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 ^J.rr
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 BT 
 
 J. DAVIE S, 
 
 UNIVEKSITT OF LONDON, 
 
 Author of "Manuals" of Exodus, St. Matthew, itc. ; 
 
 the Church Catechism, and the Book of Common Prayer; and 
 
 the History and Literature of the Stuart Period, 
 
 J:c. <Sce. 
 
 ■:o: 
 
 LONDON: 
 GEORGE PHILIP & SON, 32, FLEET STREET. 
 
 LIVERPOOL: CAXTON BUILDINGS, SOUTH JOHN STREET, and 
 49 & 51, SOUTH CASTLE STREET. 
 
 1876.
 
 Rev. S. Rudnitzky 
 57 St. Clements A 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 I. and II. Samuel make in the Jewish Canon but one 
 book, — bearing the prophet's name. The division of the 
 work into two originated in the Septuagint and Vulgate 
 Versions, in which the parts are called respectively, /. and 
 II. Kings. 
 
 The authorship of Samuel is pretty clearly indicated in 
 I. Chron. xxix. 29, — " Now the acts of David the king, first 
 and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the 
 seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book 
 of Oad the seer." It is generally supposed that Nathan, 
 v'ho lived on into Solomon's reigu, compiled the woik 
 from three sources : — 
 
 1. The national annals kept by the scribes. 
 
 2. Tlie special records of contemporary events, written 
 
 by Samuel, Gad, and himself. 
 
 As Samuel's death is the first thing mentioned 
 in I. Sam. xxv., we must limit Jus share in the 
 nan-ative to cs. i.-xxiv. of that book. 
 
 3. Some book of poetry. 
 
 "Samuel" may have been bestowed as the title of the 
 ■whole book in its original form : — 
 
 1. Because Samuel was the most distinguished, and 
 
 the earliest, of the writers contributing to it ; or 
 
 2. Because he had so much to do with the most pro- 
 
 minent persons and events in Book I., especially 
 ■with regard to the change of government. 
 
 "11. Samuel" is, of course, a misnomer, since Samuel had 
 no share in its composition. But, as it formerly made part 
 of the complete work bearing the prophet's name, the title 
 was retained after the original book was split into two. 
 
 The date of the compilation of Samuel is not known ; it 
 must, however, have been written in its present form before 
 the death of David, since it does not narrate that event. 
 
 XL Samuel extends from the Death of Saul, b.c. 1156, to. 
 
 2097024
 
 4 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 tlie Numbering of the People by David, and the conse- 
 quent plague, B.C. 1017. 
 
 It admits of two divisions: — 
 
 1. Events from Saul's death, to the end of David's 
 
 reign over Judah alone, (cs. i.-iv., inclusive). 
 
 2. The greater part of David's reign over Judah and 
 
 Israel, (c. v.-end). 
 
 PART I. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 1-16, (inclusive). 
 
 An Amalekite brings tidings to David of the 
 defeat of Israel at the Battle of Mount Gilboa, 
 and of the death of Saul and Jonathan, — 
 David and his men lament "until even," — 
 the Amalekite is slain, by order of David. 
 
 V. 1. ^^ After the death of Saul" — as narrated in I. Samuel 
 xxi. 1-6, substantially thus : — 
 
 The Israelites were defeated, on Mount Gilboa, by the 
 Philistines, who slew three of Saul's sous — Jonathan, Abi- 
 nadab, and Melchi-shua, (in I. Chron., "Malchi-shua"). 
 Saul, being severely wounded by the archers, begged his 
 armour-bearer to slay him : the man refused, and Saul fell 
 upon a sword, an example which his armour-bearer followed. 
 
 This account of Saul's death differs from that given by 
 the Amalekite ; but the latter's narrative was evidently 
 told with a view to gaining David's favour, and must be 
 regarded as false. The "crown" and "bracelet" he pro- 
 bably stole from Saul's corpse. 
 
 " When David tva^ returned from the slaughter of the 
 Amalekites." — Particulars of this "slaughter" are found 
 in I. Sam. xxx., and may be epitomized thus : — 
 
 David, fleeing from Saul, took refuge with Achish, king 
 of Gath, who received him kindly, and gave him Ziklag. 
 When the Philistines "gathered their armies to light with 
 Israel," Achish called upon David, with his men, to accom- 
 pany him, and join in battle against his owti countrymen. 
 David consented ; but when the Philistine troops arrived 
 at the rendezvous, his fellow "lords" exclaimed loudly 
 against Achish, for bringing David, declaring that tlie
 
 'NOTES ON IT. SAMUEL. 5 
 
 latter would turn against them, and fight for his old 
 master, Saul. David was accordingly dismissed, and 
 returned home, to find it in ruins, for, during his absence, 
 the Amalekites had invaded Southern Palestine, burned 
 Ziklag, and carried away all the women, children, and 
 property, of David, and his band. He immediately started 
 in pursuit, — overtook the marauders, — slew all of them 
 but 400, — recovered the persons and goods which they had 
 carried off, — and took large spoil, in addition. 
 
 V. 2. " He fell to the earth, and did obeisance." — There is 
 every probability that i^ was generally known amongst the 
 Israelites that David had been anointed as Saul's successor. 
 Hence this man, on reaching his presence, treats him as 
 king. It was easy for him to discover David, for the 
 latter had been nearly a year and four moutlis with Achish, 
 and, consequently, his whereabouts would be matter of 
 notoriety. 
 
 V. 10. " The croivn that teas upon his head." — This was 
 not Saul's state diadem ; but the war-crown, by which the 
 king was customarily distinguished in the field, and which 
 was attached to his helmet. Of this crown there were two 
 forms in use, either of which might have been worn by 
 Saul on this occasion : — 
 
 1. A metal circlet, (plain or enriched), surrounding 
 
 the lower part of the helmet. 
 
 2. A cylindrical diadem, — rayed at the top, — sur- 
 
 rounding, and reaching above, a cap of mail, — 
 
 and itself forming: a helmet. 
 "The bracelet that 7vas on his arm." — This was one of 
 the badges of Saul's royalty. It was, probably, an armlet, 
 worn above the elbow, — this being still one of the Persian 
 insignia of kingship. The ancient British kings also wore 
 circlets of gold round the neck, arms, and legs, as tokens 
 of their caste. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 17-end. 
 
 David's Lamentation over Saul and Jonathan. 
 
 V. 18. "Also he bade them teach the children ofJudah the 
 use of the bow." — The words "the use of" are not in the 
 original, whence many authorities read the passage, "Also 
 be bade them teach the children of Judali, 'The Bow,'" —
 
 6 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 " The Bow being regarded by them as the name of David's 
 song of lamentation." 
 
 It seems, however, on the whole, better to regard our 
 translation as correct. If we do so, the meaning of the 
 passage is, that David was convinced of the importance of 
 the bow in warfare, both by the late great victory of the 
 Philistines, (which would appear to have been chiefly owing 
 to their archery), and by his own observation while with 
 Achish. Accordingly, on coming to the throne of Judah, 
 one of his first cares was to give the order here related. 
 
 The bow, though a common weapon, in the chase, amongst 
 the Jews, was little used by them in war, before this epoch. 
 
 We read of no body of archers in the Hebrew army 
 till after David's time; but very large ones are subse- 
 quently mentioned. 
 
 David's constant references in the Psalms to archery 
 show how deeply he was interested in the subject. 
 
 " The book of Jasher" — is referred to, also, in Joshua 
 X. 13, where it is stated that it is written in the Book of 
 Jasher how the " sun stood stiU, and the moon stayed," at 
 Joshua's command. 
 
 Various opinions are entertained as to what this book 
 was : the most likely being, tliat it was a record of the 
 military affairs of the Israelites, and matters connected 
 therewith. 
 
 If so, it was, probably, the same as The Book of the 
 Wars of the Lord, alluded to in Num. xxi. 14: — 
 
 " Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the 
 Lord, ' What he did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of 
 Arnon.' " 
 
 It may have been compiled by an individual of the name 
 of Jasher; but, as jasher = upright, it is more probable 
 that the title was given to it to indicate that its annals 
 were truthful. 
 
 V, 19. " The beauty of Israel" — i.e. Jonathan, for further 
 on David exclaims, " 0, Jonathan ! thou wast slain in 
 thine high places ! " 
 
 '■'•Beauty'" here is better translated ^' antelope^^ or 
 "gazelle." The passage then might read, "O, antelope of 
 Israel ! pierced on thy high place," — thus instituting a beau- 
 tiful metaphor, representing Jonathan, slain on Mount 
 Gilboa, as a young antelope, pierced in its lofty, rocky, 
 haunt.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL, 7 
 
 u 20. "CaiA."— 'MsMo;V'— two of the Five "Lord- 
 ships^' of the Philistines, — the others being Gaza, Ekrou, 
 and Ashdod. 
 
 V. 21. "Fields of offerings" — i.e. he desires that the har- 
 vests on Mount Gilboa may never yield anything, and so 
 no tirst-fruits be again offered from them. 
 
 V. 26. " Thi/ love to me was wonderful." It was, indeed, 
 " wonderful ! " for though Jonathan well knew that David 
 had been anointed to succeed his father, and that himself 
 was passed over, his affection did not abate, but actually 
 increased ! 
 
 A remarkable feature of this sublime elegy is that Saul, 
 David's ruthless enemy, is spoken of in no terms but those 
 of the highest admiration and honour. 
 
 CHAPTER II. ; III., 2-5. 
 
 David goes up, by Divine direction, to Hebron, 
 and is there crowned king over Judah. — He 
 commends, and promises requital to, the men 
 of Jabesh-Gilead, for their kindness in bury- 
 ing Saul. — Abner makes Ish-bosheth king 
 over Israel. — A mortal combat between 12 
 of Abner's, and 12 of Joab's, men ; Abner 
 is defeated, and, fleeing, slays Asahel; Joab 
 and Abishai pursue Abner, who, joined by 
 the Benjamites, halts, and proposes a truce ; 
 Joab consents ; Abner and Joab, with their 
 forces, retire, respectively, to Mahanaim, 
 and Hebron. — List of David's sons born at 
 Hebron. 
 
 V. 1. "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah ?" — 
 David meant by these words an enquiry whether he should 
 assume the kingly authority, which was now his by Divine 
 appointment, but upon which he would not enter without 
 tirst consulting God, as he had ever done in all circum- 
 etances of his life.
 
 8 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL, 
 
 V. 2. " Jezreelitess," — a native, or inhabitant, of Jezreel, 
 in Judah. 
 
 " The Carmelite" — a native, or inhabitant, of Carmel, a 
 town of Judah, between the wilderness of Ziph, and that 
 of Maon. 
 
 Nabal, a wealthy, but churlish man, holding a sheep- 
 shearing, David sent to ask for a share of the good things 
 for himself and bands, (since they had been instrumental 
 in protecting his flocks and herds from marauders). Nabal 
 insultingly refused, and David set out for Carmel, intending 
 to slay him. Abigail, learning this, met the angry outlaw 
 with presents, and fair speeches, and induced him to pardon 
 her husband. The latter, however, died within ten days, 
 from the eifects of heavy drinking, and discovering how 
 near David had been to killing him. On hearing of Nabal's 
 decease, David sent to propose marriage to Abigail, who 
 consented. 
 
 V. 3. " The Cities of Hebron" — those in the " Mountains 
 of Judah ;" Hebron was regarded as their capital. 
 
 "Hebron" — was chosen for David's capital, because it 
 was " the ancient sacred city of the tribe of Judah, and 
 the burial place," (as well as frequent dwelling), " of the 
 patriarchs;" and was also in the centre of the tribe of 
 Judah. In dividing the Promised Laud, Hebron, with its 
 neighbourhood, became, at his request, the inheritance of 
 Caleb, who drove thence the Anakim. It was afterwards 
 made a Levitical city, and one of the Cities of Refuge. 
 
 V. 4. " The men of Judah." — From the parallel passage 
 in Chron., we find that these were the " Elders" of Judah, 
 i.e., the Princes of the Tribe, and the heads of clans and 
 families. 
 
 " They anointed David." — This was i\\e public ratification 
 of the divinely-ordered private anointing by Samuel. 
 
 V. 8. '^Mahanaim" = two hosts. — The name was given 
 to the spot where Jacob met the angels, on his return from 
 Padan-Aram, and was afterwards extended to the town 
 built on that site, or in the neighbourhood. Mahanaim 
 was a Levitical city. 
 
 V. 9. " Gilead" — here includes all the Israelitish terri- 
 tory East of Jordan. 
 
 ^^ Ashurites," — tribe of Asher. 
 
 " Jezreel," — the Plain of Jezreel, (or Esdraelon). 
 
 " Ephraim." — The rivalry of Ephraim and Judah, which
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 9 
 
 finally issued in the Schism of the Tribes, began from the 
 partition of Canaan, wherein the "royal tribe" received the 
 " lion's share." Judah, which possessed the promise of the 
 " Sceptre," was, from the first settlement of the country, 
 regarded as the chief tribe, and acted always for itself ; 
 Ijut the central position of Ephraim, tlie long-continued 
 authority of Joshua, (who belonged to this tribe), and the 
 fact that Shiloli, (the dwelling-place of the Ark for many 
 generations), was in Ephraim, made all the tribes, except- 
 ing Judah, (and, generally, Benjamim), look up to it as 
 their head. 
 
 Being humbled by Jephthah, who slew 42,000 of them 
 for their insolence to him, Ephraim submitted to the 
 judgeship of Samuel, though exercised in Benjamim, and 
 having thus become accustomed to that tribe's supremacy, 
 offered no resistance to the kingship of Saul. But, at his 
 death, when David of Judah, was accepted by his tribe as 
 king, the old jealousy flamed forth again, and Ephraim 
 accordingly joined Ish-bosheth, and, of course, used their 
 great influence over the other tribes, to bring " all Israel " 
 over to the side of David's rival. 
 
 After Ish-bosheth's death, the men of Ephraim, with 
 the rest of "Israel," submitted to David, and remained 
 loyal, until Solomon's oppression, and Eehoboam's brutal 
 threats, led them, at the instigation of Jeroboam, (himself 
 of their tribe), to steps that ended in the Schism. 
 
 '■^Benjamin" — naturally joined Ish-bosheth, because 
 Saul was a Benjamite. 
 
 ^'■And over all Israel" — i.e. His dominion finally ex- 
 tended " over all Israel." It is clear from this verse that 
 Ish-bosheth had to make his way gradually. Abner seems 
 to have commenced operations on the East of Jordan, 
 (choosing Mahanaim for capital), because David's name 
 was less powerful there, than West of Jordan, and Ish- 
 bosheth would be safer with the river between him and 
 his rival. Step by step, however, Ish-bosheth's sway ex- 
 tended, unto, it embraced aU the tribes save Judah. 
 
 The Philistines, who, just before David's accession to 
 the thi-one, were virtually masters of the country, do not 
 appear to have interfered in the settlement of the king- 
 dom. Their sudden disappearance from the scene, after 
 the crushing defeat of Saul, at Mount Gilboa, has given
 
 10 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 rise to numerous iugeuious, but unsatisfactory, tlieories. 
 The simple truth appears to be, that tliey approved of the 
 division that took place, for they must have foreseen that 
 civil war would foUow between David's, and Ish-bosheth's, 
 party, and that, consequently, the country would be 
 weakened, — a result most favourable for themselves. 
 Moreover, the friendship of Achish, who was of weight 
 amongst the Philistines, would, doubtless, have some in- 
 fluence in inducing his countrymen to abstain from hostili- 
 ties against his old friend, David. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 • v. 10. "Ish-bosheth was forty years old." — "Thirty" would 
 seem to be much more likely. 
 
 vs. 10, 11. ^^Ish-bosheth reigned tioo years." — ^^ And the 
 time that David . . . and six months." — These passages 
 seem to contradict one another. David became king of the 
 whole country immediately on Ish-bosheth's death, i.e., 
 (according to the text), two years after succeeding to the 
 throne of Judah ; yet here he is represented as reigning, in 
 Hebron, over Judah, seven and a-half years. 
 
 The simple explanation appears to be that David did 
 reign in Hebron seven and a-half years, during tioo years 
 <jf which he was king of Judah only, and that, after be- 
 coming king of the whole country, he continued to reign in 
 Hebron five years and a-half more, at the end of which 
 time he took Jerusalem, and changed his capital. The 
 passage, as far as refers to David, properly translated, 
 supports this view, — *'/n Hebron he reigned seven years 
 and six months, at first over the tribe of Judah only, and 
 afterwards over all Israel." 
 
 V. 12. "Abner," = Father of light. — Ner was father of 
 Abner, and of Kish (Saul's father) : consequently Abner 
 was Saul's uncle. He was, accordingly, naturally opposed 
 to David. 
 
 GENEALOGY OF SAUL. 
 
 Pedigree as derived from I. Sam., making Ahner, Saul's 
 cousin: — Abiel. 
 
 Kish. Ner. 
 
 I I 
 
 BauL Abner.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 11 
 
 Pedigree as derived from I. Chron., making Ahner, 
 Saul's uncle: — 
 
 Jehiel, (the " Abiel " of Sam.). 
 
 I I 
 
 Kish, Ner, 
 
 (3rd son.) (5th son.) 
 
 Kish. Abner. 
 
 SauL 
 
 Abner was commander-in-chief of the array under Saul ; 
 but he is scarcely noticed until after that monarch's death. 
 " Went out," — with a view to reduce Judah to Ish- 
 bosheth's sway. 
 
 V. 13. ^'Joab, the son of Zeruiah." — The following table ex- 
 hibits the family of David, and his relation to Joab, &c. : — 
 
 Jesse. 
 Sons, I Daiisrhters. 
 
 1 
 
 1. EHab. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Abinadab, 
 
 
 
 
 
 Abigail, 
 
 3. Shammah, or Shimeah, 
 
 (Shimma, 
 
 
 (married Jether, or 
 
 in I. Chron.), 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ithra.) 
 
 4. Nethaneel. 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 5. Raddai. 
 
 
 
 Zeruiah. 
 
 Amasa. 
 
 6. Ozem. 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 7. (Name unknown,) 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 8. David. 
 
 Abishai. 
 
 Joa 
 
 lb. 
 
 Asahel. 
 
 The descent of David, from Judah to Jesse, on the 
 father's side, was by the following steps : — 
 
 Judah, Pharez (liy Tamar), — Hezron, — Ram, — Ammin- 
 adab, — Nashou, ^^ prince of the children of Judah," — Sal- 
 mon, (or Salma), — Boaz, (by Rahab " the harlot"), — Obed, 
 (by Euth), — Jesse. 
 
 It will be seen hence, that — 
 
 1. David, (as, of course, Christ), was descended from 
 
 one of the most noble families of Judah. 
 
 2. Three of his ancestresses, (Tamar, Rahab, and 
 
 Ruth), were Gentiles, — a significant fact as re- 
 gards our Saviour, in whom Jew and G entile 
 would be alike blessed.
 
 12 KOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 "Joah we7it out," — to meet Abner. 
 
 " The pool of Gibeon."— ''On the east side of the Hill of 
 Gibeon, at the foot of a low cliff, was a large pool or tank, 
 on either side of which the rival forces encamped." 
 
 V. 14. " Let the young men now arise, and play before us." — 
 It was the custom in those days for champions from each 
 army to stand forth, and challenge one another, and for a 
 combat between these to precede the general engagement. 
 These prefatory conflicts appear to have afforded great 
 pleasure to the on-looking armies, — hence Abner's expres- 
 sion, " and play before us." 
 
 V. 16. " They caught every one Ms fellow by the head," — 
 by the hair of the head, i.e. either the hair on the scalp, or 
 that forming the beard. 
 
 " Helkath-hazzurim," = Field of Heroes. 
 
 V. 18. '' Abishai" — had, with his brothers, Joab, and 
 Asahel, been zealous allies of David during his wanderings, 
 and had acquired, in a special degree, his master's private 
 confidence. He was the only companion of David when 
 the latter entered Saul's camp at Ziph, and spared the 
 King's life. The other particulars of his career will be 
 found in the course of this book. 
 
 V. 21. " Lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take 
 thee his armour." — This may mean one of two things : — 
 
 1. Perhaps, Asahel, in his eager desire to overtake 
 
 Abner, had cast off his armour, so as to run un- 
 impeded. Abner, accordingly, urges him to arm 
 himself, so as to be on even terms with him, 
 should he overtake him. 
 
 2. Abner advises Asahel not to waste time in pur- 
 
 suing him ; but to stop, and give himself to 
 despoiling the slain, which would be more profit- 
 able to him. 
 This seems the more probable interpretation. 
 It may be remarked here, that leaders of an army were 
 at liberty to strip the dead on the day of battle ; the com- 
 mon soldiei-s not until the day following. 
 
 V. 22. "How then should I hold up my face to Joab thy 
 brother"? — Abner knew that, if he slew Asahel, Joab would 
 take upon himself the responsibility of Blood-vengeance, 
 which always devolved upon the nearest male relative of
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 13 
 
 the slain person, and extended, it is thought, even to those 
 killed in war, if the slayer were known. 
 
 V. 23. " The hinder end of the spear." — The spears of 
 those times had a spike at the lower end, for the purpose 
 of sticking them into the ground, on a halt. Thus we find 
 Saul's spear "stuck in the ground, at his bolster," when 
 David secretly entered his camp at Ziph. It was witli 
 the spike at the extremity of Abner's spear that Asahel 
 was killed. 
 
 V.2T. '■'■ As Godliveth . . . his brother." — Joab here, 
 evidently, tells a wilful falsehood. He would, doubtless, 
 have continued the pursuit, had not the Benjamites shewn 
 themselves in force. 
 
 V. 29. " Bithron" — means a region of hills and valleys ; 
 not any particular place. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 V. 2. " Were sons born in Hebron." — It would, then, 
 appear that David had no children when he became king 
 over Judah in Hebron ; though some think that Amnon 
 and Chileab xoere born while David was in exile, living 
 amongst the Philistines, and that Absalom was the first 
 son born to him after his becoming king. If this were so, 
 the circumstance would, according to the ideas then regu- 
 lating the succession, give Absalom a superior claim to 
 Amnon and Chileab. 
 
 But the text seems to us so decisive in terms, as to 
 altogether set aside the idea that any of David's children 
 were born while he was still a private individual. 
 
 V. 3. " Chileab" — called in Chronicles, Daniel. "We read 
 nothing more of him ; he probably died before Absalom's 
 rebellion. 
 
 At the time of David's accession to the throne of Judah, 
 Ahinoam, and Abigail, were his only wives, (excepting 
 Michal) : the other four here mentioned he must have 
 espoused at Hebron. 
 
 " Talmai, king ofOeshur." — David's alliance with Talmai 
 gave him valuable, and needful, support, in the N.
 
 14 NOTES ON n. SAMUEL, 
 
 CHAPTER III. 1 : 6-end. 
 
 War continues between David's, and Ish* 
 bosheth's, party, the former having the 
 advantage. — Ish-bosheth offends Abner, 
 who, in revenge, enters into negotiations 
 with David to bring "Israel" over to him. — 
 Abner comes to Hebron, and, after arranging 
 with David the details of his proposed 
 scheme, returns. — Joab deceitfully induces 
 him to return, and slays him, in revenge 
 for his brother Asahel's death. 
 
 V. 1. " Long war" — lasting iintil the death of Ish-bosheth, 
 and of a desultory character. That David grew stronger, 
 and Ish-bosheth's cause weaker, is to be accounted for 
 from the facts that " the skill and age of Abner could not 
 l^revail against the vigour and popular fame of David," — 
 and that the tribes supporting Ish-bosheth lost their 
 enthusiasm for him, the more time they had to reflect 
 upon David's claim. 
 
 V. 6. "Made himself strong, " — i.e. lent all the weight of 
 his influence. Abner, on account of his relationship to 
 Saul, his having been that king's commander-in-chief, and 
 his own resolute and decided character, possessed great 
 influence in Israel, and judiciously availed himself of the 
 adverse feeling to Judah, existing in the other tribes, for 
 the advantage of his family. He did not dare to propose 
 himself as king ; but put forth Ish-bosheth, a mere imbecile 
 puppet, to nominallij occupy that office, while he himself 
 was the virtual ruler. 
 
 V. 7. " Wherefore hast thpu gone in . . . father's con- 
 cubine " ? — It would hence appear that Abner had taken 
 Eizpah into his harem. This was a step of great political 
 significance, for, since the harem of a deceased monarch 
 belonged of right to his successor, Abner's act might be 
 construed into a claim to the throne. Probably, indeed, 
 such ivas the case, for by this time Abner would have 
 tolerably well established his authority. 
 
 V. 9. " As the Lord hath sworn to David." — Abner makes
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 15 
 
 Ills knowledge that God meant David to succeed Saul the 
 reason for his going over to the side of the former, appa- 
 rently overlooking the fact that this was a practical censure 
 on his previous conduct in opposing David. 
 
 V. 12. " Whose is the land," — i.e. "The land is virtually 
 mine to bestow upon whomsoever I will." 
 
 V. 13. ^^ Except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter." 
 — Michal was Saul's younger daughter, and originally loved 
 David deeply. Having disappointed David of Merab, his 
 elder daugliter, Saul bestowed Michal upon him. She 
 saved her husband by helping him to escape, by a window, 
 when Saul had set a guard at his son-in-law s house, — and 
 put a teraph in the bed, pretending it was David lying ill. 
 When the deception was discovered, she declared to her 
 father that David had compelled her to act thus, under 
 threat of death. Saul afterwai'ds cancelled the marriage, 
 and gave Michal to PhaltieL By the Law, a man must 
 not re-take a divorced wife; but David had a right to 
 resume cohabitation with jyiichal, for she had been divorced 
 without his consent. 
 
 There seems no doubt that David's demand, for Michal 
 to be restored to him, did not proceed from his aft'ection, 
 but was caused by policy, — for the possession of the late 
 king's daughter, as wife, greatly strengthened his title in 
 the eyes of the people. Her reproaches to him, and his 
 reply to her, at the Eemoval of the Ark, together with his 
 subsequent neglect of her, show that, whatever love they 
 might once have felt for one another, she loathed him, and 
 lie, (now secure on his tlirone, and so no longer needing 
 her), was perfectly indifferent to her. 
 
 V. 14. " Which I espoused . . . Philistines." — Saul, 
 having heard of Michal's passion for David, conceived a 
 plan whereby he might make his daughter a decoy to lure 
 David to his death. Accordingly, he proffered him Michal 
 as wife, on condition of slaying one hundred Philistines, 
 " thinking to make David fall by " their " hand." David, 
 however, slew double the number exacted, escaped unin- 
 jured, and received Michal. 
 
 V. 17. "y/ie Elders of Israel," — the National Assembly. 
 It consisted of the Princes of the Tribes, Heads of Clans 
 and Families, and the " Officers and Judges." 
 
 " Ye sought for David . . . over you." — This must 
 refer to the time when all Israel groaned under Saul's mis-
 
 16 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 government, for we have no record of there being any gene- 
 ral longing for David's accession upon the death of Saul. 
 
 V. 18. '■'■For the Lord . . . enemies." — We have it 
 nowhere recorded that this special promise was made on the 
 present, or any other, occasion, about David. Abner gives 
 it in very vague terras, and does not indicate when, or to 
 whom, the pledge had been given. The fact appears to be 
 that he himself concocted the message to account for his 
 own tergiversation, and to bring over Israel to David. In 
 thus speaking, however, be can scarcely be accused of false- 
 hood, since the promise which he attributes to Jehovah 
 does most certainly express what He had manifested openly 
 to be his purpose with regard to David. 
 
 No words could be conceived as better calculated to win 
 the tribes over to the cause of David, for they had, under 
 Saul, suffered bitterly from their enemies, especially the 
 Philistines, — Ish-bosheth gave no promise of being able to 
 cope with their foes in case of war, — and, therefore, the 
 prospect of being governed by a king of whose bravery and 
 past successes they were cognizant, and for whose future 
 victories, (bringing complete deliverance to the country), 
 Jehovah had, (according to Abner), pledged himself, offered 
 the highest inducement to submit to " the son of Jesse." 
 
 V. 22. " Came . . . with them." — Probably this foray 
 was made upon the AmaleJcites. 
 
 V. 25. " Thij going out, and thy coming i'n," — i.e. David's 
 surroundings, circumstances, habits, and acts. 
 
 V. 30, ^'Joab and Abishai sleiv Abner." — The narrative 
 does not state distinctly that Abishai was present at the 
 deed : if he was not, he must be associated here with Joab, 
 because he was pi'ivy to the scheme. 
 
 " Because he had slain . . . battle." — This was the 
 main reason, perhaps; but jealousy of Abner's influence 
 over David, and fear that the new adherent would sup- 
 plant him in that monarch's favour, also moved Joab. 
 
 Joab's conduct in slaying Abner is completely unjusti- 
 fiable, even on the principles of blood-feud, for even if the 
 claim of blood-revenge extended to the case of those slain 
 in battle, yet " Abner had killed Asahel most reluctantly, 
 and only to save his own life." 
 
 w. 31. "David said to Joab . . . ^6ner."— David 
 thus punished Joab by compelling him to attend as a 
 mourner, at the bier of Abner.
 
 . NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 17 
 
 " SacMoth," — hair-cloth. 
 
 " Bier," — a bed-like bier is signified in the original. The 
 poor would seem to have been conveyed to the tomb on 
 biers somewhat like hand-barrows, and the wealthy on. 
 rich bedsteads, of the four-post kind : on one of the latter 
 Abner was probably carried. 
 
 vs. 33, 34. David's Lament over Abater would be better 
 rendered thus : , 
 
 '^Should Abner die as a villain dies ? 
 Thy hands —not bound, 
 Thy feet — not brought into fetters: 
 
 As one falls before the sons of wickedness, fellest thou/" 
 
 The point of the Lament lies in the manner in which 
 Abner was slain. Joab professed to slay him in the capa- 
 city of Blood-avenger. But in that case Abner should, if 
 found guilty, have been delivered up to Joab by the 
 judges, bound hand and foot. But Joab, while professing 
 " to exercise the avenger's right, took a lawless and private 
 mode of satisfaction, and committed a murder," so that 
 Abner " was treacherously stabbed like a worthless fellow 
 by the hands of an assassin." 
 
 V. 35. " Till the sun be down." — Eastern fasts do not 
 consist in keeping from any particular article of diet ; but 
 in perfect abstinence during the day. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 CHAPTER lY. ; V., 1-5. 
 
 Ish-boslieth slain. — David made King over all 
 
 Israel. 
 
 CHAPTER lY. 
 
 V. 1. " SauVs Son," — Ish-bosheth. 
 
 " The Israelites," — in the restricted sense of all the tribes 
 hut Judah. 
 
 V. 2. " Captains of bands" — commanders of divisions of 
 Ish-bosheth's body-guard. 
 
 "A Beerothite." — Beeroth was one of the Hivite cities 
 in confederacy with Gibeon, which, by craft, obtained a 
 league with Joshua. 
 
 V. 3. "(?i«am,"— the Gittites, or inhabitants of Gath.
 
 18 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 " The Beerothites fled to Gittaim." — "We have no record 
 as to when this incident occurred. It may have been — 
 
 1. In Joshua's time, in order to escape being made 
 
 " hewers of wood," «&;c., or — 
 
 2. When, later on, Saul broke the league made by- 
 
 Joshua with the Gibeonites, and slaughtered a 
 number of them. 
 
 V. 4. "The tidings" — of the Israelites' defeat at Mount 
 Gilboa. 
 
 V. 5. "Bed" — probably the divan, which consisted of a 
 cushion placed close to the wall, on the floor, or on a bench 
 raised slightly above the floor, — with other cushions behind 
 to support the back. 
 
 " Who lay . . . at noon." — He was taking the daily 
 siesta, usual in the East. 
 
 V. 6. " They came thither . . . wheat."— They entered 
 the central court of the house, where the grain waa_ heaped, 
 under pretence of being about to carry some of it away, 
 and, having thus obtained access to the house, gained the 
 room where Ish-bosheth reposed ; this was, probably, the 
 "chamber above the gate." 
 
 V. 7. " The Plain,"— oi the Jordan. 
 
 V. 10. "One told me." — David here refers to the 
 Amalekite, whose false account of Saul's death, &c., are 
 given in the early part of this book. 
 
 V. 11. "A righteous ..." house." — David here con- 
 trasts, by implication, the assumed deed of the Amalekite, 
 and that actually committed by these two men. Saul was 
 a wicked, Ish-bosheth, a righteous, man: Saul, (accordingto 
 the Amalekite), was slain at his own request, to save him 
 the indignity of falling by the hand of the pursuing enemy ; 
 Ish-bosheth fell a victim to stealthy and cold-blooded murder. 
 
 V. 12. "Cutoff . . . /eef."— It was formerly customary 
 to retaliate a crime on the member committing it. In this 
 case the assassins' /ee< had entered the chamber, and their 
 hands had committed the murder : hence those members 
 were cut off. 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 V. 1. "All the tribes of Israel," — including Judah. 
 I. Chron. gives a detailed account of those who thus 
 came to David : —
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 19 
 
 Of JwcfaA, " bearing shield aud spear" . . . 6,800. 
 „ .Smeo?i, "mighty men of valour" . . . 7,100. 
 
 „ Levi 4,600. 
 
 „ the Aaronites 3,700. 
 
 (Benaiah was their leader, and had with him 
 Zadok, and 22 captains of the house of 
 Zadok's father.) 
 „ Beiijamim, "the kindred of Saul" . . . 3,000 
 ("Hitherto the greatest part of them had kept 
 the ward of the house of Saul.") 
 „ Ephraim, "mighty men of valour, famous through- 
 out the house of their fathers" . . 20,800. 
 
 „ Manasseh, W. of Jordan 18,000. 
 
 (These "were expressed by name, to come and 
 make David king.") 
 
 „ Issachar 200 
 
 "heads; and all their brethren were at their 
 commandment." 
 (These representatives of Issachar "were men 
 that had understanding of the times, to know 
 what Israel ought to do.") 
 „ Zebulun, "expert in war, with all instruments of 
 
 war" 50,000. 
 
 [These "could Iceep rank" (should be "came to 
 assist"), and "were not of double heart."] 
 „ Napktali, "with shield and spear" . . . 37,000, 
 and 100 captains. 
 
 „ Da7i, "expert in war" 28,000. 
 
 „ Asher, "expert in war" 40,000. 
 
 „ the Tribes E. of Jordan, " with all manner of in- 
 struments of war for the battle" . . 120,000. 
 These warriors, over 300,000 in number, " ready armed 
 to the war," "came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to 
 make David king over all Israel." 
 
 "And there they were with David three days, eating 
 and drinking : for their brethren had prepared for them. 
 Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar 
 and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and 
 on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, 
 cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and 
 oxen, and sheep abundantly : for there was joy in Israel." 
 V. 2. '■'•Thou tvast he . ... Israel." — He had been 
 Saul's generalissimo .
 
 20 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 ^^The Lord said . . . over Israel." — There is no 
 promise of God to David recorded in Scripture in these 
 ■words ; but, as was pointed out in the case of Abner's 
 speech, the wliole tenor of God's dealings with David was 
 to the same effect as the words of the text. 
 
 "A Captain over Israel" — in I. Chron., ^^ rider over my 
 people Israel." 
 
 v.Z. ^^ David made . . . the Lord." — This was, virtually, 
 a coronation-oath. We find that, at Saul's election, Samuel 
 wrote "the manner of the Kingdom" in a book, and 
 laid it up before the Lord. This " book " seems to have 
 defined the rights, and the limitations, of the Kingly- 
 power, and David's "oath," no doubt, consisted of a 
 promise to govern in accordance with these. This pledge 
 does not seem to have been exacted from those sovereigns 
 who succeeded in regular hereditary descent, for we read 
 of it at the accession of only three monarchs : — Saul, the 
 first King, — David, the founder of a new dynasty, — Joash, 
 who succeeded after a usurpation. The people seem, how- 
 ever, to have had the right to demand fresh stipulations 
 from a monarch, at his accession, as in the case of Eeho- 
 boam, whose refusal of the demands made upon him issued 
 in the Schism. 
 
 David had now a two-fold right to the throne ; — 
 
 1. God had appointed him. 
 
 2. The whole people had chosen him. 
 
 " They anointed David" — his third, (and second public) 
 unction. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 6-16. 
 
 David takes Jerusalem from the Jebusites, — 
 and builds himself a Palace on Mount Zion, 
 Hiram aiding him with materials and work- 
 men. — David feels himself established in 
 the kingdom. — He takes more wives and 
 concubines, — Names of Sons born to him at 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 V. 6. " The Jebusites," — were of the old inhabitants of 
 the land. Joshua conquered, and slew, the Eing of Jebus,
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 21 
 
 or Jerusalem, with others ; but had not taken the citj/. 
 At the division of the land, the boundary-line between 
 Judah and Benjamira passed through Jerusalem in such a 
 manner as to give the Upper Citi/, or Fortress of the Je- 
 busites, on Mount Zion, to Judah, and the Lower City, on 
 Mount Acra, (together with Mount Moriah,) to Benjamim. 
 
 From Judges we learn that, after Joshua's death, Judah 
 took Jerusalem, smote it with the edge of the sword, and 
 set it on fire. 
 
 It is, however, stated, in Joshua, that Judah could not 
 drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem, but dwelt amongst 
 them, and, in Judges, a like statement is made about the 
 Benjamites. The simple explanation of these three state- 
 ments would seem to be that Judah, and Benjamim, uniting 
 their forces, took the Lower City; but that all efforts, on 
 the part of the two tribes, united, or acting separately, 
 failed to capture the Upper City. 
 
 The Lower City, also, seems to have fallen again into 
 the power of the Jebusites, and to have remained in their 
 possession untU David captured the whole city. 
 
 David's reasons for transferring the capital of the 
 kingdom from Hebron to Jerusalem were, apparently : — 
 
 1. Jerusalem, while in his own tribe, (where he had 
 
 most power), was more central than Hebron, and 
 as near to the other tribes as any city of Judah 
 could be. 
 
 2. The new capital was almost impregnably situated. 
 It would seem that a more central capital, (situated, 
 
 e.g. on the site of Samaria,) would have been a wiser 
 choice ; but David was, doubtless. Divinely directed, since 
 Jehovah chose Moriah as the site of the national temple, 
 and thus brought it about that, when the schism occurred, 
 the Capital and the Temple should be together in the 
 kingdom of Judah. 
 
 ''^Jerusalem" — is mentioned, under the name of Salem, 
 in connection with its king Melchi-zedek. From the 
 Jebusites, it afterwards was called Jebus. These two words 
 compounded gave ^^ Jerusalem" = ^'■habitation of peace," 
 an appellation describing what its position actually ren- 
 dered it, and prophetic of its being, in the future, the seat 
 of the national worship. 
 
 At what period the name '■'■Jerusalem" began to be 
 given it is uncertain ; it is first applied to it in Scri^turt,
 
 22 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 in Joshua. Some think this is wiitten by anticipation, — 
 that the City was called '' Jebus," up to the time of its 
 capture by David, -who conferred upon it the name it now 
 bears. 
 
 Jerusalem was built, originally, on two hiUs, — Zion, on 
 the S., and Acra, on the N. : to these were afterwards 
 added Moriah, on the E., and Bezetha, on the N.,, of Acra. 
 
 (N.B. — As full a verbal description of Jerusalem as is 
 needed in this book may be collected from the Notes on the 
 present passage: but the student should be able, also, to 
 draw a Plan of the City: consequently, at the end of the 
 *^ Geography of II. Samuel" a list is given of what should 
 constitute such a plan.) 
 
 r. 6. ^'Except . . . hither."— So secure did they 
 consider themselves, that they manned the battlements 
 with only the blind and the lame. 
 
 V. 7. " The stronghold of Zion,"— -was on the hill of Zion 
 on the South, and was the Upper City, or Stronghold of 
 the Jebusites. It is called in I. Chron. " the Castle of Zion." 
 
 " The same is . . . David."— Th.\s was the name by 
 which David afterwards called it, when he had built his 
 palace on it. 
 
 V. 8. " Whosoever getteth . . .up into the Aowse."— The 
 parallel in Chronicles states that Joab was the first to 
 enter, and that he was, consequently, made generalissimo 
 of David's forces. But Joab already held this post, so 
 that he was now only confirmed in it. David's motive in 
 making the offer seems "to have arisen from a hope that 
 someone else than Joab would accomplish the feat, and so 
 supersede him in the command. 
 
