/.so)i born o/lcr fhe /allier's .succcts Uin to the throne to succeed liim in his dignity as king. David had several sons by Bath-shel)a born after his removal to .lerusalein lup.se of three niontli.s not only restored tlie agitated mind of the monjirch to a tnu Kiuil und .settled tone, l)ut led to a (Uscover.y ol his toriiier error. IJiiviii learned that tlieark was k< pi in its tt nipovary resting-place r.ot only without ineouvenienee or ilanger, ljut with great advantage, he resolved forthwith to remove it to llie cppital, with the ohservauce of all due form and solemnity (1 C'lironiele.s lo. It wa.s transporied now on tlie slioulders of the priests, who had lieen carefiiUy prepared
(ch. 5. 11-lfi; cf. 1 Chronicles ;!. 5). But by a special ordinance and promise of God liis successor was to be a son born after this time; and the departure from the. established usage of the East in fixing the succession, can be accounted for on no other known ground, exc(-pt the fulfilment of the Divine promise. 13. He sliall Iniild an house for my name ; and I vt ill establish tlie tlirone of
Ills Iiiingdom for ever—This declaration referred, in its primary application, to Solomon, and to tlie temporal kingdom of Drtvid's family. But in a larger and sublimer senxe, it was meant oj' David's Son of another nature.
for the work, and tlie proeession wu.s distinguisi.ed hy extraordinary solemnities and demonstrations of joy. 13. when tlity f !iat bare flif nrk had f;o>»e »ii pat'es— Some think tliat four aliai-swere liastily raistil lor the
(Ileb. l.R.)
David's Prayer axd Thaxksgivixo. 18. Then iv«nt King David In, and sat Ijcfore the Lord—Sitting was anciently an attitude for worship. (Exodus 17. 12; 1 Samuel 4. l;l; 1 Kings 19. A.) As to the particular attitude David sat, most probabl.v, ripon his heels. It was the posture of the ancient Egyptians before the slirines; it is the posture of deepest respect before a superior in the East. Persons of highest dignity sit thus when tliey do sit in the I)resenee of kings; and it is the only sitting attitude assumed l).y the modern Mohammedans in their places and ofl'erins of saeritieis at tlie distance of every six paces (but see 1 C'lironicles 1">. 2()). 1+. IJavW rfnweed tiefoie tUc liOMl—The Hebrews, like otiier lineient pi'ople, had their sacred danees, whieli were performed on their soleisin anniversaries and oilier •^r<'at (tcensions of eommi'iiioratsome special token of liie Divine 'coodness i\nd favour, with all his nil^^ht—iiiiimating violent et Vorts of leaping, and divested of iiis royal mantle—in a state of undres.s—conduct oppareiitly niisuilalile to the gravity of age or the dignity of a king. Hut it was nnciuestionably doneasan act of religious liomag<-. his attila(;es and dress Ijeing symbolic, as they have always l)een in Oriental count rier;, of penitence, joy, thankfulness, and devotion. 17. they broiifj Jit (he ark of the ILorcl, and stt it In riles of devotion. 19. is this the manner of man, O Lord?— i. c, is it customary tor men to show such condescension to persons so humble as lam? (See on 1 Chronicles 17. 17.) 20. what eaii David say moi-e unto theel
£. e., my obligations are greater than I can express.
Ills plate In the inldxt of the tabernacle illiitt David had pitched for It—The ol<\ tabernacle remained at Gibeon (1 Chronicles Hi. ?,!t; 2].2t); 2 Chronicles 1. .S). Probably not removed because it was too large for the temporary place the king had approjiriated, and because he contempl.ited the l)uililing of a temple. IS. he Idessed
CHAPTER VIII.
Ver. 1, 2. David Subdues the PhiIjISTines, and jiakes THE JIOABiTE.s Tributary. 1. David took Mctheg-ammah out of the Itand of the Pliilistines—Th.'xt is, GatU and her suburban towns. (1 Chronicles 18. 1.). That town had been "a bridle" by which the Philistines kept the tJie people—In the <1ouble character of prophet and king (see on 1 Kings 8. .5), calie of bread—Unleavened and slender, good pieces of fleih— roast beef.
