Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Ttu Gates Aanigwd hy Lot. 1 CHRONICLES XXVI, XXVIl. Txvdve Ciiplaimi fur each Month.
CHAPTER XXVI.
of those who had cliarge of the trensure-cliainberK at their re.spe<;tive wards are given, with a general description of the precious things committed to their trust. Those treasures were imriiense, consisting of the accumulated spoils of Israellti.sh victories, as well ;is of voluntary contributions made by David and the representatives of the people.
Ver. 1-12. Divisions OF THE PoiiTEBS. 1, 2. ConcenitULg a»e di^-isloHs oftlif iJorJcrs—Tlitfre were 4000 (ch . 23. 6), all taken from the families of ttie Koliathites and Merarit«s It. 11), divided into twenty-four courses—as the piest.s and mnsicians. Mesliflcniiuh the sous of Kore, of tl>e sous of Aaapli—Heven sons of Me.slieleuiiah are mentioned (f. 2), wliereas eighteen are given («;. 9), but in thi.s
2r)-o2. Officeks and Judges. 29. officers aitd judges —Tlie word rendered "officers" is the term wliieli signilatter numl)er his r<-Iative.s are included. 5. God blesseil Ikim—f. e., Obed-edoui. The occasion of the blessing was his faitliful custody of the ark (2 Samuel 6. 11, 12), and tlio nature of the blessing (I'saha 127. o) consisted in the great increase of progeny by which his house was distinguished; seventy-two de.sceiidauts are reckoned. G. •iilglity men of valojir—The circuiiistance of physical strength is prominently noticed in this chapter, as the fies scribes or secretaries, so that (he Levitical class here de.scriljed were m:igi.strates, who, attended by their clerks, e.Kcrcised judicial functions; there were (iOOU of tlii'm (ch.
2:!. 4), wlio probably acted like their brethren on the princijjle of rotation, and these were divided into three classes—one (u. 2.9) for the outward business over Israel; one ((,-. :10), consisting of 1700, for the west of Jordan "in all bu.siness of the Loi'd, and in the service of tlu; king;" and the third {v. 31, 32), consisting of 2700, were "rulers for every matter pertaining to God, and aUiiirs of the king."
office of the parters requiretl them not only to act as sentinels of tlie sacred editic« and its precious furniture against attacks of plunderers or popular insurrection to be, in fact, a military guard—but, after the temple was
CHAPTER XXVII.
built, to open and shut the gate.s, which were extraordinarily large and ponderous. 10. Simri tHie cliief . . . thong'h . . . tiot tiic fiist-borii—Probably because the family entitled to the right of primogeniture had died out, or because there were none of tlie existing families which could claim that right. 13. Amotig tliese ivtrie
Ver. 1-15. TwiiLVE Captains Foit evkry .Sevekax, Month. 1. came iii aud went out iitonOi by iiinntli Here is an account of the standing military force of Israel. A militia formed, it would .seem, at the beginning of David s reign (see on v. 7) was raised in the following order: Twelve legions, corresponding to the number of tribes, wei'e enlisted in the king's service. Each legion comprised a body of 21,000 men-, M'ho.se term of service w;us a month in rotation, and who were stationed either at Jerusalem or in any other place where they might be required. There was thus always a fprce sufficient for the ordinary purposes of state, as well as for resisting sudden attacks or popular tumults; and when extraordinary emergencies demanded a larger force, the whole standing army could e;usily be called to arms, amounting to 288,000, or to 300,000, including the 12,000 officers that naturally attended on the twelve princes tlie divisions of tlie porters, even aiuoug tiie clilef mei»—These were charged with the duty of superintending the watches, being heads of the tweuty-lour courses of porters.
13-19. The Gates A.ssigned by Lot. 13. tliey cjsst lots—Their departments of duty, such as the gates they should attend to, were allotted in the same manner as those of the other Levitical bodies, and the names of the ehfefs or cjiptains are given, with the respective gates assigned them. 15. tlic Iiousc of Astippiin—Or collections, probably a storehouse, where were kept tlie grain, wine, and other ofleriiigs for the sustenance of the priests. 16. tlie gat« Slialleclietli—Probably the rubbish gate, through which all tlie accumulated filth and sweepings of the temi Jle and its courts were poured out. by the catiseway of the going up—Probably the ascending road which was cast up or raised from the deep valley between Mount Zlon and Mori all, for the royal egress to the place of worship (2 Chronicles 9. 4).. ward against ward Sftrne refer these words to Shupplm and Hosah, whose duty it was to watch both the western gate and the gate Bhallechetli, which was opposite, while otliers take it as a general statement applicable to all the guards, and intended to intimate that tliej' were posted at regular distances from each other, or that they all mounted and relieved guard at the same time in uniform order. 17-19. Kastward were six Lcvites—Because the gate there was the most frequented. Four at the north gate; four at the south, at the storehouse which was adjoining the south, and which had two entrance-gates, one leading in a south-westerly direction to the city, and the other dii-ect west, two porters each—at the Parbar towards the west, there were six men posted—four at the causev>ray or ascent (v. 16), and two at Parbar, amounting to twentyfour in all, who were kept daily on guard. Parbar— is, perhaps, the same as Parvar (suburbs, 2 Kings 2:5.11), and
10-24). Such a military establishment would be burdensome neither to the country nor to the royal exchequer; for attendance on this duty being a iruu-k of honour and distinction, the expense of maintoiance would be borne probably by the militiaman himself, or furnished out of the common fund of his tribe. Nor would the brief period of actual service produce anj' derangement of the usual course of allairs; for, on the expiry of the term, every soldier returned to the pursuits and duties of private life during the other eleven months of the year. Whether the same individuals were always enrolled, cannot be determined. The probability is, that provided the requisite number was furnished, no stricter scrutiny would be made. A change of men might, to a certain degree, be encouraged, as it was a part of David's policy to train all his subjects to skill in arms; and to have made the enlistment fall always on -the same individuals would have defeated that purpose, as to have confined each month's levy rigidly within the limits of one tribe might have fallen hard upon those tribes which were weak and small. The rotation system being established, each division knew its own month, as well as the name of the commander under whom it was to serve. These commanders are styled, " the chief fathers," i.e., the hereditary heads of tribes who, like chieftains of clans, possessed great power and influence, captains of thousands and hundreds—The legions of 21,000 were di. vided into regiments of 1000, and these again into coni' panics of 100 men, under the direction of their respective subalterns, there being, of course, twenty-four captains of thousands, and 240 centurions, and their otlicers— The Shoterim, who in the army performed the duty of the commissariat, keeping the muster-roll, etc. 3, 3. Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel—(Kee on ch. 11. 11 ; 2 Samuel 23. 8.) Haclimoni was his father, Zabdiel probably one of his ancestors; or there might be dirterent names of the .same individual. In the rotation of the military courses, the dignity of precedence, not of authorif so, this gatemiglit be so called as leadingto tliesuburbs. [Calmet.]
20-28. Levites that had Charge of the Trbasukes. 20. of the Xievltes, Ahljali—The heading of this section
Is altogether strange as it stands, for it looks as if the sacred historian were going to commence a new subject different from the preceding. Besides, "Ahijali, whose name occurs after" the Levites, is not mentioned in the previous lists; it is totally unknown, and is introduced abruptly without further information; and lastly, AhlJan must have united in his own person those very offices of which the occupants are named in the verses that follow. The reading is incorrect. The Scptuaginl has this very suitable heading, "And their I>;vitioal brelh ren over the treasures," &c. [Bektheau.J The names ity, was given to the hero. 4. second uioiith ivas Dudal 203