 This passage is very wrongly translated, conveying no 
 definite idea of how the city was entered by Joab, «&;c. 
 The correct translation seems to be, " Whosoever getteth 
 up the secret passage, and smiteth the Jebusites, even 
 the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, 
 (because the lame and the blind had said, He shall not 
 come into this house,) shall be chief captain." 
 
 (Probably, the lame and blind placed, in mockery, on 
 the battlements, amused themselves by crying aloud, 
 "He shall not come into this house," and so annoyed 
 David by their taunts, that he is here said to have 
 ^^ hated" them.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 23 
 
 " Chiiter." — The corresponding Hebrew word is found in 
 only one other place in Scripture, (viz., Ps. xiii. 8,) where 
 it is rendered " tvater-spout." 
 
 Josephus says it was through a subterranean passage 
 that Joab obtained access to the City. Many authorities 
 render it ^^ secret passage." 
 
 It is, then, most probable that the ^^ gutter" was a dis- 
 used, or then dry, conduit, leading into Jerusalem. 
 
 Some make Joab scale the steep ascent of the fortress. 
 This is very improbable. It would be almost impossible 
 for this achievement to be wrought now; much less could 
 it be accomplished at a time when the science of war was 
 so rude, and siege appliances so inadequate. 
 
 V. 9. "Millo," — was, probably, the rampart of the citadel. 
 I. Chron. says that, ^'■Joah repaired the rest of the City." 
 
 V. 11. '■'•Hiram . . .to David." — It was to Hiram's interest 
 to cultivate the "friendship of whatever power commanded 
 the great lines of inland traffic which ran through Coele- 
 Syria and Damascus, by Hamath and Tadmor, to the 
 Euphrates." 
 
 This route was now in David's hands. It was also 
 most profitable for the Phoenicians to be in league with 
 tlie Israelites for the sake of the commerce with the latter 
 themselves: this, owing to "the security of cultivation 
 enjoyed by the Israelites," under David and Solomon, 
 speedily became most flourishing. 
 
 That Hiram should send artificers to David is not 
 strange, for the Philistines had, under Saul, deprived the 
 Israelites of their implements and forges, so that the 
 mechanical arts must have fallen into a very low state. 
 
 vs. 14-16. Two other lists of David's children born at 
 Jerusalem are given in I. Chron. They differ from tho 
 account in the text thus : — 
 
 1. Shammuah is called Shimea, or Shammua. 
 
 2. Elishtia is called Elishua, or Elishama. 
 
 3. Eliada is called Eliada, or Beeliada. 
 
 4. Eliphalet is called Eliphalet, or Eliphelet. 
 
 5. The text gives the names of eleven children; the lists 
 
 in /. Chron. mention thirteen, — the two additional 
 ones being Eliphalet, or Elpalet; and Nogah, 
 
 6. One of the accounts in Chron. states that 
 
 (1.) Bath-shua, (Bath-sheba), was the mother of 
 Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.
 
 24 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 (2.) Besides these children there were born to 
 him, at Jerusalem, Tamar, and "the sons of 
 the concubines." 
 
 Psalm CI. seems to have been composed by David on the 
 occasion of his becoming settled over the whole Kingdom. 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 17-end. 
 
 David twice defeats the Philistines, in the 
 Valley of Eephaim. 
 
 The parallel narrative in I, Chron. adds, — "And the 
 fame of David went out into all lands ; and the Lord 
 brought the fear of him upon all nations." 
 
 V. 17. " When the Philistines . . . over Israel." — It has 
 been already shewn why the Philistines left David un- 
 molested as King of Judah only. Now, however, that 
 Israel and Judah were united under his rule, they naturally 
 felt alarm for their safety, and accordingly took the field 
 against David, with a view to reduce him to the same state 
 of subjection in which they had formerly held Saul. 
 
 "■The hold,"— the stronghold of Zion. 
 
 V. 18. "The Valleji of Rephaim" — extended from the "W. 
 of Jerusalem, half-way to Bethlehem. 
 
 ''^ Rephaim" = giants. 
 
 V. 20. " Baal-perazim" = the Plain of Bursts, or of De- 
 struction. 
 
 V. 2\. "Images." — I. Chron. gives, in the parallel passage, 
 "gods." 
 
 V. 24. "Mulberry trees," — in the Hebrew, Becaim. A large 
 shrub, called by the Arabs Baca, would seem to be here 
 meant, "not only from the identity of name, but because 
 it distils an odoriferous gum ; whick seems to be implied 
 in the literal meaning of the original, which is 'weepings.'" 
 
 The word occurs in the singular, in Ps. Ixxxiv. 6, and is 
 there translated as a proper name, — "Who passing through 
 the valley of Baca" &c. 
 
 " A going," — i.e., a rustling motion. 
 
 V. 25. ^^Oeba" — "Gibeon" in the parallel in I. Chron. 
 
 Both were in Benjamim, and not far apart.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 25 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 The Ark taken by David from Kirjatk-Jearim, 
 — Uzzak smitten for touching it on the way, 
 — David, in fear, has it carried aside into 
 the house of Obed-Edom, to whom it brings 
 God's blessing, — The King, learning 'this, 
 causes it to be carried, with sacrifices and 
 rejoicing, from Obed-Edom's house to " the 
 City of David," and to be placed in the 
 tabernacle he has prepared for it, — Michal 
 taunts David for dancing before the Ark. 
 
 The account of these events is much more fully giveu in 
 I. Chron. The following are some of the additional 
 particulars there recorded, the remainder being incorp- 
 orated in the Notes on the Text : — 
 
 Before removing the Ark from Kirjath-jearim, David 
 consulted the "Congregation of Israel," proposing to as- 
 semble, at the solemn rite, representatives from all the 
 tribes, together with the priests and Levites, from their 
 several cities. 
 
 The Congregation agreeing to the King's plan, delegates 
 were sent from every part of the land, and assembled at 
 Karjath. 
 
 When about to take the Ark out of the house of Obed- 
 edom, David again assembled, at Jerusalem, repi'esent- 
 atives from "all Israel," to assist at the Second Eemoval. 
 Believing that God's auger, as shewn in the smiting of 
 Uzzah, had been owing to the Ark not having been carried 
 by the Levites, (that office, and the convey;ince of the 
 sacred vessels, having been assigned to the Kohathites, in 
 the Law), and to the neglect of proper preparatory purifi- 
 cations, David now took particular care to assemble Zadok 
 and Abiathar, the priests, and 862 Levites, of the families 
 of Kohath, Gershom, and Merari.
 
 26 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 By the King's command, the priests, and Levites, sancti- 
 fied themselves for the ceremony, and the Ai'k was carried 
 forth on the shoulders of the Levites. 
 
 v.\. "All the chosen men of Israel,^' — i.e. delegates from 
 throughout the country, as related in I. Chron. 
 
 V. 2. "Baale" — the same as Kirjath-jearim. It was 
 called, .also, Baalah, and Kirjath-Baal. The "Baal" in 
 the name, seems to indicate its having originally been a 
 seat of idolatrous worship. 
 
 "To brmg up from thence the Ark of God." — The Ark 
 had been taken, in battle, by the Philistines, b.c. 1141. It 
 was then placed first in the Temple of Dagon, at Ashdod. 
 The image of that deity falling broken before it, and the 
 Ashdodites being plagued for its possession, it was sent to 
 Gath, and thence to Ekron, the plague still accompanying 
 it. Thereupon, the Philistines, after holding possession of 
 it seven months, determined to send back the Ark to the 
 Israelites, with a Trespass-offering of five golden emerods, 
 and five golden mice. They placed it on a new cart, drawn 
 by two kine, which, of their own accord, drew it to Beth- 
 shemesh. The men of that place, rejoicing at the restora- 
 tion of the precious cofi"er, off"ered the kine in sacrifice; 
 but a large number of them being smitten for looking into 
 it, they sent to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, (which 
 was the nearest town on the road to Shiloh, where the 
 Tabernacle then stood), to remove it to their city. They 
 complied,— brought it up from Beth-shemesh, — and placed 
 it in the house of Abinadab, a Levite, whose son Eleazar 
 was sanctified to keep it. 
 
 It was not taken to Shiloh, because, probably, that place 
 was desolated, soon after the Philistines captured the Ark. 
 
 It is almost certain that it had remained at Kirjath- 
 jearim until David removed it ; though some authorities 
 are of opinion that, during part of Saul's reign, it was at 
 Nob, whence it was again removed to Baalah. 
 
 "Whose name . , . cherubims"— i.e. The Ark w^ 
 called the "Ark of God" from the fact of the Sliechinah, 
 or token of Jehovah's presence, resting upon the cover of 
 the Coflfer, (or Mercy-Seat), between the cherubim. 
 
 The Cherubim were two images of beaten gold, one at 
 each end of the Ark,— the one facing the other,— and
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 27 
 
 having outstretelbed wings, veiling the Mercy-Seat, and 
 eyes cast down as if desiring to look into its mysteries. 
 
 V. 3. " They set the Ark of God upon a new cart" — in imita- 
 tion of the manner in which the Philistines had formerly 
 caused it to be carried. 
 
 This removal of the Ark was carried out in a manner 
 directly opposed to the precepts of the Law, which forbade 
 it to be placed on a cart, or drawn by animals, or handled 
 by its bearers. It was ordered to be carried on the 
 shoulders of the Kohathites, by means of two staves pass- 
 ing through rings at the corners, while, before its removal, 
 it, (together with all the vessels of the Sanctuary), was to 
 have its covering placed over it by the priests. Any other 
 person touching it incurred the penalty of death 1 
 
 The Philistines had, in their manner of sending it back, 
 infringed the Law ; but their conduct was excusable, for 
 they were, doubtless, ignorant of the rules for conveying 
 it, and, had it not been so, they could not have secured 
 the services of Levite bearers. 
 
 David, and those with him, however, ought to have 
 known what the rule was, especially after the terrible 
 judgment upon the men of Beth-shemesh. 
 
 "/■?i (?i6mA,"— should be, "o?i a hill": Abinadab dwelt 
 at Kirjath-jearim. 
 
 V. 5. ^^ Harp" — a kind of Light, portable lyre: it was, 
 probably, seven-stringed, and was the national musical 
 instrument of the Hebrews. 
 
 ^'•Psaltery" — a large, heavy, instrument, of the harp 
 kind; probably, triangular in form, and, according to 
 Josephus, tw«lve-stringed. 
 
 " Timbrel^ (frequently rendered " tabret "), — a species of 
 tambourine. 
 
 " Cornets" — horns: those of the ox, and the ram, were 
 the ones generally used. 
 
 " Cymbals." — Under this generic name were included 
 cymbals proper, (such as are still used in bands), — 
 castanets, — the sistrum, (a "frame of sonorous metal" 
 crossed by bars of the same material, which passed loosely 
 through holes in the sides, and were bent at the ends, and 
 which, when the instrument was shaken, produced the 
 Bound), — and a kind of " triangle." 
 
 V. 6. " NachonJ' — in L Chron. is called Chidon. 
 
 " Uzzah put forth . . . hold of it" — thus flatly
 
 28 NOTES OiV 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 violating the precept just referred to, and so incurring the 
 death penalty. 
 
 " /Shook it," — owing, as we learn from I. Chron., to their 
 stumbling. 
 
 V. 8. ^'' Perez-Uzzah" =thehrealcing, (or disaster), ofUzzah. 
 Perez- Uzzah, and, consequently, Obed-edom's house, were 
 close to Jerusalem, — if not actually within the Lower City. 
 
 V. 9. "David toas afraid of the Lord." — David evidently 
 regarded the judgment on TJzzah as harshly severe, though, 
 aa we learn from Chron., he afterwards owned its justice, 
 as a punishment for not seeking God "after the due order." 
 It seems pretty clear that he was blind to the cause of the 
 '' breach," at the time of its occurrence. During the latter 
 years of Saul's reign, and the earlier ones of David's, there 
 would appear to have been a general ignorance, and care- 
 lessness regarding matters of religion ; and thus we find the 
 King himself, the priests, and the Levites, displaying "a 
 zeal without knowledge," — and actually contravening the 
 Law, while eagerly intent on re-establishing the Tabernacle 
 worshij) of Jehovah. 
 
 The judgment upon Uzzah was just, since, being in 
 charge of the Ark, it was his duty, as a Levite, to have 
 seen that all things were done "decently, and in order": 
 this he neglected, and, consequently, he was accountable 
 for the accident which led him to touch the Ark. Such 
 an example, too, was necessaiy, to check " the growing dis- 
 position to treat the holy mysteries with undue familiarity." 
 
 V. 10. " The Gittite," — i.e. a native of Gath-rimmon, which 
 was a town of Southern Dan, belonging to the Kohathite 
 Levites, of whom Obed-edom was one. 
 
 V. 12. "So David went . . . gladness." — From the 
 parallel passage in I. Chron. we gain the following addi- 
 tional particulars concerning the procession : — 
 
 David instructed "the chief of the Levites" to choose 
 from their brethren singers and musicians. 
 
 Accordingly they appointed a number of instrumentalists, 
 under the direction of Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, (or Jed- 
 uthun); and singers under Chenaniah. (Some, however, 
 regard the passage concerning Chenaniah as mistranslated ; 
 and would make liim the superintendent of the carrying of 
 the Ark, — not leader of song.) 
 
 Obed-edom, and three other Levites, acted as " door' 
 keepers " to the Ark, during its transit.
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 29 
 
 V. 13. " When they . . . six paces." — I. Cliron, has, 
 *' When God helped the Levites that bare the ark." — It would 
 appear, then, that, when the Levites had advanced six 
 paces, some token of Divine approval was vouchsafed them. 
 
 '^ 0x6)1 and fatlings." — I. Chron. has, "seven bullocks, 
 and seven rams." 
 
 V. 14. '^ David danced" — (and, as I. Chron. tells us, 
 ^^ played" — i.e., on his lyre). 
 
 Dancing did not form any part of Jewish worship, (as it 
 did amongst many other ancient nations) ; but was, with 
 the Hebrews, a mode of expressing gladness and rejoicing 
 on special occasions, some of which would, of course, be 
 religious ones. David's dancing, then, was merely an ex- 
 pression of his exultation. 
 
 " David was girded with a linen ephod" — So, also, were 
 the Levites, and the musicians, (as I. Chron. records). 
 
 ^^ Ephod" — from aphad = to tie, — because fastened by a 
 girdle. 
 
 There were two kinds of ephod : — 
 
 1. The ephod peculiar to the High Priest, — a close robe, 
 reaching from the shoulders to the loins, — made of 
 fine-twined linen, gorgeously embroidered with 
 blue, purple, scarlet, and strips of gold (sewn on). 
 On the shoulder-pieces, set in golden sockets, were 
 two onyx stones, bearing the names of the twelve 
 tribes, — six on each stone. 
 
 It was fastened round the waist by a girdle of the 
 same materials of which it was itself composed. 
 
 2. The ephod of the ordinary Priests and Levites, — a 
 tunic of plain linen. The Priests and Levites did 
 not, at first, wear Ephods; but we find them 
 gradually adopting their use, and, at length, (as in 
 the present case of David), they came to be used 
 by even private individuals, on solemn occasions. 
 
 V. 15. " J./^ the house of Israel" — i.e., the Priests and 
 Levites, and delegates from all the Tribes, (consisting, 
 according to I. Chron., of "the Elders of Israel, and the 
 Captains over Thousands.") 
 
 " Brought up" — i.e., up the path leading to the summit 
 of Mount Zion. 
 
 " Trumpet." — The Hebrew trumpet was a long, straight, 
 instrument, in form resembling its modern representative. 
 David was the first to introduce the trumpet into choir
 
 30 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 music : bef oi"e which, it had, (like the " horn "), been treed 
 only to make signals, during religious festivals, or on the 
 battle-field. 
 
 The trumpet, horn, and Miriam's timbrel, are the only 
 instruments noticed in the Pentateuch. 
 
 I. Chron. states that, on the occasion of the text, there 
 were seve7i priests who, advancing " before the Ark," blew 
 rvith trumpets; and that, besides these instruments, the 
 musicians accompanied the procession with the sound of 
 cornets, cymbals, psalteries, and harps. 
 
 It is most probable that the trumpets did not join in 
 the general concert, but were blown by the priests during 
 the pauses of the singing, and the playing of the other 
 instruments. 
 
 V. 16. " Despised him." — Michal's idea of kingly dignity 
 was derived, probably, from her stern father, Saul. She 
 would, consequently, feel contempt for David's eager, 
 sympathetic, disposition, which led him generally to act 
 naturally, and without affectation, on the spur of the mo- 
 ment. Besides, she had been used to see her father treat 
 the priests with an air of lofty preeminence, and so was 
 chagrined at David thus, (as she considered it), humiliating 
 himself before them. 
 
 V. 17. " The tabernacle that David had pitched for it,"- — 
 not the old Tabernacle of Moses ; but a new one, specially 
 erected, at Jerusalem, for the Ark's reception. 
 
 The original Tabernacle was, (as we leai-n from I. Chron.,) 
 still at Gibeon, at the time of the staying of the pestilence 
 at the threshing-floor of Araunah : it seems then to have 
 contained only the Altar of Burnt-Offering. Solomon is 
 recorded to have offered 1,000 burnt-offerings at the old 
 Tabernacle. After this we meet with no mention of it. 
 
 "David offered .... peace-o/eriTi^s."— This was 
 contrary to the letter of the Law, which provided that no 
 sacrifices should be offered anywhere excepting before the 
 Tabernacle, — the reason for this command being that that 
 structure was the dwelling-jilace of Jehovah. But as the 
 Ark, (the token of the Lord's presence), was now in the 
 new Tabernacle, there was no violation of the spirit of the 
 Law, in these sacrifices. Of course, David himself did 
 not officiate at them : Abiathar and Zadok, the represent- 
 atives of the Aaronic family, would minister, aided by the 
 other priests present.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 31 
 
 We learn from I. Cliron., that — 
 
 1. When the New Tabernacle had received the Ark, 
 David appointed, to offer continual praise before 
 the latter, a band of performers on psalteries, harps, 
 and cymbals, under the leadership of Asaph ; and 
 two priests, to souud with trumpets. 
 
 2. On that same day, David delivered into the hand 
 of Asaph, and his brethren, a Psalm of Thanks- 
 giving, — probably the first Psalm he wrote for puhlia 
 praise. , 
 
 (It is given in I. Chrou. xvi. 8-36, inclusive, and 
 appears to have been compounded, by David, of 
 portions of tliree already existing Psalms of his; 
 viz. xcvi., cv., cvi.) 
 
 At the conclusion of this song, " All the people 
 said, Amen, and praised the Lord." 
 
 3. David leaving, in all, sixty-eight priests and 
 Levites, to minister before the Ark, in Jerusalem, 
 (Obed-edom and Hosah being appointed porters), 
 set apart for the service of the Tabernacle, at 
 Gibeon, Zadok, and the remaining Priests, to 
 sacrifice, — and the rest of the musicians, under 
 Hemau and Jeduthun, to offer praise, (Jeduthun's 
 sons being appointed porters). 
 
 V. 19. "J. good piece of flesh" — the sixth part of a bul 
 lock, according to the Rabbins. 
 
 ^' Of flesh," — is not in the original here ; but is so in the 
 parallel passage in I. Chrou. The etymology of the Hebrew 
 there employed is two words, meaning flre and hull, — 
 whence, perhaps, the best rendering would be ^'■roast-beef." 
 
 '■'■A flagon of wine." — ''^ Of wine" is not in the original 
 here, or in the parallel in I. Chron., and '•'■flagon" is an 
 incorrect rendering of a word signifying some species of 
 cake. The Septuagint has, in the text, '■'■ pancake," and in 
 Chron., '■'honey-cake." It is most probable, then, that some 
 kind of sweet cake, cooked in the frying-pan, is intended. 
 
 V. 20. " Uncovered himself," — is a very incorrect transla- 
 tion, leading one to imagine that David acted indecorously 
 on this occasion, — an idea strengthened by the use of the 
 word ^'shamelessly," which is not in the original. So far 
 from David's being %oithout attire, we are distinctly told 
 that he wore a lirien robe, and an Ephod.
 
 32 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 If we translate the word here rendered ^^ uncovered" 
 correctly, we shall read ^^ shewed himself openly." 
 
 Then, omitting "shamelessUj" and remembering that it 
 was for his "leaping and dancing" that Michal despised 
 David, her meaning becomes apparent ; — she sarcastically 
 taunts him with forgetting his regal dignity, and, hy making 
 a public exhibitioyi of hinuelf, lowering himself to the level 
 of the mob, (or "the vain fellows"). 
 
 V. 22. "And I will yet . . . own sight." — David's 
 meaning is, " Considering how God has exalted me, I am 
 prepared to humiliate myself to a far deeper pitch than 
 you say I have to-day done." 
 
 V. 23. ^'Michal . . , had no child mito the day of her 
 death." — David, doubtless, retained her in his harem ; but 
 saw her no more, — thus lowering her, as he had said he 
 would, in the estimation of the "handmaids." 
 
 In commemoration of the removal of the Ark from the 
 house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem, David composed the 
 following Psalms : — xv. ; xlvii., Ixviii. (both sung, probably, 
 during the Removal) ; and Ixvii. (perhaps forming the 
 " Blessing," wherewith David blessed the people, after the 
 Ark had reached its destination). 
 
 Subsequent History of the Ark. 
 
 It was placed in the Holy of Holies, in Solomon's Temple, 
 where it remained till the Sanctuary was polluted by the 
 presence of idols : the priests then earned it from place to 
 place, to preserve it from profanation. 
 
 Josiah replaced it in the Temple. 
 
 It was lost sight of at the Destruction of the Temple by 
 Nebuchadnezzar, and was wanting in the Second Temple. 
 The Jews, however, believe that it still exists. 
 
 CHAPTER VIL- 
 
 David purposes to build a House for the Ark, 
 — Nathan at first encourages him, but after- 
 wards, by Divine instruction, forbids him, 
 while conveying to him God's promise that
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 33 
 
 Ms son shall erect the House, and that his 
 throne shall be established for ever, — 
 David's Thanksgiving Prayer thereupon. 
 
 Most authorities consider that the events of this chapter 
 immediately follow the account of the Eemoval of the Ark, 
 only because I'elated in subject, and forming the sequel, to 
 that incident ; and that they actualljj belong to a much 
 later period than their present position would lead us to 
 suppose. The reasons they allege for this view ai-e : — 
 
 1. David cannot be said to have had " rest fi-om all his 
 enemies" until, at least, the fall of Kabbah, 1033, B.C. 
 
 2. David declares, whilst relating, (in his dying 
 charge), his design of building a House for God, 
 and the latter's forbidding him, that Jehovah dis- 
 tinctly said, " Solomon, thy son, he shall build my 
 house," (I. Chron.) Consequently, the veto on the 
 King's plan must have been laid after the bii'th of 
 Solomon, which took place in 1033 b.c. 
 
 Others, however, maintain that the chapter occupies its 
 proper chronological position, and reply to the above 
 arguments thus : — 
 
 1. David certainly had rest, at the time of the Eemoval 
 of the Ark, from all who had been his enemies so 
 far since his accession, viz., Saul's former adherents ; 
 the Jebusites ; and the Philistines. 
 
 2. He does not state that it was on the special occasion 
 of the text that Jehovah mentioned "Solomon" hy 
 name. It may be that — as v. 12 of this chapter 
 has it — God only promised that one of David's 
 "seed" should build the House, without naming 
 him: and that the mention of "Solomon" was 
 made in the renewal of the promise after tho 
 latter's birth 
 
 The latter view appears to be correct. 
 
 V. 3. " Oo ! do all that is in thine heart ; for the Lord is 
 with thee." — Presently, we find the Lord instructing Nathan 
 to forbid David's doing what was in his heart : we must, 
 consequently, regard the encouraging words of the text as 
 being the prophet's uninspired opinion. The design of 
 David to build Jehovah a permanent house seemed to him 
 BO good and pious, that the idea of the possibility of its 
 
 c
 
 34 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 being disapproved of by God does not appear to have 
 occurred to him for a moment. 
 
 V. 5. " Shalt thou build me an house ?" — A strong nega- 
 tive, equivalent to " Thou shalt hy no means build me a 
 house." 
 
 V. 6. "/?i a tent, and in a tabernacle." — It would appear 
 hence that it was not au absolute necessity that the Ark 
 should abide in the Tabernacle only, so that there was 
 nothing wrong in David's placing it in a temporary 
 "tent" at Jerusalem, until God should reveal His will 
 concerning it. 
 
 V. 7. ^^ Tribes of Israel." — ^^ Judges of Israel" is the ex- 
 pression in the parallel passage in I. Chron. 
 
 V. 8. "Sheep-cote," — the sheep-/o^<^. As a rule the flocks 
 of a settled people, in the E., are folded at night only 
 when pasturing away from home, and in places where 
 nomad robbers or beasts of prey are to be feared. The 
 "folds" are either strongly-built open enclosures, or high, 
 covered, impregnable, towers. 
 
 V. \0. ''^ I will appoint . . . over my people Israel" — 
 a promise of security and peace to tlie nation, which was 
 not fultilled, because Israel kept not the condition, — viz., 
 obedience. 
 
 V. 11. '•'•He will make thee an house." — The emphasis here 
 should be on "7/e" and "thee," — the force of the passage 
 being, " Do not imagine that the Lord, in refusing to allow 
 thee to carry out thy design of building Him a house, in- 
 timates tliat He has withdrawn His blessing from thee. 
 He will keep His covenant with thee, and carry to perfec- 
 tion the gracious designs He has had in view for thee ever 
 since calling thee from the sheep-fold, — so that, though 
 thou shalt not build Him a house, (of stone, wood, &c.), 
 yet He will make thee a house, {i.e., a dynasty)." 
 
 V. 12. "Thy seed,"— Solomon. 
 
 vs. 13, 16. "/ will 'stablish the throne of his kingdom 
 for ever." '^Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established 
 for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever." — 
 Here is a promise that the dynasty of David, and of his 
 son Solomon, should endure "/or ever." 
 
 Literally, the promise has not been fultilled, for the Jews 
 are no longer a nation governed by a prince of the line of 
 David and Solomon. But God has not, therefore, broken 
 His covenant. The promise was not absolute, but con-
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 35 
 
 tingent upon certain terms being observed on the other 
 side. These conditions David himself declares in his fare- 
 well charge, — "And he said unto me, 'I will establish his, 
 {i.e., Solomon's), kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do 
 my commandments and viy judgments' " 
 
 Solomon violated these conditions, and Jehovah, there- 
 fore, kept not His part of the covenant. 
 
 Figurative!!/ and spiritually this promise has been ful- 
 filled, — for Christ, of the seed of David, and of Solomon, 
 reigns, and shall for ever reign, over the Church, the 
 spiritual Israel. 
 
 V. 14. '■'■If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the 
 rod of men." — Solomon did commit iniquity: and God did 
 chasten him as foretold, by '' stirring up," as ''adversaries," 
 to vex his later yeai-s, Hadad, Eezon, and Jeroboam. 
 
 V, 15. "But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as 
 I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee." — This 
 promise was fulfilled, for whereas the whole kingdom was 
 taken from Saul's dynasty, Judah, (with Benjamim), was 
 left to Solomon's son, and the line of David continued to 
 reign over that kingdom long after Israel had gone into 
 captivity. 
 
 The chief reason of God's forbidding David to build Him. 
 an house is not stated in the text ; David, however, supplies 
 it in his farewell charge, — " But God said unto me, ' Thou 
 shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast 
 been a man of war, and hast shed blood.'" (I. Chron. 
 xxviii. 3.) 
 
 V. 18. " Went in," — either to a private room of his palace, 
 or to the Tabernacle containing the Ark, at Jerusalem. 
 
 " Sat before the Lord." — The posture here called " sitting" 
 was assumed by kneeling down, and letting the body rest 
 on the heels. This is still, in the E., an attitude of pro- 
 foundest devotion. 
 
 V. 20. "Say more unto thee?" — I. Chron adds, "for the 
 honour of thy servant?" The whole meaning is, "What 
 farther can I say to shew how deeply grateful I am for 
 the great and undeserved honour Thou hast bestowed 
 upon me?" 
 
 "And let thy name be magnified for ever," — i.e. in the 
 fulfilment of the promises to establish David's house.
 
 36 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 I. Chron. reads it so ; — " Do as thou hast said. Let it, 
 (i.e. my house), even be established, that thy name may be 
 magnified for ever." 
 
 CHAPTER VIII., 1-14. 
 
 David subdues tte Philistines, and the Moabites, 
 — conquers Hadadezer of Zobah, and the 
 Syrians of Damascus, reducing the latter to 
 submission, and placing garrisons in their 
 towns. — Toi sends his son, with presents, to 
 David, to congratulate him on his victory over 
 Hadadezer; David dedicates, to God, Toi's 
 gifts, and spoils which he has taken in his 
 wars. — The Edomites defeated, reduced to 
 servitude, and their towns garrisoned with 
 Hebrews. 
 
 THE EXTENT OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL AT 
 SAUL'S DEATH was greater only on the E. of Jordan than 
 it had been at his accession. He conquered the Philistines, 
 Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and the King of Zobah, 
 and almost exterminated the Amalekites ; but he does not 
 appear to have reduced any one of these to submission, or 
 to tribute. 
 
 The Hebrew territory, accordingly, included, at David's 
 accession to the throne of all Israel: — 
 
 1. The land apportioned hy Joshua to the Twelve Tribes, 
 — excepting the following peoples, states, and cities, which 
 the tribes had failed to conquer : — 
 
 In the N. — Geshur, — Beth-shan, Endor, Taanach, and Meg- 
 giddo, {in Issachar, but belonging to Manasseh), 
 — Dor, (m Asher, but belonging to Manasseh), 
 — Kitron, and Nahalal, (in Zebulun), — the 
 Maachathites, — Beth-shemesh, and Beth-anath, 
 (in Naphtali), — Accho, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah. 
 Aphek, and Eehob, (in Asher).
 
 KOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 87 
 
 In the N.N.E.—''The Land of the Giblites." 
 
 In the JV. W. — The Phoenicians. 
 
 /» the S. — The Geshurites. 
 
 In the W. — The Amorites of Mount Heres, and Shaalbim, 
 
 (in Dan), — unconquered, but tributary. 
 In the S. TF.— The PhiUstines. 
 
 In the central parts of Palestine. — The Jebusites of Jeru- 
 salem, — Gezer, (of Ephraim). 
 
 2. The territory of the Hagarites, or Hagarenes, (so 
 called after Hagar), a tribe of Ishmaelites, inhabiting the 
 district E. of the portions of Eeuben, Gad, and Manasseh, 
 beyond Jordan. These three tribes defeated the Hagarites, 
 (through the assistance of Jehovah, who listened to their 
 cry in battle) ; — took their cattle, 50,000 camels, 250,000 
 sheep, 2,000 asses, — and 100,000 men (!) as prisoners j — 
 '• and dwelt in their steads until the captivity." (I. Chron. 
 V. 10; 19-22.) 
 
 DAVID seems to have determined to extend the bound 
 axies of his empire to the limits that it had been foretold 
 it should occupy. 
 
 The chief passages in which these are mentioned are as 
 follows: — 
 
 To Abraham, God had declared, — " Unto thy seed have 
 I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great 
 river, the river Euphrates : the Kenites, and the Keniz- 
 zites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the 
 Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the 
 Canaanites, and the Girgasbites, and the Jebusites.'" 
 
 To Moses God had said, — 
 
 1. — " And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even 
 unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto 
 the river." 
 
 '■^The Sea of the Philistines" was the Mediterranean, — 
 "iAe desert" that to the S. of Palestine, — and "the river" 
 the Euphrates. 
 
 2. — " Go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the 
 places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the 
 vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of 
 the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, 
 tiie river Euphrates." 
 
 " The Mount of the Amorites" — in S. of Judah. 
 
 "T'Ae Ca)iaanites" — the Canaanites proper, on the sea- 
 coast.
 
 S8 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 3. — " From the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river 
 the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea," (i.e., the 
 furthest S.W. part of the Mediterranean). 
 
 " The land of the Canaanites," — the Canaanites proper. 
 
 To Joshua the boundaries were thus prescribed : — 
 
 " From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto tlie 
 great river, the river Euphrates, all the laud of the Hit- 
 tites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the 
 sun, shall be your coast." 
 
 " The wilderness," — the same as " the desert " before ex- 
 plained. 
 
 Collating these passages, we iind the foretold extent of 
 ihe Hebrew territory to have been as follows : — 
 
 From the Eiver of Egypt, on the S.W. to the E. arm of 
 the Red Sea, (including portions of that arm, and of " the 
 S. desert"), thence E. to the Euphrates, — theuce following 
 the Euphrates N.W. till opposite Lebanon, — past Lebanon, 
 to the coast of the Mediterranean, which formed the W. 
 limit,— and from this point to the Eiver of Egypt again. 
 
 All this territory, however, was not included in the 
 K' Promised Land" i.e., in the country which God had al- 
 lotted to be divided amongst the tribes : this was to reach, 
 on the E., to the Jordan only. 
 
 It was only their own hostile conduct that led Moses to 
 make war upon the kings E. of Jordan ; but, having con- 
 quered their territory, he bestowed it on those tribes 
 having the most flocks and herds. 
 
 But though the Jordan was to be the boundary of the 
 land to be divided, it is clearly indicated that, if the Israel- 
 ites chose, they might extend the limits of their territory 
 as far E. as the Euphrates. 
 
 The tribes E. of Jordan, we have seen, took the Hagar- 
 ites' country, during Saul's reign, thus making a great step 
 towards reaching the utmost foretold E. boundary. 
 
 THE EXTENT OF THE KINGDOM AT DAVID'S DEATH, 
 AND SOLOMON'S ACCESSION, was that just indicated as 
 its foretold limit. 
 
 But though David had conquered the Jebusites, and 
 taken their city,— held Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, 
 and nearly all Syria, under tribute, — and was acknowleged 
 by Hamath as liege ; yet the Phoenicians, and other native 
 tribes and cities, remained, as far as Scripture informs us, 
 independent under David, and at Solomon's accession.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 3» 
 
 With respect to the E., (or rather right-hand), limit 
 reached under David, the maps make it a line running 
 from the E. arm of the Gulf of Akaba, to touch the 
 Euphrates E. of Rezeph, and then take that river as the 
 boundary for a shoi't distance N.W. of Tipsah. 
 
 This zoe believe to he altogether wrong! We have she-wn 
 how the Trans- Jordanic tribes made a great step directly E., 
 to the Euphrates, under Saul, — we find them, under David, 
 reaching that river on the N.E., and so bringing Hadadezer 
 upon them "to recover his boundary," — and, at the same 
 time, I. Chron. distinctly states that the Eeubenites, (who 
 were the most southerly tribe E. of Jordan), "inhabited 
 eastwai'ds unto the entering in of the wilderness from the 
 river Euphrates." Taking this to have occurred under 
 David, (as we have good reason to do), we find, in his reign, 
 the kingdom reaching Eastward as far as the Euphrates, 
 and accordingly attaining there, as it did N., W., and S., 
 the utmost limits foretold ; nor do we find that any serious 
 attempt was ever made to advance E. of the Euphrates. 
 
 The right-hand boundary-line, then, of the kingdom, at 
 the death of Saul, will be represented by a straight line 
 drawn from a point on the N., opposite Tipsah, to one on 
 the S., midway between the site of Babylon and Orchoe; 
 and the boundary in the same direction, at the Death of 
 JJavid, and the Accession of Saul, will be the Euphrates, 
 from a little N.W. of Tipsah, to half-way between Orchoe 
 and Babylon. 
 
 (A t the same time, the limit given in the atlases generally 
 should be got up). 
 
 V. 1. " Metheg-ammah," — should be " Gath and her towns." 
 It is so translated in the parallel in I. Chron. 
 
 After the Exodus, Philistia came to be divided into 
 five "lordships," each constituted of a city, and the district 
 suiTOundiug, with its towns and villages. The five cities, 
 each of which was on an elevation, were Ga-za, Ashdod, 
 Askelon, Gath, and Ekron. The kings of these five states 
 were called "the lords of the Philistines," were independent 
 of one another in time of peace, — but acted in common in 
 ctise of war. 
 
 V. 2. '■' Jfoab." — David had been on good terms with 
 this people during his wanderings, his parents being 
 sheltered by theii' king, while he was " in the hold."
 
 40 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 The cause of the war which we find him, in the text, 
 waging with his late friends, is unknown, but, most pro- 
 bably, it was one for empire, wantonly initiated by him. 
 
 The Moabites remained tributary to Israel till the death 
 of Ahab, when Mesha, their ruler, rebelled. 
 
 Jehoram, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom defeated 
 Mesha, and invaded his territory with terrible havoc. 
 
 The Edomites do not seem, however, to have been re- 
 duced to their former tributary state on this occasion, or 
 subsequently. 
 
 " Measured them . . . I:eep alive." — David seems to 
 have caused all the captives to lie down, and then, in lieu 
 of slaying them all, (as the law allowed), to have marked 
 off a certain proportion to be put to death, and a part to be 
 spared. The text apparently points to two-thirds of the 
 number as being destroyed ; but the Septuagint and the 
 Vulgate make the proportion one-half ; the former repre- 
 senting that there were two lines each, and the latter one 
 line each, respectively, for slaying, and sparing alive. 
 
 Some, incorrectly, regard this treatment as being applied 
 to the whole country of Moah, and not to the war-captives 
 only. 
 
 In the Moabite campaign Benaiah "slew two lionlike 
 men of Moab," (c. xxiii., 20). 
 
 By this reduction of Moab was fulfilled Balaam's pro- 
 phecy, — "There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a 
 Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners 
 (rather "princes") of Moab, and destroy all the children of 
 Sheth," (rather "of tumult"). (Num. xxiv., 17.) 
 
 V. 2. ^^ Became David's servants, and brought gifts" — i.e., 
 became tributary vassals. 
 
 David wrote Ps. xlvi. to celebrate his victories over the 
 Philistines, and over Moab. 
 
 V. 3. *^Hadadezer" (called in I. Chron., ^^ Hadarezer,") — 
 a dynastic name of the Kings of Zobah. 
 
 ^^Zohah," — at this period the most powerful of the small 
 kingdoms of Syria. The city Zobah was, probably, the 
 same as Aleppo, and the kingdom Zobah appears to have 
 extended to Aleppo on the N. — to the Euphrates on the
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 41 
 
 E. — to Syria of Damascus on the S. — and to Hamath on 
 the "W". Saul had previously fought with its kings. Under 
 Solomon, Hamath and Zobah seem to have become one 
 kingdom. 
 
 '■'■ As he tcent . . . Euphrates." — In the reign of Saul, 
 the tribes E. of Jordan conquered the Hagarites, and so 
 extended their territory. It is probable that they continued 
 their incursions under David, and had advanced so far as 
 to seize upon Hadadezer's territory on the Euphrates; 
 hence this expedition "to recover his border" in that 
 quarter. The parallel in I. Chron, has, that David smote 
 Hadadezer ^''unto Hamath" {i.e., overran his territory 
 from E. to W.), "as he went to 'stablish his dominion by 
 the river Euphrates." 
 
 V. 4. '■^ Seven hundred horsemen" — "7,000," in I. Chron 
 
 ^''Houghed" — ham-strung th^m., i.e., cut the thigh-siuews 
 so rendering the animals useless. This practice was not 
 ordered in the Law : Joshua first adopted it in his wars 
 with the Northern Canaanites. 
 
 The Hebrews had good cause for thus treating captured 
 horses, for they were forbidden to use that animal in war, 
 and did not generally employ it for agriculture or travelling. 
 Thus it was of no value to them, and the only alternative 
 was either to sell, or to destroy aU horses taken in battle. 
 Had they adopted the former course, their enemies would 
 have regained their steeds, to be again used against the 
 Israelites; whereas, by following the latter plan, they 
 greatly weakened their neighbouring foes, who had no 
 breed of horses, — being in the habit of buying them from 
 Egypt and Armenia. 
 
 " Reserved of them for an hundred chariots," — a breach of 
 the Law on David's part, if these were intended for war- 
 chariots. 
 
 V. 5. " The Syrians of Damascus.'^ — Damascus, with its 
 suri'ounding territory, formed another of the petty Syrian 
 states. 
 
 This attack drew off David's attention from Hadadezer, 
 — preventing the former from reaping the full fruits of his 
 victory, and giving the latter opportunity to rally. 
 