20-2:i. MicHAI.'S H.viJKKXNF.ss. Michal . . . came out to meet David, &c.—I'lond of her royal extraction, she opbraided her husband for lowering the dignity of the crown, and acting Tnore like a bul Toon than a king. Bnt her tainiling sarcasm was repelled in a manner that could not be agreeal)le lo her feelings, while it indicated the warm piety and gratitude of David.
. people of .ludah in check. David used it now as a barrier to repress tliat restless enemy. 2. he smote Moab, and jneasurcd tliem with a lin«^—This refers to a well-known practice of Eastern kings, to command their prisoners of war, particularly those wlio,. notorious' for the atrocity of their crimes,' or distinguished by the indomitable spirit of their resistance, had greatly incensed the victors, to lie down on the ground, and then put to death a certain portion of them, which was determined by lot, but most commonly by a measuring line. Our version makes him put two-thirds to death, and spare one-third. The Septuagint and Vulgate make one-half. This war usage was not, perhaps, usually practised by the people of God; but .Jewish writers assort that the cause of this particular severitj' against this people was their having massacred David's parents and family, whom he had, during his exile, committed to the king of Moab.
CHAPTER VII.
Ver. 1-.3. Nathan approves the Pituposk C!F David TOBl'ILU CJOD an Hoi-SK. 2. The Uliif; si\U\ unto Nathan the propliet. See now, I dwell In an house of cedar—Tlie palace wliicli Hiram had sent men and materials to build in .Jerusalem had been finished. It was magnltlcent for that age, though made wholly of wood: houses in warm comitries not being required to possess the solidity ami thickness of walls which are requisite for dwellings in regions ("xposed to rain and cold. Cedar was the rarest and most valuable timber. The elegance and uplendour of his own royal mansion, contrasted with the mean and temporary tabernacle in which the ark of God was place<l, distressed the pious mind of David. 3. Nathan said to the kin|;. Go, do all that Is In f hine hearts The piety of the design commended it to the propliet s mind, and he gave his hasty approval and encouragi iiient to the royal plans. The prophets, when following the impulse of their own feelings, or forming conji-ctur'al opinions, fell into frequent mistakes. (See on 1 Samuel 10.6; 2 Kings 4. 27.)
."/-U. He Smites Hadadezer and the Syrians. 3. Zobah— (1 Chronicles IS. 3). This kingdom was bounded on the east by the Euphrates, and it extended westward from that river, perhaps as far north as Aleppo. It was long tlie chief among tlie petty kingdoms of Syria, and its king bore the hereditary title of Hadadezer or Hadarezer (Hadad—helped), as lie went to recover his border at the river Euphrates—In accordance with the promises God made to Israel that he would give them all the country as far as the Euphrates. (Genesis 15. 18 ; Numbers 2t. 17.) In the first campaign David signall.v defeated him, and, besides a great number of foot-prismiers, took from him an immense amount of boot.y in chariots and' horses; reserving only a small numlier of the latter, he hamstrung the rest. The reason of this mutilation was,
4-17. God appoints his Scccessor to Buii.d It. 4-17. It came to pa.«8 that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nethan—The commanjl was given to the prophet on the night Immediately following; i.e., before I>avid could either take any measures or Incur any expenses. 11. Alao the Lord t«Ueth thee that lie will liiako that, horses being forbidden to the Hebrews, both in war and agriculture, it was of no use to keep them; and their neijhbours placing much dependence on cavalry, but having, for want of a native breed, to procure them hy
David's Heign over the People. 2 SAMUEL IX, X. Uia Messengers Disgracefully Treated.
