Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Princes of the Twelve Tribes, 1 CHRONICLES XXVIII. David Encouragea Solomon,
—Or Dodo. Here the text seems to require the suppleraent of " Eleazar the son of Dodo" (2 Samuel 23. 9). 7.
2Kings 22. 18); and besides Joab, the commander-in-clilcf of the army, the heroes who had no particular ofiice (eh.
Asaliel—This officer having been slain at the very beginniuj; of David's reign, his name was probably given to this division in honour of his memory, and his son was invested with the command.
11; 2 Samuel 23). This assembly, a very mixed and general one, as appears from the parties invited, was more numerous and entirely different from that mentioned
(ch. 23. 2). 3. Hear me, my brethren—This was the style of address becoming a constitutional king of Israel (Deuteronomy 17. 20; 1 Samuel 30.23; 2 Samuel 5.1). I had it In mine heart—I proposed or designed, to build au house of rest—A solid and permanent temple, for the footstool of our Crod—God seated between the ehernljim. at the two extremities of the ark, might be said to be enthroned in His glory, and the coverlet of the ark to be His footstool, and had made ready for tl»c building The immense treasures wliich David had amassed, and the elaborate preparations-he had made, would have beer, amply sul Bcient for the erection of the temple of which he presented the model to Solomon. 3. tltou hast been a man of war, and hast shed much blood—The church or spiritual state of the world, of which the temple at Jerusalem was to be a type, would be presided over by One who was to be pre-eminently the Prince of Peace, and therefore would be represented not so fitly by David, whose mission had been a preparatory one of battle and conquest, as by his sou, who should reign in unbroken peace. 4, 5. he hath chosen Solomon—The spirit of David's statement is this:—It was not my ambition, iny valour, or my merit that led to the enthronement of myself and family; it was the grace of God which chose the tribe, the family, the person—myself in the first instance, and now Solomon, to whom, as the Lord's anointed, you are all bound to submit. Like that of Ohri.st, of .whom he was a tyi>e, the appointment of Solomon to the kingdom above all his brethren Avas freqtiently pre-intimated
16-24. Princes of the Twelve Tribes. 16. over tlie tribes of Israel: tUe ruler—This is a list of the heredi- 'ary chiefs or rulers of tribes at the time of David's numbering the people. Gad and Asher are not included ; for what reason is unknown. The tribe of Levi had a ])rince
(v. 17), as well as the other tribes; and although it was ecclesiastically subject to the high priest, yet in all civil matters it had a chief or head, possessed of the same authority and power as in the other tribes, only his jurisdiction did not extend to the pi'iests. 18. EHiliu—Probably the same as Eliab (1 Samuel 16. 16). 33. But David took not tlie number of tUein from twenty years old and under—The meaning is, that the census which David ordered did not extend to all the Israelites; for to contemplate such an enumeration would have been to attempt an impossibility (Genesis 28. 14), and besides would have been a daring offence to God. The limitation to a certain age was what had probably quieted David's conscience as to the lawfulness of the measure, while its expediency was strongly pressed upon his mind by the army arrangements he had in view. neitlier -was tUe number put in the account of tlie clironlcles of King David—Either because the uudertakiug was not completed, Levi and Benjamin not having been numbered (ch. 21. 6), or tlie full details in the hands of the enumerating officers were not reported to David, and, consequently, not registered in the public archives, the clironiclcs— Were the daily reconls or annals of the king's reign. No notice was taken of this census in the Historical register, as from tlie public calamity with which
(ch. 17.12; 22.9; 2 Samuel 7.12-14; 12.24,2.); 2 Kings 1. ];3). 7. 1 will establisit I»is kingdom for ever, if Ite be constant to do my commandments—The same condition is set before Solomon by God (1 Kings .'3. 14; 9.4). S. Now
It was associated it would have stood a painful record of tlie Divine judgment against the king and the nation.