 V. 6. " The Syrians . . . brought gifts" — refers to 
 the Syrians of Damascus alone. 
 
 V. 7. ^'■The shields of gold," — probably wooden, or iron, 
 frames, covered with hide and overlaid with plates of gold.
 
 42 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 They may, however, have been composed entirely of lamime 
 of the precious metaL 
 
 v.8."Betah" . . '' JJerothai,"— called, in 1. Chion., 
 "■Tibhath" and '^ Chun."— The former are, probably, the 
 Hebrew ; and the latter, the Syriac, names. The sites are 
 imcertain: the Arabic version makes them correspond, 
 respectively, to Emesa and Baalbec. 
 
 '^ Brass," — i.e., native copper. I. Chron. adds that with 
 this metal " Solomon made the brasen sea, and the. pillars, 
 and the vessels of brass," (i.e., in the Temple). 
 
 V. 9. " Toi,"—" Tou," in I. Chron. 
 
 "Ilamath," — another Syrian state. 
 
 V. 10. "Joramj" — '■'■ Hadorani" in I. Chron. 
 
 " Vessels," — vases, &c. 
 
 V. 11. '■'Did dedicate" — i.e., to the use of Solomon's to- 
 be-erected Temple. 
 
 V. 12. "S,i/ria," — "Syria of Damascus" since "Zobah" is 
 mentioned bei'e separately. 
 
 ^ Ammon." — This is anticipatory, for the conquest of the 
 Ammonites, by David, had not yet occurred. 
 
 "Amalek." — The spoils here mentioned as being taken 
 from Amalek must be those seized by David when he suc- 
 cessfully pursued the Amalekites, after their burning of 
 Ziklag, ere he had become king. 
 
 V. 13. "'Smiting of the Syrians," — should be "smiting of 
 the Edomites." The latter is the reading in I. Chron. : 
 and Ps. Ix., too, has Edom. 
 
 We are told in I. Kings, that David and Joah took part 
 in this reduction -■^ Edom, — that Joab stayed in Edom six 
 months, with all the army, "until he had cut off every 
 male in Edom," excepting Hadad, (a prince of the blood), 
 and some of his father's servants, who escaped with him, 
 then a child, into Egy]Dt, where he married the sister of 
 Pharaoh's wife, and whence he returned, after the death 
 of David and Joab, to vex Solomon. 
 
 The parallel passage in I. Chron. niakes Ahishai the 
 slayer of the 18,000, and reducer of Edom. 
 
 The title of Ps. Ix. attributes the slaughter in the "Valley 
 of Salt to Joab, and puts the number that fell at 12,000. 
 
 Collating these passages, we must suppose David, 
 Abishai, and Joab, to have all taken part in the battle, 
 and Joab and his brother to have remained in the land six 
 months, to I'educe it, and place garrisons in its towns.
 
 KOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 43 
 
 Since two out of three passages represent the slain as 
 18,000, it is probable that number is correct. 
 
 By the conquest of Edom, David became master of the 
 Eastern branch of the Red Sea, and of the caravan tracks 
 to Arabia- 
 
 At the Schism the rule over Edom remained with Judah. 
 
 In the reign of Jehoram they "made themselves a king," 
 and maintained their independence of the Hebrews, in 
 spite of several defeats. 
 
 The reduction of Edom, by David, (and its si;bsequent 
 recovery of independence), fulfilled Jacob's prophecy, when 
 he blessed the birthright-wronged Esau, — "And . . . 
 thou shalt serve thy brother ; and it shall come to pass 
 when thou shalt have the domiuion, that thou shalt break 
 his yoke from off thy neck." — (Gen. xxvii., 40.) 
 
 Baalam, too, had foretold this conquest, in connection 
 with that of Moab, — "And Edom shall be a possession, 
 Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies ; and Israel 
 shall do valiantly." — (Num. xxiv., 18.) 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 David " shews kindness " to Meplii-boshetli, 
 son of Jonathan. 
 
 V. 1. "For Jonathan's sake." — David had made a solemn 
 covenant with Jonathan, (at the latter's request), that at 
 Saul's death, when David should ascend tlie throne, he 
 would spare Jonathan, and make him next to himself in 
 position in the kingdom: and that, should he die before 
 David, the latter would not "cMi off his kindness from his 
 house for ever" 
 
 It was, then, in fulfilment of this oath, that the King, 
 wlien he experienced a lull in his affairs, turned his 
 thoughts to tlie house of Saul. 
 
 V. 2. '■'■A servant" — rather "a steward." 
 
 V. 3. " Which is lame on his feetP — The circumstances 
 under which he became lame have been previously detailed 
 uuder Chap. IV. 
 
 V. 4. '■'■ Machir" — doubtless some wealthy adherent of 
 Saul's house.
 
 44 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 '■'■ Lo-dehar^^ — the same as Behir of Gad, E. of Jordan. 
 
 V. 6. '''' Mephi-bosheth," — called in I. Chron., "Merib-BaaL" 
 — This prince was, according to our ideas, the lineal heir to 
 the throne, at Saul's death ; but, in those days, the younger 
 son of a monarch was regarded as having a superior claim 
 to the child of the same monarch's elder son, where the 
 latter happened to die (as Jonathan did), without coming 
 to the throne. Moreover, (as in our own Anglo-Saxon 
 days,) a preference was shewn to adults over children, 
 and to the strong and able over the weak. Accordingly, 
 Mephi-bosheth, being both lame, and a child, was set aside 
 by the supporters of the house of Saul, at the latter's death, 
 in favor of Ish-bosheth, a younger son of the departed 
 monarch. It is tolerably evident, too, that Mephi-bosheth 
 was not only physically incapacitated from making any 
 effort for the throne, but was utterly without the desire to 
 sit upon it ; he seems to have been a quiet, amiable, and 
 retiring, prince. 
 
 We gather from I. Chron. that Mephi-bosheth had a 
 son, named Micah. 
 
 V. 7. " All the land of Saul," — i.e. his family estates. 
 
 " Father," — here = ancestor; Saul was, of course, Mephi- 
 bosheth's ^ranc?-father. 
 
 V. 10. "Thoushalt . . .food to eat: but , . . at my 
 table." — There seems, at first sight, a contradiction here, 
 for, if Mephi-bosheth were to eat always at David's table, 
 where would be the sense of bringing in the produce of his 
 lands that he might have food to eat ? 
 
 The solution is that David did not intend Mephi-bosheth 
 to eat with him at all times; but that he should alwajrs do 
 so on those great occasions when the king, instead of eating 
 alone, dined with his sons, and the other princes of the 
 royal family, and the chief officers. David held just such 
 a position in Saul's reign ; — he had a " place " assigned to 
 him at the royal table, but was not expected to use it 
 till the festival of the pew moon, when Saul dined in 
 company. 
 
 On ordinary occasions, then, Mephi-bosheth would not 
 eat with David, and would, therefore, need the produce of 
 his lands for " food to eat " for himself ; and, as we read 
 that all Ziba's household were servants to Mephi-bosheth, 
 it is pretty certain that he had to support from his Lands 
 much of the expenditure of the general menage.
 
 NOTES OiV II. SAMUEL. 45 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 Nahash, King of the Ammonites, dying, David 
 sends a friendly Embassy to comfort his son 
 and successor, Hanun; the latter abuses the 
 messengers, and unites with the Syrians 
 against David; the allied forces are defeated. 
 — The Syrians, generally, league themselves 
 against David; take the field, under Shobach; 
 and are defeated, Shobach being slain. — The 
 Syrian states before subject to Zobah make 
 peace with David, and become his vassals. 
 
 V. 1. ** The king of the children of Ammon." — Naliash, 
 who is infamously notorious for his offer to the people of 
 Jabesh-Gilead, when he besieged that town. They de- 
 clared themselves willing to submit to his yoke, if he would 
 make a covenant with them, to which he replied that he 
 would accept their proposal, on condition that he might 
 thrust out all their right eyes. They begged, and obtained, 
 seven days' respite, in order to see if they could, interim, 
 find anyone to save them. This Saiil did, on the very last 
 day of grace, coming upon Nahash with over 300,000 men, 
 and slaughtering his forces with fearful carnage. (I. Sam. 
 xi. 1-11.) 
 
 "Ammon." — After David's conquest and reduction of 
 this people, they remained in subjection till the Schism, 
 when they recovered their independence, and maintained 
 it, with the exception of a period of three years, during 
 which — after beiug defeated by Jotham, king of Judah — 
 they were tributary. 
 
 V. 2. " Nahash . . sheieed kindness unto me." — "What 
 this "kindness" was is nowhere recorded: it probably 
 consisted of shelter and succour during David's pei-secu- 
 tion by Saul. As Saul was the mutual enemy of David 
 and of Nahash, the latter would, naturally, aid the former. 
 
 V. 3. ^^ Hath not David . . . to overthrow it"? — 
 This was a very natural and probable supposition, since 
 David had, without apparent cause, made war upon his, 
 and the Ammonites' friends, the Moabites.
 
 46 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 " The cit]!," — Amraon's capital, Rabbath-Ammon. 
 V. 4. ^^ Shaved off the one half of their beards." — No keener 
 insult could have been offered the ambassadors. The 
 beard was, and is, held, in the East, in profoundest venera- 
 tion, and its absence from a man's face is regarded as "a 
 mark of infamy, that degrades a person from the ranks of 
 men to those of slaves and -women." 
 
 The cutting off only half the beards was a bitter aggra- 
 vation of the outrage, since such cutting was a usual pun- 
 ishment for cowardice, — to say nothing of the ludicrously 
 grotesque figure these semi-shaven plenipotentiaries must 
 have worn. 
 
 After such an insult, David had no choice but to go 
 to war. 
 
 V. 5. " Tarrji . . . return." — An Oriental losing his 
 beard by any chance will remain in strictest seclusion, till 
 it be grown again. 
 
 " Stank before David" — a strong expression of the disgust 
 and rage of the King. I. Chrou. puts it more euphemist- 
 ically, — " had made themselves odious to David." 
 
 " Hired," — for 1000 talents of silver, as I. Chrou. records. 
 " The Syrians of Beth-rehob." — Beth-rehob was another 
 of the small cantons into which Syria was now divided : it 
 lay at the foot of Anti-Libanus, where was its capital, 
 Eehob, or Beth-rehob. It was allotted to Asher, and 
 named one of the Levitical cities ; but appears never to 
 have been taken possession of. 
 
 " The Syrians of Zobah." — Hadadezer had been defeated, 
 but not reduced to subjection, by David, in the former 
 war. Having evidently recovered his past disasters, he 
 accepts service with Hanun, as a mercenary, and takes a 
 prominent part in the Ammonite and Syrian war against 
 David. 
 
 " King Maacah" — should be, (as in I. Chron.), " King of 
 Maacah," (which was another petty Syrian state, lying S, 
 of Rehob). 
 
 " Ish-tob" — most probably the same as "the land of 
 Tob" whei-e Jephthah took refuge in his exile. 
 
 It would seem to have been another of the petty Syrian 
 cantons, beyond the territory of the tribes, and to have 
 been situated in Trachonitis, near the land of the Am- 
 monites. 
 
 I. Chron. makes the mercenary Syrian forces to have
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 47 
 
 been collected from Zobah, Maacah, and Mesopotamia,— 
 not naming Beth-rehob, and Ish-tob. 
 
 "Mesopotamia" being often used as a general name for 
 Syria, we must regard the account in I. Cbron. aa meaning 
 that paid forces were drawn from Zobah, Maacah, (these 
 being mentioned, because the most powerful of the allies), 
 and other parts of Syria, (i.e., Beth-rehob, and Ish-tob), as 
 is told us in the text. 
 
 The number and kind of mercenaries are thus stated, in 
 
 1. The Text:— 
 
 From Beth-rehob, and Zobah . . "20,000 foot-men." 
 
 „ Maacah "1,000 men." 
 
 „ Ish-tob "12,000 men."— 
 
 Total 33,000. 
 
 2. I. Chron.: — 
 
 "They hired" "32,000 chariots,"and 
 
 "The King of Maacah and his 
 
 people," number not given ; 
 
 putting it, (as in Sam.) 
 at "1,000 men," we 
 have. Total 33,000. 
 
 The two accounts tally as to numbers; but not witli 
 regard to the character of the forces employed : Samuel 
 represents the whole 33,000 as, apparently, infantnj ; 
 Chron. makes 32,000 chariots, and, apparently, 1000 
 infantry. 
 
 The difficulty is removed, correctly, if we read " riders,^' 
 instead of "chariots." The fact then appears to be that 
 33,000 Syrians were hired, and that, of these, 32,000 were 
 men who usually mounted on chariots, or on horseback, 
 hut who could serve on foot also: while the 1,000 from 
 Maacah were regular infantry. 
 
 V. 8. " Came out" — i.e., out of their capital, Eabbah, 
 (Eabbath-Ammon). 
 
 "In the field," — before Medeba, (I. Chron.). 
 
 V. 9, "The front . . behind," — t'.e., he found himself 
 confronted by two armies, (the Ammonites drawn up near 
 Eabbah, and the Syrians at Medeba), so that, whichever 
 he might attack, the other faced his rear. 
 
 The victory over the Syro- Ammonite League, though 
 brilliant, was not decisive.
 
 48 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 V. 16. "The ST/ria7is that were beyond the river ^^ {i.e., 
 Euphrates), — probably small tribes, vassals to Hadadezer. 
 
 " Helam" — situation uuknown ; it was, evidently, how- 
 ever, far to the E. — perhaps close to the Euphrates. 
 
 " Shoback,"—" Shopkach" in I. Chron. 
 
 From the large number of slain, it would seem that the 
 Syrian states that had aided the Ammonites, (viz., Zobah, 
 Maacah, and Ish-tob), joined Hadadezer in this confederacy 
 to crush David. "Syria of Damascus" no doubt remained 
 David's vassal, for it is not mentioned as aiding in either 
 of these two campaigns in which its sister states were 
 engaged. 
 
 V. 18. " The men of 700 chariots."—!. Chron. has " 7,000 
 men which fought in chariots." "The men of," in the 
 text, and " which fought in," in I. Chron., are not in the 
 original, which has " 700 chariots," (in Sam.), and " 7,000 
 chariots," (in Chron.) It will be seen hereafter that we 
 regard the 700 and the 7,000 as distinct. Were they taken 
 as referring to the same force, we should think " 700 " an 
 error for " 7,000." In this case, (as in that just commented 
 on, where we read " 32,000 chariots "), we should assume 
 that the 700 were men accustomed to serve on horseback, 
 or in chariots, but able, on occasion, to act as infantry, and 
 that, in the present instance, they fought in chariots. 
 
 "Forty-thousand horsemen." — I. Chron. has "40,000 
 footmen," which appears to be correct. "We may regard 
 Sam. in error, and read " footmen " in both passages. We 
 might, indeed, accept both statements as correct, by regard- 
 ing these 40,000 as beiug able to act as either cavalry or 
 infantry ; but we have seen that these, so-to-speak, 
 amphibious warriors are already represented by the 700 ; 
 had the 40,000 been of the same class, the whole would 
 have been grouped under one name, which is not done. 
 The most feasible way to reconcile the statement in Sam., 
 with that in Chron., is to collate, and regard the slain as 
 consisting of " the men of 700 chariots," 7,000 cavalry, and 
 40,000 infantry. 
 
 The student is advised to accept this solution. 
 
 One remarkable feature in this war is that the Israelites, 
 though themselves destitute of cavalry, should be able to 
 defeat their enemies' chariots and horses, and that with 
 such terrible loss. It has been suggested, very plausibly,
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 49 
 
 tliat Toi of Hamath, remaining faithful to David, helped 
 him "with mounted forces. 
 
 V. 19. ^'' And when all . . . and served them." — Thus 
 all Syria, saving those states which had been friendly, and 
 a few others that had kept aloof, became David's vassals. 
 
 At the time of the Syro- Ammonite league, David pro- 
 bably composed Psalms xx., (before their defeat) ; xxi., 
 (after their defeat). 
 
 On occasion of his last war with Hadadezer and allies, 
 (and of Joab's slaughter of the Edomites), David wrote 
 Psahn Ix., — its title being, — "To the chief musician upon 
 Shushan-eduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he 
 strove with Aram-naharaim, {i.e. Mesopotamia), and with 
 Aram-zobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in 
 the Valley of Salt twelve thousand." It would appear, 
 hence, that the final defeat of the Syrians, and the reduc- 
 tion of Edom, happened nearly together, — so that the 
 latter event is not chronologically placed iu II. SamueL 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 The Ammonite War, continued ; Joab besieges 
 Eabbab. — David commits adultery with 
 Bath-sheba ; procures the death of her hus- 
 band, Uriah the Hittite; and takes the 
 widow into iiis house as wife : she bears 
 him a son. 
 
 V. 1. ^^ After the year was expired," — z.e. the year in which 
 the wars just narrated occurred. 
 
 " When kings go forth to battle" — i.e. at the beginning of 
 Spring. 
 
 ^^ Destroyed the children . . . besieged Rabbah." — 
 I. Chron. has ^^ wasted the country of the children of 
 Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah." This latter is, 
 no doubt, correct, for if Joab destroyed the Ammonites, 
 there would be no Eabbah to besiege, — whereas we can 
 well imagine Joab wasting the country on his way to lay 
 siege to the Ammonite capital, into which he seems to have 
 driven their forces.
 
 50 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 ** Bed" — a couch, or mat. 
 
 V. 2. "David arose from off his bed," — after his siesta. In 
 the E. all who are not compelled to occupation at the time, 
 take this afternoon nap. The great heat renders it 
 necessary, and its being indulged in does not justify the 
 charge of laziness, since Orientals rise at day-break. 
 
 " XValked upon the roof of the king^s house," — to enjoy the 
 evening cool. From this flat roof of his palace, which would 
 be greatly above the surrounding houses, David was able to 
 overlook private court-yards, gardens, &c., which accounts 
 for his catching sight of Bath-sheba. 
 
 V. 3. ^'Bath-sheba," — " Bath-shxia" in I. Chron., — was 
 grand-daughter of Ahithophel. The only other incident 
 recorded of her, (besides her adultery), is her disinterested 
 intercession with Solomon, on behalf of the crafty Adoni- 
 jah, when he wished to espouse Abishag. In the interview 
 between herself and her son, on this occasion, we are 
 struck by the great respect manifested towards her by 
 Solomon. The Eabbius represent her as being a most 
 intellectual and widely-educated woman, and attribute 
 Solomon's love of Literature, and his vast knowledge, to 
 her efforts to train him to occupy efficiently and honom-ably 
 the high destiny before him. 
 
 '' Eliam^'—'' Ammiei;' in I. Chron. 
 
 " Uriah," — was one of David's " mighty men." 
 
 " The Hittite." — The Hittites, or descendants of Heth, 
 were one of the native tribes of Palestine, dwelling in the 
 " mountains of Judah," round about Hebron. They were 
 the most powerful of the Canaanitish nations, and were 
 never completely reduced by the Israelites, for though 
 Solomon "laid a tribute of bond-service" upon them, 
 (together with the remnant of the other native tribes), they 
 retained a king of their own. 
 
 It is generally supposed that Uriah was a proselyte, and 
 descended, probably, from a line of proselytes. 
 
 V. 4. " Took her." — Bath-sheba's obedience to David's 
 call must not be judged by our standard of opinion; it 
 must be remembered that woman is, in the E., a mere 
 slave, and that kings are in the habit of exercising the 
 most outrageous tyi-anny in filling their harems. We 
 must have regard, also, to the era of David, in which 
 monarchs were even more despotic, and their people more 
 Jielpless than they ai-e now.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 51 
 
 Thougli well acquainted with the Law, and striving, as a 
 rule, to obey its precepts, there is no doubt David was tainted 
 with the ideas and habits of the monarchs ai'ouud him, and, 
 in his passion, lost all consideration of the heinousness of 
 adultery and murder, and committed both crimes without 
 compunction, or remorse, until Nathan put his conduct 
 before him in its proper light. 
 
 V. 11. '■^The ark" — appears, from this verse, to be again 
 in the battle, as it had been when taken by the Philistines. 
 
 There does not appear to have been any Divine command 
 to carry the Ark with the army on this occasion, and, 
 thei-efore, the step was decidedly wrong. The motives 
 actuating the Israelites in carrying the sacred coffer to 
 battle, seem to have been the expectation that, as the Ark 
 was the dwelling-place of Jehovah, its presence would 
 ensure His, — of course on their behalf. This idea would 
 be strengthened by remembering how, {e.g., in crossing 
 the Jordan), the presence of the Ai'k had been accompanied 
 by gi-eat and fortunate events. 
 
 V. 16. "Observed," — i.e., carefully reconnoitred. » 
 
 V. 20. " That the Kincfs wrath arise." — Crafty Joab feared 
 that, if the news of Uriah's death were first told, David 
 would be almost certain to betray his joy, and so reveal 
 his guilty scheme ; accordingly he instructs the messenger 
 to give an account, first, of the defeat of the army, without 
 naming Uriah. This would lead the king to suppose that 
 Uriah was still alive, and that the scheme had ended in 
 disappointment, and disgi-ace to the army, — his anger, at 
 the defeat, would certainly burst forth, — and no suspicion 
 would rest upon him of having arranged the matter before- 
 hand. Then the messenger was to announce, as if a second 
 thought, and altogether inferior in importance to the pre- 
 vious news, the one piece of news for which David panted, — 
 Uriah's death. 
 
 V. 21. " Who smote Ahimelech . . Thebez"? — Abimelech, 
 an illegitimate son of Gideon, by a Shechemite woman, 
 gained the Shechemites over to support him as ruler, in- 
 stead of his seventy brethren, and to give him money, by 
 means of which he lured men to slay all his brethren, save 
 Jotham, — became Ninff over the Shechemites, — and as- 
 sumed the Judgeship over all Israel. After three years, 
 the Shechemites revolted from him, during his absence, and 
 followed GaaL Zebul, governor of Shechem, sent notice to
 
 52 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 Abimelech that Gaal and the people had fortified the town 
 agaiust him. Abimelech thereupon returned, — defeated 
 Gaal, — destroyed Shechem by fire, — and burned one 
 thousand people who had refuged in the house of Baal- 
 berith. He then marched against Thebez, a place in the E. 
 of Manasseh W. of Jordan. He took the city ; but the 
 "tower" held out. He accordingly proceeded to set fire 
 to the door of the tower ; but approached too close to the 
 wall, " and a certain woman cast a piece of millstone upon 
 Abimelech's head, and all to ( = altogether), brake his 
 scull." Thereupon, to save the disgrace of being actually 
 slain by a woman, he caused his armour-bearer to "thrust 
 him through, — and he died." 
 
 V. 27. " When the mourning was past" — i.e. the mourning 
 of Bathsheba for her husband. It seems most probable 
 that she believed her husband's death to have been a mere 
 chance of war, and was, therefore, ignorant that she owed 
 his loss to David. Indeed, the whole unhappy affair would 
 appear to have been kept very quiet. David, Joab, Nathan, 
 and Bathsheba appear to have been the only four human 
 beings who knew anything of the matter, — and, probably, 
 the three men alone knew of the murder. 
 
 Bathsheba's adultery could easily be kept secret amongst 
 the four, since Uriah's death prevented his declaring the 
 illegitimacy of the child ; and that it was so kept is pretty 
 clear from the fact that she was never accused, or pimished, 
 for the crime. 
 
 From the time of the army setting out to Eabbah, until 
 the birth of his illegitimate child by Bathsheba, a period 
 of over a year seems to have elapsed. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Nathan's Parable; David repents, and is as- 
 sured of pardon. — His child by Batb-sheba 
 dies. — Batb-sbeba bears Solomon. — Eabbab 
 taken, and the Ammonites reduced to sub- 
 mission. 
 
 Nathan's Parable is the second specimen of this speciea 
 of composition in the Bible, the first recorded being
 
 I^'OTES ON II, SAMUEL. 53 
 
 JothamJs Parable of the Trees electing a King, spoken 
 by him, (after his escape from Abimelech), on Mount 
 derozin, to the Shechemites. 
 
 The third parable in the Scriptures is that spoken to 
 David by the " wise women " of Tekoah. 
 
 The fourth is that of 
 
 The Thistle and the Cedar, — spoken bj/ Jehoash, king of 
 Isi-ael, to Amaziah, king of Judah, when the latter chal- 
 lenged the former to battle. 
 
 There are, besides these four, very numerous parables 
 scattered throughout the Prophets, — the most sustained 
 being that of The Vineyard, in Isaiah. 
 
 [Some, however, regard LamecKs Speech to his Wives, 
 (recorded in Genesis), as a Parable. — If this view is correct^ 
 that Speech is the first apologue in the Scriptures.^ 
 
 V. 3. "Etce-lamb," — Bathsheba, — an exquisitely appro- 
 priate type of a gentle, lovely, woman ! 
 
 V. 4. " There came . . . unto him." — The rites of 
 hospitality are rigidly observed, in the E., in the case of 
 travellers, after the manner indicated in the text and else- 
 where in the Old Testament. On the arrival of a traveller, 
 an animal was taken from the flock or the herd, and killed, — 
 and its tid-bits cut oflf, speedily roasted, or boiled, and served 
 up with newly-made cakes of a superior quality to the 
 usual family-bread. 
 
 V. 6. "lie shall restore the lamb four-fold." — This was in 
 ax3cordance with the Law, which commanded that, in cases 
 where cattle or sheep should be stolen and applied to the 
 use of the thief, the latter should restore five-fold for an 
 ox, smd four- fold for a sheep, (or lamb). 
 
 V. 5. " The man that hath done this thing shall surely 
 die." — This was not according to the Law, — but a threat 
 of what he himself would order to be done to the " rich 
 
 man." 
 
 V. 6. " Because he had no pity." — This reason David as- 
 signs for slaying the thief, not for making him pay resti- 
 tution, the doing which depended on the Law, not on 
 whether the robber shewed pity, or not. 
 
 V. 8. " / gave . . . thy m.astei-'s wives into thy bosom," 
 — is only another form of declaring that God had made 
 David king, since succession to the harem of a predecessor 
 was, amongst Eastern nations, a most essential part of
 
 54 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 the ceremony of assuming the throne. The practice was 
 opposed to the Law, but was adopted by the Israelites, (iu 
 imitation of the surrounding states), though soon laid aside. 
 
 vs. 10, 11. " The sword shall never depart from thy house. 
 . . . / loill raise up evil against thee out of thine own 
 house." — This prophecy found sti'iking fulfilment, e.g. in 
 the forcing of Tamar by Amnon, — Amnon's murder by 
 Absalom, — Absalom's rebellion, and death, — and the 
 revolt of Adonijah. 
 
 V. 11. "/ will take thy wives hefore thine eyes, and give 
 them unto thy neighbour." — This occurred in the Rebellion 
 of Absalom, when the latter took for himself ten of David's 
 concubine-wives, whom the King had left behind him in 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 V. 24. " Solomon " = the peaceful one. 
 
 V. 25. '■'■ Jedidiah" = beloved of the Lo)'d, 
 
 To the period of David's Adultery belong the following 
 of his Psalms : — 
 
 LI., (after Nathan had denounced him ; the finest peni- 
 tential ode and prayer in existence) ; CIIL, (after the death 
 of Bath-sheba's child, when he was comforted, and ex- 
 perienced a sense of forgiveness). 
 
 The following were suggested by the events, though 
 written afterwards : — 
 
 XXXIL, (Absalom's rebellion recalls to him the judg- 
 ments denounced upon him for his crimes) ; XXXVIII., 
 XXXIX., (both written during severe illness, when his 
 great sin was recalled to rankling recollection) ; XL., 
 (celebrating his recovery from this sickness). 
 
 vs. 26, 27. " Took the royal city." ,.."/... 
 have taken the city of waters." 
 
 The second passage explains the first. — Joab had captured 
 the lower town, (called the " city of waters " on account of 
 the perennial spring rising in it, and flowing through it), 
 but the citadel still held out. This, however, must speedily 
 be his, since he had taken possession of the " waters ;" 
 accordingly, he postponed his attack upon it until David's 
 arrival, and sent to hasten his coming. 
 
 V. 28. " Take it: . . . after my name." — It was a 
 common custom in ancient times for a general to put off 
 the last successful operation of a siege, or campaign, and
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 5^ 
 
 send for his monarch to be present at the coup de grace, — 
 and, when this happened, the glory of the whole under- 
 taking was assumed by the potentate who had condescended 
 to shew himself at the last moment. 
 
 V. 30. " Took their king's crown . . . David's head." 
 — There is a difficulty about this passage, owing to the 
 weight assigned to the crown, viz., " a talent of gold " 
 ( = 125 lbs. Troy). 
 
 Neither the King of Ammon, nor David, could wear 
 such a heavy crown, though the text seems to assert that 
 they did. 
 
 Various elucidations of the passage have been sug- 
 gested : — 
 
 1. It is said a Syrian talent (=30 lbs. Troy), is here in- 
 tended. Now this does not meet the case, for no one could 
 possibly bear even 30 lbs. as a dead-weight on the head. 
 
 2. It is asserted that "their king's crown" should be 
 rendered "the crown of Alilcom" — i.e. some celebrated 
 crown adorning the head of their idol Milcom. But liere, 
 again, occurs the difficulty, that though 30 lbs., (and even 
 125 lbs.), could be no burden to an idol, David is represented 
 as wearing it. 
 
 The reply to this is, that the idol's crown consisted, pro- 
 bably, of a gold framework, surrounded by the " precious 
 stones" in a hoop, and that it was the circlet of gems 
 alone that David put i;pon hia own head. 
 
 This explanation seems altogether far-fetched, and 
 patched up. 
 
 3. Many regard the crown as being not worn on, but 
 hung above tlie head of the king, over the throne. 
 
 Ancient monarchs did employ such crowns, of great 
 weight, size, and magnificence. 
 
 This explanation avoids every difficulty, and seems the 
 correct one. 
 
 V. 31. "Put them binder," — is in I. Chron., "Cut them 
 with." These two readings suggest, of course, that David 
 either — 
 
 1. Eeduced them to personal servitude, by making 
 them work as artificers, agricultural labourers, and 
 brickmakers. 
 
 2. Beheaded them with axes, sawed them asunder, 
 tore them with harrows, and burnt, (or smothered), 
 them in the brick-kilns.
 
 56 NOTES OX II. SAMUEL. 
 
 It is possible that the Ammonites had been guilty of the 
 greatest atrocities, and that David now inflicted upon them 
 what they had made others suffer ; but it would appear 
 that the first explanation is the more correct, as it is the 
 more consonant witb humanity. We might render "puf 
 them under" as "put them to," — a change that strengthen" 
 the first view, for we talk of putting any one to any work, 
 trade, or profession. 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 Tamar outraged by Amnon. — Absalom causesj 
 Amnon to be slain, at a sheep- shearing fes- 
 tival ; and flees to Talmai, King of Geshur. 
 
 V. 1. ^^ After this . . Absalom . . had a fair sister." — 
 This does not mean that Absalom's sister was born after 
 the events just narrated. It is only a Hebrew fashion of 
 saying that Absalom had a fair sister, and that soon after 
 the matters last narrated Amnon fell in love with her. 
 
 ^^ Absalom," — third son of David, his mother being 
 Maachah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur. He was 
 David's only son by Maachah, and Tamar was his uterine 
 sister. The same state of things must have obtained in 
 the household of David that still exists where polygamy is 
 practised. The harem is split up into as many cliques aa 
 there are wives with families, — all the factions full of envj 
 and hatred of all the rest, wliich feelings frequently break 
 out into open feuds. 
 
 Thus we read here that ^^ Absalom had a fair sister," — 
 as though Tamar were not sister to David's other children, 
 but only to her brother by the same father and mother. 
 
 "Amnon," — David's eldest son, by Ahinoam of Jezreel. 
 
 V. 3. " Shimeah, David's brother," — his third brother, — 
 called also " Shammah," and " Shimma." 
 
 V. 5. " Let my sister . . . at her hand." — The making 
 of pastry, &c., devolves iipon women, in the East, what- 
 ever their rank. They take much pride in endeavouring to 
 excel in this art, and Tamar had, it would seem, gained 
 a great reputation for the preparation of certain ^^ cakes." 
 
 Amnon's request would, then, appear very natural, and
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 57 
 
 be regarded merely as the result of a sick man's fanciful 
 appetite. 
 
 V. 8. " Did hake the cakes" — probably either in the fire- 
 pit in the floor, or on a plate of metal over a brazier of 
 charcoal. The cakes would be thin ones, and, therefore, 
 quickly baked. 
 
 V. 10. "Into the chamber" — the "cakes" having, pro- 
 bably, been prepared in an outer room, while Amuon lay 
 in an inner apartment. 
 
 V. 12. "Fo%,"= wickedness. 
 
 V. IS. "He will not withhold me from thee." — David 
 would have withheld her, if he had been asked for her 
 by Amnon, and had obeyed the Law in the matter, for 
 marriage with a sister, (whether by the same father, or 
 the same mother), is clearly prohibited. 
 
 V. 18. " A garment of divers colours" — probably a loose 
 wrapper, or robe, like the '■'■ Babylonish garment" stolen by 
 Achan, and that named in the Song of Deborah and Barak 
 as " of divers colours of needlework on both sides." 
 
 V. 20. " Tamar remained desolate . . . house." — It 
 may seem strange, at first sight, that the care of Tamar, 
 and the avenging her wrong, should fall to Absalom, and 
 not to her father. But this is still the custom in the E., 
 in polygamous states. The brother possesses more power 
 in all concerning his uterine sister than the father has. 
 We have another instance of the same thing in the case 
 of Simeon and Levi, who settled about their own sister 
 Dinah's marriage, and avenged her wrong, on the men of 
 Shechem, independently of Jacob, their father. 
 
 V. 23. '^^ Absalom had sheep-shearers." — These sheep- 
 shearings were most joyous festivals: we read of Nabal 
 celebrating one, and refusing a share of his good cheer to 
 David, — a very unusual thing, as all seem to have been 
 free to come, and take part in the ample provision made. 
 
 " Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim." — The Ephraim 
 here named is the town so called, not the tribe. Ephraim 
 appears to have been about eight miles from Jerusalem, 
 on the way to Jericho. Baal-hazor, then, was somewhere 
 in that neighbourhood, but its actual site is unknown. 
 
 V. 25. ''''Lest we be chargeable unto thee" — a specimen of 
 Oriental formal courtesy, to which correspond our, "I am 
 afraid I shall be giving you too much trouble," and like 
 phrases.
 
 58 NOTE^ ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 V. 26. " Why should he go with thee?" — "i/e" is here em- 
 phatic. David appears to have had a momeutary doubt, 
 or suspicion, of Absalom, when the latter thus so far forgot 
 all caution as to ask that Amnon at any rate might come. 
 We find that at length David's leave to all his sons' going 
 was obtained. We may suppose, then, that Absalom had 
 removed his father's misgiving, — probably, by urging that, 
 as David would not himself be present, he would at any 
 rate confer the next high honour of allowing Amnon, the 
 eldest son, and heir-apparent, to grace the scene by his 
 presence. 
 
 It is interesting to note how superior was David's aflFec- 
 tion for Absalom to that he bore Amnon, his eldest son. 
 This is rendered apparent by comparing the account of his 
 bitter, inconsolable, grief, at Absalom's death, with the 
 following matter-of-fact statement, — "^e was comjorted 
 concernivg Amnon, seeing he was dead" ! ! as though he 
 had said to himself, with cool stoicism, "Well ! he's dead ; 
 and nothing can restore him : what's the use of mourning"? 
 
 V. 29. "Mule," — the first indisputable mention of these 
 animals, in Scripture. The mule did not displace the ass, 
 which had hitherto been the chief beast of burden, and 
 roadster ; but seems to have been adopted for riding, by 
 pc7'sons of distinction. 
 
 The Israelites might not breed mules, so their first supply 
 must have been taken in war, or, perhaps, sent to David 
 by Iliram of Tyre. 
 
 V. 37. '■'■Talmai," — father of David's wife Maachah, and, 
 cousequelitly, grandfather of Absalom. 
 
 "Geshur," — a small kingdom of Syria, lying to the N. of 
 Palestine, between Mount Hermou, Aram-Maachah, and 
 Bashan. It was allotted, in dividing Palestine, to Ma- 
 nasseh E. of Jordan ; but it remained unreduced, and had 
 an independent monarch. 
 
 There was a tribe of Geshurites, also, S. of Philistia, 
 
 V. 39. "Longed" — in the margin, "was consumed," {i.e., 
 with longing). 
 
 i
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 59 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Joab procures Absalom's Eetum from Exile, 
 and a reconciliation between him and David. 
 — Absalom's person, and family. 
 
 V. 2. " Tekoah"—2L town about six mfles S. of Beth- 
 lehem, — afterwards fortified by Eehoboam,— birth-place of 
 Amos, the prophet. 
 
 Joab seems to have fetched this woman from Tekoah, 
 because the distance, while not too great for her, was suffi- 
 cient to debar David from an immediate quest as to the 
 truth of her statements. 
 
 ^^ Anoint not thyself loith oil." — The Jews were accustomed 
 to anoint both hair and skin before going out to pay a visit, 
 and the absence of oil under such circumstances was 
 always accepted as a sign that the unanointed person was 
 mourning. 
 
 V. 6. " They two . . slew him" — It is remarkable that 
 the course adopted by the woman, under Joab's instruction, 
 to induce David to pronounce an opinion on his own con- 
 duct to Absalom, should have been exactly that taken by 
 Nathan in re Batli-sheba. And it is noteworthy that the 
 two narratives are alike in one important particular, — viz., 
 in representing the crimes committed as inferior in 
 enormity to what they really were, for Nathan makes his 
 Eich Man steal the Ewe-lamb, but omits the murder of its 
 owner, (Uriah) : and the "wise woman" makes the death 
 of her imaginary son result from an accidental strife 
 between him and his brother, whereas Absalom deliberately 
 planned the murder of Amnon, and executed it in cold 
 blood, when his brother was an invited guest at his table ! 
 
 V. 7. '■'■ Deliver him . . . whom he slew." — Had the 
 woman's story been true, we must imagine that the sur- 
 viving son had not been able to reach a City of Refuge, the 
 blood-avenger having proved too quick for him, and that 
 he was in some shelter known to his mother only ; for a 
 case like the one she proposes would be decided as not one 
 of murder, had the man-slayer escaped to a City of Refuge, 
 and been tried by the judges. 
 
 Or, perhaps, the law in this respect had, in the general 
 laxity which seems to have characterised the Israelites at
 
 60 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 this era, fallen into desuetude. If this were so, it was of 
 no avail to shelter in one of the appointed cities until the 
 case could be fairly tried. The blood-avenger would then 
 have everything in his favour, and the only chance of 
 escape that the naan-slayer might possess would lie in the 
 next of kin's not taking the matter up, — or in the homicide's 
 lying perdu, or fleeing. Absalom adopted the last course ; 
 but he need not have done so, (since no one of the family 
 appears to have taken upon himself the office of avenger^ 
 and might have remained unmolested at Jerusalem during 
 the time he spent in exile, just as well as he did during the 
 two years after his return, when his father would not see 
 him. 
 
 Consequently, the woman's representation in this passage 
 is contrary to the true state of things as regarded Absalom, 
 for, instead of "the whole family" clamorously demand- 
 ing the death of Absalom, not one of them appears to have 
 done so. The woman's statement, however, shews how 
 strong was the priuciple of blood-revenge, since she, the 
 most injured party in the supposed case, and actually 
 mother of the man-slayer, had no power to stay his execu- 
 tion, when he should be taken. 
 
 V. 7, 14, " They shall quench my coal." — " We must needs 
 die, and are as water, spilt on the ground, which cannot be 
 gathered up again" — This metaphor, and simile, are very 
 beautiful, though simple, and their use, in addressing Da- 
 vid, who had a true poet's soul, has been, by some, supposed 
 to have been craftily intentional, with a view to enlist his 
 attention and sympathy. 
 