appointed steward to manage it, on the condition of receiving one-half of the produce in remuneration of hig labour and expense, wliile the other moiety was to be paid as rent to the owner of the land (ch. 19. 29). 10. Ziba Iiad tifteen sons and t\vei»ty servants—The mention ol his sons and the slaves in his house was to show that Jlephiboslieth would lie honouicd with an equipage "as one of the king's sons." l i. l>Ieplilbosl»etU bad a yoting son whose name was Micah—Whether born before or after his residence in Jerusalem, cannot be ascertained. But througli him the name and memory of the excellent Jonathan was preserved (see on 1 Chronicles 8.34,35; 9.
purchase, the greatest damage that could be done to such enemies was to render their horses unserviceable in war. (See also Genesis 46. 6; Joshua 11. G, S.j A king of Damasceue-Syria came td his succour—but David routed those auxiliary forces also, took possession of their country, put garrisons into their fortified towns, and made them tributary. 9. Toi, king of Hamatli—Coele-Syria ; northwards, It extended to the. city Hamath on the Orontes, which was the capital of the country. The Syrian prince being delivered from the dread of a dangerous neiglibour, sent his son with valuable presents to David to congratulate him on his victories, and solicit his alliance and protection, ./oram—Or Hadoram. (1 Chronicles IS. 10.) 11.
40, 41). CHAPTER X.
also Ivliig David did dedicate unto tlie Lord Eastern princes have always been accustomed to hoard
Ver. 1-5, David's Messengeks, sent to Comfort Hancn, are Disgkacefully Treated. 2. David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun, the son of A'abash, as Ills father showed kindness unto me—It is probable that this was the Nahash against whimi Saul waged war at Jabesh-gilead (1 Samuel 11. 11). David, on leaving Gath, whei"e Ills life was exposed to dang(>r, found an asylum with the king of Moab; and as Nahash, king of the Ammonites, -was his nearest neighbour, it ma.v be that during the feud between Saul and David, he, through enmit.v to the former, was kind and liospitable to David. 3. tlte princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun—Their suspicion was not warranted either by any overt act or by any cherished design of David: it must have. originated in their knowledge of the denunciations of God's law against them (Deuteronomy 2.;. 3-0), and of David's policy in steadlastly avlhering to it. 4. Hanun took David's servnitts aii<l shaved oil' the onehalf of their beards—From the long flowing dress of the Hebrews and other Orientals, the curtailment of their garments must have given them an aspect of gross indelicacy and ludicvousness. Besides, a knowledge of tlie extraorilinar.v respect and value which lias alwa.vs been attached, and the gross insult that is implied in any indignity ofl'ered, to the beard in the East, will account for the shame which the deputies felt, and the determined spirit of revenge which Inirst out in all Israel on learning the outrage. Two instaneesare related in tl;enio<lern liistoi'y of Persia, of similar insults by kings of haught.v and iiuperious temper, involving the nation in war; and we need not, therefore, be surprised that David vowed revenge? for this wanton and public outrage. 5. Tarry at •Tericlio—Or in the neighbourhood, after crossing the lords of the Jordan.
up vast quantities of gold. This is the first instance of a practice uniformly followed by David of reserving, after defraying expenses and bestowing suitable rewards upon lis soldiers, the remainder of the spoil taken in war, to accumulate for the grand project of his life—tlie erection of a national templ(j at Jerusalem. 13. David gat liim a name wlieiilie returned from smiting of tlie Syrians —Instead of Syrians, the Sept. version reads Edomites, which is the true reading, as is evident from r. 14. This conquest made by the army of David, was due to tlie skilful generalship and gallantry of Abishai and Joab.
(1 Chronicles 18. 12; cf. Psalm CO., title.) The valley was the ravine of .salt (the Ghor), adjoining the Salt Mountain, at the south-western extremity of the Dead Sea, separating the ancient territories of Judah and Edom. [RonixsoN.]