over tlie king's treasures—Those ti-easures consisted of gold, silver, precious stones, cedar-wood, Ac; those which lie had i/i Jerusalem as distinguished from others williout the city, tlie storehouses ii» the fields—Grain covered over with layers of straw is frequently preserved in the fields under little earthen mounds, lilie our potato pits. 37. the vineyards—These seem to have been In the vine-growing districts of Judali, and were committed to two men of that quarter, wine-cellars—Stores; the wine is deposited in jars sunlt in the court of the liouse. 38. olive . . . and . . . sycamore trees ... in tl>e low plains— 1. e., tlie Shcphela, the rich low-lying ground between tlie Jlediterraneaii and the mountains of Judah. 39. herds that fed in Sharon—A fertile plain between Ciesarea and Joppa. sheep and camels—Tlu se were probably in the countries east of the .Jordan, and hence an Ishmaelite and Nazarite were appointed to take charge of them. 31. rulers of the substance ttiat was King David's— How and when the king acquired these demesnes and this variety of property — wliether it was partly Ijy conquests, or partly by conflscation, or by his own active cultivation of waste lands— is not said.- It was probably in all these ways. The munagoment of the king's private possessions was divided into twelve parts, like his public atrairs and tlie revenue derived from all these sources mentionol must liave been very largo.
. . . in the sigitt of all Isi-ael, . . . keep, and seek for all tlic commandiiients of the Lord, Ac.—This solemn and earnest exhortation to those present, and toall Israel through their representatives, to continue faitliful in observing tlie Divine law as essential to their nation.-il prosperity and permanence, is similar to that of Moses (Deuteronomy ;3U. 1.5-20).
9-20. He Encourages Soi.omon to Build the Temple.
9, 10. And thou, Solomon my son—The royal speaker now turns lo Solomon, and in a most iiii|)ressive nianiier presses upon him the liuixirtance of sincere and practical piety, know tliou— lie did not mean head-knowledge, for Solomon possessed that already, but tliat experimental acquaintance with (Jod which is only to be ()l>tained liy loving and serving Ilim. 11. Then David gave to Solomon . . . the pattern—He now put into tlie hands of his.son and successor the plan or model of the temple, wltli the elevations, measurements, apartments, and chief articles of furniture, all of wliicli were designed according to the pattern given him liy Divine revelation (v. 19). 13. the pattei-n of all that he Itnd by the spirit Iviither, with hliu in spirit; i.e., was tli>atlng in his mind. 1.1, 10.
candlesticks of silver—Solomon made t'.iem all of gold—In this ami a tew minor partlculais departing I'roni the letter of liis father's instructions, whiM'e lie had tlio means of executing them in a more splendid style. There was only one candl(>st Ick ami one table in (he tal>ernacle, but ten in tli<> temple, is. the cliariot of tine cherubim —The exp Miided wings ot llie cherubim loriiied wliat was figuratively styled the throne of (iod, and as they wei'O emblematical of rapid mution, the throne or seat was spoken of as a chariot (IVnlm IS. 10; 99. 1). It Is quite clear that In all tiies(> directions David was not guided by his own taste, or by a iK'sIn' for taking iiily existing model of architecture, hut solely by a regard to the express revelation of the Divine will. In a vision, or trance, the whole edifice, with Itsappiirtcnances, had been placed before his eyes so vividly and permanently, that he hud be(>n able to take a sUetcli of them in the models delivered to Solomon. 30. He strong an«lof good courage—The ttii-
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Vcr. 1-8. Davit) ICxiioirrs the Peoi'i.e to Fp.ar Goi>. 1. Uavifl assembled all the princes of Israel i.e., tlie representatives of the people, the leading men of the kingdom, who are enumerated in this verse according to their respective rank or degree of autliority. princes of tl»e tribes—(Ch. 27. 16-22.) Thosi! jiat riarclial (rlilefs are mentioned first as being tlio lilghest in rank—a sort of iieredltary noblesse, tlie captains of tl«e companies— The twelve generals mentioned (ch. 27.1-1,")). the stewarils, it('.—(Ch. 27. 2.')-:Jl.) tile olticers—y/(7;rc«', eiUUtclls, or attendants on the court (1 Samuel 8. lo; 1 Kings 22.U; 2G4