 The conversation between David and the woman of 
 Tekoah requires an explanation, for, as it stands, it reads 
 somewhat vaguely. The following seems to present its 
 meaning pretty correctly : — 
 
 The woman's aim was to reconcile David's conscience to 
 pardoning Absalom, (which his affections urged him to do, 
 while his duty as king, and head of his house, demanded 
 from him stern punishment), and allowing his return from 
 exile. This she hoped to accomplish "by proving that, in 
 so doing, he did no otherwise than he would have done, in 
 the case of a stranger." Accordingly, she makes a statement 
 of a fictitious case, in very touching terms, skilfully repre- 
 senting the criminality of the man-slayer as much less tlian 
 Absalom's, so as to induce David to give a favourable reply.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 61 
 
 The king's answer telling her to go home, and promising 
 that he will give ordera about her case, {i.e., when he has 
 thought it over), was most unsatisfactory, since David's re- 
 flections might lead him to a belief in the guilt of the sup- 
 posed party, and to his consequently refusing to interfere. 
 The woman, then, re-urges her suit, and, believing 
 David to be deterred from at once promising her that her 
 son shall live, (and so virtually pardoning Absalom), by 
 the fear that he may be sparing a guilty man, declares that 
 Bhe will accept, for herself and her father's house, the onvA 
 of any injustice that may turn out to have been done by 
 David's granting her son's life, and that David shaU be 
 "guiltless" in such case. 
 
 David again replies, pledging himself that he will take 
 care that anyone molesting her, shall not repeat the act, if 
 she will bring the person before him. Now, this promise 
 was useless, for it did not include the King himself, who 
 was the only one of the family at all likely to molest 
 Absalom. 
 
 Undaunted, the woman returns to the charge, and asks 
 David to swear that her son shall not be put to death. 
 
 The king, overcome by her importunity, yields, and 
 swears, "^s the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thij 
 ton fall to the earth." 
 
 Here then, if she could only make David believe that 
 the case she had been proposing was like that of Absalom, 
 was a solemn pledge that not even he, (the King), would 
 raise hand against his son. 
 
 But there were still two points to be gained, — David 
 was to be made to perceive that the woman had had Ab- 
 salom in view all the time, — and to consent to his return 
 from exile. Accordingly, (assuming that David's promise 
 is founded simply upon the merits of the case), she boldly 
 declares to the king that he has just pronounced an un- 
 favorable opinion on his own conduct, in not bringing back 
 his "banished," {i.e. Absalom). She goes on to say that 
 " the people of God," (i.e., the Israelites), hold him to be 
 in the wrong in keeping his son in exile, — that she has been 
 urged by the people to come to David as their spokes- 
 woman, — that she has yielded to their compulsion, — and 
 has recited before him a story concocted by her, in analogy 
 to Absalom's case, relying, for a ^^comfortable" {i.e., favour- 
 able), decision upon the king's being "as an angel of
 
 62 I^OTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 God ... to discern good and bad." (A fine specimen of 
 flattery, to which David seems to have been very open !) 
 She urges, also, as additional reasons why Absalom should 
 cease to be under bann, that — 
 
 1. " We must all die" without respect of person before 
 God, (whence she would have it inferred that Ab- 
 salom had been merely the divinely-appointed 
 agent of Heaven to cut his brother off at his ap- 
 pointed time). 
 
 2. God '■'■doth devise means, that His banished be not 
 expelled, [i.e., for ever), froin Him," — i.e., that He 
 has appointed ways, {e.g., sacrifice, and repentance), 
 whereby the very worst may become reconciled to 
 Him, however far they may have strayed from Him 
 into the paths of sin, (whence she would have it 
 inferred that, in conformity with the Divine method 
 of acting, pardon should be extended to Absalom, 
 by David). 
 
 V. 21. ^' I have do7ie this thing," — ■i.e., consented to pardon 
 Absalom, and remit his exile. 
 
 David was thus led, by the wise speech of " the woman 
 of Tekoah," to regard the fictitious case presented to him 
 as being like that of his two sons, whereas it was totally 
 different, as we have already seen. In this instance. " the 
 wish," (to restore Absalom to favour), was truly " father 
 to the thought." 
 
 V. 28. " Absalom dwelt . . . the king's face." — David's 
 sense of duty appears to have returned, with the advent 
 of Absalom to Jerusalem, and, therefore, he did not feel 
 justified in summoning him to Court, and openly restoring 
 his affection to him. This behaviour on the king's part 
 may have been caused by — 
 
 1. A feeling, when the woman had left liim, that 
 he had been partly cajoled, and partly cocirced into 
 the pardon and the recall, and that he had not 
 really acted conscientiously in the affair. 
 
 2. Hearing whispers amongst those surrounding him, 
 that his conduct had been unjust and partial, 
 which would naturally deter him from openly 
 acknowledging Absalom. 
 
 V. 29. " To have sent him to the Tcing" — i.e., to intercede 
 with David for a full reconciliation, and the restoration of 
 Absalom to his favour, at Court.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 63 
 
 V. 33. *^ Kissed Absalom" — with " the kiss of peace." 
 
 V. 26. ^'■The hair was heavy on him." — Jewish males wore 
 their hair long and flowing, at this era, wliereas in the days 
 of the Apostles it was, as Paul states, "a shame unto him, if 
 a man have long hair." Josephus says that the men of 
 Solomon's " guard " wore their hair long, — daily anointing 
 it, and powdering it with gold-dust, (that it might glitter 
 in the sun). 
 
 Now, if Absalom were in the habit of doing this, the 
 unguents and gold would form a portion of the weight, 
 which, however, seems extraordinary, with even this sub- 
 traction from its gross, 
 
 ^'■Two hundred shekels, after the hinges weight." — Several 
 explanations of these words have been suggested, of which 
 the following are the principal : — 
 
 1. The hair actually weighed 200 shekels, ( = 8^- lbs, 
 Troy), — '■^after the king's weight" meaning, according 
 to the exact national standards of weight kept in 
 the royal treasury. This does not seem correct, for 
 no man could possibly carry such a weight on his 
 head continually. 
 
 2. " The shekel after the king's weight" was different 
 from the ordinary shekel, — weighing only one- 
 third as much. This would make Absalom's shorn 
 locks come to about 2| lbs. This seems the correct 
 solution. 
 
 This method of estimating by the " king's weight " was 
 introduced from Babylon, after the Return from the 
 Captivity, — whence the words " after the king's weight " 
 must have been interpolated in this passage subsequently 
 to the Return. 
 
 Some have supposed that " 200 shekels" was the value, not 
 the weight, of the hair. This may have been so, but is 
 scarcely likely, since there was no market for hair amongst 
 the Jews, wigs being unknown to them. 
 
 The text represents the "polling" of Absalom's hair as 
 occurring year/?/; but the original rather indicates that it 
 was polled from time to time during the year, whenever it 
 became (uncomfortably) " heavy." 
 
 Absalom's motive in having his hair weighed was, 
 evidently, that the fame of its great weight might make 
 up to his vain mind for the temporary loss in beauty of 
 appearance, while it was growing again.
 
 64 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 It is noteworthy that the very hair of which he was so 
 vain caused his death. 
 
 ABSALOM'S REVOLT. 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 Absalom steals the people's hearts; and raises, 
 at Hebron, the standard of revolt. — David 
 flees from Jerusalem, — Ittai refuses to leave 
 Mm, — he sends back to the City Zadok and 
 Abiathar, with the Ark, — and goes on his 
 way up the ascent of Olivet. — Hushai meets 
 the King, and is, by him, sent back to Jeru- 
 salem, to endeavour to bring to nought the 
 counsel of Ahithophel. 
 
 V. 1. ^^ Prepared him chariots, and horses, and fifty men to 
 run before him." — The formation of this body-guard was 
 Absalom's first step towards assuming the Kingly office, 
 since such retinues were the peculiar accompaniment of 
 monarchs. 
 
 V. 2. "Rose up early," — because the judicial and other 
 public business was, doubtless, transacted early in the day 
 in Palestine, as in other Eastern lands. 
 
 The King of Persia rises at dawn, — performs his devo- 
 tions, — holds a cabinet council, — and then has a public 
 reception, whereat, as part of his business, he hears suits, 
 and bestows rewards and penalties. 
 
 "Stood beside the way of the gate." — It was the custom 
 to transact public business, and to try causes, at the gates 
 of towns. Of this we have numerous instances in the Old 
 Testament, — e.g. Abraham's bargain for the iield of Ephron, 
 and the transference to Boaz of Ruth's next kinsman's 
 obligations to her, were both settled in the gate. 
 
 The reasons of this practice seem to have been : — 
 
 1. That all might have easy access to the court. 
 
 2. That, as the gate was a place where numbers of 
 persons passed and assembled, plenty of witnesses 
 might be obtained to transactions. This was im-
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 65 
 
 portant, because there- were then few written 
 records. Thus we find Boaz sajiug to elders and 
 people, " Ye are tcitnesses this day." 
 
 3. That this public administration of justice might 
 inspire conlidence in the judges' integrity. 
 
 4. That the Hebrews being engaged chiefly in agri- 
 culture, and going in the early morning to their 
 work, it was most convenient for them to have 
 their causes settled on their way out. After the 
 establishment of the Monarchy in Israel, the King's 
 court was lield in the room over the gate of his palace, 
 in the capital, while the magistrates in all other 
 places continued their sittings at the open gates of 
 their cities, or towns. But it is scarcely likely that 
 Absalom stationed himself in the royal justice-room, 
 for had he acted and spoken as represented in the 
 text, in his own father's house, he would, inevitably, 
 have betrayed, and foiled, liis design. He would 
 seem, (as the text suggests), to have taken post on 
 the "way" leading to the palaee, so as to be in a 
 position to address, without his father's knowledge, 
 those who wei-e going to present their suits to him. 
 
 V. 3. "But there is no man deputed of the King to hear 
 thee." — This speech seems to indicate that it was generally 
 known that David himself had ceased to attend to public 
 business, and had delegated that function to others : the 
 words, (if we regard Absalom as telling the truth in uttering 
 them), shew, also, that at this time the King had grown so 
 neglectful that he not only held no court himself, but that 
 he had ceased to appoint a vice-gerent. 
 
 V. 7. "Forty years" — should be "four years," which is 
 the reading of the Syriac, the Arabic, and other versions, 
 ■ — and of Josephus. The meaning is four years after Ab- 
 salom's return to Jerusalem: during two of these, David 
 would not see him, and the other two he spent in paving 
 the way for his Revolt. 
 
 "In Hebron." — The men of Judah, chafing "under 
 their absorption into one great kingdom," seem to have 
 lost their former burning loyalty to David, and to have 
 fallen into a mutinous state. Hence the fact that Absalom 
 chose this tribe wherein to raise his standard, — doubtless 
 promising to grant them, (should he mount the throne), 
 that preeminence which they considered their due. 
 
 E
 
 66 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 He could have done nothing better calculated to gain, at 
 the outset, powerful support. 
 
 Having fixed upon Judah as the scene of commencing 
 operations, he made Hebron, the old capital of David's 
 kingdom, his abode, partly to please the tribe, and partly 
 because the inhabitants being embittered against David, 
 for removing his capital to Jerusalem, he felt sure of their 
 supporting him. 
 
 V. 11. ^'' Two hundred men" — probably of high position. 
 
 ^'^ They went . . . an_yfAm^,"— i.e., they knew nothing 
 of Absalom's real purpose, having been invited, most pro- 
 bably, to witness the performance of his vow, and to aid 
 therein. 
 
 This was a most ingenious and eflfective ruse, for these 
 two hundred distinguished men would, of course, when 
 Absalom set up his standard, be regarded as supporters of 
 his cause, and so give it prestige, while, at the same time, 
 dispiriting David and party. 
 
 V. 12. ^^ Ahithophel" — grandfather of Bathsheba, being 
 father of her father, Eliam. In this relationship, we have 
 a clue to his desertion of David. Whether the king's 
 conduct in re Bathsheba and Uriah had become known to 
 him, or not, the shrewd counsellor would form a pretty 
 correct view of the affair, and, while maintaining apparent 
 cordiality with David, would be on the look-out for an 
 opi^ortunity of avenging the wrong done to his house. The 
 chance now presented itself in Absalom's Rebellion, and 
 Ahithophel eagerly embraced it. 
 
 It may appear remarkable that Ahithophel should have 
 joined, for any reason whatever, a plot for securing the 
 accession of Absalom to the throne that was known to be 
 destined for Solomon, his own great-grandson. 
 
 His apparently inconsistent conduct may, however, be 
 explained, on the supposition that he had not the slightest 
 intention of attempting to establish Absalom in the kingdom. 
 He knew that Solomon had been divinely appointed his 
 father's successor, and that, consequently, should the Re- 
 bellion issue, as he hoped, in David's death, Jehovah 
 would carry out his purpose, and no earthly power would 
 be able to place Absalom on the throne. 
 
 Thus, by allying himself to the rebel cause, Ahithophel 
 would, in case of its success, not only not injure Batli- 
 sheba's son, but actually benefit him, by hastening hia
 
 NOTES ON IL SAMUEL. 67 
 
 srcession,— -wliile, at the same time, he would avenge 
 himself upon David. 
 
 '^The Gilonite,"—i.e., a native of Giloh, a town in the 
 *' mountains of Jiidah." 
 
 V. 14. ''Let usfice." — That David should have proposed 
 this course shows how powerful was the tide in favour of 
 Absalom. 
 
 V. 16. ''Concubines" — i.e., secondary wives. 
 
 V. 18. " Cherethites,"—" Pelethites,"—vi]M be treated of 
 liereafter. 
 
 "Giiiites," — i.e., natives of Gath in Philistia. 
 
 " The Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from ' 
 Gath." — It is nowhere recorded under what circumstances 
 these Gittites had left their native city, and land. "We 
 have only the statement of the text that they "came after" 
 David "from Gath." It may be inferred, also, that they 
 had not been with him long, for he says to Ittai, "Thou 
 camest hut yesterda'/." 
 
 Two explanations of their status have been proposed :- 
 
 1. They were mercenaries, who had entered David's 
 service, induced by the prospect of booty. 
 
 This seems very unlikely, for we find David urging them 
 to return home, at a time when their aid would prove in- 
 valuable, and using as an argument to induce that return, 
 that it would be very unbecoming for him to allow them, 
 strangers and exiles, lately arrived, to share the vicissitudes 
 of his uncertain lot, — language altogether out of place in 
 addressing hired auxiliaries ! 
 
 2. They were exiles, voluntary or otherwise, from 
 their "lordship," and had lately come to Jerusalem 
 to ask David's hospitality, as he, and his 600 men, 
 had, in the days of his exile, asked, and obtained, 
 an asylum in Gath, at the hands of Achish. 
 
 This seems the correct view, agreeing as it does, in 
 every particular, with the conversation between David 
 and Ittai. 
 
 V. 19. "Abide %oith the king," — i.e., the king of Gath. 
 David urges Ittai to return, and compound his difference 
 with that monarch. 
 
 The resemblanee between this episode, and one, just 
 alluded to, in DaAad's career, is noteworthy: — 
 
 Both David and Ittai were exiles ; — each had 600 fol- 
 lowers; — David took refuge in Gath, — Ittai and hie men
 
 68 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 came from Gath, and took refuge with David; — David 
 accompanied Achish, when the latter went up to battle 
 against Saul; — Ittai accompanied David, when the war 
 with Absalom commenced ; — Achish sent David back, — 
 David pressed Ittai to return. (The analogy is only 
 partial in this last item, for Achish was compelled against 
 his wish, by his fellow " lords," to dismiss David, and the 
 latter acvually went back to Ziklag : David, actuated by 
 kind feeling only, wished Ittai to return, but the Philistine 
 leader refused to do so.) 
 
 V. 22. " Pass over" — i.e., over the ravine of Kidron, (or 
 Cedron), which is a winter-torrent, its bed becoming dry, 
 or nearly so, during the hot months. 
 
 ^'' All the little ones." — Naturally, the children of those 
 accompanying David in his flight would be placed under 
 the care of the armed force. 
 
 V. 23. " The toilderness" — of Judaea. 
 
 V. 24. '■'■ And,lo ! Zadok . . . out of the city." — It is 
 impossible to make out from this passage, and its context, 
 in what order David's party advanced. Perhaps the 
 meaning is this : — Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites 
 (carrying the Ark), led the van; next came the forces 
 (with the children in charge) ; and David, with the non- 
 military portion of his adherents, brought up the rear. 
 It would appear that when the city boundaries were 
 reached by the head of the procession, David ordered 
 Zadok and Abiathar, with their sons, to caiTy the Ark 
 back into the city, — that the Ark then fell out of the 
 procession, and was set down, Zadok, (and, probably, 
 Ahimaaz, and Jonathan), also quitting the ranks, and 
 standing by the sacred chest, while Abiathar continued 
 to head the company until all had passed the boundaries : 
 then he, also, fell out, and, retracing his steps, joined Zadok 
 and the two young men, — and the four together carried 
 back the Ai-k into Jerusalem. 
 
 It does not appear that any of the Levites returned to 
 the City with the Ark. 
 
 V. 27. " Seer." — We find in I. Sam. ix. 9, this passage, — 
 " (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of 
 God, thus he spake. Come, and let us go to the seer : for he 
 that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)" 
 
 This parenthesis was doubtless interpolated by Ezra, who 
 compiled the Canon. We gather from it that the term Seer
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 6D 
 
 was in Samuers days applied to tliose who were afterwards 
 tleuominated Prophets. They appear to have been called 
 Seers, because God's special revelations were made to them 
 in visions and dreams. 
 
 The literal meaning of Prophet is a forth-speaher. The 
 name was given to those formerly called seers, because they 
 spoke forth the special revelations made to them of God's 
 will and purposes. 
 
 David evidently believed that if Zadok remained at Je- 
 rusalem, with the Ark, God might make to him revelations 
 of the rebels' purposes, which he could then forward to him 
 for his benefit. 
 
 V. 28. " The plain of the wilderness" — the Valley of the 
 Jordan, whose extent will be more easily comprehended 
 from the map than from a verbal description. 
 
 V. 30. " His head covered" — i.e., his face wrapped in his 
 robes. . This was a most significant mode of mourning 
 amongst the Israelites, — betokening a grief so bitter and 
 deep that it would conceal its expression. 
 
 V. 31. " Turn . . . foolishness," — an expression based 
 on the meaning of the name Ahithophel, which =6?'oiAe?* of 
 foolishness, i.e., foolish. 
 
 V. 32. " The Archite," — a native of Arka, a small Phoe- 
 nician colony from Sidon ; Arka, or Acra, lay between 
 Tripolis and Antaradus, at the western base of Lebanon. 
 In Solomon's reign this state was under his yoke. In his 
 case, and that of Uriah, Ittai, and others, we have proof that 
 heathen descent was no bar to political and military service 
 to the Hebrew state under David, 
 
 Some make Hushai a native of Erech, one of Nimrod's 
 cities, on the E. of the Euphrates, — half-way between its 
 junction with the Tigris, and the ruins of Babylon. 
 
 " His coat," — the outer garment. 
 
 V. 33. " Thou shalt be a burden unto me." — This was not 
 said unkindly, for David evidently highly esteemed 
 Hushai. The king meant that the "burden" would consist 
 in his feeling that he would, if the Archite accompanied 
 him, be, perhaps, involving a dear friend in his own 
 probable ruin. 
 
 At first sight it may seem strange that Absalom should 
 liave been able to turn nearly all Israel to himself, and 
 against his father, by, apparently, only his good looks, and
 
 70 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 liis plausible promises. There were, however, deeper in- 
 fluences at work on his behalf : — 
 
 1. David's military despotism, and his apathetic dis- 
 regard of his duties, had temporarily estranged his 
 people from him. 
 
 2. The Hebrews, like Orientals generally, preferred a 
 young, active monarch, to an old and enfeebled one, 
 and, being strongly in favor of succession by primo- 
 geniture, favored the claim of Absalom to that of 
 Solomon, whom David, by Divine direction, had 
 made his heir. 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 David continues his flight, — Ziba meets him 
 with food and two asses ; falsely declares 
 that Mephibosheth has joined the revolt; 
 and is endowed by David, with all his 
 master's property, — Shimei curses David, 
 and casts stones at him, the King refusing 
 to allow Abishai to fall upon him. — Absalom, 
 with Ahithophel and a large body of fol- 
 lowers, reaches Jerusalem, — is met by 
 Hushai, who, feigning to be on his side, is 
 welcomed by him. — By the advice of Ahi- 
 thophel, Absalom appropriates David's con- 
 cubines. 
 
 V. 1. 'M little past the top of the hill" — i.e., on the 
 Eastern slope of Olivet. 
 
 ^'■Summer-fruits" — indicates, probably, those succulent 
 fruits which are in season during the hot months, and 
 which are then so gratefully refreshing. The name was 
 given to them either on account of their time of ripening, 
 or because they were not salvable for winter use : many of 
 them would be of the melon and cucumber kind. 
 
 "^ bottle" — i.e., a skin. 
 
 V. 2. " The young men" — a Hebraism for warriors.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 71 
 
 " To-day . . . of my father." — This was such a 
 lame representation, that David, had not his faculties 
 been numbed, must, from it, have instantly seen Ziba'a 
 treachery. The rebellion was so palpably intended to 
 elevate Absalom to the throne, that Mephibosheth could 
 not possibly have di'eamed that the Israelites would make 
 him King. 
 
 V. 4. '■^All" — i.e., all the property. David's ready belief 
 of Ziba, and summary confiscation of Mephibosheth's pro- 
 perty, are extremely unworthy of him, and form one of 
 the blots on his reign. 
 
 V. 7. " Thou bloody man." — David had not as yet been the 
 cause of the death of any of Saul's house : on the contrary, 
 he had twice spared Saul, — had slain the murderers of 
 Ishbosheth, — and had dealt munificently by Mephibosheth. 
 But as he had superseded Saul's house on the throne, 
 Shimei, in his unreasoning madness of hatred, attributes to 
 the monarch the blood of Saul's family that had been shed 
 in bringing about the change of dynasty. If, too, the 
 murder of Uriah had become public, Shimei may have 
 alluded to that infamous deed in thus stisfmatizinfj the 
 King. 
 
 "Man of Belial" — a term of the bitterest reproach 
 amongst the Jews, equivalent to calling one an infamous, 
 and shamelessly abandoned wretch. 
 
 V. 9. '■' Dead dog." — The "dog" here meant is the mang}', 
 ownerless, savage, cur that abounds in Eastern cities, ap- 
 pearing in troops after dark, "making night hideous" with 
 unearthly howls, and devouring the offal of the streets, 
 and even the flesh of human corpses, which it, and the 
 jackal, disinter. These dogs were regarded by the Jews as 
 horribly defiling animals. The epithet " dead dog," then, 
 called up such a disgustingly revolting set of ideas, as to 
 render it a most bitter and favourite term of abuse with 
 Orientals, who excel the rest of the world in this depart- 
 ment of language. 
 
 V. 10. " What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah." 
 — We find David declaring, on the occasion of joab's slay- 
 ing Abner, that the sons of Zeruiah, {i.e., Abishai and 
 Joab, — for Zeruiah's third son Asahel was dead), were 
 "too hard" for him. In the text we see him again re- 
 buking Abishai for his eagerness to shed blood. In this, 
 and his succeeding treatment of the two valiant brothers,
 
 72 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL, 
 
 David was most unjust. They were devoted to his person 
 and interests, and faithful to the fortunes of his house, 
 (excepting in the case of Joab'a joining in tlie conspiracy 
 to phice Adonijah on tlie throne) ; yet he constantly treated 
 them with abuse, insult, and injustice. His professed 
 horror at their blood-thirstiness, especially, is almost 
 ludicrously inconsistent, as coming from the cold-blooded 
 assassin of Uriah, and would-be slayer of Nabal, (for re- 
 fusing supplies to him and his robber troop !) 
 
 " The Lord hath said unto him, Curse David." — David, in 
 his broken and humiliated state, was ready to accept 
 meekly every untoward event as coming dii-ectly from 
 God's retributive hand, in correction for his great crime. 
 He accordingly bears submissively, from Shimei, insults 
 that on anotlier occasion he would have promptly avenged. 
 His idea in this matter was, probably, unfounded ; at any 
 rate his abstinence from inflicting punishment on this 
 abuser of "the Lord's anointed" was not kingly, or wise, 
 savouring, as it must have done, of fear and despair, and 
 therefore well qualified to disgust his followers, and en- 
 courage his enemies. 
 
 V. 13. " The hill's side" — the slope of Olivet. Bahurim 
 was not far from the eastern foot of that hill, on the road 
 Jordanwards. 
 
 " Threw stones" — not in those days the undignified act 
 it has now become. Homer represents his greatest heroes, 
 {e.g. Diomede, Ajax, Hector, and Agamemnon), as pelting 
 their foes with stones. 
 
 " Cast dust." — Tliis was a common abusive symbol, being 
 intended to signify the desire of the thrower that tlie 
 person assailed would speedily be mouldering to dust in 
 his grave. 
 
 V. 14. " Came," — into the Jordan Valley, where David 
 had before planned to await the issue of events. 
 
 V. 15. " Came to Jerusalem," — and, it appears, took im- 
 mediate and unopposed possession of the throne. The 
 success with which the first steps of this rebellion were 
 attended has scarcely a parallel in history. 
 
 V. 17. " Is this thj/ kindness to thi/ frie7id?" (i.e. Dsmd). — • 
 Absalom had no doubt of Ahithophel's sincerity : he had 
 even sent for him, (knowing, there is no question, of his 
 secret feelings towards David) ; but this adhesion of Hushai, 
 (who had been David's bosom friend, and owed him no
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 73 
 
 grudge), to the rebel prince, staggered the latter, and roused 
 in him suspicions of the Archite's sincerity towards himself, 
 — suspicions, however, soon dismissed from the light and 
 frivolous mind of the usurper. Hushai appears, indeed, 
 (to judge from the words recorded), to have rather overshot 
 the mark, and to have greeted Absalom with too great 
 effusion not to excite the latter's momentary doubts. 
 
 V. 21. ^^ All Israel . . . thee be strong." — Ahithophel 
 here proves himself the consummately wise counsellor he 
 was esteemed to be. To appropriate David's harem waa 
 the most decisive step possible to shew that Absalom had 
 seized the crown ; while, at the same time, the act utterly 
 precluded all idea of reconciliation between David and his 
 son, and compelled the latter to prosecute his undertaking 
 to the bitter end : thus his followers were both encouraged 
 and driven to support him most strenuously, — for any fear 
 they might have entertained of being, perhaps, abandoned 
 and betrayed by Absalom, was at an end from the moment 
 he so utterly committed himself, — while, at the same time, 
 they realized that now, should the undertaking fail, there 
 was no quarter to be expected from David. 
 
 V. 22. "/?i the sight of all Israel," — thus fulfilling 
 Nathan's prediction, — " I will take thy wives before thine 
 eyes, {i.e. openly), and give them unto thy neighbour, 
 . . . I will do this thing before all Israel, and before 
 the sun." 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Ahithoptiel advises the instant pursuit of David, 
 — Hushai recommends that the attack shall 
 be postponed until overwhelming forces 
 can be mustered, — Hushai's advice taken; 
 Ahithophel hangs himself. — Jonathan and 
 Ahimaaz are sent, with the news, to David, 
 whom they reach, after a narrow escape of 
 falling into the hands of Absalom. — David 
 passes over the Jordan. — Absalom, having 
 made Amasa his generalissimo, follows. —
 
 74 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 At Mahanaim, Shobi, and otters, bring pro- 
 visions to David. 
 
 V. 1. " }foreover.'" — It would appear from the use of this 
 word, here, that Ahithophel's proposal to pursue David 
 was made at the same Council whereat he recommended 
 that Absalom should appropriate David's harem. Some, 
 liowever, think that two councils were held, and that 
 Hushai had not reached Jerusalem at the time that the 
 first was held, and the harem business settled. 
 
 Those who hold this view base it upon the fact that 
 Hushai's advice was not asked about the concubines, 
 which, they allege, would not have been the case had he 
 been then at Jerusalem. 
 
 This, however, is a feeble argument, for, if we grant 
 that there were two consultations, it is clear that Hushai 
 was not present at the commencement of the second, for we 
 read that, after Ahithophel' s proposal to pursue the king had 
 been discussed, and approved, Absalom suggests, as if the 
 idea had just struck him, the sending for Hushai, and 
 asking his advice on the point. 
 
 As, then, it is clear that Hushai's being sent for was an 
 afterthought, when the Council had been some time 
 assembled, there is no reason why the question about the 
 harem should not have been settled at the same sitting, 
 before the idea of asking his opinion occurred to Absalom. 
 And that this was the case seems clear from the words of 
 Ahithophel, — "I will arise, and pursue after David, this 
 night," meaning, almost certainly, the very night after 
 Absalom's reaching Jerusalem. 
 
 It is probable that Hushai's advice would not have been 
 asked at all, had it not occurred to Absalom that the 
 Archite had not long left David, and would therefore be 
 able to give an opinion based upon the King's actual cir- 
 cumstances, which Ahithophel, coming direct from Gilon 
 to Hebron, and thence, with Absalom, to Jerusalem, was 
 not in a position to do. 
 
 V. 3, '■'■The man xohom thou seehest, {i.e., David), is as if 
 all returned," — meaning that, if David were slain, all his 
 forces would at once give in their adhesion to Absalom, 
 which there seems no reason to doubt ; but, as has been 
 already stated, Ahithophel doubtless felt perfectly sure
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 75 
 
 that Jehovah would prevent Absalom's accession, and 
 secure Solomon's, so tliat he did not hesitate to give the 
 best possible advice to the usurper, knowiug that the sub- 
 mission of David's supporters would not place the rebel on 
 the throne, while the adoption of his proposal would yield 
 him the vengeance he sought, for there is not the slightest 
 room for doubt that, had he been allowed to pursue David, 
 the latter must inevitably have been overwhelmed, and 
 have suffered the doom intended for him. 
 
 V. 4. ^^All the elders of Israel" — excepting those accom- 
 panying David ; the use of the word "all" hei'e shews 
 what a formidable revolt this must have been, since it was 
 supported by a vast majority of tlie chiefs of the nation. 
 
 V. 7. "-4i this time" — "this" being here emphatic. 
 Hushai would salve over the wound he is about to inflict in 
 impugning his rival's judgment, and so says, in effect, — 
 " Ahithophel's counsel is usually wise and good ; but this 
 time, just tliis 07ice, his proverbial keenness is at fault." 
 
 V. 8. "A bear . . . field." — The Syrian bear here 
 meant is a variety of the brown bear, — is of a fulvous 
 browu or white, — has long straight haii', with short wool 
 next the skin, and a bristling mane about 4 in. high, — and 
 eats animal and vegetable food. The bear is now almost 
 extinct in Palestine. The female when "robbed of her 
 whelps" is, without exception, the "most awful example of 
 animal rage, . . . unswerving vengeance, and unconquer- 
 able energy," which she exhibits even to the very moment 
 of death. 
 
 V. 13. " The7i shall . . found there" — an exaggeration 
 of what actually occurred in ancient sieges. — Hooks, or 
 grappling-irons were attached to ropes, and thrown so as to 
 gain a hold on the fortifications of a city ; immense pulling 
 force was exerted on the rope ; and the walls were thus 
 torn down piece-meal. 
 
 Hushai, speaking with grandiloquent hyperbole, repre- 
 sents Absalom as possessing a force so numerous and power- 
 ful, as to be able to di-ag a city, bodily, and at one effort, 
 into the Jordan, and that so effectually tliat not the smallest 
 stone should be left behind to mark the site of the place. 
 
 The tone of Hushai's address to Absalom should be 
 noted. It is the very antipodes of Ahithophel's brief, 
 })regnant, counsels, with a solid reason appended to each. 
 Jjut Hushai read Absalom's disposition correctly, and suit-
 
 7G NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 ing his manner of speech to his chief auditor, he sets forth 
 his pretended opinion in glowing, flowery, and bombastic 
 periods, well calculated to excite, and carry away, the vain, 
 empty-heated, coxcomb with whom he had to deal. — His 
 advice, and reasons, are simply absurd, and utterly illogical, 
 and had not his hearers been blinded by the glamour of 
 his words, they could not have failed to see the foUy of his 
 counsels, and the motives actuating him. But " the Lord 
 had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel," 
 and so the spell of the Archite remained upon the shallow 
 Absalom, and his chief supporters, who, like all Orientals, 
 are easily influenced by facile, poetic, and highly-strained, 
 oratory. 
 
 V. 23. ^^ Ahithophel hanged himself " — partly because he 
 was mortally chagrined, and partly because his clear vision 
 shewed him that the following out of Hushai's counsel 
 would end in utter ruin for Absalom's cause, thus defeat- 
 ing his own cherished, and neai'ly accomplished, schemes 
 of vengeance, and placing him at the mercy of the monarch 
 whom he had so deeply injured. 
 
 The treachery of Ahithophel, and that of Judas Iscariot, 
 and their respective deaths, present a remarkable analogy, 
 — Ahithophel being indeed the Old Testament type of Judas, 
 as David was of Christ. 
 
 V. 16. "Pass over" — i.e., over Jordan. 
 
 " Lest . . are u'ith him." — Though it had been decided 
 to follow Hushai's counsel, the latter, knowing Absalom 
 to be changeable, thought it well to provide against the 
 contingency of Ahithophel's advice being yet acted upon, 
 and therefore iirged David not to stay where, in that case, 
 he must be " overwhelmed." 
 
 V. 17. '•'• En-rog el" — foot-fountain ; the Targum inter- 
 prets it " Fullei-s' Fountain," because the fullers used to 
 tread the clothes there with t\\e\r feet. 
 
 Some think it is the same as the Pool of Siloam, at the 
 S.E. corner of Jerusalem ; others find in it the Well of 
 Nehemiah, or, as the natives call it, the Well of Job, which 
 lies just below the Pool of Siloam, at the junction of the 
 Valley of Hinnom with that of Jehoshaphat. The latter 
 seems the correct position. 
 
 V. 18. "A toell" — either an ordinary well, or a water- 
 tank, — most likely the latter ; it was, probably, at the time, 
 quite, or nearly, dry.
 
 I^'OTES ON H. SAMUEL. 77 
 
 ^ In his court" — t.e., the court-yard round which the 
 house was built. 
 
 V. 20. "■The brook of water,"— the Kidron. 
 
 V. 23. " Mahanaim" — Ishbosheth's former capital. 
 
 "Absalom passed over Jordan" — not immediately after 
 David, but, as HusLai had advised, when he had collected 
 a large force from tlae whole country. The delay had 
 proved, as Hushai had intended, of priceless value to the 
 king. He found welcome, refreshment, and, best of all, 
 adequate forces ; for the tribes E. of Jordan, whose valour 
 was conspicuous, came flocking to his standard, until, with 
 them, and his followers who had come with him from 
 Jerusalem, he found himself in a position to take the field, 
 with good hope of success. 
 
 V. 25. "Amasa," — has not been hitherto mentioned. 
 David seems to have entirely passed him over, though he 
 was related to him in just the same degree as " the sons 
 of Zeruiah." This neglect on David's part was sufficient 
 ground for Amasa's joining Absalom. 
 
 "Mm,"— called "Jether," in I. Chron. ' 
 
 "An Israelite" — "the Islt meelite" in I. Chron. "Is- 
 raelite" is, doubtless an error for " Ishmaelite." — Perhaps 
 Abigail, Amasa's mother, having married an Ishmaelite, 
 caused a breach with her family : thence may have come 
 David's overlooking his nephew. 
 
 "Abigail, the daughter of Nahashr — Abigail was sister 
 of David, the son of Jesse: how, then, comes she to be 
 called the daughter of Nahash ? To meet the difficulty, we 
 may suppose Jesse to have had a second name, Nahash; — 
 or we may regai-d Abigail as being the daughter of David's 
 mother by another husband, Nahash, to whom she had 
 been married before she espoused Jesse. 
 
 The latter seems the better solution, since it makes 
 Abigail David's Aa(/"-sister, which, if we regard Zeruiah 
 as his full sister, on both sides, is a sufficient reason for 
 David's partiality towards Joab and Abishai, and his 
 neglect of Amasa. 
 
 V. 27. "Shobi, the son of Nahash," — was, probably, suc- 
 cessor of the brutal Hanun. The Ammonites must have 
 been a fine, generous, race : for David had beaten them, 
 and reduced them to abject service, (or, pei-haps, put them 
 to horrible torture), in the late war with them ; yet wo
 
 78 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 find them entertaining him most hospitably, iu his hour 
 of adversity. 
 
 V. 28. "Ze?i<i7es."— The lentile, {Ervum lens), is the 
 smallest of the cultivated Leguminosos, bearing, in each 
 pod. two or three small seeds. It is used in the E. chiefly 
 in pottage, (like that for which Esau sold his birth-right), 
 «uil also, mixed with barley, (or alone, in times of scarcity), 
 to make bread. 
 
 ^^ Pulse," — is not the original : what appears to be meant 
 is a mixture of beans, peas, wheat, and other grain, first 
 parched, and then passed through the mill. 
 
 V. 29. ^^ Cheese of kine" — as distinguished from that 
 made from the milk of sheep and goats. 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 
 David sends forth his army, in three divisions, 
 with orders to spare Absalom. — Absalom is 
 defeated in the "Wood of Ephraim," and 
 being caught in a tree, is slain by Joab, and 
 buried in a pit. — Absalom's "pillar." — 
 Cushi and Ahimaaz bring tidings to David 
 of the result of the battle. — The king 
 laments Absalom. 
 
 V. 6. ^^The wood of Ephraim,"— "E.. of the Jordan, near 
 Mahanaim. It probably took its name from being in the 
 vicinity of the spot where Jephthah's slaughter of the 
 Ephraimites occurred. 
 
 It may have been so called, however, from another 
 circumstance. — The Jews believe that Joshua gave the 
 Ephraimites the right to pasture their flocks in the territory 
 of any of the other tribes, and, accordingly, represent the 
 name "Wood of Ephraim" as belonging to a district E. of 
 the Jordan which that tribe had employed for pasturing 
 over. 
 
 V. 8. " The battle . . . them the sword devoured." — 
 These results naturally followed from the character of the 
 battle-field, chosen, by Joab, with great good judgment, — 
 it being then, as now, a region "covered with thick oak:*,
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 79 
 
 and tangled bushes, and thorny creepers, growing over 
 rugged rocks and ruinous precipices." Skilfully drawn, 
 by Joab, into this "wood," and hemmed and "entangled 
 iu the thick undergrowth," fighting in regular order was 
 out of the question for Absalom's army, whose superior 
 numbers only contributed to hinder retreat, and increase 
 the carnage. 
 
 V. 9. " Oak,^' — or "terebinth-tree" (probably the Pistachia 
 terebinthus). This accident to Absalom is easily accounted 
 for, since in this *' Wood," "the strong arms of the trees 
 spread out so near the ground that one cannot walk erect 
 beneath them." 
 
 "i/i's head" — i.e., the long hair of his head. 
 
 V. 11. "j1 girdle" — more correctly "baldric," or "belt": 
 it was of leather, studded with plates, or bosses, of metal. 
 When the armour was light, it was girt round the hips : 
 otherwise it was worn cross- wise from shoulder to hip, 
 and held the sword. 
 
 V. 15. "That hare Joab's armour." — The function of the 
 "armour-bearer" was not only to carry the commander'^ 
 shield, spear, bow, &c., but to convey orders for him, and, 
 particularly, to attend closely upon him during a battle. 
 
 V. 16. "Joab held back the people," — knowing that Absa- 
 lom's death virtually ended the rebellion, and that tlie 
 return of the revolted to their allegiance would be 
 facilitated by staying the slaughter, and so letting them 
 see that Absalom alone, not his deluded followera, was the 
 object of his resentment. 
 
 V. 17. '^ Laid a veri/ great heap of stones upon him." — It 
 is generally represented that this was intended as a mark 
 of dishonour : that he was subjected, after death, to tlie 
 penalty of stoning, which was the punishment awarded by 
 the Law to a rebellious son. 
 
 But there is no ground for this assertion, for raising a 
 mount of stones over a corpse can by no means be regarded 
 as the same thing as stoning a living being to death. 
 
 The simple purpose of this heap of stones was, as in all 
 other cases of the kind, to serve as a "heap of witness," — 
 a memorial of the Rebellion, of which Absalom's death was 
 the end. 
 
 V. 18. "A pillar," — a lofty monument of some kind, not 
 necessarily what we imply by the word. 
 
 "The King's dale,"— the Valley of Jehoshaphat
 
 80 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 " Absalom's place," — rather Absalom's hand, i.e., "Absa- 
 lom's monument," (a monument pointing out, or distinguish- 
 ing, and so performiug passively the function of the hand). 
 
 There stands, on the E. side of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, 
 a monument generally regarded as being the one raised by 
 Absalom, and therefore called Absalom's Pillar, or Absa- 
 lom's Tomb. 
 