15-18. His Reign. 15. David executed judgment and jttstice unto all Uis people—Though involved in foreign wars, he maintained an excellent system of government nt home, the most eminent men of the age composing his cabinet of ministers. 16. Joab was over tlie Iiost—By virtue of a special promise (ch. 5. 8). reeonler—Historiographer or daily annalist, an office of great trust and imporlaftcein Eastern countries. 17. Zadok . . . and Abiatliar . . . were tlie priests—On the massacre of the priests at Xob, .Saul conferred the priesthood on Zadok, of the family of Elcazar (1 Chronicles 6.50), while David acknowledged Abiathar, of Ithaniar's family, who fled to him. The Iwo high jiriests exercised their oflice under the respective princes to whom they were attached. But, on David's obtaining the kingdom over all Israel, they both retained their dignity ; Abiathar ofliciating'at Jerusalem, and Zadok at Gibeon. (1 Chronicles Iti.S!).) IS. ClieretJiites—/. c, Philistines. (Zephaniah 2.5.) PeletliItes—From I'elct. (1 Chronicles 12. 8.) Thoy were the valiant men who, having accompanied David during his exile among the Philistines, were made his body-guard.
0-14. The A.MiMONiri:s Oveiu'OMk. 0. when the ehlldren of Ammon saw titut iliey stank before David—To chastise those insolent and inhospitable Ammonites, who had violated the common law of nations, David sent a largo army under the command of Joab, while they, informed of the impi-nding attack, made energetic preparations to repel it by engaging the services of an immense number of Syrian mercenaries. Beth-rehob—The I'upi-
CHAPTER IX.
Ver. 1-12. David Sends FOR Mepiiiisosiiktii. 1. David said, Is there yet any tliat is left of tlie liouse of Saul On inquiry, Saul's land steward was found, who gave Information that there still survived Mei>Iiib<)slietli, a son of Jonathan, who was five ye.ars old at his father's death, and whom David, tlu'n wandering in exile, had never seen. His lameness (ch. 4. 4) had prevented him from taking any part in the public contests of the time. BeBldes, according to Oriental notions, the younger son of a crowned monarch has .a preferable claim to tlie succes Blon over th<^ son of a mere heir-apparent ; and hence his name was never heard of as the rival of his uncle Ishbosheth. His insignificance had led to his being lost Bight of, and It was only thtougli /iba that David learned tal of the low-lying region between Lebanon and .\utiIjObanon. Zoba—(seeon cll. 8.;!). of King niniteliah— His territoiies lay on the other side of Jordan, near ( iileail
( neulerononiy 3. 11). Ish-tob— /. c., the men <if Tob—the place of Jephtliali's marauding adventures (see also 1 t'hronicles lil.li; Psalm tiO., title). As the Israelite soldiers poured into the Ammonite teriitory, that people met them at the frontier town of Medelia (1 Chronicles 19. 7-9), the native troops covering the city, while the Syrian nierceiiai ies lay at some distance encamped in tlie tields. In making the attack, Joab divided his lorces into Iwose))- arate cletaihment.s—the one of which, under the comni Miid of his brother, Aliishai, was to concent rate its attack upon the city, while he himself marched against the overwhelming host of mercenar.v auxiliaries. It was n Just and necu'ssary war that hud been forced on Israel, and they <-ould hope for the l)lessing of (Jod ui>oii tlieir arm.s. With great Judgment the battle opened against the mercenaricH, who cduld not stand against the furious onset of Joab, and not feeling the cause their own. consulted theiT
Ills existence, and the retired life he passed with one of the great J|arriilieK in transjordanic Canaan who remained attached to the fallen dynasty. Mepliibosheth was invited to court, and a place lit the royal table on public days was assigned him, as Is still the custom with I'^astern
'MDnarchs. Saul's family estate, which had fallen to David In right of his wife (Numbers 27. 8), or been for-
I'eiled to the crown by Ish-bosheth's rebellion (ch. 12. 8), was provided (u. II ; also ch. 19. 28), for enabling him to muintaln an establishment suitable to his rank, and Zlba safety by tllglit. The Ammouitcs, who laid jimcea the*/