 Its pedestal consists of a square mass hewn out of the 
 rock, having carved on its sides bastard Ionic columns, 
 and on its architrave triglyphs and Doric ornaments. 
 Above the architrave are two square layers of masonry of 
 large stones, — the upper layer smaller than the lower: 
 these are surmounted by a circular dome, running up into 
 a round spire, whose top spreads out like an opening flame, 
 or a lotus, — dome and spire, (which are of masonry), to- 
 gether having much the appearance of a champagne bottle 
 from the middle upwards. The total height of the structure 
 is about forty feet, twenty of which are included between 
 base and architrave, and the rest from architrave to 
 summit. 
 
 In the body of the structure is an excavated chamber, 
 shewing that the building was adapted for a sepulchre. 
 
 Now, it is certain that the structure as it now stands 
 could not have been the work of Absalom's age, much of 
 tlie architecture being of later date. If, then, this be 
 Absalom's "pillar," (and there is reason to believe it is), 
 it would seem that the original monument of Absalom's 
 construction consisted of the square mass of rock, (sur- 
 mounted, probably, by a pyramidal dome), — and that the 
 columns, triglyphs, Doric ornaments, and superincumbent 
 masoury, from architrave to summit, were added at a 
 later period. 
 
 It is most likely that Absalom intended to be buried in 
 this monument ; but it is not at all probable that his body 
 was ever moved from its grave in the " Wood of Ephraim," 
 for such a proceeding would be altogether repugnant to 
 Jewish notions. 
 
 It was, and probably still is, (though modem travellers 
 do not notice the fact), the custom for both Jewish and 
 Mahommedan passers-by to throw each a stone in front of 
 Absalom's PiUar. This practice may be, (although the 
 rearing of the heap over his corpse was not), a mark of 
 horror and detestation at the crime of the prince ; or it
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 81 
 
 may be simply, (as in the case of the mound over his grave), 
 in memory of the Eebellion ; or, finally, it may be that the 
 stones are regarded as thrown at Satan, for instigating 
 Absalom to his wicked act, (just as the Mahommedan 
 pilgrims pelt the De^dl at Arafat, where, they assert, he 
 tempted Adam and Abraliam). 
 
 V. 20. " Thou shah . . . the king's sort is dead." — 
 Though Joab had had the courage to disobey Da-vid, (for 
 that monarch's own good), in slaying Absalom, he appears 
 now to shrink from letting him know the result of the 
 battle, foreseeing how the news would be received. 
 
 Or, we may understand from his reply to Ahimaaz that, 
 for some reason or other, he did not wish to let the young 
 priest carry to David the tidings of Absalom's death, 
 though he would readily send him with any news that 
 might here;ifter require conveyance to the king. 
 
 V, 21. " Then said Joab . . . thou hast seen." — 
 Following the suppositions just made, we must imagine 
 either that Joab changed his mind after refusing Ahimaaz, 
 and determined to send the news to David that same day, 
 or that, having some personal objection to Ahimaaz, he 
 chose Cushi, as messenger, in preference to the son of Zadok. 
 
 V. 22. ^'Seeing that thou hast no tidings read//," — i.e., "no 
 tidings" additional to those which Cushi was bearing. 
 
 V. 23. ^'■Run." — TVTiatever may have been Joab's reason 
 for hitherto refusing Ahimaaz, and sending another, it can 
 be readily understood that, Cushi having got a fair start, 
 Joab should petulantly yield to the persistence of Ahimaaz, 
 not thinking that he would arrive first. 
 
 "TAe way of the Flaiji." — Probably he crossed the 
 Jordan near the Jabbok, — and made straight for Jerusalem 
 by the lower part of the Valley of the Jordan ; — while 
 Cushi, keeping to the E. of the Jordan, would, most likely, 
 pass the i-iver opposite J ericho : Ahimaaz would thus have 
 a clearer, and, apparently, a shorter route, besides having 
 the advantage of superior swiftness. 
 
 V. 24. '•'■Between the two gates." — The entrance to Ma- 
 hanaim was evidently thi-ough a gate-way closed by the 
 " two gates " of the text, — one of these " outward, facing 
 the suburbs, and one inward, facing the town," 
 
 David sat in the gate-way, along whose sides there 
 would be, for the use of those " sitting in the gate," either 
 a raised stone ledge, or niches hollowed out. 
 
 f
 
 82 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 " The roof over the gate, unto the wall." — The gate, then, 
 must ha,ve been very high, with a flat top, and battlements 
 (called in the text "the wall"), — and so served the purpose 
 of the watch-towers of our own old castles. 
 
 V. 25, '■^ Told the king." — From the succeeding statement 
 that "the watchman called unto the porter," we gather 
 how David was " told " by the former. He called aloud 
 from the roof of the gate to the porter, (whose business it 
 was to open and close the gates), below, and the latter 
 then conveyed the news to David where he sat between 
 the two gates. 
 
 V. 29. " When Joab . . . what it was." — This was a 
 falsehood, since Ahimaaz well knew what the " tumult " 
 meant, and that Absalom was dead: consideration for 
 David's feelings restrained him from uttering the truth. 
 
 V. 32. " The enemies . . . that young man is," — an 
 indirect, but clearly significant, method of 
 Absalom's death. 
 
 EPITOME OF LIFE OF ABSALOM. 
 
 " Absalom " = father of peace. 
 
 David's third sou, by Maachah, daughter of Talmai, 
 King of Geshur. 
 
 B.C. 
 
 ? Bom, at Hebron. 
 
 1030. Slays Amnon, and flees to Geshur. 
 
 1027. Joab, by means of the " woman of Tekoa," obtains 
 David's consent to Absalom's return from exile. 
 
 1025. Absalom compels Joab to intercede with David for 
 his return to Court ; and is, in consequence, received 
 openly by his father. 
 (Prepares the way for his Eebellion). 
 
 1023. Obtains leave to go to Hebron, — sets up there the 
 standard of Eevolt, — is joined by large forces, — 
 Ahithophel comes to him. 
 
 David quits Jerusalem, leaving ten concubines be- 
 hind, — Absalom enters the City, — appropriates the 
 concubines, — listens to the counsel of Hushai, and 
 delays his pursuit of David, who, informed of what 
 has happened, passes over Jordan.
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 83 
 
 . Absalom crosses the Jordan, — joins battle with Da- 
 vid's army, — is defeated in the "Wood of Ephraim," 
 — is caught by the hair in a terebinth-tree, — slain 
 by Joab, — and buried in a pit, in the Wood. 
 
 Character. — Handsome, and of winning presence and 
 speech. — Not wanting in courage, but possessing no mili- 
 tary talent. — Vain, ambitious, and unstable, (having no 
 will of his own, but depending entirely upon advisers, 
 and supporters). 
 
 The cause of his Rebellion was, doubtless, his fear lest 
 Solomon should succeed to the throne. Amnon, the heir 
 by primogeniture, (which was generally observed in the 
 E.), he had slain, (perhaps as much with a view to getting 
 him out of his way, as to revenge Tamar) ; Chileab was, 
 doubtless, dead; Absalom was thus David's eldest son 
 living, and, therefore, heir by descent. David had the 
 prerogative of passing him over, did he choose so to do, in 
 favour of any younger son, but the King would certainly 
 not so act to his favourite, had he only his own will to 
 consult. 
 
 Thus far, then, there was no difficulty in the way of hia 
 accession, at David's death, for which he would doubtless 
 have waited, had he not known that God, (who, by the 
 terms of the Theocratic Monarchy, must ratify the choice 
 of the king, and could alter the succession at will), had 
 ordained Solomon to succeed his father. 
 
 Feeling that David might live mamy years yet, until 
 Solomon should be a man, and able to assert himself, Ab- 
 salom saw no way of securing the crown than by making 
 a bold stroke for it at once. 
 
 His plan seems to have included the murder of his 
 father ; and, if he could lend himself to parricide, there 
 seems little doubt that he intended the slaughter of Solo- 
 mon also. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 1-40. 
 
 David's followers are dispirited by Ms excessive 
 grief; — Joab angrily expostulates, and the 
 King shews himself amongst the people. 
 — The " tribes of Israel " consult about re-
 
 84 NOTES ON IT. SAMUEL. 
 
 calling Mm to his kingdom. — David himself 
 sends to Zadok and Abiathar to urge them 
 to stir up Judah to invite his return, pro- 
 mising to grant a general amnesty, and to 
 make Amasa generalissimo in place of Joab. 
 — Judah send the King word to return. — On 
 reaching Jordan, he is met by (1.) Shimei, 
 whom he pardons; (2.) Ziba and Mephi- 
 bosheth, the latter exculpating himself from 
 the charge of treason, and David restoring 
 him half his property; and (3.) Barzillai, 
 whom the King urges to come and dwell 
 with him, at Jerusalem: he refuses, but com- 
 mends to David's notice his son, Ohimham, 
 who is accordingly received into the royal 
 favour. — David crosses Jordan, with his fol- 
 lowers, — Barzillai blesses him, and returns 
 home, Chimham remaining with the King. 
 
 The conduct of David in secluding himself from his 
 victorious supporters, and mourning for Absalom, instead 
 of shewing himself publicly, and rejoicing in, and con- 
 gratulating the people upon, the result of the battle, was 
 most inconsistent, ungrateful, and impolitic, and, had not 
 Joab, with great firmness, insisted upon his shewing 
 himself, there is no doubt that the king's foUowei-s would 
 have deserted him, and his restoration never have been 
 effected. 
 
 V. 13. ^^ And say ye to Amasa, 'Art thou not of my bone, 
 and of my flesh ' " ? — David had never remembered this 
 during the whole of his reign, up to the present moment, 
 when Amasa promises to be useful to his cause. 
 
 ''God do so . . . continually in the room of Joab." — 
 This elevation of Amasa to Joab's post was intended, by 
 David, as a punishment of the latter for slayiug Absalom,
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 85 
 
 and an assurance to the late insurgents of the promised 
 amnesty. It was an unjust and foolish act on David's 
 part, — unjust, because Joab had remained faithful to his 
 monarch, and saved his throne, while Amasa had joined, 
 and commanded, the rebels :— foolish, because it made au 
 enemy of Joab henceforth, and because Amasa was totally 
 unequal to the post. 
 
 V. 14. ^^ He bowed . . . Judah." — "^e" refers here, 
 there is no doubt, to Amasa, not to David. 
 
 V. 18. "J. ferrij-boat" — a mistranslation! The passage 
 should read, " And these, {i.e., those persons just before 
 mentioned), went over Jordan before the king, and per- 
 formed the service of bringing over the king's household," 
 instead of, " And there went over a ferrij-boat to carry 
 over the king's household." 
 
 The Rabbins say that the men carried the women and 
 children across on their backs. 
 
 V. 20. " The house of Joseph." — Shimei was of the tribe of 
 Benjaraim, Joseph's only bi'other by their mother Eachel. 
 
 V. 23. '■'•Thou shall not die. And the king sware unto 
 him." — David dealt very treacherously with Shimei, spite 
 of this oath. He kept it in letter, but not in spirit, for, 
 when on his death-bed, he reminded Solomon how Shimei 
 liad cursed him, and how he had promised him, "/ will 
 not put thee to death with the sword:" — and proceeds, 
 " Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless : for thou art a 
 wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto 
 him ; but his hoar head bring thou doion to the grave with 
 blood" ! In consequence of this command, Solomon bade 
 Shimei to remain a close prisoner in his house, threatening 
 him with death should he cross the Kidron. After three 
 years' obedience to the order, Shimei went to Gath to 
 i-ecover two runaway servants : and Solomon, on his 
 return, caused him to be slain by Benaiah. 
 
 V. 24. " The son," — i.e., descendant. 
 
 "Had neither dressed his feet," — i.e., either neglected 
 some special medical attention that his lame feet might 
 have required, or did not wash them, — the latter being a 
 most significant token of gi'ief, as the most scrupulous at- 
 tention was accustomed to be paid to the cleanliness of 
 these members. 
 
 " Nor trimmed his beard," — another significant sign of 
 mourning, for the beard was the object of the utmost care,
 
 86' NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 as it still is in the E., being constantly combed, perfumed, 
 and anointed. 
 
 V. 26. " J/y servant^'— Zihsi. 
 
 ^^ I will saddle . . King." — The verse is vague, as it 
 stands, for Mephibosheth does not say what was the 
 intent, or issue, of his purpose of saddling an ass, and 
 going to the king. He means, it would seem, that he had, 
 on hearing of the rebellion, contemplated ridiug out to 
 David to express his loyalty, and, probably, to offer those 
 gifts afterwards brought by Ziba ; but that the latter had 
 treacherously dissuaded him from committing his feeble 
 frame to such an undertaking, and had obtained his leave 
 to go in his stead. 
 
 V. 29. '^ I have said," — i.e., " 3fi/ final decision is." 
 
 " Thou and Ziba divide the land," — another hasty and 
 unjust proceeding of David. Instead of enquiring fairly 
 into the matter, and then restoring the whole property to 
 Mephibosheth, who seems, without doubt, to have been in 
 the right, David rashly concludes that it is, "six of one, 
 and half a dozen of the other," and so disposes of the pro- 
 perty in the same rough and ready style that we read of, 
 in the judgments of Eastern potentates, in the "Arabian 
 Nights." 
 
 V. 30. "Let him take all . . . own hoiise." — Noble 
 and generous language, worthy of the son of Jonathan, 
 and well calculated to put David to the blush ! 
 
 V. 32. "j1 veri/ great man," — i.e., "a very rich man." 
 
 V. 35. "Singing men, and singing women" — From this 
 it would appear that David had, amongst the other delights 
 of his court, instituted an orchestra, which had obtained a 
 fame extendiug even to Barzillai, in Gilead. 
 
 V. 37. '•''Thy servant Chimham," — son of Barzillai. 
 
 To the period of Absalom's Rebellion belong — 
 Psalms iii. ; vii. (refemng to Shimei's cursing) ; xiv. ; 
 xxviii. ; xli. (referring specially to Absalom's and Ahitho- 
 phel's treachery, — "Mine own familiar frieud, in whom I 
 trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his 
 heel against me," — v. 9.) ; xlii., xliii., (formerly one Psalm) ; 
 Iv., [referring specially to Absalom and Ahithophel, — 
 
 "For it was not an enemy that reproached me ; then I 
 could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that 
 did magnify himself against me ; then I would have hid
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 87 
 
 myself from bim : but it was thou, a mau mine equal, my 
 guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel 
 together, and walked unto the house of God in company. 
 
 "He hath put forth his hands against such as be at 
 peace with him : he hath broken his covenant. The words 
 of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in 
 his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they 
 drawn swords. 
 
 "But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit 
 of destruction : bloody and deceitful men shall not live out 
 half their days; but I will trust in thee." — (vs. 12, 13, 14, 
 20, 21, 23.) 
 
 The -words, " Bloody . . . c?a?/s" foretell with forcible 
 correctness the end of the two traitors] ; Ixi. ; IxiL ; Ixiv. ; 
 Ixxi. ; Ixxxiv. ; cxliii. 
 
 CHAPTEES XIX. 41-end ; XX. 
 
 The men of Israel chide those of Judah for not 
 affording them a more prominent share in 
 bringing David back, — the latter angrily re- 
 tort, — and the former revolt, under Sheba. 
 — David, on reaching Jerusalem, places the 
 ten concubines, whom Absalom had appro- 
 priated, in close seclusion. — He orders Amasa 
 to assemble the forces of Judah, within three 
 days, and to pursue Sheba. — Amasa not 
 being ready at the fixed time, the King com- 
 mits the enterprize to Abishai, who, with 
 Joab, proceeds on the expedition. — David's 
 forces meet Amasa's, in Gibeon, — Joab 
 treacherously murders Amasa, and, assuming 
 the chief command, continues the pursuit 
 of Sheba, and besieges him in Abel-beth- 
 Maachah, whose inhabitants, by the advice 
 of "a wise woman," cut off the rebel's
 
 88 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 head, and throw it over the wall : — Joab 
 thereupon raises the siege, and returns to 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 CHATER XIX. 
 
 V. 41. " The men of Israel" — are now, for the first time, 
 called Israel, as distinct from Judah. 
 
 V. 42. " The king is near of kin to us." — David waa 
 sprung from the tribe of Judah. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 V. 1. " We have no part in David." — The transition from 
 the assertion that they had ten parts in David, to the 
 declaration that they had none, is natural enough. It is 
 as if they replied sarcastically to Judah, " So you have a 
 claim to David in comparison to which we have none. 
 Very good ! Then it shall be as you say, — ' We have no 
 pxart in David,' and owe hira no allegiance." 
 
 " Every man to his tents, Israel !" — This was the watch 
 word of rebellion amongst the Hebrews. 
 
 V. 4. " Then said the king . . . present." — Tliis was 
 equivalent to investing Amasa with the command-in-chief 
 that had been promised him. 
 
 V. 5. " He tarried longer than the set time," — evidently 
 because he failed to assemble the men of Judah ; they were 
 not very likely to desert their old and trusted leaders, 
 Joab and Abishai, and follow the defeated rebel Amasa. 
 
 V. 6. " Thy lord's servants," — i.e., the " mighty men." 
 
 " Fenced cities," — i.e., fortified cities. 
 
 V. 7. " Joab's men." — Joab seems to have assembled a 
 force, and joined his brother as a volunteer. 
 
 V. 8. " 'J'he great stone ^vhich is in Oiheon" — may have 
 been placed there after this event, to commemorate it ; or 
 it may have been already there, to mark the spot where 
 Abner's and Joab's " young men " had fallen. 
 
 '■'■Amasa went before them." — Amasa had, apparently, 
 assembled some kind of force, and was now in pursuit of 
 Sheba when thus overtaken by Joab and his brother. 
 
 " Garment," — the outer robe. 
 
 " It fell out," — i.e., out of the sheath. Josephus says 
 Joab purposely let it fall, as he approached Amasa, that 
 the latter might meet him just as he had picked it up, and
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 89 
 
 8o misrlit not be aLirmed at Joab's salutinof him while 
 htjlding a sword. In order further to lull suspicion, Joab 
 holds the weapon in the left hand. 
 
 V. 9. " Joab took Amasa . . to hiss him" (should be, 
 " to kiss it" i.e., the beard). — It would have been an insult 
 to have touched Amasa's beard, if Joab had intended to kiss 
 any part of his face. Kissing the beard is " an exchange 
 of respectful salutation between equals," — each party, re- 
 spectively, placing the right hand upon the other's beard, 
 and lightly raising it to his lips. 
 
 V. 10. ^'' Amasa took no heed . . . JoaUs hand." — It 
 has been shewn that Joab's method of raising the sword 
 from the ground was calculated to avert all suspicion on 
 Amasa's part : when they came to a mutual beard-kissing, 
 it is evident that Amasa was in such a position that, while 
 sufficiently close for Joab to stab him, he actually could 
 not see the weapon in the latter's grasp. 
 
 " He died." — This was as cruel and cold-blooded a mur- 
 der as that of Uriah, for, not only were Joab and Amasa 
 cousins, but the former could not plead, as when he 
 slaughtered Abner, the duty of blood-revenge, since Amasa 
 had not killed any member of Joab's house, — his only 
 offence against the latter being his superseding him in the 
 chief command. 
 
 V. 12. "Stood stiU," — being, naturally, riveted to the spot 
 by the horrible and unexpected sight. 
 
 V. 13. " Went on after Joab." — Joab had, evidently, 
 now taken the sole command of the expedition. 
 
 V. 14. " ^e,"— Sheba. 
 
 " They" — Joab and company. 
 
 V. 15. ^^Abel of Beth-Maachah" — rather Ahel-Beth- 
 Maachah, ( = Abel near the city of Maachah, so called to 
 shew its vicinity to Maachah). It was named, also, Abel, 
 or Abel-Maim, ( = Abel on the waters, i.e., those of Merom). 
 It was a very ancient, important, and flourishing, city, in 
 Naphtali. 80 years after Sheba's rebellion it was taken, 
 and sacked, by Benhadad ; and, 200 years after, was again 
 desolated, and its inhabitants sent captives into Assyria, 
 by Tiglath-pileser, 
 
 " Thei/ cast up a bank . . . and it stood in the trench." 
 — This " trench " was not made by Joab, but by those who 
 originally founded the city. "Taking advantage of an 
 oblong knoll of natural rock, that rises above the sur-
 
 90 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 rounding plain," they "raised a high mound sufficiently 
 large for their city," thus forming a deep " trench," in which 
 Juab raised his embankment. He would, doubtless, have 
 found the siege long and trying, but for the " wise woman," 
 — for the "trench" and the wall, together, must have 
 rendered Abel almost impregnable. 
 
 ^'■All the people battered the wall." — It is not stated 
 whether this was done by means of engines, or whether 
 the army of Joab discharged, by main strength, huge 
 stones, in simultaneous showers, concentrated on some one 
 spot. The latter would seem to be the more likely. The 
 catapult and balista were used by Uzziah in defending 
 Jerusalem ; but they do not seem to have been known to 
 the Jews in David's reign. Yet they may have been, and 
 have been actually used by Joab on this occasion. He 
 may, also, have employed a colossal lance, worked by 
 manual force, under shelter of a 23ent-house,^an engine 
 which may be regarded as the original and j^arent of the 
 battering-ram. The method of working this lance was to 
 drive its point between the stones of the wall. 
 
 vs. 16, 18. "^ wise woman." — ''^ They were wont . . . 
 ended the matter." — We have no means of ascertaining why 
 Abel was celebrated for its inhabitants' wisdom. It was 
 a common thing in ancient times for the people of certain 
 ])laces in different countries to have a reputation for wds- 
 dom, or its opposite. Tekoah appears, from an incident 
 already noticed, to have been one of the Hebrew cities 
 thus celebrated. 
 
 V. 19. "^ mother in Israel" — so called from its impor- 
 tance. In like manner we speak of our '■'■metropolis." 
 The title may have been bestowed upon Abel, partly, also, 
 from the fruitful character of the surrounding couiitrj'. 
 
 Deborah, in her Song, celebrating Sisera's defeat, calls 
 herself "a mother in Israel" (because employing her au- 
 thoiity with what might be regarded as a maternal aflfec- 
 tion and care for the people.) 
 
 EPITOME OF LIFE OF AMASA. 
 
 Amasa = a burden. 
 
 Son of Abigail, David's sister, (probably ^a?/-sister), by 
 Jether, (or Ithra), an Ishmaelite.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 91 
 
 His name does not occur before Absalom's rebellion, 
 (Some, however, think he is identical with Amasai, who, 
 
 we are told in I. Chron., joined David, with a body of men 
 
 from Judah and Benjamim, at Ziklag. 
 
 This is very improbable: had it been so, we should 
 
 have found liim acting a prominent part amongst David's 
 
 great men, whereas, he is not even mentioned amongst the 
 
 " mighties.") 
 
 B.C. 
 
 1023. Joins Absalom, and is made generalissimo of the 
 rebel forces, — defeated in the Wood of Ephraim. — 
 David promises to make him commander-in-chief, 
 in place of Joab, — he, accordingly, successfully em- 
 ploys his influence to induce the people to invite the 
 king's return. 
 
 1022, Entrusted with the assembling of forces to put down 
 Sheba's revolt,— proves unable to collect them in 
 time, — the pursuit is committed to Abishai, who, 
 with Joab, sets out after the rebel, — Amasa meets 
 the brothers at Gibeon, — treacherously assassinated 
 there by Joab. 
 Character, — little apparent, since his paii; on the public 
 
 stage was so short : ambition, treachery, fickleness, personal 
 
 bravery, utter absence of military genius, are apparent, — 
 
 nothing more. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 1-14. 
 
 Three years' famine, — David enquires the 
 cause, and is told that it is a punishment 
 for Saul's having slaughtered the Gibeonites, 
 — David asks the latter what atonement they 
 require, — they demand, and receive, seven 
 of Saul's descendants, and crucify them on 
 the Hill of Gibeah. — Eizpah watches the 
 bodies, until David, hearing of her devotion, 
 causes them, and the bones of Saul and 
 Jonathan, to be burned in the sepulchre of 
 Kish. — The famine is then stayed.
 
 92 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL, 
 
 V. 1. '^Tear after year" — i.e., the harvest turning out 
 badly each year. 
 
 '■'■ David enquired of the Lord . . . the Giheonites." — • 
 The question of David was, of course, put through the 
 priests, aud the answer was dehveied through the same 
 medium, and it is suspected that the reply, instead of 
 being from the Lord, was concocted by the priests, in 
 order to wreak their vengeance on the house of Saul for 
 liis massacre of them at Nob, — and that David acquiesced 
 in the Gibeonites' demand, because he was desirous to see 
 the house of Saul utterly destroyed, in order that his own 
 son might peaceably succeed to the throne. 
 
 "He sleio the Gibeonites." — When, and why, we know 
 not. The Jews believe tliat it was at Nob, where some of 
 them would be, as Nethinim. However this may be, it 
 appears that he meditated their total destruction, for we 
 tind further on, the Gibeonites naming Saul as, "The man 
 that consumed us, and that devised against us that we 
 should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of 
 Israel." It is probable that Saul, finding that he had dis- 
 pleased Jehovah, by sparing a portion of the Amalekites, 
 when ordered to destroy them all, purposed to atone for 
 his fault, and shew his zeal by exterminating the Gibeon- 
 ites, though Joshua had sworn that they sliould be spared. 
 This view of the reason of Saul's purpose against them is 
 shadowed forth a little further on, — "Saul sought to slay 
 them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah." 
 
 V. 2. " The Gibeonites . . . sivorn tmto them." — 
 Gibeon was the head of a confederacy of Hivite cities, the 
 others being Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. 
 After Joshua's conquest of Jericho and Ai, the Gibeonites, 
 alarmed for their own city, set to work to obtain, by craft, 
 a treaty of peace with the invaders. Accordingly, they 
 sent an embassy, clad in worn-out garments, and carrying 
 mouldy provisions, &c.. to ask Joshua to enter into a 
 league with them. The envoys, on reaching the Hebrew 
 camp, laid their errand befoi'e the great leader, declaring 
 that they came from a very far land, and appealing in 
 support of this statement to the state of their clothes, 
 bread, &c., which they declared were new when they set 
 out. They represented that they had heard of what had 
 been done to Sihon and Og, and that, overwhelmed by 
 dread, lest themselves should hereafter fall in the way of
 
 I^OTES ON II. SAMUEL. 93 
 
 the terrible invaders, they had come to make submission 
 in the name of the rest of their nation, and to conclude a 
 league. They were believed, and, without consulting 
 Jehovah, Joshua and the chiefs of the people made a 
 covenant with them " to let them live." 
 
 Speedily, of course, the deceit was discovered, and, 
 though the lives of the Gibeonites were spared, they were 
 made " hewers of wood, and drawers of water," or Neth- 
 inim, while their toivns were appropriated, Benjamim 
 taking all but Kirjath-jearim, which fell to Judah's lot. 
 
 "Of the remnant of the Amorites." — Gibeou, (with the 
 rest of those in the league with it), was a Hivite town ; 
 but its people are here said to have been " of the remnant 
 of the Amorites " because both Amorites and Hivites 
 sprang from a common stock. 
 
 V. 6. "Sons," — i.e., descendants. 
 
 " Hang them up unto the Lord." — We cannot imagine 
 Jehovah delighting, as a Moloch might be represented as 
 doing, in this barbarous deed ; but it must be remembered 
 that not only was this the language of heathens, but that 
 it had been represented to the speakers that the famine 
 was " for Saul, and his bloody house," and that, conse- 
 quently, they woiUd deem such a slaughter to be well- 
 pleasing to Him. 
 
 V.7. " But the king spared Mephibosheth . . . Jona- 
 than, the Son of Said." — This "oath" between David and 
 Jonathan has previously been quoted. The writer of this 
 part of the Sacred Nairative, doubtless, pens the words of 
 the text in all good faith; but it is very questionable 
 whether it was his oath to Jonathan that induced David 
 to spare the son of his old friend, for he had made the same 
 promise to Said himself, at Engedi, after sparing the mo- 
 narch's life. Saul had said, "And now, behold, I know 
 well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom 
 of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear now 
 therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off 
 •my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name 
 out of my father's house." 
 
 " And David sware unto Saul." 
 
 This oath was, surely, as binding as that to Jonathan ; 
 yet David breaks it, by delivering up seven of Saul's house 
 to the Gibeonites. His reason for sparing Mephibosheth, 
 Jonathan's son, lay, rather, in that prince's impotence,
 
 94 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 than in the pledge given to his father, for David's conduct 
 in re Ziba and Mephibosheth displays a strange in- 
 difference, at least, to the interests of the lame prince. 
 
 V. 8. " Michal," — an error in transcription : it should be, 
 '■■Merah." 
 
 '■'■Brought iip for" — should be " hare to." 
 
 Merab, Saul's eldest daughter, was betrothed to David, 
 but Saul dishonourably broke his pledge, and gave her to 
 Adriel, to whom she bare these " live sons." 
 
 Our translators, finding " Michal " in the original, but 
 knowing that she did not marry Adriel, mis-translated 
 what shoxxld be "bare to," "brought up for," and, accord- 
 ingly, many authorities suppose that Merab died young, 
 and that Michal acted the part of mother to her sister's 
 children ; but this interpretation is certainly incorrect, for 
 "bare" is certainly right, and "brought up," as surely 
 wrong. 
 
 " The MeholatMte," — i.e., a native of Abel-Meholah, or 
 Abel-mea, a city S. of Beth-shan ; Elisha was born there. 
 
 V. d. " Hanged them," — having, there is little doubt, first 
 slain them. According to the Law, the bodies should not 
 have remained crucified longer than the sun-set of the day 
 ^hen they were gibbeted. It would seem probable that, 
 as famine usually resulted from drought, some vow was 
 made that the bodies should remain suspended, until rain 
 fell, for this we find actually occurred. 
 
 "In the beginning of barley-harvest" — the middle of 
 Nisan, (April), when barley was ripe about Jericho ; the 
 barley-harvest did not become general till the early part 
 of May. 
 
 V. 10. " Took sackcloth . . . rock" — ?'.e., she made for 
 herself a robe of coarse sackcloth, wherein to wrap herself 
 at night, or when the weather was inclement, and consti- 
 tuted the rock her seat and couch. Of course, she must 
 have had her hours of repose, during which she probably 
 had a fire alight, to keep off the beasts of prey. 
 
 " Until water . . . out of heaven," — i.e., till the com- 
 mencement of the " early," or periodical, rains, which begin 
 towards the end of October. 
 
 V. 12. "David went . . . Gilboa." — Saul, and his 
 sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, fell on Gilboa, 
 —the Philistines cut off Saul's head, (and, probably, those 
 of his sons), and fastened it in the temple of Dagon, —
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL, 95 
 
 stripped off his armour, (and, probably, that of his sons), 
 and fastened the bodies to ttie wall of Beth-shan, (above 
 the gate). The men of Jabesh-Gilead, who, from the 
 opposite side of the ravine, could see the bodies, crossed 
 over during the night, took down the headless trunks, 
 carried them away, and, having burned the corpses, (px'oba- 
 bly to prevent further insult), buried the ashes in their 
 own city ; — thus shewing their gratitude to Saul for his 
 delivering them from Nahash. For this act David had 
 warmly thanked them at the beginning of his reign. 
 
 V. 14. '■^ And the hones . . , Kish, his father." — This 
 passage would lead us to suppose that the remains of Saul 
 and Jonathan alone were buried in the family sepulchre ; 
 but there is no doubt that the " bones" of Eizpah's, and of 
 Merab's, sons, also were there interred. 
 
 David's motive in this step seems to have been a notion 
 that the land would not be cleansed as long as the crucified 
 bodies remained uu buried, while his removal of the ashes 
 of Saul and his sons, and their interment in a private tomb, 
 was, doubtless, intended " to obliterate every monument 
 that" they "had ever been leaders of the host of Israel." 
 
 " God ivas entreated for the land." — If, as we suppose, 
 the slaughter of the seven " sons " of Saul was the result of 
 a vile conspiracy on the part of the priests, it was easy for 
 them to attribute the cessation of the famine to supposed 
 appeasement of the Divine wrath. 
 
 It is competent, of course, to take quite the opposite view 
 of David's conduct, and to understand the text literally as 
 it stands. Then we must believe that the famine was on 
 account of Saiil and his house, and that David acted 
 throughout with the most perfect bona fides, as a Divine 
 instrument. In this view, (which finds a host of supporters, 
 and which it is at the option of the student to adopt), 
 David's interment of the remains of Saul and the other 
 slaughtered members of his house, may be taken to have 
 sprung from a laudable desire to gather in honourable 
 sepulture, in the family tomb, the scattered relics of the 
 unfortunate dynasty. 
 
 David seems to have written Psalm Ixv. to celebrato 
 the end of the famine.
 
 96 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL, 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 15-etid. 
 
 David's last Philistine War. — In the first battle, 
 Abishai slays Ishbi-benob, who is on the eve 
 of smiting David, — in the second encounter, 
 Sibbechai slays Saph, — in the third engage- 
 ment, Elhanan slays a giant, brother to 
 Goliath,— in the fourth contest, Jonathan, 
 David's nephew, slays a giant having on each 
 hand six fingers, and on each foot six toes. 
 
 V. 15. " The Philistines had . . . Israel." — This war 
 ■was, doubtless, of the Philistines' own seeking, the late 
 internal dissensions and civil wars, amongst the Hebrews, 
 encouraging these inveterate foes to hope for success in an 
 attempt to break the yoke imposed upon them by David. 
 
 " Waxed faint" — having, it would seem, engaged with 
 Ishbi-benob, in single combat, — forgetting in his ardour 
 that he was no longer the active "stripling" who had 
 slain Goliath. 
 
 V. 16. " Was of the sons of the giant," — not a son of any 
 particular giant, as some represent, (making him, and the 
 other three mentioned, sons of Goliath), but one of the 
 giant-race, amongst the Philistines. These giants were 
 descended from the Auakim, whom Joshua expelled from 
 Hebron, Debir, and other towns in the " Mountains of 
 Judah," and whose remnant took refuge in Gaza, Gath, 
 and Ashdod. 
 
 "300 shekels of brass" = 150 ozs. Troy. The head of 
 Goliath's spear was of iron, and weighed 600 shekels. 
 
 " Gob." — I. Ohron. says, " Gezer." Gezer was a royal 
 city of the Canaanites, in W. of Ephraim ; it was assigned 
 to the Levites, but never reduced; Solomon rebuilt it, 
 after its having been, on some unrecorded occasion, burned 
 by the Egyptians. 
 
 The position of Gob is not known : it must have been 
 near Gezer. 
 
 V. 18. "Saph,"—"Sippai;' in I. Chron. 
 
 V. 19. " Jaare-oregim," — " Jair," in I. Chron. 
 
 " The brother of Goliath the Gittite."—" The brother of" 
 not being in the original, some authorities omit it, and
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 97 
 
 ■make ttis giant " Goliath the Gittite" regarding Goliath 
 as a family name, and this giant as a descendant of the 
 Goliath slain by David. But as ''the brother of" is in 
 the original, in the parallel passage in I, Chron., the read- 
 ing of the text, in the present instance, is undoubtedly 
 correct. 
 
 " The shaff . . . beam" — is stated also about David's 
 Goliath. 
 
 V. 22. " Were born to the giant"— i.e., came of the race oj 
 the giant. 
 
 Psalm xxvii. seems to have been written by David, just 
 after his narrow escape from being slain by the giant. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXII. 
 
 David's Song of Thanksgiving for Ms deliver- 
 ance from Saul; for his triumphs over all 
 his other foes ; and for all the blessings he 
 has received from the hand of the Lord. 
 
 N.B. — The student, (especially if a senior), is earnestly 
 advised to learn verbatim this Song of David, and the 
 different readings from the corresponding Psalm. 
 
 This Song is almost the same as Psalm xviii. 
 
 The Rabbins reckon 74 differences in the two, the most 
 important of them being carefuUy marked in the following 
 notes. 
 
 The diflferences are supposed to result from David's 
 having written the present, which is the original copy, in 
 his younger days, and having revised and altered it, in 
 later years, to the form it assumes in the Book of Psalms, 
 
 Some, however, think that both the versions we possess 
 were taken from an older common source, (which, perhaps, 
 David did not compose). 
 
 The title is the same, in purport, in both, — professing to 
 be a song of praise for deliverance from Saul, and all other 
 of David's enemies. 
 
 V.2. "And he said, 'The Lord is my roch^" &c. — 
 Ps. xviii. commences with a verse not found in the early 
 copy,— "And he said, '/ will love Thee, Lord! mij 
 strength!'"
 
 98 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 V. 3. " The God of my rock^^ — in the Ps. — " my God, my 
 strength." Eock symbolized strength. 
 
 " My refuge . . . violence" — in Ps. — nothing corre- 
 sponding. 
 
 V. 5. "The waves of death" — in Ps. — "The sorrows of 
 death." 
 
 V. 6. " Prevented" — used here in its strictly classical 
 sense, (as it so often occurs in the Prayer Book, — e.g., 
 " Prevent, and follow, us"), and = " came before," — i.e. stood 
 in the way, (to terrify). 
 
 V. 8. "-Of heaven,"— \n Ps.— "of the hills." 
 
 V. 9. " There went up a smoke out of his nostrils," — 
 expressing the wrath and indignation of Jehovah, by re- 
 presenting Him as shewing the same indications that men 
 exhibit when, moved by furious rage, the heated breath 
 rushes vehemently through the nostrils, which, for this 
 reason, the ancients regarded as the seat of anger. 
 
 V. 11. "And he was seen upon," — in Ps. — '^yea, He did 
 fly upon." 
 
 ^'The wings of the wind," — a magnificent metaphor, 
 frequently occurring in the ancient poets. 
 
 V. 12. "And he made of the skies,"— in Ps. — "He made 
 darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were 
 dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies." 
 
 V. 13. " Through the brightness . . . kindled," — in 
 Ps. — "At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds 
 passed, hail-stones and coals offre." 
 
 V. 14. " Uttered his voice," — to which the Ps. adds, "Hail- 
 stones and coals of fire." 
 
 "Sent out,"— in Fs.—" Shot out." 
 
 V. 16. " Of the sea,"— in Ps.— " Of waters." 
 
 "At the rebuking of the Lord,"— in Ps. — "At thy rebuke, 
 Lord/" 
 
 " His nostrils," — in Ps. — " thy nostrils." 
 
 V. 23: "As for . . . them," — in Ps. — "I did not put 
 away his statutes from me." 
 
 V. 25. "My cleanness," — in Ps. — "The cleanness of my 
 hands." 
 
 V. 27. " Unsavoury" — in Ps. — "Froward." " Unsavoury" 
 here = disagreeable. 
 
 V. 28. "But thine eyes . . . down," — in Ps. — "But 
 wilt bring down high looks."
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL, 99 
 
 V. 29. "i^or thoio art my lamp, Lord!"— in Ps. — "For 
 thou wilt light my candle." 
 
 V. 30. "Have I leaped over a wall" — alludes to some 
 successful siege, wherein he had takeu a town by scaling 
 the ramparts. 
 
 V. 33. " God is my strength- and poicer" — in Ps. — "It is 
 God that guideth me with strength." 
 
 V.Z4. "Like hind's feet: . . . places." — The allusion 
 is double, referring both to the swiftness of the hind, and 
 the ease and security with which it stands and leaps upon 
 the most dangerous rocks. Habakkuk has the same figure, 
 "The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feci 
 like hind's feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine 
 high places." 
 
 The meaning of David here is that the Lord will keep 
 him in firm security in the most difficult and dangerous 
 circumstances. 
 
 V. 35. "A bow of steel," — rather of "brass." 
 
 " By mine arms." — To bend a bow of brass required pro« 
 digious strength ; what power must be displayed, then, in 
 bending it to breaking, and that ivith the arms alone, since 
 the arms and foot were required in stringing the weapon. 
 
 David means here that the Lord has bestowed upon him 
 superhuman force in his trials and struggles. 
 
 V. 36. "The shield of thy salvation:' — The Ps. adds, 
 ''and thy right hand hath holden me up." 
 
 "Destroyed," — in Ps. — "overtaken." 
 
 V. 39. " Consumed," — in Ps. — nothing corresponding. _ 
 
 V. 40. "Thou hast also given me the necks of mine 
 enemies," — i.e., "Thou hast made my enemies my captives." 
 — It was anciently the custom for a conqueror to place his 
 foot on the necks of his war-captives, they bending, or 
 lying down for the purpose: sometimes the victor rode 
 over the necks of lines of prostrate prisoners. 
 
 V. 42. "Looked,"— in Ts.— "cried." 
 
 V. 43. "Of the earth . . . them abroad," — in Ps. — "6e- 
 fore the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets." 
 
 V. 44. " My people," — in Ps., " the people." 
 
 "Kept me to be," — in Ps. — "made me." 
 
 V. 47. " The God of the rock of my salvation" — in Ps., 
 merely " the God of my salvation." 
 
 ■y. 51. " He is the tower . . . for his King," — in Ps., 
 ' Great deliverance giveth he to his King."
 
 100 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 This sublime Song contains the most magnificent 
 imagery ever penned ; especially grand is that portion t>f 
 it representing Jehovah as " bowing the heavens to come 
 down " to the succour of David against his foes. ; 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 1-7. 
 
 The " Last Words " of David, wherein he de- 
 clares what should be the character of a ruler 
 over men ; laments that his house is not so 
 with God ; expresses his belief that He will 
 keep His covenant with him ; and foretells 
 the punishment of the wicked. 
 
 V. 1. 'TAe last words," — i.e., the last of his poetical com- 
 positions, or, the expression may merely indicate that these 
 words were spoken later than the preceding song. The 
 Introduction, from '■'■Now" to "Me sweet psalmist of 
 Israel said." are interpolated by the compiler of the canon, 
 (probably Ezi-a), and are necessary, since the Hebrew text 
 is not divided into chapters, to distinguish these "last 
 words" from the preceding Song, of which, otherwise, 
 they woiild seem to form part. 
 
 ^'^ Sweet" = pleasant, agreeable. I 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 David orders the people to be ncimbered, — re- 
 pents, before the Census is concluded, — Gad 
 is sent to offer him his choice of one of three 
 punishments, the result being Three Days' 
 pestilence, which is stayed at the threshing- 
 floor of Araunah, — thither David goes up, 
 and offers sacrifices, — the Divine wrath is 
 then appeased, and the Plague finally ceases. 
 
 V. 1. " J7e moved David against them." — As nothing can 
 happen without the allowance of Jehovah, He is frequently 
 represented, in Scripture, as doing, or caiising to he done, 
 what is actually evil ; this, of course, is only a method of
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 101 
 
 fepeecL, for, "God cannot be tempted witli evil, neither 
 tempteth he any man" {i.e., to evil). 
 
 Another instance of the same kind of thing is found in 
 this same verse, "And again the anger of the Lord was 
 kindled against Israel." The Hebrew writers believed 
 that all national calamities were the result of God's dis- 
 ]ileasure, and, consequently, frequently attribute the un- 
 toward events whence such disasters spring to the anger 
 of the Lord. So it is in the text. —God is represented 
 as angry with the Hebrews, {loiihout any assigned cause), 
 and as actually tempting David to a heinous fault, so 
 as to afford Him a pretext for punishing His people, and 
 so appeasing His wrath ! Of course, such a view of Je- 
 hovah's dealings with the Israelites, or with any nation, 
 or individual, is altogether unworthy, lowering, and false; 
 and, consequently, such modes of expression as those in 
 the text must be understood in the figurative sense which 
 we have given them. 
 
 The parallel passage, in I. Chron. states, "And Satan stood 
 up against Israel, and provoked David to nwnher Israel" — 
 a rather different declaration from that just explained, 
 wherein God is said to have moved David to the deed. 
 
 Some take " Satan " literally, since he certainly is the 
 author of many, (in the estimation of the Hebrews of all), 
 temptations. 
 
 Others would, instead of " Satan," read, " an adversary," 
 — i.e., not one who was his declared, or secret, enemy ; 
 but some adviser, who, (while his motive might have been 
 the advancement of David's interests, and the increase of 
 his glory, only), counselled him to a step that issued so 
 disastrously, that the counsellor might well be styled " a/i 
 adversary." 
 
 " Go ! number Israel and Judah." — Wherein the fault of 
 which David was guilty, in taking this census, lay, has 
 been variously represented : — 
 
 1, (and most popular). The mere act of taking a 
 census was sinful, since its motives were pride, and 
 its end self-glorification. 
 
 This, however, is absurd, for we find Moses taking two 
 different censuses, at the command of God Himself. 
 
 2. (As Josephus alleges), David neglected to collect tlie 
 ^ shekel poU-tax, the payment of which, according 
 to many authorities, was ordered by Moses to 
 accompany every census.
 
 102 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 This is as weak a reason as 1, for it is by no means 
 certain that this tax was to accompany every numbering ; 
 while, were this the case, we may be very sure that the 
 King, who was so eagerly amassiug means for building the 
 Temple, would not neglect to avail himself of this rich 
 source of supply, (though no mention is made of the tax, 
 in the text). 
 
 3. David, ill-advised by his " adversary," contemplated 
 an extension of empire, and the forcing into military 
 service, with this view, all the men of Israel and 
 Judah capable of bearing arms. Knowing that he 
 should never obtain the Divine sanction to" this 
 project, he proceeded, accordingly, instead of con- 
 sulting Jehovah, to thus number the people, and so 
 be in a position to calculate whether he had forces 
 enough for his design. 
 He thus committed a double offence : — 
 
 (1.) In planning the aggrandizement of his dominions, 
 the bounds of which God had iixed, forbidding 
 aggressive wars of conquest. 
 (2.) In taking a step, which he knew was repugnant 
 to Jehovah, without consulting Him. 
 This is, doubtless, the correct explanation. 
 V. 2. "i^or,"— should be, "And." 
 
 V. 3. "Now the Lord thy God add unto the people." 
 . . . " And that the eyes of my lord the king may see it." 
 — This is the expression of a wish,, and = "Now may the 
 Lord thy God add unto the people." ..." And may 
 the eyes of my Lord the king see it!" 
 
 Here, again, we have Joab doing David an invaluable 
 service, in tendering this wise advice. 
 
 V. 5. " Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the 
 midst of the river of Oad, and toivard Jazer." — There seems 
 some confusion here between the two Aroers, — one in 
 Keuben, and the other in Gad. 
 
 The Aroer of Reuben is always mentioned in connection 
 "with "the city that lieth in the midst of the river" (f.e. the 
 Arnon); whence it is supposed to have consisted of two 
 parts, or distinct cities, — one on the bank of the river, and 
 the other in the valley below, surrounded by the waters of 
 the river. 
 
 This being the case, we should imagine the Ai'oer of the 
 text to be the city of that name in Reuben. But it is 
 spoken of as being "in the midat of the river of Gad^
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 103 
 
 and toward Jazer,' which expression can apply only to the 
 Aroer of Gad. 
 
 Now, the census-takers are sure to have been as metho- 
 dical as ])ossible in passing through the country, and, from 
 what follows, it is clear that they commenced their enume- 
 ration E. of the Jordan, passed on northwards, and then 
 returned S. It is not at all probable, then, that the com- 
 missioners would cross the Jordan, into Gad; but it is 
 just what we might expect that they should pass over to 
 Reuben, and make their first halting-place at the Aroer of 
 that tribe, since it was in the extreme S. of the Jewish 
 territory E. of Jordan. 
 
 We are compelled, then, to suppose, as before hinted, that 
 the words identifying the Aroer of the text with that of 
 Gad are an error, (on whose part we cannot, however, say). 
 
 V. 6. " Dan-jaan" — near the Jordan source. In the di- 
 vision of Palestine amongst the tribes, the greater part of 
 Dan was taken out of Judah. Failing to expel the Amor- 
 ites from their lot, and, being "driven into the moun- 
 tains" by that people, the Danites found their borders 
 "too little" for their growing numbers. Accordingly, 
 acting upon the advice of five spies, whom they sent forth 
 to find out a favourable spot to which to emigrate, 600 of 
 the tribe went up armed to the N. of the country, and there 
 took the Sidonian town, and state, of Laish, or Lashera 
 This district, and city, were afterwards generally termed, 
 Dan-Laish, to distinguish between the northern, and the 
 southern, Danites. 
 
 V. 7. " All the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites." 
 — The seats of the Hivites were Gibeon, and its confederate 
 towns, — and the N., N.W., and N.E. of Pale.stuie,^their 
 cities, in the present passage, being those in the N.W., for 
 they are mentioned in connection with Tyre and Sidon. 
 
 The Canaanites proper occupied, before the Conquest, 
 the sea-coast from Carmel to Philistia ; their unreduced 
 ^^ cities" of the text, lay, of course, along this district. 
 Thus we find the census-takers completing their round, by 
 turning S., and making their way back to Jerusalem. 
 
 V. 9. "800,000 valiant men that drew the sword, {i.e., 
 were fit for military service). • . . 500,000 men.-" 
 
 In I. Chron. these numbers are stated at 1,100,000 in 
 Israel, and 470,000 in Judah, 
 
 This is a serious discrepancy, not easily got over by the 
 usual plea of incorrect transcription. The best solution
 
 104 NOTES ON n. SAMUEL. 
 
 seema to be that some class of persons not included in the 
 number given in the text is reckoned in the passage in 
 Chron., the latter, therefore, being the more correct. 
 
 I, Chron. states that Levi and Benjamim were not 
 counted, for which a reason may be found in the case of 
 the foi'mer, since their duties lay not on the battle-field, 
 but in conducting worship. Why Benjamim should have 
 been passed over is not at all clear ; it may be accounted 
 for by supposing that ere the enumerators could commence 
 their work in this tribe, David stopped the census. 
 
 It is interesting to compare the difference of numbers 
 in this census, and in the two taken by Moses, (omitting 
 Levi and Benjamim in each case), — 
 
 Mosei First Census, at Sinai, Israel. Judah. 
 
 B.C. 1491 493,550. . 74,600. 
 
 Moses^ Second Census, in the 
 
 Plain of Moab, B.C. 1451 . 479,630. . ' 76,500. 
 
 David's Census 1,100,000, . 470,000, 
 
 (or 800,000). . (or500,000> 
 
 It will be seen, from this Table, how rapid had been the 
 increase in the number of the Hebrews, since their settle- 
 ment in Palestine. Taking the number of males capable 
 of military service at one-fourth of the entire nation, we 
 shall find the Hebrew population of Palestine, in David's 
 reign, to have been about 6,000,000. 
 
 V. 11. "i^or,"— should be, ''And." 
 
 r. 13. '' Wilt thou flee . . . they pursue thee" ? — This 
 does not mean that, in case of accepting this alternative, 
 David would be in one uninterrupted flight, and pursued 
 by his foes, for three months, — but that he should be de- 
 feated, and forced to flee, in every battle. 
 
 In I. Chron. this is better brought out, " Three montha 
 to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of 
 thine enemies overtaketh thee." 
 
 V. 14. ''Let me not fall into the hand of man." — David 
 seems not to have cared which of the visitations coming 
 from Jehovah's hands, (famine, or pestilence), he accepted, 
 and so, while deciding that he will not be a constant fugi- 
 tive for three months, before his enemies, he leaves it 
 to the Lord to send which plague He pleases. 
 
 Though there was, clearly, a large amount of faith in 
 God displayed in David's resigning himself to His hands 
 rather than those of men, there can be little doubt that
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 106 
 
 the ignominy that would attend him, (always, hitherto, 
 so fortunate in war), in case he chose the three month's 
 flight, powerfully restrained him from that alternative. 
 
 V. 16. " When the angel . . . to destroy it." — I. Chron. 
 has, " And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy 
 it : and, as he vjas destroying^ the Lord beheld, and he 
 repented him of the evil." It is clear, then, that the plague 
 had begun its work at Jerusalem. The command to spare 
 the city from further havoc seems to have accompanied, or 
 to have closely followed, David's repentance, and prayers. 
 
 " The threshing-place." — The Hebrew threshing-floor was 
 a level, elevated, circular, plot of ground, about 50 yds. in 
 circumference, and having an earthen floor beaten hard 
 and smooth. The sheaves were spread on the ground, and 
 oxen, cows, and young cattle were driven over them, five 
 abreast, or allowed to walk over the floor in what direction 
 each animal might choose for itself. 
 
 The corn was then thrown up by means of pitch-forks, 
 to effect a rough separation of straw and grain, by means 
 of the wind, (to command a good current of which was the 
 object of having the floor elevated). This separation having 
 been eff"ected, the grain was sifted, in order to get rid of 
 lumps of earth, and other impurities, — and, finally, the floor 
 was thoroughly purged by casting the wheat up in large 
 wooden shovels, (the '■'■fan" spoken of by John the Baptist), 
 by which operation even the smallest particles of chafl' were 
 blown away, the grain falling, pure, on the " floor." 
 
 Small quantities of wheat were threshed with the flail, 
 (as we find Gideon doing secretly), and there were rude 
 threshing-machines employed amongst the Hebrews ; but, 
 in David's time, threshing by oxen, &c., was the method 
 generally practised, and, therefore, no other need be noted. 
 
 '■'■ Araunah" — '■'■ Oman" in I. Chron, 
 
 " The Jehusite" — probably a proselyte of that Canaan- 
 itisb tribe. 
 
 V. 17. " When he saw the Angel." — I. Chron. records, — 
 " And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the 
 Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a 
 drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. 
 Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed iu 
 sackcloth, fell upon their faces." 
 
 I. Chron. says that Oman and his four sons were 
 threshing wheat, — that he looked rovmd, saw the Angel,
 
 106 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 and, with his sons, hid himself, (until he saw the King 
 coming). 
 
 V. 19. ".4 no? David went up," — i.e., up Mount Moriah, 
 on which Araunah's threshing-floor is supposed to have 
 occupied the same position as the Altar of Burnt Ofiering 
 did in Solomon's Temple. 
 
 V. 20. '■^ Bowed ' himself . . . upon the ground.'^ — 
 This was the most profoundly deferential attitude with 
 the Hebrews, — consisting in going down "on all fours," 
 and bringing the face to almost touch the ground. 
 
 V. 22. '■'•Here he oxen ... for wood." — I. Chron. 
 adds " and the wheat for the meat-offering." 
 
 V. 23. " .4s a king," — so we say, ^^ & princely gift." 
 
 It may be that Oman's munificent generosity was but 
 Eastern finesse; — the Orientals making it part of a busi- 
 ness transaction to pretend to be ready to give freely what 
 the purchaser desires, and thus generally obtaining a 
 better bargain. 
 
 V. 24. '■'■ David bought . . . silver." — I. Chron. has, 
 " So David gave to Oman, for tlie place, six hundred shekels 
 of gold by weight." It would appear most probable, 
 that the fifty shekels of silver were given for the oxen, 
 and implements, and use of the "floor," and that, after- 
 wards, when the spot was chosen for the site of the Temple, 
 the 6000 shekels of gold were paid by David to purchase 
 the whole of Araunah's land on Moriah. 
 
 V. 25. " David offered . . , peace-offerings" — being, 
 as I. Chron. tell us, answered by fire upon the Altar. 
 
 No doubt the priests actually offered the sacrifices, as that 
 function was absolutely tlieirs, and no one, but a prophet, 
 (like Samuel), could alter the Law in this respect, and 
 take the priests' duty. 
 
 I. Chron. tells us that David would have gone to Gibeon, 
 (where were tlie original Tabernacle, and the Altar of 
 Burnt Ofi'eriiig) ; but that he feared the Angel, who stood 
 in the way, with his drawn sword. 
 
 " The Lord . . . Israel." — I. Chron. adds, "And the 
 Lord commanded the Angel; and he put up his sivord into 
 the sheath thereof." 
 
 (We read in Genesis that after the Fall, an Angel, 
 holding a flaming sword, stood at the entrance of Paradise, 
 to prevent Adam and Eve from returniug thither).
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 107 
 
 EPITOME OF DAVID'S LIFE, &c. 
 
 David = beloved. 
 
 Eighth, and youngest, son of Jesse of Beth-lehem. 
 
 (Only seven sons are given in the pedigree of Jesse, aa 
 found in Chron., but I. Sam. says that seven of Jesse's sons 
 passed before Samuel, when he went to anoint David, and 
 that David was then sent for, from keeping the sheep ; 
 and, in another place, the same Book distinctly states, 
 that Jesse " had eight sons," . . . . " And David was 
 the youngest.") 
 
 Born, 1085 B.C. 
 
 The Psalmist's Life may he divided into jive 
 'portions : — 
 
 1. SHEPHERD LIFE, (1085-1063). 
 
 During most of this period he remained at home, tending 
 his father's flocks. 
 
 B.C. 
 
 1067. Anointed, at Beth-lebem, by David. 
 1063. Sent for, by Saul, to relieve his melancholy, by 
 playing on the harp, — restores him, — and returns 
 home to his former duties. 
 (He himself tells us he slew a lion, and a bear, that 
 attacked his flocks, while he was a shepherd ; 
 this, probably, happened after his visit to Saul). 
 1063. Goes up to the Hebrew camp, with provisions for 
 his brethren, — slays Goliath, — is formally presented 
 to Saul, who lets him " go no more home," — 
 Jonathan conceives a deep aff'ection for him. 
 
 2. CCITRTIER LIFE, (1063-1062). 
 
 1063. Saul sets him over his " men of war ; " but has 
 his jealousy roused, by the soug of the women, 
 "Saul hath slain his thousands," &c., — casts a 
 javelin at David, while playing before him : and 
 removes him from his immediate presence, giving 
 him a lower military rank, as " Captain of a 
 thousand."
 
 108 NOTES ON IT. SAMUEL. 
 
 1063. Saul promises Merab to David, — gives her to 
 another. 
 
 Michal loves David, — Saul promises her to him, 
 on craftily-devised terms, — David fulfils them, 
 and receives Michal's hand. 
 Saul commands his officers, and Jonathan, to slay 
 David, — Jonathan remonstrates with his father, 
 — who repents, vows that no harm shall happen 
 to David, and restores him to his presence. 
 David defeats the Philistines, — Saul's jealousy 
 rekindled, — he again casts a javelin at "David, — 
 the latter escapes to his house, — Saul sends 
 thither, to take him, — Michal lets her husband 
 down through a window, and deceives her father's 
 messengers by a stratagem. — David escapes to 
 Samuel, at Naioth, — and resides with him there. 
 Saul sends three successive companies thither to 
 take David, — they all begin to prophecy, — Saul 
 himself goes, — is overcome by the Divine afflatiis, 
 and prophesies. 
 
 1062. David leaves Naioth, and returns secretly to 
 Gibeah, — has an interview with Jonathan ; — 
 they arrange for David to test Saul's feelings 
 towards him, by absenting himself from the 
 king's table at the New Moon, — decide upon a 
 sign by which David, in his hiding-place, shall 
 know how matters have gone, — and make a 
 solemn covenant with each other. 
 Saul notices David's absence, — Jonathan gives 
 him a fictitious explanation, — the king's wrath 
 is kindled, — in his rage, he shews his real feelings 
 towards David, — orders Jonathan to fetch him 
 that he may be slain, and so prevented ascending 
 the throne, — and, on his son's remonstrance, hurls 
 a javelin at even him. 
 
 Jonathan gives David an unpropitious signal, — 
 the latter quits his hiding-place, — takes leave of 
 Jonathan, — and enters upon his wanderings aa 
 an outlaw. 
 
 3. OUTLAW LIFE, (1062-1056). 
 
 1062. David comes to Nob, with a few followers, — Ahi- 
 melechjthe high-priest, not knowing of the rupture
 
 NOTES ON. II. SAMUEL. 109 
 
 with Sail], feeds the band with shew-bread, aud 
 gives David the sword of Goliath. — David passes 
 on to Achish, who being suspicious, and mena- 
 cingly unfriendly, he feigns madness, — and so 
 escapes probable death. 
 
 Takes refuge in the Cave of Adullam, where he is 
 joined by " his brethren, and all his father's 
 house," and a horde of outlaws, consisting of those 
 in poverty, an(i in debt, and malcontents, (to the 
 number, in all, of 400). 
 
 He passes over into Moab, — advised by God, he 
 returns to Judah, leaving his parents in the care of 
 the king of Moab, — comes to the Forest of Haresh. 
 Doeg tells Saul of Ahimelech's succouring David, 
 — Saul sends for him, and the rest of the priests, 
 from Nob, — Ahimelech explains his conduct, by 
 shewing that he was unconscious of the breach 
 between the Icing and David, — Saul orders Doeg, 
 aud the " footmen," to slay the priests, — Ahime- 
 lech, and all the other priests at Nob, are slaugh- 
 tered, to the number of eighty-five, Abiathar alone 
 escaping, — Nob, with its inhabitants, (and oxen, 
 asses, sheep,) destroyed, — Abiathar, with the 
 Ephod, flees to David, with whom he remains. 
 1061. David defeats the Philistines, and compels them 
 to raise the siege of Keilah, — consulting God, he 
 learns that the people of Keilah intend to betray 
 him to Saul, — he therefore escapes thence to the 
 wilderness of Ziph, where he and Jonathan have 
 a secret interview, and renew their friendship, 
 and covenant. 
 
 The Ziphites betray, to Saul, David's whereabouts, 
 — and lead him to the outlaw's lair, to find him 
 fled to the wilderness of Maon, — Saul follows, — 
 when he is one side of the mountain, and David 
 on the other, (both ignorant that they are so near 
 together,) a message is brought to Saul of a Phil- 
 istine invasion, — he ceases the pursuit of David 
 and returns to battle with his old enemies. 
 David takes refuge in the fastnesses of En-gedi. — 
 Saul, having defeated the Philistines, renews his 
 persecution, — and traces David to En-gedi. — 
 David finds the King asleep in a cave, — saves his
 
 110 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 life ; but cuts off his skirt, — ^announces from a 
 distance what he has done, — Saul confesses his 
 ■wickedness, — asks David's forgiveness, — exacts 
 from him a promise to spare his house, after his 
 death, — and returns home. 
 
 1060. David demands supplies from Nabal, — being re- 
 fused, he sets out to revenge himself, — Abigail 
 meets, and appeases, him, — Nabal dies, — David 
 marries Abigail. 
 
 The Ziphites again betray David's whereabouts. — 
 Saul, with 3,000 men, goes to seek him, and 
 pitches on the hill of Hachilah, while David re- 
 mains in the wilderness of Ziph, — he enters Saul's 
 camp, — takes his spear and cruse ; but spares his 
 life, — proclaims, from a hill opposite, what he has 
 done, — Saul again repents, — and returns home. 
 
 1058. David again flees to Achish, — is now well received, 
 — Achish gives him Ziklag to dwell in. 
 (David remains sixteen months at Ziklag,— 
 spoils the S. Geshurites, the Amalekites, and 
 other foreign tribes, while pretending to Adiish 
 that it is* against the S. tribes of Israel his 
 marauding expeditions are directed, and so 
 making the Philistine '* lord " believe that he is 
 abhorred of the Hebrews, and, therefore, bound 
 to him for ever). 
 
 1056. The Philistines make war with Israel, and as- 
 semble their forces at Aphek, — David, with his 
 followers, accompanies Achish, as if to aid against 
 his own countrymen, — the other Philistine 
 "lords," suspecting he will prove a traitor to 
 them in battle, demur to David's presence, — 
 Achish, accordingly, sends him back. 
 David, on reaching home, finds that theAmalekites 
 have burned, and spoiled, Ziklag, and carried off 
 all the females, during his absence, — Divinely 
 directed, he pursues, and overtakes, the Amale- 
 kites, — slays all but 400,. who escape, — recovers 
 all the captives and goods, taking large spoil in 
 addition, — sends presents to the elders of nu- 
 merous cities. 
 
 {All the particulars up to this point are from I, Sam.)
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. Ill 
 
 1056. Tidings of the battle of Mount Gilboa are brousjht 
 to David, at Ziklag, by ^n Amalekite, who pro- 
 fesses to have given Saul his coup de grace, — 
 David causes the messenger to be slain, — he 
 laments for Saul and Jonathan. 
 
 1055. Divinely directed, David goes up to Hebron, with 
 his wives and followers, — and is there anointed 
 King over the koiise ofJudah. 
 
 (David's settled life, at Zik]ag,as "a legitimate chief with 
 fixed possessions," was a transition-state between his out- 
 law, and his king, life.) 
 
 4. KING-LIFE AT HEBKON, (1055-1048.) 
 
 (David thanks the men of Jabesh-Gilead, for burying 
 Saul and his sons.) 
 
 (War with the house of Saul.) 
 
 (Battle of Gibeon : Abner defeated : Asahel killed). 
 
 (David marries four additional wives, and has six sons 
 bom to him.) 
 
 (War with Ish-bosheth continues, to the advantage of 
 David, whose cause gains ground.) 
 
 1053. Abner quarrels with Ish-bosheth, — offers to bring 
 Israel over to David, — the latter demands, and 
 obtains, (as the condition of entertaining the 
 proposal), the restoration of Michal. 
 Abner consults with the " elders of Israel," — goes 
 to Hebron, and arranges with David the transfer 
 to him of the allegiance of the eleven tribes, — 
 returns to effect his purpose. — Joab, learning 
 what has happened, denounces David's conduct, — 
 sends, (as if from the Eling), to call Abner back. — 
 Abner returns, — and is slain by Joab, in the gate 
 of Hebron. — David makes lamentation over the 
 murdered man. 
 
 Ish-bosheth slain, — his assassins slain by David. 
 All the tribes assemble at Hebron, and offer David 
 the croion of the Entire Kingdom, — he is anointed, 
 and takes a Coronation Oath, as King over all Israel. 
 
 1048. Jerusalem taken, and made David's capital, — he 
 extends the city, — and builds a house for himself 
 on Mount Zion, Hiram sending workmen, and 
 cedarwood.
 
 112 2^'OTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 (David takes fresh wives, and has eleven children 
 born to him, at Jerusalem). 
 
 1043. David defeats the PhiHstines, twice, in the Valley 
 of Eephaim. 
 
 1042. Assembhng the chief men of all Israel, David 
 removes the Ark from Kirjath-jearim, — Uzzah 
 smitten, — the Ark taken aside, and left iu the 
 house of Obed-edom. 
 
 Heariug that its presence has proved a blessing 
 to Obed-edom, David is encouraged to accomplish 
 his design, — the Ark safely brought to Jerusalem, 
 and placed in the tent prepai-ed for it, — Michal 
 taunts her husband, &c. 
 
 David announces to Nathan his intention of 
 building a Temple, — the prophet first encourages 
 him, — afterwards. Divinely dii^ected, forbids his 
 design, and announces that it shaU be Solomon's 
 work ; but promises that David's kingdom shall 
 be established, — David utters a Thanksgiving 
 Prayer. 
 
 1040. David conquers,and subjects, the Philistines, (tak- 
 ing "Gath and her towns"), and Moab, — conquers 
 Zobah, and Damascus, (reducing Damascus to 
 vassalage), — Toi, of Hamath, sends his son with 
 congratulations and presents to David, — Mephi- 
 bosheth adopted, and Ziba made his steward. 
 
 1037. An embassy sent to Hanun, king of Ammon, 
 who shamefully treats them, — David, accord- 
 ingly, commences war with the Ammonites.^ 
 These unite with Eehob, and Zobah, — the alhes 
 are defeated. 
 
 1036. Hadadezer forms, against David, a Syrian league, 
 which is overcome,— the Syrian states dependent 
 on Hadadezer ask for terms, and accept vassal- 
 age. 
 
 (Edomites defeated by David, Joab, and Abishai, 
 in the VaUey of Salt, — their country wasted, and 
 garrisoned, — they are reduced to subjection). 
 
 1035. Eabbah of Ammon besieged by Joab, David re- 
 maining at Jerusalem. 
 
 He commits adultery, and murder, — takes Bath- 
 sheba for wife, — she bears him a son. 
 
 1034. Nathan convicts the King, by a parable, of the
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 113 
 
 enormity of his guilt, and denounces God's judg- 
 ments uj^on him, in consequence, — David repents, 
 — Bath-sheba's child is smitten with sickness, and 
 dies. 
 
 1033. Eabbah captured, and Ammonites subjected, — 
 Solomon born. 
 
 1032. Amnon outrages Tamar. 
 
 1030. Absalom slays Amnon, and flees to Geshur. 
 
 1027. Absalom's return to Jerusalem effected by Joab, 
 through the Tekoite woman. 
 
 1025. Absalom recalled to his father's presence and favor. 
 (Absalom smooths the way to revolt). 
 
 1023. Absalom obtains permission to go to Hebron, — 
 and sets up his standard there. 
 David flees, — Absalom enters Jerusalem. 
 Ahithophel's advice, to follow David imme- 
 diately, not taken, — he hangs himself. 
 David crosses the Jordan, to Mahanaim, and 
 is hospitably received, — Absalom's troops, under 
 Amasa, follow. 
 
 Defeat, and death, of Absalom, — David inconsol- 
 able at the loss of his son, — is rebuked by Joab. — 
 David sends to Zadok, and Abiathar, urging them 
 to procure his recall, — wins over Amasa, by a 
 promise of his superseding Joab. 
 Judah, and part of Israel, unite to welcome 
 back their king, who returns to Jerusalem. 
 
 1022. The men of Israel quarrel with those of Judah, — 
 and revolt, under Sheba, — Amasa ordered to 
 quell the rebellion ; but fails to collect troops 
 within the appointed time, — Abishai entrusted 
 with the task, — Joab joins him, — and slays 
 Amasa, at Gibeon, — Sheba besieged in Abel, — 
 his head cut off, and thrown to Joab. 
 
 1022-1019. Three years' bad hai-vests, on account of 
 Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites, who now de- 
 mand seven of Saul's "sons" to cracify, — David 
 consents, — Eizpah watches the bodies, — David at 
 last buries them, (with the ashes of Saul, and his 
 sons killed at Gilboa), in the sepulchre of Kish, 
 — the dearth then ceases. 
 1018. Da^^d's Last Philistine "War, — four battles, in 
 each of which a giant is killed, one of them being 
 
 H
 
 114 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 on the point of slaying David, in the first con- 
 flict. 
 
 (David utters a Song of Thanksgiving, when 
 God had thus delivered him from aU his enemies^ 
 — and speaks his " last words)." 
 1017. David determines to number the people, — when the 
 Census is almost done, God, through Gad, ex- 
 presses his anger, and offers David the choice of 
 three evils, — the result of the king's choice is a 
 fearful Pestilence of Three Days, which, after 
 smiting 70,000, is stayed, at Araunah's threshing- 
 floor. — David goes up thither, — buys the floor, 
 oxen, and implements, — and offers sacrifices, — 
 God accepts them, and the plague is finally stayed. 
 
 {This is the limit of David's reign as related in II. Sam.) 
 
 THE FOLLOWING IS A VERY BRIEF SKETCH OF THE 
 EVENTS OF DAVID'S LIFE, AFTER THE NUM- 
 BERING OF THE PEOPLE, UNTIL HIS DEATH. 
 
 From I. Kings: — 
 
 1015. David takes Abishag as a personal attendant. — ■ 
 Adonijah, supported by Joab and Abiathar, 
 causes himself to be proclaimed King, — Nathan 
 informs Bath-sheba, who tells David, — the king 
 orders Nathan, Zadok, and Benaiah, to proclaim, 
 and anoint, Solomon, — Adonijah takes asylum at 
 the Altar, — his life is spared. 
 On the approach of death, David charges Solo- 
 mon to 
 
 1. "Walk in the commands of the Law. 
 
 2. Avenge him on Joab, and Shimei ; but to 
 
 shew kindness to Barzillai's sons. 
 David dies. 
 
 From I. Chronicles: — 
 
 In prospect of death, David summons the National As- 
 sembly, — tells them how he had desired to build a Temple, 
 and why he had not done so, — assures them that God has 
 chosen Judah, his (David's) house, and himself, as the 
 tribe, family, and individual, in whom the kingly ofiice 
 should be vested, — that Jehovah had fixed upon Solomon 
 to succeed him, had promised to establish his throne, and 
 had appointed him to build the House.
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 115 
 
 He urges upon the "Elders," the keeping of God's 
 commandments, as the only condition on which they can 
 hope to continue in possession of the Land. 
 
 Turning next to Solomon, he earnestly begs him to 
 
 1. Serve God faithfully. 
 
 2. Build the Temple. 
 
 He tells him that he has, Divinely directed, pre- 
 pai"ed a plan of the future Temple, set aside abundant 
 materials towards its erection, and drawn up an arrange- 
 ment of its worship, — and hands to him a written schedule 
 of aU these matters. 
 
 Again addressing the Congregation, he reminds them 
 that Solomon is very young, and the work arduous. 
 — He urges, then, that it will be necessary to aiford the 
 young prince sympathetic aid, especially in the matter of 
 seeing that he shall not be distressed for want of means. 
 — He announces how largely he himself has contributed 
 towards the undertaking, — and asks them what they will 
 give. — They respond most generously. 
 David then blesses God, in that noble ode, " Thine, 
 Lord! is the greatness" kc, — and calls upon the Con- 
 gi-egation also to bless Jehovah, which they do, bowing 
 and worshipping. 
 
 The next day, the Congregation offer 1000 bullocks, 
 1000 rams, and 1000 lambs, for burnt-offerings, accom- 
 panied by drink-offerings, — and a grand Sacriticial Feast 
 follows. 
 
 The narrative adds that Solomon was anointed King, 
 and Zadok priest, — and ends, as far as David's life is con- 
 cerned, in the declaration that he died at "a good old age." 
 
 CHABACTEE. — Of much personal strength, vigor, and 
 activity ; capable of undergoing great hardships. 
 
 As a warrior. — Brave, skilful, energetic, magnanimous. 
 
 As a ruler, — Wise, far-seeing, and essentially patriotic, 
 Constitutional and just in the early part of his reign, 
 the latter portion of it was, unfortunately, marked by 
 despotism, growing chiefly out of the large standing army 
 which he kept. 
 
 In religion. — Cherished firm faith in God, attributing 
 all blessings and deliverances to Him alone, — zealous in 
 support of the national worship, — and devoutly pious in 
 his own feelings and general conduct, — above all, implicitly
 
 116 NOTES ON IT. SAMUEL. 
 
 obeying Jehovah, (in tMs respect forming a perfect con- 
 trast to Saul). 
 
 In private life. — As a rule, a fond and devoted parent, — 
 a faithful friend, — temperate in habits, — warm-hearted, 
 and impulsive, (traits leading him into much trouble), — 
 generous, — and clement, {e.g. in his sparing Saul). 
 
 The great blots on his fame are — 
 
 1. Jl is proposed assassination of Nahal. 
 
 2. His ingratitude to Joah and Abiskai, — shewn ia 
 
 his readiness to dispossess Joab of the chief com- 
 mand, (which he had fairly won on David's own 
 terms), in favor of the rebels, Abner, and Amasa. 
 
 3. Sis Adultery, and the murder of Uriah. 
 
 4. His numbering the people, without consulting God, 
 
 and with a view to foreign conquests, (a thing 
 utterly opposed to Jehovah's will). 
 
 5. His injunctions to Solomon to find some excuse for 
 
 slaying Shimei and Joah, (both of whom he had 
 personally forgiven). 
 
 It will be seen that these errors, and crimes, sprang, 
 mainly, from his natural impulsiveness, — and the spirit of 
 the age in which he lived, (when monarchs considered it no 
 Bin to approjjriate any woman they fancied, and regarded 
 human life as of no account, when standing in their way). 
 
 David's character seems to have sadly deteriorated in 
 the latter part of his reign. As early as the period of his 
 Adultery, a slothful supiueuess seems to have stolen over 
 him, for, instead of leading his army himself, a,gainst 
 Rabbah, he remained at Jerusalem. 
 
 The numerous harem he kept must have tended to this 
 lowering of moral, and physical, tone. 
 
 After his double crime, he seems to have been haunted 
 by a remorse that paralyzed him, body and mind : he 
 ceased to attend in the gate to administer justice, and 
 shewed himself foolishly weak in connection with Ab- 
 salom's rebellion. 
 
 At the same time, the despotic power he had established, 
 united to the preceding causes, rendered him capricious, 
 so that he was frequently guilty of injustice, and cruelty. 
 
 This change in his character, and his tyranny, had so 
 alienated his subjects' afiections, that his own tribe joined
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 117 
 
 in Absalom's Eebellion, and such an insignificant personage 
 as Sheba was able to rouse Israel against him. 
 
 After the crushing of these revolts, however, a great 
 portion of the enthusiasm felt for him, at the commence- 
 ment of his reign, returned, while, having learned a bitter 
 lesson, he seems to have henceforth returned, in a con- 
 siderable degree, to his old, and better, self. 
 
 In spite of all drawbacks, however, David's reign was 
 really beneficial to the country : — 
 
 " He had succeeded to a kingdom distracted with civil 
 dissension, environed on every side, or occupied by, 
 powerful and victorious enemies, without a capital, almost 
 without an army, without any bond of union between the 
 tribes. He left a compact and united state, stretching 
 from the frontier of Egypt, to the foot of Lebanon, from 
 the Euphrates, to the sea. He had crushed the power of 
 the Philistines ; subdued, or curbed, all the adjacent king- 
 doms; he had formed a lasting, and important, alliance 
 with the great city of Tyre. He had organized an immense 
 disposable force," . . . . " at the head of which were 
 officers of consummate experience, and, what was more 
 highly esteemed, in the warfare of the time, of extra- 
 ordinary personal activity, strength, and valour." 
 
 "He had also given especial attention to the management 
 of public worship, as the most efficacious means of pro- 
 moting religion and morality, and, consequently, obedience 
 to the Invisible, Supreme, Monarch." 
 
 Hls reign is " the great critical era in the history of the 
 Hebrews. It decided that they would have, for nearly 
 five centuries, a national monarchy, a fixed line of priest- 
 hood, and a solemn religious worship, by music, and 
 psalms of exquisite beauty; it finally separated Israel 
 from the surrounding heathen, ana gave room for pro- 
 ducing those noble monuments of Sacred Writ, to the in- 
 fluence of which over the whole world no end can be seen." 
 
 The real work of establishing Israel, as lord over the 
 whole soil of Canaan, was left for David, though initiated, 
 and partially accomplished, by Joshua. 
 
 The declaration, on Jehovah's part, that David was " a 
 man after his own heart" (which has been a favourite 
 weapon of infidelity), does not mean what enemies repre- 
 sent it as doing : it is no justification of his crimes, for 
 these we find God severely denouncing, and punishing.
 
 118 NOTES ON IT. SAMUEL. 
 
 The expression is intended to apply to the earnest zeal 
 he almost always displayed to learn, and execute, God's 
 will, in the acts of his administration, — to his efforts on 
 behalf of religion, — and to his not following "strange 
 gods," (this devout obedience being the very antipodes of 
 Saul's conduct). 
 
 At the same time, too, we must remember, (as has been 
 before intimated), that his vices were the fault of the age, 
 rather than the man, — that, in comparison with other 
 Western monarchs, his faults were light, — that his ruling 
 anxiety, and aim, were to do right, — and that, though he 
 sinned, his repentance was always bitter. No one who 
 has read the Psalms he wrote can doubt his deep, ardent, 
 and habitual, piety. 
 
 David was a notable Type of Christ, in — 
 
 1. His descent from the same tribe, and family. 
 
 2. His being anointed king over Israel, (as Christ is 
 
 the Messiah of his Israel, the Church). 
 
 4. His sufferings, and trials, at the hands of his 
 
 enemies. 
 
 5. His betrayal by Absalom and Ahithophel, (fore- 
 
 shadowing Christ's, by Judas). 
 ' 6. His final triumph over all his foes. 
 7. His extensive kingdom. 
 
 David's Writings. — It is a matter of keen debate, how 
 many of the Psalms were written by David. 
 
 It is not within our scope to discuss the question. Those 
 composed by him, in connection with the events in II. Sam., 
 are noticed in their proper places. This is all that is 
 needed for the student, besides the knowledge of the fact 
 that, out of the 150 Psalms, the Hebrew Text attributes to 
 David 73 ; a7id the Septuagint 84. 
 
 There were, doubtless, besides the Psalms of David 
 which we possess, large numbers of poetical compositions 
 penned by him, but not extant : of this we have evidence 
 in the fact that II. Sam. contains three rhythmical pieces, 
 — David's Lament over Saul and Jonathan ; part of his 
 Lament over Abner; and his "Last Words." 
 
 David's writings are usually sweet, elegant, and musical, 
 with a plaintive undertone pervading them, (as we might 
 expect from the color of his Ufe) ; but at times they rise 
 to the most gigantic, and magnificent, sublimity, or rush 
 on in a torrent of scathing invective, and denunciation.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 119 
 
 They embody every possible phase of the Christian pilgrim- 
 age, from the summit of the "Delectable Mountains," down 
 to the " VaUey of the Shadow of Death." 
 
 EPITOME OF DAVID'S VICTORIES, 
 
 AND CONQUESTS. 
 B.C. 
 
 ? Joab defeats Abner, at Gibeon, — Asahel slain. 
 1043. Philistines twice defeated in Valley of Eephaim. 
 1040. The Philistines defeated, and reduced to vassalage ; 
 
 — " Gath, and her towns," taken from them. 
 
 Moab defeated, and made tributary. 
 
 Hadadezer, of Zobah, defeated. 
 
 Damascus defeated, made tributary, and garrisoned 
 
 by the Hebrews. 
 1037. The Syro-Ammonite League defeated. 
 1036. The Syrian League, under Shobach, defeated, at 
 
 Helam, Shobach being slain ; the states dependent 
 
 on Zobah submit, and are made tributary. 
 ? Edomites defeated in the Valley of Salt, — their 
 
 country overrun, subjected, and garrisoned with 
 
 Hebrews. 
 1035. Eabbah besieged. 
 
 1033. Eabbah taken, (ending the Ammonite war), — Am- 
 monites made vassals to David. 
 1023. Absalom defeated, and slain, in Wood of Ephraim. 
 1022. Sheba's Eevolt crushed, by his death, at Abel. 
 lOlS. Last of David's Philistine Wars, — four campaigns, 
 
 in each of which a giant is slain, and the Hebrews 
 
 are victorious. 
 
 DAVID'S INSTITUTIONS,— RELIGIOUS, 
 CIVIL, MILITARY : AND HIS PERSONAL, 
 AND HOUSEHOLD, ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 1. RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 The account of these is taken from I. Chronicles, unless 
 the contrary is stated. There is reason to believe that the 
 'inajoriti) of them, were not organized till a period rather 
 jurther on than that at which IL Samuel ends ; but questions
 
 120 NOTES ON" IT. SAMUEL. 
 
 are frequently ashed on these points, when the latter Booh is 
 prescribed as a subject of examination : they are therefore 
 given here, (most carefully compiled from the original, in 
 the light of the best authorities), and the student is earnestly 
 advised to be on the safe side, by thororoghly mastering what 
 follows. The only matters he can omit are the lists of the 
 Courses of Priests and Levites. 
 
 David found the religious condition of the people at a 
 low ebb, to which it had long been sinking, from the death 
 of Joshua. Under the Judges, every man did what seemed 
 right in hia own eyes, — most of the Judges were impious, 
 and some of them scandalously vicious, — and the very 
 priesthood grew corrupt, (e.g. Eli's sons). Saul, instead 
 of upholding the national religion, slaughtered, and other- 
 wise ill-used, the priests, until wearing an ephod was 
 regarded as almost a crime ; while his own impious ex- 
 ample was most detrimental to his subjects' character. 
 
 The supremacy of the Philistines, too, was extremely 
 destructive of the national worship. 
 
 Finally, the original Tabernacle, with the Altar of 
 Burnt-Offering, was at Gibeon, while the Ark was at 
 Kirjath-jearim, so that there was no rallying-point for 
 sacrifice and worship. The priests and Levites, no longer 
 called upon to perform their proper duties, or receiving 
 their due support, ceased to regard themselves as a separate 
 class, and engaged in civil and military affairs, like those 
 of other tribes. 
 
 As soon as David's rule over the whole country was 
 assured, he took steps to restore the worship of Jehovah. 
 Determining to make Jerusalem the religious, as well as 
 political, centre of the Tribes, he first of all fetched up the 
 Ark from Kirjath-jearim, and placed it in the tent which 
 he had prepared as its temporary abode, until he should 
 have raised for it the temple he contemplated building. 
 This act established the Priests in direct service before 
 the Ark. Having been forbidden himself to construct 
 God's House, he set to work, with a noble and generous 
 self-abnegation, and pious zeal, to do all he could towards 
 preparing ample material, for the task to be accomplished 
 by Solomon, — and towards organizing, and ordering, the 
 worship and service of the as yet unbuilt temple. 
 
 The "Religious Institutions" of David include
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 121 
 
 the Priests, the Levites, (with the Nethinim), and the Pre- 
 parations made /or building the Temple, 
 
 I. The Priests. 
 
 1. THE HIGH-PRIEST:— 
 
 During David's reign there were two high-priests, (Ahia- 
 thar, son of Ahimelech ; and Zadok, son of Ahitub), — a 
 phenomenon thus explained : — 
 
 Aaron's two elder sons, Nadab and Abihu, being 
 slain by Jehovah, the High-priesthood fell to the 
 family of Eleazar, Aaron's third son. It con- 
 tinued in that line, until Eli's time, when, for no 
 recorded cause, the office was taken from the 
 family of Eleazar, and transferred to that of 
 Ithamar, Aaron's youngest son, — Eli being the 
 first high-priest of the new line. 
 When Jehovah denounced the misconduct of Eli's sons, 
 He declared that He would dej^rive the family of tlie 
 High-priesthood, adding, — 
 
 " And I will i-aise me up a faithful priest, that shall do 
 according to that which is in mine heart, and in my mind : 
 and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before 
 mine anointed for ever." 
 
 The office, however, continued in the line of Ithamar, 
 until the reign of Saul, when Ahimelech, of that family, 
 being Chief Pontiff, was slain with all his house, save 
 Abiathar, his son. Saul then gave the office to Zadok, son 
 of Ahitub, of the family of Eleazar: thus God's message 
 was almost fulfilled, — the office being partially restored to 
 the right line, and Zadok continuing all his life to prove 
 himself " a faithful priest." 
 
 Meanwhile, Abiathar having fled, with the Ephod, to 
 David, the latter received him, and, at his succession to 
 the throne of Judah, made him High-Priest over tliat 
 kingdom. Meaawhde, Zadok performed the duties of hia 
 office in Israel. 
 
 On becoming sole king, David, knowing that prophecy 
 was fulfilled in Zadok, and that he was a good and true 
 man, did not interfere, —but allowed him, and Abiathar, to 
 occupy the post together. There is no record of how they 
 shared the duties of the office : but we find both remaining 
 faithful to David, until Abiathai-'s joining Adonijah'a 
 conspiracy, at the close of David's reign.
 
 122 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 He escaped punishment then; but, being concerned 
 with Adonijah, in the scheme to procure Abishag for the 
 latter, Solomon degraded bim from bis office, and banished 
 bim, for life, to his house at Anatbotb. Zadok then became 
 sole Pontiff, — and bis descendants continued to occupy the 
 Higb-priestbood, and advise the monarcbs of Judah, until 
 the Captivity. Thus was Jehovah's prediction completely 
 fulfilled, — for " a faithful priest" (not of the line of Eli, 
 and Ithamar), xoore the tiara, — his '■'■house" was a "sure" 
 one, — and he and his family " walked before" the Kings of 
 Judah, (God's '■'anointed" ), '''for ever" (i.e. as long as 
 the kingdom of Judah endured). 
 
 (Both in II. Sam., and I. Cbron., instead of " Abiatbar, 
 the son of Ahimelech," we read, "■ Ahimelech, the son of 
 Abiathar." Also, in Mark, we find Christ representing 
 ^' Abiathar" as "the High-Priest," who gave David the 
 shew-bread ; whereas be is called " Ahimelech" in the 
 account of the occurrence given in I. Sam.) 
 
 Now, the New Test, words are fairly explainable, by 
 understanding them as meaning "Abiathar, who after- 
 wards became High-Priest," — for the event did happen in 
 Abiathar's days, though he was not High-Priest at the time. 
 
 But this does not explain the Old Test, readings. We 
 can, however, bring them into accord with that in Mark, 
 by simply supposing, (as was, and is, not rare, in the E.), 
 that both the High-Priest, usually called "Ahimelech" and 
 bis son, usually called "Abiathar," bad each two names, 
 being called, indifferently, either Ahimelech, or Abiathar. 
 
 This seems the correct solution; if it be not so, we must 
 conclude that the Old Test, scribes have made a most 
 clumsy and careless error, in transcription. 
 
 2. THE OKDINARY PRIESTS:— 
 
 David assembled these, before bis death, and divided 
 them into 
 
 Twenty-four Courses, — each to officiate, in turn, one 
 week at a time, the course being changed every Sabbath. 
 As there were more families of Eleazar's bouse, than of 
 Ithamar's, (owing to Saul's massacre, at Nob), tbe former 
 contributed sixteen Courses, the latter only eight. 
 
 Twenty-four Heads of Families were appointed 
 to preside over the Courses. 
 
 I. Cbron. calls these " governors of the sanctuari/, and
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 123 
 
 governors of the house of God." Ezra terms them "princes" 
 or, " chiefs of the priests." 
 
 (They, with the then high-priest, and those wlio had 
 served as such, constitute the " chief pj'iests " of the New 
 Test.) 
 
 Of these heads, one of the sixteen, and one of the eight, 
 was reckoned chief over the other fifteen, and seven, re- 
 spectively. 
 
 The heads of the Courses were chosen, and the order 
 of service fixed, hy lot, in the presence of David, Zadok, 
 Abiathar, the Princes of the Tribes, and the "chief of tlie 
 fathers of the priests and Levites," — the result being re- 
 corded by Shemaiah, " the scribe, one of the Levites." 
 
 The following is the list of the Courses, each 
 being called by the name of its head : — 
 
 1. The Course of Jehoiarib. 
 
 13. 
 
 The Course of Huppah. 
 
 2. „ 
 
 „ Jedaiah. 
 
 14. 
 
 if 
 
 , Jeshebeah. 
 
 3. » 
 
 , Harim. 
 
 15. 
 
 i> 1 
 
 Bilgah. 
 
 4. „ 
 
 , Seorim. 
 
 16. 
 
 99 
 
 , Immer. 
 
 5. „ 
 
 , Malchijah. 
 
 17. 
 
 >> 
 
 , Hezir. 
 
 6. „ 
 
 „ Mijamin. 
 
 18. 
 
 
 ,, Aphses. 
 
 7. „ 
 
 , Hakkoz. 
 
 19. 
 
 . 
 
 , Pethahiah. 
 
 8. „ 
 
 , Abijah. 
 
 20. 
 
 ,- 
 
 , Jehezekel. 
 
 9. „ 
 
 „ Jeshuah. 
 
 21. 
 
 
 , , Jachin. 
 
 10. „ 
 
 , Shecaniah, 
 
 22. 
 
 
 , Gamul. 
 
 11. „ 
 
 , Eliashib. 
 
 23. 
 
 jj 
 
 , Delaiah. 
 
 12. „ 
 
 „ Jakim. 
 
 24. 
 
 ,, 
 
 „ Maaziah. 
 
 The reasons for David's dividing the priests, (and Le- 
 vites), seem to have been, that 
 
 1. The number of the tribe was so large, that they 
 
 could not possibly all minister together. 
 
 2. The duties of the Temple would prove more various 
 
 than those of the Tabernacle had been, and, there- 
 fore, it was necessary to appoint a distinct class 
 for each office. 
 
 3. The work of the Temple would be far heavier than 
 
 in the Tabernacle days, and would, consequently, 
 be more exhausting. By dividing into Courses, 
 — only one of which served at a time, — over- 
 work, with its consequent fatigue, was avoided. 
 {Only four of the courses returned from the Captivity ; but 
 
 these were anew divided into twenty-four, which assumed 
 
 the same names, as David's Courses.
 
 124 KOTES Oy IT. SAMUEL, 
 
 Thus, the eighth course, of which Abijah was head, diol 
 not return from the captivity ; yet we read that Zacharias, 
 father of John the Baptist, was "of the course of Abia." 
 
 After the return, the number of Priests increased so 
 greatly, that it was found impossible for the whole of a 
 course to minister at once : consequently, each of the twenty- 
 four was divided into six sub-courses, or families, — one of 
 which ministered a day at a time, on each of the first six 
 days of the week of their attendance, while all united on 
 the seventh day in ofi"ering the sacrifices. 
 
 Each member of every sub-course had his own special 
 duty, fixed by lot: thus we find it was the turn of 
 Zacharias to burn incense). 
 
 I. Chron. states, that some of the sons of the priests made 
 "Me ointment of the spices," {i.e. the Holy Anointing-Oil). 
 
 Towards the priestly order, David ever shewed the 
 warmest aifection. This arose from his piety, — from the 
 succour formerly given him by Ahimelech, and the con- 
 sequent terrible penalty which he inadvertently brought 
 on the priests at Nob, — and from the fidelity of Abiathar, 
 Zadok, and the tribe of Levi, generally, to his cause. 
 
 II. The Levites. 
 
 It had been customary for the Levites to commence their 
 duties at thirty years of age : David, however, altered this 
 regulation, and made them eligible for their office from 
 twenty years old, and upwards. 
 
 He found that there were 38,000 of the tribe, whose age 
 fulfilled the required conditions. 
 
 These he divided into four classes, the first having the 
 same duties that had ever been the Levites' lot, and the 
 other three being set aside for special services which the 
 Temple would demand. 
 
 Three of the four classes were re-divided, by David, into 
 courses. 
 
 The four classes of the Levites were — 
 
 1. THE GENERAL ASSISTANTS,— 24,000 in number,— 
 divided into twenty-four Courses, each with a head, — offi- 
 ciating in turns, probably a week at a time. 
 
 Their general duties were the same as those originally 
 ascribed to the whole body of Levites, under Moses, viz.,
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 125 
 
 (as I. Chron. states), " to wait on the sons of Aaron in the 
 work of the House of God." 
 
 There is great difficult)] in arriving at a conclusion as to 
 who were the Heads of the Courses of these '■^General Assist- 
 ants" : consequently the names of the Courses, and their 
 cliiefs, are not here given, and must remain an open 
 question. 
 
 2. THE OPFICEES AND JUDGES —6000 in number,— 
 710 division into Courses given: most likely, they were iwt 
 divided, since their functions probably necessitated their 
 remaining stationary, and their duties were not sufficiently 
 arduous to require periodical reliefs. 
 
 Three classes of them, however, are given, according 
 to the part of the country over which they exercised their 
 duties: — 
 
 1. " Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business 
 over Israel." 
 
 2. " Hashabiah and Ms brethren," (1,700 in number) 
 were '■'■Officer^' W. of Jordan, "in all business of tke 
 Lord, and in the service of the King." 
 
 3. " Jerijah and his brethren," (2,700 in number), were 
 "rulers" E. of Jordan, for every matter pertaining to 
 God, and affairs of the King." 
 
 (The number of Chenaniah's sons is not stated, otherwise 
 we might calculate the relative proportions of the Officers, 
 and of the Judges, unless it were a number making up, 
 with the 1700 and 2700, 6000,— for then both kinds of 
 officials would fall under the one reckoning). 
 
 The Duty of the Officers was, probably, the admin- 
 istration of the written, (as opposed to the oral), Law. 
 
 The Judges seem to have been inferior magistrates, per- 
 forming, in a lower degree, the same functions as the 
 Officers. 
 
 Some, however, (and that with a considerable shew of 
 reason), make the Judges superior to the Officers, and repre- 
 sent the latter as merely scribes, clerks, or assessors, to the 
 former. 
 
 Eeturning now to the three classes, it is clear that 
 Hashabiah, and his brethren, executed judicial fimctions 
 on the W., and Jerijah on the E., of Jordan. 
 
 "What then, were the duties of Chenaniah and his sons" 1 
 Probably, they acted as Justices of Appeal, and held their
 
 126 FOTES ny 11. SAYUE'^. 
 
 Court at JerumJieni, and in aU the chk ' 
 
 — a settled namber being stationed in e ^.-^ 
 
 they all bad tiieir head-qnarters at Jrr : I -l: 
 
 on circnit, in ri^rtairi dividons, at intr:- . i. :: :::_L : r 
 
 provinces. 
 
 3. THE POETIE?, — 4000 in roond nnn'orr^.— .' : ' 
 
 into tweKt^foyar C<mr»e*, each serving a w-i ^ _ 
 
 rotation, — their order, quarter of service, ai. ^ ^ :.: . r ; . . _ j 
 fixed by lot. 
 
 There were foirr c^r.ltf Pcn-TiTS, ever tie t-eatr- 
 fonr Courses, viz. — 
 
 1. Mestelemiah. a Kiriiirr, ;::■•• :".; 7; ::■; -.'-a E. 
 
 3. 0:.ei-=dcri., h. K : ri::e, „ . ,, ^. 
 
 4. Hosah, a Mera:-l:e. ,, „ .. TT, 
 Th-r = T ',' 'T::,r :: L^ve reTnained r:: servire :;,"~;~5. -:'I_":~:: 
 
 J"/-,;-- -■;.••'■ -■;.f -7/7" }'fi-'l'V ^T r ■■-■: ■,".■;■-■ ;' " 
 
 7>r:^V-, -•/■;■ -;•' ; r'-":--? ' -■•'■,: - 
 
 thear names are given m I. i._r:-. ; :u: :: :.- :i:: i.i:^>.=.::c/ 
 thatthev should be le3,rr.T i 
 
 Twenty-four For :r wy"--: ^; - -.;'.-•-.? ao-'^'. — 
 gix on theE.; iawo/nt 1'. : : \ . .:: : -^ IT. 
 
 opai,andsau:. :i-r J : = :: ^tL .r: •: /^tT 'z-'~\.\'; 
 
 in its predncts ; t: :: : : ; t-" :: > : .7 .1 ! .. 
 
 or oflierwi^ ineligibte persc^j ; ar . : ;: l . - 
 
 Certain of the General Ai^U-ar.'s. cn\d cr :\-: 
 Porters, are rfLentioned as having 5;" t :;':;' /'.'. '::■:- 
 tions, tints: — 
 
 thit were made in the pems^ {IaH:-': :!..;_>■ ;.ikes.; 
 Oiker KoraAitesprqiarediiie ahe::-':\ ^ r : --. 
 AhyiMh, and Shdmd^ bad duef : ; : ^ •■;-:.- 
 
 of the HouK of God ; and the tFtar...:--:.? oj • i,ic acJvMiiea 
 iJkinga.*^
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 127 
 
 Under Ahijah and Shebuel were 
 
 Zetham, arid Joel his brother, "over the treasures of the 
 House of the Lord." 
 
 Sheiomith, Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, and Zichri, She- 
 buel's brethren, " over the treasures of the ' dedicated 
 things.'" 
 
 Of the Portero 
 
 Some had charge of the ministering vessels, to bring them 
 in, and out. 
 
 Others had the charge of these, and other instruments, of the 
 Sanctuary, when not in use, but stored up in the magazines. 
 
 Others, again, had the keeping of the magazines of '■''fine 
 flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices." 
 
 4. THE MUSICIAN'S, (Vocal and Instrumental), 4,000 in 
 number, — divided into twenty-four Courses, serving in 
 rotation. 
 
 The whole musical arrangements luere under 
 the direction of three "fathers of the Levites," 
 as follows : — 
 
 (1.) Heman, a Kohathite, who conducted those who 
 performed on the "horn," (i.e., probably, wind instruments 
 generally), and had, doubtless, partial direction of the 
 singing. 
 
 (2.) Asaph, a Gershonite, who conducted those who were 
 to "prophecy," (used here in its literal sense of speaking 
 forth), " to the order of the king," {i.e., probably, to perform 
 whatever Psalms David might entrust to them). 
 
 He appears to have been at the head of the vocal depart- 
 ment, as well as to have led those who performed on the 
 cymbals, and other instruments, — and, with his band, stood 
 on Hevian's right hand. 
 
 (3.) Ethan, (or Jeduthun), a Merarite, who conducted 
 those that " prophesied " on the harp, {i.e., probably, stringed 
 instruments generally), — and, doubtless, partly directed the 
 singing. He, with his band, stood on Heman's left hand. 
 
 The sons of Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, with 
 their children, formed a select body of highly- 
 trained TYiusicians, to the number of 288, who, 
 with the three heads of song, seem to have been always ou 
 duty, and to have lived within the Temple precincts.
 
 128 
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 These 288 were divided into twenty-four minor Courses, 
 (of twelve each), one of which seems to have been inchided 
 in, and to have led, each of the larger courses into which 
 the 4,000 were divided. 
 
 At the head of the twenty-four minor Courses 
 
 were fourteen sons of Heman, four of Asaph, 
 
 and six of Ethan, whose order was fixed, by lot, as 
 
 follows : — 
 
 13. The Course of Shubael,(or 
 Shebuel). 
 
 1. The Course of Joseph. 
 
 4- ,f 99 
 
 5. 
 6. 
 7. 
 
 8. 
 
 9. 
 10. 
 11. 
 
 12. 
 
 9> 
 
 Gedahah. 
 
 „ Zaccur. 1 4. 
 
 „ Izri, (or 15. 
 
 Zeri). _ 16. 
 
 „ Nethaniah. 17. 
 
 „ Eukkiah. 
 
 „ Jesharelah, 18. 
 
 (or Asarelah). 19. 
 
 „ Jeshaiah. 20. 
 
 „ Mattaniah, 21. 
 
 Shimei. 22. 
 
 „ Azareel, (or 23. 
 
 Uzziel). 24. 
 „ Hashabiah. 
 
 1, 3, 5, and 7, were under, and named after, the four 
 sons of Asaph. 
 
 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, and 14, were under, and named after, the 
 six sons of Jeduthun. 
 
 The other fourteen were under, and named after, the 
 fourteen sons of Heman. 
 
 There is every reason to believe that these twenty-four 
 were heads of the larger courses, as well as of the minor 
 ones. 
 
 
 »» 
 it 
 
 » 
 » 
 
 Mattithiah. 
 Jerimoth. 
 Hananiah. 
 Joshbekash- 
 
 ah. 
 Hanani. 
 Mallothi. 
 Eliathah. 
 Hothir. 
 Giddalti. 
 Mahazioth. 
 Romamti- 
 
 ezer. 
 
 III. David's Preparations for building the Temple. 
 
 1. He drew the plan of the House, and organized 
 
 its worship, and service, — being inspired by Jehovah 
 in both these tasks, (just as Moses was Divinely instructed 
 with regard to the Tabernacle). 
 
 2. Having calculated the gross amounts of various 
 materials required, he proceeded to provide them, 
 from the following sources : —
 
 ^^OTES ON II. SAMUEL. 129 ■ 
 
 (1.) Tyre and Zidon,— (7ec?ar-%'ooo?. 
 
 (2.) Various Parts of Palestine,— T^i'mSer; Marble, ajidi 
 other hewn stones, " in abundance." 
 
 (3,) The « Dedicated TMngs,"— <yo^c?, 100,000 talents ; 
 Silver, 1,000,000 talents ; Iron, and Brass (native 
 copper), "without weight:" Precious Stones, 
 ("onyx," &c.). 
 
 (4,) His own private Eesources,— G^o?c? "of Ophir," 
 3,000 talents; Silver (refined), 7,000 taleots. 
 
 (6.) The Freewilling Offerings of Princes of the Tribes, 
 and the other Heads of " The Congregation," — 
 Gold, 5,000 talents, and 10,000 "drams," (probably 
 the Persian " daric," with which the captivity 
 made the Jews famUiar, so that they employed 
 it as a standard of value, after their return. The 
 golden " daric" = 25s. English) ; Silver, 10,000 
 talents ; Brass (native copper), 18,000 talents ; 
 Iron, 100,000 talents ; Precious Stones of various 
 kinds. 
 
 3. He calculated the amoxuit of materials needed 
 for each purpose where metal was to be employed, and 
 set the respective weights aside. 
 
 4. He assembled, for the work, the most skilful 
 artizans, (stone-masons, carpenters, wood-carvers, lapid- 
 aries, &c.). 
 
 All this labour David performed cheerfully, and heartily, 
 — being guided by a desire to do aU he possibly could, 
 (short of buildiug the Temple), towards his cherished 
 design; and by the fact that Solomon was "young and 
 tender." 
 
 The gold and silver contributed from the preceding 
 sources would, (taking the Hebrew " talent " as the one 
 meant, and regarding it as equal to about 125 lbs. Troy), 
 come to the enormous total of 140,625,000 lbs. troy ! while 
 the value, (taking the gold = £4, and the silver = 5s. per 
 oz.), would be about £1,029,375,000 sterUng ! ! ! Adding 
 to this the value of the copper, iron, gems, timber, and 
 hewn stone, we reach a sum that is simply fabulous, — 
 sufficient, (Prideaux says), to have constructed the Temple 
 of solid silver
 
 130 NOTES OJ II. SAMUEL. 
 
 There must be a great error somewhere. The different 
 ^vays out of the difficulty, offered by authorities, are 
 these : — 
 
 (1). To take the reading of Josephus, — viz., 
 10,000 talents of gold, and 100,000 talents of silver, as to 
 the quantity of those metals appropriated from the " de- 
 dicated things," (accepting the other figures as they stand). 
 This, computed in English money, however, gives a total 
 of 97^ millions sterling,— ;/*«?' too high a figure still / 
 
 (2). To take the Arabic Version, which gives 
 1000 talents of gold, and 1000 talents of silver, in place 
 of 100,000, and 1,000,000 talents, respectively. This, 
 (leaving the other figures as in our text), however, gives a 
 total of £60,752,490, sterling, — still too high ! 
 
 (3). To regard the "talent" as the Babylonish 
 standard of that name, which was only a little more 
 than one-half the Jewish. Then, taking the number of 
 talents in our text, in Josephus, and in the Arabic Version, 
 respectively, we obtain these values : — 
 
 Our text,— £600,468,750. 
 
 Josephus,— £88,593,750. 
 
 Arabic text,— £35,437,500. 
 All these seem still too high ! 
 
 (4). To look upon the "talent" as the Syriac 
 standard of that name, which was only one-fifth of 
 the Babylonish. Then, taking the number of talents in the 
 three different authorities, we arrive at these amounts : — 
 
 Our text,— £120,093,750, 
 
 Josephus,— £17,718,750. 
 
 Arabic text,— £7,087,500. 
 
 Neither of the last two estimates is impossible; but, when 
 we consider what a large amount has still to be added as 
 the value of the other materials, the sum derived from 
 following Josephus is improbable, and we are limited to the 
 conclusion that there is an error in transcription in the 
 Hebrew text, — that 1000 Syriac talents of gold, and the 
 same of silver, were given by David out of the " things de- 
 voted," and that the total value of the precious metals, eo7i- 
 tributed from all sources, was £7,087,500, sterling !
 
 ' NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 131 
 
 Prophets during David's reign. 
 
 (These did not of course form part of the "Religious In- 
 stitutions " of the reign ; but this seems the most suitable 
 place in ■which to notice them). 
 
 (1.) Gad. — probably a pupil of Samuel, — joined David 
 at the Cave of AduUani, — employed by Jehovah to offer 
 the king one of three alternative punishments, for 
 numbering the people, and to order him to sacrifice at 
 Araunah's threshing-floor, — died, probably, about 1017. 
 
 As was noted, in the Introduction of this book. Gad 
 seems to have composed a narrative of David's reign, — 
 " Now the acts of David . , . are written in , . . 
 the book oj Gad, the Seer." 
 
 We find, too, (in II. Chron. xxix. 25), that, when Heze- 
 kiah reformed, and restored, the Temple worship, he set 
 the Levites over the musical department, " according to 
 the commandment of David, and of Gad, the king's seer, 
 and Nathan, the prophet:" whence it seems evident that 
 Gad, and Nathan, aided David in organizing the national 
 worship. 
 
 (2.) Nathan, — first mentioned as approving, and then, 
 (after a Divine revelation), as forbidding, the King's in- 
 tention to build Jehovah a house, — denounced David, in 
 re Bath-sheba and Uriah, — commissioned, by Jehovah, to 
 call Solomon, ^'Jedidiah," — greatly aided in thwarting 
 Adonijah's scheme of seizing the throne, — supposed to 
 have superintended the training of Solomon, — and to have 
 died early in that king's reign. 
 
 Nathan's son, Zabad, was Solomon's *' principal officer^ 
 and " friend: " and another of the prophet's sons, Azariah, 
 was, in the same reign, " over the officers." 
 
 Nathan is mentioned, in connection with Gad, (in the 
 two passages already quoted), as writing a book containing 
 the acts of David, and as having, with that monarch, and 
 Gad, ordered the Temple worship. 
 
 Nathan was of the same house, in Judah, as David, and, 
 indeed, belonged to an older branch' of the family, for 
 while David was descended from Ram, second son of 
 Hezron, Nathan sprang from Jerhameel, Hezron's eldest 
 son. The steps of the prophet's pedigree, are as foUows :—
 
 132 
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 JuDAH, — Pharez, — Hezron, — Jerhameel, — Onam, — 
 Nadab, — Appaim, — Ishi, — Sheshan, — Slieshan's daughter, 
 he having no sons, (m. Jarha, au Egyptian), — Attai, — 
 Nathan. 
 
 One of David's sons was named ''Nathan" probably 
 in honour of the prophet. 
 
 (3.) Zadok — Though David styles him " a seer,^' (when 
 he orders him, and Abiathar, back into the city, with the 
 Ark), no instance of his acting as a prophet is recorded. 
 
 CIVIL INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 I. David's Cabinet, or Ministry. 
 
 There is no doubt that David had a Cabinet, consisting 
 of the heads of Eeligion, Law, Civil Administration, 
 Military Affairs, and the King's Household, — together 
 witli a few of his personal intimates. 
 
 Of these Ministers, or Advisers, four lists are given, — 
 two in II. Samuel, and two in I. Chron., as foUows : — 
 
 II. Sam. viii. 
 16-18. 
 
 Joab, — "over the 
 host." 
 
 Jehoshaphat, 
 son of Ahilud, 
 ^'recorder." 
 
 ZadoTc, son of 
 Ahitub,&^&ia- 
 t/inr,sonof Ahi- 
 melech, — " the 
 priests." 
 
 Seraiah, — " the 
 scribe." 
 
 Benaiah, son of 
 Jehoiada, — 
 "over the Chere- 
 thites and Pe- 
 lethites." 
 
 David's sons, — 
 " chief rulers." 
 
 II. Sam. XX. 
 23-26. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Benaiah, &c. 
 
 Adoram, — "over 
 the tribute." 
 
 Jehoshaphat, kc. 
 
 Sheva, " the 
 scribe." 
 
 Zadok, and Abi- 
 athar, &c. 
 
 Ira, the Jairite, 
 " a chief ruler 
 about David." 
 
 I. Chron. xviii. 
 15-17. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Jehoshaphat, &c. 
 
 Zadok, and Abi- 
 athar, &c. 
 
 Shavsha, — " the 
 scribe." 
 
 Benaiah, &c. 
 
 David's sons, — 
 " chief about 
 the King." 
 
 I. Chron. xxvii. 
 32-34. 
 
 Jonathan, Da- 
 vid's uncle, — "a 
 counsellor, wise 
 man, & scribe." 
 
 Jehiel, son of 
 Hachmoni, — 
 " was with the 
 King's sons." 
 
 Ahithophel, — 
 " the King's 
 counseller." 
 
 Benaiah, the son 
 
 of Jehoiada. (The 
 text has "Je- 
 hoiada, son of 
 Benaiah," — an 
 error of tran- 
 scription). 
 
 Abiathar. 
 
 Hushai, — " the 
 Kin(j's com- 
 panion." 
 
 Joab.— " general 
 of the King's 
 army." 
 
 Taking II. Sam. viii. as the standard, the other 
 three lists differ from it, respectively, thus :—
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 133 
 
 In II. Sam. xx. : — 
 
 Adoram and Ira are added, — David's sons are omitted, 
 — and Seraiah is called Sheva: while those names that 
 are common to both lists, are arranged differently. 
 In I. Chron. xviii. : — 
 
 The order agrees with the standard; and the only 
 differences, in other respects, are, that Seraiah is called 
 " Shavsha," and David's sons are described as " chief 
 about the king" instead of ^'' chief rulers." 
 In L Chron. xxvii. : — 
 
 Added, — Jonathan, Jehiel, Ahithophel, and Hushai. 
 Omitted, — Zadok, Seraiah, and " David's sons." 
 
 The offices of Benaiah, and of Abiathar, are not 
 mentioned. 
 The insertion of Ahithophel ; and the omission of Zadok, 
 and David's sons, seem to shew that this list is meant to 
 refer to a time when " the Gilonite " still lived, — when 
 Zadok had not yet been admitted to the high position he 
 afterwards occupied, — and when David's sons were too 
 young to hold office. The list in II. Sam. viii., and that 
 in I. Chron. xviii., seem to come next in order of time ; 
 and that in II. Sam. xx. may be regarded as chronologically 
 last. 
 
 These lists differing so much in order of arrangement 
 and in other respects, it is impossible to say how the 
 individuals ranked in order of importance; the only classi- 
 fication feasible rests upon their respective departments in 
 the State. Adopting this, the following seems to be a 
 correct 
 
 List of David's ministers, according to their 
 Ojffices : — 
 
 1. MINISTERS OF WORSHIP,— ZADOK, and ABIATHAR. 
 
 2. „ „ WAR,— JOAB, and BENAIAH. 
 
 3. „ „ FINANCE,— ADORAM, (or J (^o?nVam). 
 His special office was " over the tribute," i.e., he was Receiver- 
 General of Taxes ; holding his post during the reigns of 
 David and Solomon, and being stoned by the Revolted 
 Tribes, when sent amongst them, by Eehoboam, to collect 
 the imposts. 
 
 4. SECRETARY OF STATE, and CHIEF LAW OFFICER,— 
 SERAIAH, (called also" Sheva," " Shisha," and "Shavsha".) 
 
 He is designated " the scribe ;" but the title did not, at
 
 134 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 this time, iuclude the same functions as iu the time of 
 Christ. 
 
 Seraiah's duties seem to have been the drawing up, and 
 issuing, royal prodamations, — explaining the Law iu all its 
 branches, and providing abundant transcripts of it. For 
 performing the mere drudgery of writing, there is no doubt 
 that he had under him a body of clerks. 
 
 5. KEEPEE OF EECOEDS, and PUBLIC ANNALIST,— 
 JEHOSHAPHAT. 
 
 He is styled ''^recorder" and, in the margin, "remem- 
 brancer." His duties seem to have included the preservation 
 of all State documents, and of the national annals, and the 
 continuance of the latter, by adding thereto the events of 
 his own time. 
 
 6. THE KING'S PEIVATE SECEETAEY,— JONATHAN. 
 The above title is, doubtless, meant by that of " scribe " 
 
 as applied to him. He would seem, in this capacity, to have 
 conducted the king's private correspondence, and to have 
 recorded events for the monarch's sole use and guidance, 
 and not, (as Jehoshaphat,) for public cognizance. His 
 position must have been a very confidential one, — since his 
 functions would iuclude the knowledge of all state secrets. 
 
 Three of those named in the lists seem to have been the 
 intimate friends, and confidential advisers, of the King. 
 They may be styled the 
 7. PEIVY COUNCIL, ( JONATHAN, " a counseller:' 
 
 including I AHITHOPHEL, " the hhujs counseller." 
 
 ( HUSHAI, " the kinf/''s companion." 
 
 This institution differed from the English Frivij Council 
 in one important particular.— The latter has a far larger 
 number of members than there are Crown Ministers, who, in 
 fact, /o?'m only a Committee of the Privy Council. David's 
 Privy Council, on the other hand, though all members of 
 his Cabinet, formed a very small minority of it. 
 
 8. COMPTEOLLEE OF THE KING'S HOUSEHOLD,— lEA, 
 "a chief ruler about David." 
 
 He is called a " Jairite" i.e. a member of the house of 
 Jair, son of Segub, who was of the tribe of Judah, on the 
 father's side, and of Manasseh, on the niotlier's. He took 
 a prominent part in reducing the country E. of Jordan, 
 and liad his portion iu that part of Argob that bordered 
 on Gilead : here he took, and possessed, twenty-three vil- 
 lages, called " Havoth-Jair" = Jair's villages.
 
 KOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 135 
 
 9. TTITOB, OR GUAEDIAN, OF DAVID'S SONS,— JEHIEL. 
 He is said, in the list whereiu his name appears, to have 
 
 been ^^loith the King's sons," This is generally understood 
 as bearing the interpretation of his having had the call of 
 bringing up the young princes, until they arrived at man- 
 hood. 
 
 It may, however, indicate, that he held the same rank 
 that David's sons did, viz., that of "a chief ruler^' — in which 
 case it is possible he may be the same as Ira, before 
 mentioned. 
 
 10. "CHIEF EULERS,"- "DAVID'S SONS." 
 
 In what their duties consisted, it is impossible to aflBrm 
 ■with certainty : it seems most probable that they acted as 
 their father's deputies, or vicegerents, each supervising 
 some special department of government, just as Ira had 
 the general superintendence of the household. 
 
 Some, however, regard the expression ^^ chief rulers" as 
 meaning ^^Ecclesiastical counsellors, or chief church lawyers." 
 
 II. The Princes of the Tribes : — 
 
 (The original Princes were the eldest sons of the founders 
 of the different Tribes ; afterwards, it would appear that 
 the post became elective). In rank and function, these offi- 
 cers seem to have resembled cor Lords-Lieutenant of coimties. 
 The following is the 
 
 List of Princes, under David :— 
 
 Tribe. Prince. 
 
 1. REUBEN, EUezer. 
 
 2. SIMEON, Shephatiah. 
 
 3. LEVITES, Hashabiah. 
 
 4. AABONITES, ... Zadok. 
 
 5. JUDAH Y,li)ivi,{ovEliah)," David's hrotJier:* 
 
 6. ISSACHAR, Omri. 
 
 7. ZEBULUN, Isbmaiah, 
 
 8. NAPHTALI. ... Jerimoth. 
 
 9. EPHRAIM, Hosbea. 
 
 10. MANASSEH, 
 
 {W. of Jordan), Joel. 
 
 11. MANASSEH, 
 
 (E. of Jordan), Iddo. 
 
 12. BENJAMIM, ... Jaasiel. 
 
 13. DAN, AzareeL
 
 136 NOTES ON IL SAMUEL. 
 
 It is remarJcahle that, in this List, — 
 
 (1). GAD anc^ ASHEE are not named, — an UDaccountable 
 
 omission. 
 (2). LEVI appears coordinate with the other Tribes. 
 (3). THE AARONITES, who were only a family of the 
 Levites, are represented as a distinct Tribe, and, like 
 Levi, coordinate with the rest, — while ZADOE is 
 mentioned as its " Prince." 
 From this we gather, then, that the Priests and Levites 
 were not altogether debarred from Civil status, and office. 
 It is clear, also, that neither were the Tribe of Levi 
 shut out from military functions, for we find Zadok and 
 the " Sons of Shemaiah " distinguished as " mighty men of 
 valour," while Benaiah, the heroic Captain of the Life- 
 guard, was son of Jehoiada, a High-priest. 
 
 MILITARY INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 Until the time of Saul, the Hebrews had no standing 
 army; but all the males between 20 and 50 were liable to 
 service in time of war, — the number called out depending 
 upon the force of the enemy. 
 
 Saul, however, early in his reign, laid the foundation of 
 a standing army, by choosing 3000 warriors, — 2000 to 
 remain with himself, and 1000 with Jonathan. 
 
 This force was, as a rule, sufficiently strong to repel the 
 Philistines' attacks ; but when they, or other foes, made a 
 foiTnidable demonstration, it was still necessary to call out 
 a proportion of the warriors of each Tribe equal to the 
 emergency. 
 
 David, building upon the basis laid by Saul, constructed 
 a complete and admirable military organization, the three 
 great features of lohich were The National Militia, (or Army), 
 —The Eoyal Life-Guard,— and The "Mighty Men." 
 
 1. The National Militia, or Army: — 
 All the male population liable to service seem 
 to have been divided into twelve equal portions, 
 each of which, in rotation, supplied a legion of 
 24,000 men, who served for one month at a time, in tlie 
 course of the year. It would appear that the respective
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 13.7 
 
 Legions did not necessarily consist of the same individuals 
 upon every recurrence of their month to take the field ; 
 but that it was so arranged, that all the warriors of each 
 of the twelve bodies should take their turn in the ranks. 
 
 There were tMis, always, 24,000 men under arms, and 
 available for war, while, in cases of emergency, any addi- 
 tional portion, or even the whole, of the national force, 
 might be called out. 
 
 By these arrangements, the wai-riors of the Tribes were 
 kept in a state of efficiency; while the standing army, 
 thoiigh equal to ordinary occasions, was not so numerous 
 as to be any great burden upon the people. 
 The Officers of the National Militia were 
 (1.) JOAB, the generalissimo, who, however, was only 
 second in command when the King took the field with his 
 troops. 
 
 (2.) THE COMMANDERS OF THE TWELVE LEGIONS, 
 who were chosen from the " chief fathers," {i.e. the heads 
 of tribes and clans), and corresponded to the modern 
 Generals of Division. 
 
 Those holding this ofice under David were 
 For the 1st Month, — Jashobeam, " chief of all the Capt- 
 ains." 
 „ 2nd „ Dodai, (or Dodo), having Mikloth for 
 
 his Lieutenant. 
 „ 3rd „ Benaiah, (son of Jehoiada), with his 
 
 son Ammizabad for Lieutenant. 
 „ 4tli „ Asahel, with his son Zebadiah for 
 
 Lieutenant. 
 „ 6th „ Shamhuth. 
 
 „ 6th „ Ira. 
 
 „ 7th „ Helez. 
 
 „ 8th „ Sibbecai. 
 
 „ 9th ., Abiezer. 
 
 „ 10th „ Maharai. 
 
 „ 11th „ Benaiah, (an Ephraimite). 
 
 „ 12th „ Heldai. 
 
 (3.) THE CAPTAINS OF THOUSANDS,— corresponding 
 to our Colonels, — the Thousand beiag equivalent to our 
 Regiment. 
 
 (4.) THE CAPTAINS OF HTTNDREDS,— coiTCsponding 
 to our Captains, — the Hundred being equivalent to our 
 Company.
 
 138 NOTES ON IT. SAMUEL. 
 
 This organization would appear not to have survived 
 tlie Schism, for, under Jehoshaphat, we find the army 
 divided into five unequal portions, each under a separate 
 commander. 
 
 2. The Royal Life-Guard, or Body-Guard, 
 
 consisting of the 
 
 Cherethites and PeletMtes, under the command 
 of BENAIAH, son of Jehoiada. 
 
 It is generally admitted that these formed David's 
 body-guard, but ^vho and what they respectively were, be- 
 yond this, is a much debated point. 
 
 The following are the different views taken by 
 various authorities : — 
 
 1. SOME EEGARD THE TERMS AS PROPER NAMES:— 
 
 These take the term CHERETHITES to mean Philistines, 
 since it is so employed in three passages in the Old Testa- 
 ment ; but they are divided between two opinions as to 
 the application of the word in the present case ; thus, 
 
 (1.) One set of critics assert that they were actually Philis- 
 tines, mercenaries of David. 
 
 (2.) The other set make them to have been those of David's 
 followers, during his exile, who dwelt with him in the Philis- 
 tines' country, and assumed the title CHERETHITES, in 
 honorable commemoration of their devotion to the king 
 during that period of his career. 
 
 Of these two views, the former seems the more lilcely, for 
 
 a. The body-guard of Eastern princes is, as a rule, com- 
 posed of foreign mercenaries, often belonging to even some 
 hostile nation, — the reason for such a choice being, that 
 these aliens, having no stake or interest in their adopted 
 country, are far likelier to prove faithful to the monarcli 
 employing them. 
 
 b. We find Ittai, with 600 Philistines, cominq, and 
 offering his services to David, — a step easily explained, if 
 we suppose that he knew the king already had a band of 
 I^hilistines in his pay. 
 
 With regard to the PELETHITES, all agree to under- 
 stand those followers of David who joined him at Ziklag. 
 Amongst these an individual named Pelet, or Feleth, is
 
 NOTES ON IL SAMUEL. Vi\) 
 
 mentioned ; it is suggested that he became captain of this 
 hand, and that from him it took its appellation. 
 
 2. SOME KEGAED THE TERMS, not as Proper Names 
 but AS COMMON NOUNS, indicating the functiom of the 
 two hands. Of these critics 
 
 (1.) Part follow the Targum, and translate "archers," 
 instead of " CHERETHITES,"— and "slingers," instead of 
 " PELETHITES." 
 
 (2.) Others would read, "headsmen," (or "executioners,") 
 for "CHERETHITES,"— and "couriers," for " PELETHITES," 
 
 The]/ derive the two words from Hebrew verbs meaning, 
 respectively, to cut off, and to run swiftly/, and regard tlie 
 CHERETHITES as analagoiLS to the Roman lictors, and the 
 PELETHITES as royal messengers. 
 
 In support of their view of the PELETHITES' office, they 
 refer to the facts that, 
 
 a. In the E. it is the monarcKs life-guard that executes 
 capital sentences. 
 
 b. Benaiah is actually found acting- as " executioner." 
 
 Now, it is remarkable that, with the exceptian of the 
 theory that the CHERETHITES were David's original 
 followers, who assumed the name from their residence 
 with him at Gath, all these different interpretations may be 
 made to harmonize, thus : — 
 
 (a.) In re the CHERETHITES. — Eegardiug them as 
 Philistines, they would certainly be " archers," for the na- 
 tion was famous for its skill in the use of the bow ; while 
 there is no reason why they should not have acted as 
 "headsmen." 
 
 (6.) In re the PELETHITES.— Eegarding them as those 
 Israelites who joined David at Ziklag, we find, that these were 
 mostly Benjamites, and that they were " armed with bows, 
 and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling 
 stones, and shooting arrows out of a bow." Thus the 
 PELETHITES actually were sldlful " slingers ;" while there 
 is no reason to oppose the vieio that, active as tlie Ben- 
 jamites are represented, they should have been also royal 
 " couriers." 
 
 Suniming up results : — 
 
 (1.) THE CHERETHITES AND PELETHITES EGEMED 
 DAVID'S BODY-GUARD.
 
 140 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 (2.) THE CHERETHITES WERE PHILISTINE MERCE- 
 NAEIES,— skilled, (as all the nation were), as "archers," and 
 probably, having for one of their main functions to execute 
 capital and other punishments ordered by the king. 
 
 (3.) THE PELETHITES WERE THOSE ISRAELITES 
 WHO JOINED DAVID AT ZIKLAG,— «;e/-e sUlful archers 
 and "slingers," and were, probably, employed as king's 
 "couriers." 
 
 The Captain of David's Body -Guard was, (as 
 has been before stated), BENAIAH, the son of Jehoiada. 
 
 3. The Mighty Men, or Heroes, (Heb. "Gibborim.") 
 
 It is a much debated point who these were. 
 
 The 7nost probable view is that THEY FORMED A KIND 
 OF MILITARY ORDER, embracing the bravest warriors of 
 the nation. 
 
 Some represent the Order as consisting of just 600 men, 
 asserting that David fixed upon that number to com- 
 memorate his having been supported in liis exile by 600 
 valiant Hebrews. Those who are of this opinion give to 
 the 600 a complete organization, representing it as divided 
 into three main bodies of 200 each, and 30 smaller ones of 20 
 each, with the following officers : — 
 
 1. The Captain of the " Mighty Men" (chief of 
 
 the Order), ABISHAI. 
 
 2. The Three "Mighties" (commanders of 200 each), 
 ADINO, ELEAZAR, and SHAMMAH. 
 
 3. The "Thirty" (commanders of 20 each), as named 
 in II. Samuel. 
 
 Most careful study of the two parallel passages, (in II. 
 Sam. and I. Chron.), containing an account of the ^^ Mighty 
 Men," not only fails to justify the preceding view, but 
 even flath/ contradicts it on most points. 
 
 Our opinion is that 
 
 THE MIGHTY MEN were a Military Order, including all 
 warriors who specially distinguished themselves, — numbering 
 at first thirty individuals, ^and divided (like our own Orders 
 of Knighthood), into grades, of which there were three : — 
 
 1. The three "Chief of the mighty men,"— adino, 
 
 (Captain of the three), ELEAZAR; and SHAMMAH.
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 141 
 
 2. Three "MIGHTIES," (ranking next to the first three), 
 — ABISHAI, (Captain of these three), BENAIAH, and A 
 THIRD WHOSE NAME IS NOT GIVEN. 
 
 8. The " VALIANT MEN OF THE AEMIES,"— (forming 
 the lowest rank of the Order). 
 
 These were at first styled "THE THIRTY," from that 
 being their original number, which, however, increased, as 
 fresh acts of bravery brought other heroes into notice, and 
 won them a place in this Legion of Honour. 
 
 Instead then, of a regularly constituted, separate, body 
 of 600 men, 
 
 The "Gibborim" formed simply an Order of Knighthood, 
 of three ranks; numbering, at first, only thirty members; 
 and continually increasing. 
 
 That it was not a distinct force is evident from the fact 
 that, amongst its members, we find names of captains of 
 the National Militia, and of the Body-Guard . These conld 
 not hold command in two bodies at the same time, whereas 
 their merely bearing a title of honour would be no bar to 
 their fulfilling the duties of one command. 
 
 The Biblical Account of David's Mighty Men 
 11. SAM. XXIII. 8-17. 
 
 The three Chiefs of the " Gibborim " ;— 
 
 1. Adino, who slays 800 at one time. 
 
 2. Eleazar, who, with two other "Mighties," 
 and David, stands firm against the Phil- 
 istines when the Hebrews have fled, and 
 wins a great victory. 
 
 3. Shammah, who aids Eleazar in the above 
 exploit. 
 
 These three join David at AduUam. — He longs 
 for water from the well at Beth-lehem, then 
 the Philistines' stronghold; — the three break 
 through the Philistine host, and bring him 
 the water; — he refuses to drink it.
 
 142 NOTES ON- II. SAMUEL. 
 
 X.B. — The differences between the account of the "Mighty 
 Men" in Sam., and that in the •parallel in I. Ckron., are all 
 noted, and should be carefully studied. 
 
 V. 8. " The Tachmonite . . . Eznite." — I. Chron. — 
 " Jashoheam, an Ilachmonite, the chief of the captains." 
 
 The marginal reading of the passage in Saml. is, — ^^Joseb- 
 basebeth, the 'Tachmonite, chief among the three, Adiiio, of 
 Ezni." 
 
 Some think that tico heroes are here mentioned, — Jasho- 
 beam, or Joseb-basebeth, and Adino the Eznite ; but there 
 is not sufficient ground for this view. One individual is, 
 doubtless, meant, — Jashobeam, or Joseb-basebeth, being 
 his title as chief ; Adino his proper name ; and Hachmonite, 
 or Tachmonite, his patronymic as belonging to the famil/ 
 of Hachmoni, or Tachmoni. 
 
 A Jashobeam joined David at Ziklag, and an individual 
 so named, son of Zabdiel, was commander of the legion of 
 24,000 serving during the month Nisan: the latter was, 
 probably, the same as the Tachmonite of the text ; but 
 the former was, most likely, another person. 
 
 It is somewhat remarkable that so little should be 
 recorded of one who stood highest amongst the Oibborim. 
 
 "800."— I. Chron., "300."— Some suppose an error in 
 transcription, and make both texts read "300." This 
 seems the best reconciliation. 
 
 Others combine the two passages thus, — " He lift up his 
 spear against 800, and slew 300 of them." 
 
 Others, again, suppose he slew 800 in one battle, and 300 
 in another. 
 
 For " sleio, " many authorities would substitute " broke 
 through," — regarding the slaughter of even the smaller 
 number, 300, as an apocryphal act for one man. But we 
 have many equally, and even more, extraordinary exploits 
 recorded in the Bible, {e.g., in the cases of Shamgar and 
 Samson), and in ancient authors generally. But there is 
 nothing incredible in these records, when it is considered 
 that in modern warfare there is rarely opportunity for the 
 display, in battle, of personal valor; whereas, in ancient 
 times, an engagement was a conflict of individuals, rather 
 than of masses, each warrior fighting on his own responsi- 
 bility, and in the manner seeming to him most likely to 
 aid in gaining the day.
 
 NOTES Oy 11. SAMUEL. 143 
 
 V. 9. "TFM David, when they defied the Philistines that 
 were there gathered together." — There is liere an omission of 
 the name of the place to which ^^ there" refers; I. Chron. 
 supplies this by inserting after " With David," " at Pas- 
 dammim." This place is called in I. Sam. Ephes-dammim, 
 (=the boundary of blood). It lay between Shochoh and 
 Azekah, and seems to have taken its name from the constant 
 battles occurring there, between Saul and the Philistines. 
 It was here that David slew Goliath. Of the occurrence 
 in the text we have no record beyond this bare mention; 
 it happened, however, most probably, during David's Second 
 Philistine War, 
 
 I. Chron. states that the stand was made by David and 
 the Mighties, "where was a parcel of ground full of barley," 
 in the midst of which they set themselves, and delivered 
 it, &c. 
 
 " Were gone away" — i.e., "fled" (as I. Chron. tells us). 
 
 Chron. does not distinctly state that Elea^ar distinguished 
 himself more than David, Adino, and Shammah ; but Sam. 
 plainly intimates such to have been the case. 
 
 V. 11. '■'■Shammah" — is not named in I. Chron. The exploit 
 narrated here of him is, evidently, the share he had in the 
 engagement at Pas-dammim, where Eleacer played the 
 chief part. 
 
 Three individuals named Shammah appear in the list of 
 heroes : — 
 
 1. The one in the text. 
 
 2. Shammah, the Harodite, (in I. Chron., "Shammoth, 
 the Harorite," and "Shamuth, the Izrahite"), commander 
 of the legion of 24,000 during the iifth mouth. 
 
 3. Shammah, the Hararite, (in I. Chron., " Shama, the 
 Aroerite"). 
 
 " Where was . . . full of lentiles." — This is evi- 
 dently the same as the "parcel of ground full of barley" 
 mentioned in Chron. in connection with Eleazar's exploit : 
 the tract of land was, most likely, sown partly vjith barley, 
 and partly with lentiles. 
 
 V. 13. ^'^ Three of the thirty chief," — evidently Adino, 
 Eleazar, and Shammah, for, further on, we read — " These 
 things did these three mighty meii," (or, as I. Chron, has it, 
 "these three mightiest.") 
 
 " The cave of Adullam," — where David took refuge, 
 when AchLsh gave him an unfavorable reception. Here,
 
 144 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 we learn, (I, Sam. xxii. 1, 2), he was joined by 400 men, 
 consisting of relatives, those in distress and debt, and mal- 
 contents ; amongst these would be the three heroes of the 
 Beth-lehem exploit. 
 
 V. 15. "The well of Beth-lehem, which is hy the gate" — 
 would seem to be the same as a fountain stiU existing, in 
 a deep valley, on the N.E. of the town; its water is 
 peculiarly delicious. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. ; 18-23. 
 
 The first two of tlie second three of the "Gib- 
 borim": — 
 
 1. Abishai, who slays 300 with his spear. 
 
 2. Benaiah, who slays two lion-like men 
 of Moab, — a lion, — and an Egyptian; 
 — and is set over David's "Guard." 
 
 V. 18. "Slew them," — i.e., at one time. Who the 300 
 were, and when they fell by his hand, is not stated here, 
 or elsewhere; probably, they were portion of the 18,000 
 Edomites whom David, Joab, and Abishai, slew, in the 
 Valley of Salt, — or they may have been Philistines, slain 
 by him during the battle wherein he saved David from 
 Ishbi-benob, and smote that giant. 
 
 V. 19. "He attained not unto the first three," — ^yet, in flat 
 opposition to this clear statement, authorities declare him 
 to have been the chief of the whole body of Mighty Men ! 
 
 V. 20. " Two lionlike men" — i.e., with "faces," "like the 
 faces of lions," as the Gadites, who joined David at Zik- 
 lag, are said to have been. 
 
 The Lion is the only animal whose face is, in Scripture, 
 likened to that of man ! The resemblance is rarely noted, 
 but is absolutely startUug ! 
 
 These Moabites were, doubtless, gigantic champions, 
 
 "Pit," — rather "cave." — Doubtless, Benaiah took shelter 
 from the snow in a cave, into which the beast had also 
 entered, with the same purpose. 
 
 Or, it may be, the "pit" was an empty water- cistern, 
 which the snow had filled up, so that the lion feU into it 
 unsuspectingly.
 
 KOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 145 
 
 The former seems the more probable explanation, for to 
 slay a lion cooped up in a cistern would need little braveiy, 
 or force. 
 
 "Jw time of snow" — I. Chron. has, "i?i a snowy day." 
 
 V. 21. "A goodly man." — I. Chron. has, "a man of great 
 stature, five cubits high" and adds that his ^^ spear" was 
 " like a weavei-'s beam." 
 
 How, when, and where, this " Egyptian " fell is not re- 
 corded. It was, probably, in some battle with the Philis- 
 tines, who came, originally, /j'o??i Egypt. 
 
 V. 22. "The name," — rather "a name" : Ahishai had the 
 name amongst this second trio. 
 
 V. 23. " His guard" — i.e., the Body-Guard, the " Chere- 
 thites and Pelethites." Holding this command, he could 
 not, in any given campaign, or battle, act as captain of a 
 portion of the Qibborim, as those who regard them as a 
 separate force would make him do. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 24-end. 
 
 The Rest of the " Gibborim." 
 
 These, with several additional names, are styled, in 
 I. Chron., " The valiant men of the armies" — another proof 
 that the Gibborim merely formed an Order, conferred, ir- 
 respective of number, upon any warrior who might distin- 
 guish himself. 
 
 The following are the lists, of the rest of the Mighty 
 Men, as given in II. Sam., and I. Chron., respectively : — 
 
 IN II. SAMUEL. IN I. CHRONICLES. 
 
 1. Asahel, the brother of 1. Asahel, the brother of 
 Joab, " was one of the Joab. 
 
 thirty." 
 
 2. Elhanan, son of Dodo, of 2. Same as in Sam. 
 Beth-lehem. 
 
 3. Shammah, the Harodite. 3. Shammoth, the Harorite. 
 
 4. Elika, the Harodite. No corresponding name 
 
 given. 
 
 5. Helez, the Paltite. 4. Helez, the Pelonite. 
 6 Ira, son of Ikkesh, the 5. Same as in Sam. 
 
 Tekoite.
 
 146 
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 IN 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 7. Abiezer,the Auetliotliite. 
 
 8. Mebuuuai, the Huslia- 
 thite. 
 
 9. Zalmon, tlie Aholiite. 
 
 10. Mahanii, tlie Netopha- 
 thite. 
 
 11. Heleb, son of Baaiiali, a 
 NetoiDhatliite. 
 
 12. Ittai, son of Ribai, of 
 Gibeah, a Benjamite. 
 
 13. Beuaiah, the Piratbonite. 
 
 14. Hiddai, of the brooks of 
 Gaash. 
 
 15. Abi-albon,theArbathi(e. 
 
 16. Azmaveth, the Bai'hum- 
 ite. 
 
 17. Eliahba,theShaalbouite, 
 of the sons of Jasheu. 
 
 18. Jonathan, 
 
 19. Shammah, the Haraiite. 
 
 20. Ahiam,son of Sharar, the 
 Hararite. 
 
 21. Elij^heletjSonof Ahasbai, 
 the son of the Maacha- 
 thite. 
 
 22. Eliam, son of Ahithophel, 
 tlie Gilonite. 
 
 23. Hezrai, the Carmelite. 
 
 24. Paarai, the Arbite. 
 
 25. Igal, son of Nathan of 
 Zobah. 
 
 26. Bani, the Gadite. 
 
 27. Zelek, the Ammonite. 
 
 28. Naliari, the Beei'othite, 
 "armour-bearer to Joab." 
 
 29. Ira, an Itlirita 
 
 IN I. CHRONICLES. 
 
 6. Abiezei', the Antothite. 
 
 7. Sibbecai,theHushathite, 
 
 8. Tlai, the Ahohite. 
 y. Same as in Sam. 
 
 10. Heled, &c., (as in Sam.). 
 
 11. Ithai, &c., (as in Sam.). 
 
 12. Same as in Sam. 
 
 13. Hurai, &c., (as in Sam.). 
 
 14. Abiel, the Arbathite. 
 
 15. Azmaveth, the Bahar- 
 uraite. 
 
 16. Same asin Sam., omitting 
 "of the sons," &c. 
 
 17. Jonathan, son of Shage, 
 the Hararite. 
 
 18. ? Shama, son of Hothan, 
 the Aroerite. 
 
 (Not given in this order- 
 questionable if he wsis 
 the same as Shammah.) 
 
 19. Ahiam, son of Sacar, the 
 Hararite. 
 
 20. 1 Eliphal, son of Ur. 
 
 No corresponding name 
 given. 
 
 21. Hezro, the Carmelite. 
 
 22. Naarai, son of Ezbai. 
 
 23. ? Joel, brother of Nathan. 
 
 No corresponding name 
 given. 
 
 24. Same as in Sam. 
 
 25. Naharai, the Berothite, 
 "armour-bearer," &c. 
 
 26. Same as in Sam.
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 147 
 
 IN II. SAMUEL. 
 
 30. Gareb, an Itlirite. 
 
 31. UriaJi, the Hittite. 
 
 The text adds, 
 and seven in all." 
 
 ThirVj 
 
 Only 36, however, are 
 given, the i37th, (and omit- 
 ted), one, being the 3rd of 
 the second three "Heroes." 
 Who he "was, it is difficult 
 to say ; but it is very likely 
 that it was Joah himself. 
 Perhaps he originally drew 
 up the list, as it appears in 
 Sara., and, from a sense of 
 propriety, or from a dislike 
 to set himself down only 6th 
 on the list, omitted liis own 
 name, and achievements. 
 
 The "Thirty," it will be 
 seen, amount to 31. 
 
 This may be accounted for 
 by one of two suppositions: — 
 
 1. "Thirty" is 31 in round 
 numbers. 
 
 IN I. CHRONICLES. 
 
 27. Same as in Sam. 
 2a Ditto. 
 
 6. 
 
 7. 
 
 The names additional to 
 those given in Sam. are 
 
 1. Zabad, son of Ahlai. 
 
 2. Hanan, son of Maachali. 
 
 3. Joshaphat, the Mithnite. 
 
 4. Uzzia, the Ashtei'athite. 
 
 5. Jehiel, son of Hothan, 
 the Aroiirite, (brother of 
 Shama.) 
 
 Jediael, son of Shimri. 
 Joha, his, {i.e. Jediael's), 
 brother, the Tizite. 
 
 8. Eliel, the Mahavite. 
 
 9. Jeribai, ) Sons of 
 
 10. Joshaviah, ) Elnaam, 
 
 11. Ithmah, the Moabite. 
 
 12. Eliel. 
 
 13. Obed. 
 
 14. Jasiel, the Mesobai'te. 
 
 15. Adina, sou of Shiza, the 
 Eeubcnite, — " a captain 
 of the Reubenites, and 
 thirty with him." 
 
 16. Hepher, the Mechera- 
 thite. 
 
 Ahijah, the Pelonite. 
 Mibhar, son of Haggeri. 
 And "The sons of Ha- 
 shem, the Gizouite," (the 
 number of whom is not 
 given .) 
 to learn the additional 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 2. The original number 
 
 was Thirty ; but a 31st 
 
 had been added before 
 
 the list was drawn up. 
 N.B. — Those who do not care 
 names given in Chron. may substitute the following account 
 of them. — Besides twenty-eight, (including '■^ Shama"), cor- 
 responding to that number of the tl)irty-one given in Sam., 
 Chron. supplies eighteen additional individual names, (or 
 nineteen, if "Shama" be not '■^ Shammah"), and mentions 
 "thirty Reubenites," and "the sons of Ilashem" (without 
 indicating their number.)
 
 148 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 
 
 The chief dUFerences between the two lists are as follows : — 
 
 1. In the nuiniher of names : — 
 
 Tliree, (or four), of the thirty-one given in Sam. are 
 omitted in Chrou., while the latter supplies a large number 
 of names additional to those in the former. 
 
 These numerical discrepancies may be accounted for on 
 the ground that the list in Chron. is the product of a much 
 later period, than its parallel in Sam. 
 
 During the interval between the two, other warriors 
 would have distinguished themselves so as to merit enrol- 
 ment in the order; while thi-ee, (or four), had their names 
 struck off the roll, probably on account of some dishonour- 
 able action, as may be infeired from the fact that one of the 
 omissions is that of ^'Eliam, son of Ahithophel the Gilonite" 
 — his fathei-'s treason, (in which, perhaps, himself, shared), 
 being quite sufficient cause why his name should be erased. 
 
 It is clear that death was not the cause of the leaving- 
 out of the names in Chron., for "Asahel" appears in that 
 list, and also in the one in Sam., and he was dead before 
 either of the accounts was written. 
 
 2. In many cases where Sam. has its parallel in 
 Chron., the nam^e of the hero himself, or of his father, clan, 
 
 or place of birth or abode, is either totally different, 
 or spelled differently, in the respective lists. 
 
 These differences are to he accounted for thus: — 
 
 (1.) The two words may be synonyvious, — e.g., "A bi-albo)i" 
 is called " A biel " in Chron. Both mean ^'■father of strength." 
 
 (2.) The Hebrews frequently had two non-synonymous 
 names, for both persons and places. 
 
 (3.) Transcribers, and translators, have erred, through 
 carelessness, or ignorance. 
 
 The establishment, by David, of a thorough national 
 military organization, is owing, doubtless, to the observa- 
 tions made by him whilst amongst the Philistines, who 
 were the most accomplished warriors bordering upon the 
 Hebrews. 
 
 The Hebrew forces were, at David's succession, composed 
 entirely of foot-soldiers. It had been strictly commanded 
 by Jehovah, when He foretold, through Moses, that the
 
 NOTES ON II. SAMUEL. 149 
 
 people would liereafter insist upon having a king, — "He 
 shall not multiply horses to himself," (the re;ison given for 
 the prohibition being lest he should "cause the people to 
 return to Egypt"). 
 
 This prohibition seems to have been meant, however, to 
 extend only until the Hebrews had become firmly settled 
 in the country, which they may be regarded as having done 
 only in David's reign. 
 
 Be this as it may, we find David reserving, of the horsea- 
 taken by him from Hadadezer, sufiicient for 100 chariots. 
 Many authorities represent these as being intended for 
 state- equipages only, — an utterly unlikely thing! There 
 is no doubt that he introduced chariots into the National 
 Army, otherwise, it is simply incredible, (unless we regard 
 them as miracles), that he should have won so many battles, 
 against serious odds, and in conflict with foes themselves 
 possessing vast numbers of chariots ; for, though Toi may 
 have helped against Hadadezer with mounted forces, there 
 is no ground whatever for supposing him as aiding in the 
 succeed iiig wars with other nations. 
 
 For the transit of baggage, stores, &c., &c., it does not 
 appear that horses were used ; camels were, most probably, 
 tlie animals so employed, (the tribes E. of Jordan having 
 taken 50,000 of these from the Hagarites). 
 
 The formation of a standing army that should form a 
 token, and an engine, of despotism, had been predicted by 
 Samnel, as part of the evil to come in the train of the 
 appointment of a monarch : — 
 
 "He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, 
 for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall 
 run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains 
 over thousands, and captains over fifties." (I. Sam. viii. 
 11, 12.) 
 
 DAVID S PERSONAL ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 I. Certain Members of the Cabinet, (whose functions 
 have been previously described under " Civil Institutions"). 
 These were — 
 
 1. The Private Secretary, — Jonathan. 
 
 2. The Comptroller of the Household, — Ira. 
 
 8. Guardian, or Tutor of the Princes,— Jehiel.
 
 150 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 II. Twelve "Rulers of David's Substance," (who 
 maybe tenned ^^ Royal Bailiffs"). 
 
 1. "Over the Zing's Treasures," ...Azmaveth. 
 
 2. "Over the Storehouses in the fields, cities, 
 
 villages, and castles," Jehonathan, 
 
 3. Over the Agricultural labourers, Ezri. 
 
 4. •• Over the Vineyards," Shimei. 
 
 5. " Over the Increase of the Vineyards, for 
 
 the Wine-Cellars," Zahdi. 
 
 6. Over the Olives and Sycamores "in the low 
 
 plains,'* Baal-Hanan„ 
 
 7. "Over the Cellars of Oil," Joash. 
 
 8. " Over the Herds that fed in Sharon," ...Shitrai. 
 
 9. "Over the Herds that were in the Valleys,".. .Shaphat. 
 
 10. "Over the Camels," ^ Obil. 
 
 11. •' Over the Asses," Jehdeiah. 
 
 12. "Over the Flocks," Jaziz. 
 
 (This list indicates several of the sources of the monarch'* 
 income.) 
 
 DAVID'S COMMERCE. 
 
 David was more of a warrior than political economist, 
 and seems, accordingly, to have taken little trouble to de- 
 velop the commercial resources and opportunities of the 
 kingdom. 
 
 With Hiram, King of Tyre, (and also with Zidon), 
 there was considerable trade ; but this was owing to the 
 sagacity of that monarch, not to David. 
 
 After the reduction of Edom, the ports of Ezion-geber, 
 and Elah, on the Red Sea, were in the power of DaAnd '^ 
 but he appears to have made no commercial use of them. 
 The same may be said of the trade of the Euphrates, 
 which was open to liun. 
 
 It must be allowed, however, in fairness, that this 
 apparent neglect must, in great measure, have been owing 
 to David's not possessing mounted forces wherewith to 
 protect the merchants who would have carried on the 
 commerce with the ports on the Arabian Sea, and witlx 
 the Euphrates. ^^
 
 NOTES ON 11. SAMUEL. 151 
 
 EPITOME OF LIFE OF JOAB. 
 
 Joah = God-fathered. 
 
 Second son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and, therefore, 
 David's nepheio: Abishai was liis elder, and Asaliel, his 
 younger, brother. 
 
 BC. 
 
 1 Bom. 
 
 (Accompanied David through bis exile, and was 
 appointed general-in-chief of his army, when he 
 became King of Judah. 
 ? Defeats Abner, at Gibeon; Abner slays Asaheh 
 
 1053. Slays Abner. 
 
 1048. Scales the "Fortress of the Jebusites," and so, ac- 
 cording to David's promise, becomes Generalissimo 
 of the entire Hebrew Army. 
 
 1037. Defeats, in conjunction with Abishai, the Syro- Am- 
 monite League. 
 ? "With David, and Abishai, defeats the Edomites in 
 the Valley of Salt ; devastates their country. 
 
 1035. Besieges Eabbah, — aids David in murdering Uriah. 
 
 1033. Sends to David to invite his presence at the Taking 
 of Eabbah. Fall of that city. 
 
 1027. Procures Absalom's return from Geshur. 
 
 1025. Compelled by Absalom, procures the latter's return 
 to his father's Court. 
 
 1023. Defeats, and slays, Absalom, — chides David for his 
 unseemly grief, and compels him to appear in public. 
 
 1022. Superseded by Amasa ; slays him, — joins, (as a 
 volunteer), Abishai's forces against Sheba ; slays 
 Amasa ; assumes the chief command of the expedi- 
 tion ; besieges Sheba, in Abel ; the rebel's head 
 being thrown to him, he raises the siege. 
 
 1017. Remonstrates with David, against Numbering the 
 People. 
 
 This is the extent of particulars concerning Joah that are 
 to be found in II. Samuel. 
 
 (It will be seen that his name does not occur in many of 
 David's campaigns : we must not, however, suppose that 
 he took no share in them- He was, probably, engaged iu
 
 152 KOTES ON IT. SAMUEL. 
 
 every important battle in David's reign ; but he is men- 
 tioned h)/ name only in tliose engagements whereia he most 
 distinguished himself.) 
 
 His after career was as follows: — 
 
 1015. Joins the plot to place Adonijah on the throne, — 
 not punished ; but retires into private life. 
 David, on his death-bed, urges Solomon to find a 
 pretence for putting Joab to deatli, because he had 
 elain Abner, and Amasa, treacherously, " in time of 
 peace," (conveniently forgetting that the great cap- 
 tain had been his own willing instrument in Uriah's 
 murder ! ! ) 
 
 1014. Solomon professing to believe him privy to Adoui- 
 jah's asking for Abishag, Joab flees, in alarm, to 
 the "horns of the Altar," and, refusing to come 
 forth, is there slain by Solomon's orders ; is carried 
 to his domain in the Wilderness of Judah, and 
 there buried. 
 
 Character. — Brave, vigorous, active, ardent, — ^with a 
 powerful military genius. 
 
 Cruel and unscrupulous. 
 
 His great redeeming quality teas fidelity to his king, — 
 ehewu in his slaying Absalom, (at the risk of losing 
 David's favour) ; his cleaving to David's cause, though 
 Absalom was his intimate friend ; his remonstrances against 
 David's excessive grief; and his imploring him not to 
 number the people. 
 
 In spite, however, of all this, and of Joab's wicked sub- 
 Berviency, in re Uriah, David constantly behaved ungrate- 
 fully to him, as has been already shewn. 
 
 On the merits of the slaying of Abner and Amasa, 
 lemark is made in the fitting place. 
 
 PRINCIPAL DATES. 
 
 B.a 
 
 David's reign at Hebron. 1055-1048. 
 
 Battle of Gibeon ; \ 1 
 
 Abner slain. > 1053 
 
 Ish-bosheth slain, i
 
 NOTES OF 11. SAMUEL. 
 
 153 
 
 David takes Jenisalem 
 
 Philistines defeated in Valley of Eephaim. . . . 
 
 Ark removed to Jerusalem 
 
 Philistines, Moabites, and Syrians conquered. 
 
 Mephi-bosheth adopted, by David. 
 
 Naliash dies ; Hanun's insults to David's Em- 
 bassy. — 
 
 Ammon and Syrians in league, and defeated. 
 
 Syrian League defeated 
 
 It^bbah besieged. ] 
 
 David's Adultery, and Murder of Uriah. \ 
 
 Birth of Solomon. "i 
 
 Rabbah taken ; > 
 
 End of Ammonite "War. ) 
 
 Amnon slain 
 
 Absalom in exile 
 
 Absalom's Rebellion ; ") 
 
 Battle of Ephraim ; > 
 
 Absalom slain. ) 
 
 Sheba's Revolt ; ) 
 
 Amasa and Sheba slain. ) 
 
 Three Years' Famine on account of Saul's 
 slaughter of Gibeonites. 
 
 David's Last Philistine War. 
 
 David numbers the People; the consequent 
 Pestilence. 
 
 V- 
 
 1030- 
 
 1048. 
 1043.^ / 
 1042. "^ 
 
 1040. 
 
 1037. 
 
 1036. ^ 
 1035. 
 
 1033. 
 
 1030. 
 1027. Y 
 
 1023. 
 
 1022- 
 
 1022. 
 
 1019. 
 1018. 
 1017. 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF II. SAMUEL. 
 
 N.B. — All the following must he filled in, from memory, 
 upon a Blank Outline, which, also, should be drawn from 
 memory, and should be sufficiently large to include all 
 names in this list ! 
 
 Mountains. — Gilboa, Mount of Olives. 
 
 Rivers.— Jordan (with its lakes), Euphrates, the Brook 
 
 Kidron. 
 "Wood of Ephraim. 
 
 Valleys. — Valley of Eephaim, Valley of the Jordan. 
 Plains, — Plain of the "Wilderness (of Jordan).
 
 154 NOTES ON IL SAMUEL. 
 
 The Boundaries of the Twelve Tribes, with the towns 
 which are named under each : — 
 
 W, OF JOEDAN:— 
 
 /Siweou,— Ziklag, Beer-sheba. 
 
 Judah, — Jerusalem, Hebron, Kirjath-jearim (Baale, 
 or Baalah), Carmel, Beth-lehem, Jezreel, 
 AduUam, Gibeah, Bahurim, Tekoa, Giloh, 
 Zelah. 
 
 Dan, (S.),— Gath-rimmon. 
 
 Dan, (N.),— Dan, (Laish, or Leshem), 
 
 Benjamim, — Gilgal, Gibeon, Geba, Beeroth, Gibeah 
 "of Saul." 
 
 Ephraim. — nil. 
 
 Half il/anasse/i.— Ahel-Meholah, Thebez. 
 
 Issachar. — Beth-shan, JezreeL 
 
 Zehulun, — nil. ^ 
 
 Asher, — nil. 
 
 Najplitali, — nil. 
 E. OF JORDAN:— 
 
 Half Manasseh, — nit. 
 
 Gad, — Jabesh-Gilead, Mahanaim, Lo-debar (DebirX 
 RogeUm, Jazer. . 
 
 Reuben, — Aroer. 
 
 Districts, Tribes, &c. (not Hebrew), — 
 ^V:— Phoenicia, (with Tyre, and Zidon), Geshur, Zobah, 
 
 Damascus, Hamath, Rehob, Ish-tob, Hivites, 
 
 Maachah. 
 E. — Gilead, Hagarites, Ammonites (with Rabbah). 
 ;S'.— Amalekites, Edomites, Hittites (in "Mountains of 
 
 Judah"). 
 ^S.^.— Moab. 
 
 Jn Centre of Palestine, — Hivites. 
 Jn S. W. do., — Philistines (with their four " lordships," 
 
 Gath, Gaza, Askelon, and Ashdod.)
 
 NOTES OX 11. SAMUEL. 155 
 
 To BE Marked on a Plan of jERUSALEii . — 
 INSIDE THE CITY:— 
 
 Mount Bezetha, (the "New City"). 
 
 „ Acra, or Millo, (the " Lower City"). 
 
 „ Zion, (the " Upper City "), with supposed sita 
 
 of David's Pahice. 
 „ Moriah, with su2:)posed site of Temple. 
 
 OUTSIDE THE CITY:— 
 
 E. — Tomb of Absalom, Mount of Olives, Valley of 
 
 Jehoshaphat. 
 S. — Eu-rogeh
 
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 PHILIPS' 
 
 EDUCATIONAL CATALOGUE. 
 
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 Philips Comprehensive School Atlas 
 
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 Philips' Atlas of the British Einpire 
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 Hiighess Training School Atlas, 
 
 A Series of Maps illustrating the Physical Geography of the Great 
 Divisions of the Globe. The Maps carefully printed in colors. 
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 author of a "Class-Book of Physical Geography," &c., &c. 
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 and methodical manner, the leading features in the Physical Geography— 1st, 
 of the World at large ; 2ndly, of the Great Divisions of the Globe (Europe, &c.); 
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 *,» This Atlas ii intended as a companion volume to Hughes'H "Class-book 
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 and adapted for use in Elementary Classes. The Maps very 
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 »*, This Atlas is intended to accompany " Philips' Elementary Class-Book of 
 
 Physical Geography^ ' 
 
 Philips School Atlas of Classical Geography, 
 
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 The Maps beautifully printed in colors. Imperial i6mo. , 
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 OTJXijiiNrE .A^DcsriD B iL. -A. 3sr e: 
 
 -A. T L .A. S E S . 
 
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 containing Thirteen Maps, stitched in a neat cover, 3s. 
 
 Htighess Atlas of Outline Maps, 
 
 With the Physical Features clearly and accurately delineated ; 
 consisting of Eastern Hemisphere — Western Hemisphere — 
 Europe — Asia — Africa — North America — South America — 
 Australia — The British Islands— England and Wales— Scot- 
 land — Ireland — France — Spain — Germany — Italy — Greece — 
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 E3DTJ0-A.TIO3Sr-A-X. I^.A.T>S. 
 
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 With the Physical Features boldly and distinctly delineated, and 
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 LIST OF THE MAPS. 
 
 Prict Sixteen Shillings each. 
 
 THE WORLD IN HEMI- 
 SPHERES. 
 EUROPE. 
 ASIA. 
 AFRICA. 
 
 NORTH AMERICA. 
 SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 AUSTRALIA. 
 
 NEW SOUTH WALES. 
 
 ENGLAND AND WALES. 
 
 SCOTLAND. 
 
 IRELAND. 
 
 PALESTINE. 
 
 INDIA. 
 
 Price Twenty-one Shillings each. 
 
 THE WORLD ON MERCA- 
 TOR'S PROJECTION. 
 
 THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 
 
 NEW ZEALAND, by Dr. 
 Hector and Thos. A. Bow- 
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 I OCEANIA, on a Scale of two 
 degrees to an inch, shewing 
 the situation of New Zealand 
 and the Australian Colonies 
 relatively to the shores of 
 Asia and North America, 
 with the intervening Islands. 
 
 SuppleTnentary Maps to the Series. 
 
 SCHOOL WALL MAP OF THE WORLD, ON GALL'S 
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 LIST OF THB MAPS. 
 
 Australia. 
 
 Eastern Hemisphere. 
 
 Western Hemisphere. 
 
 Europe. 
 
 Asia. 
 
 Africa. 
 
 North America. 
 
 South America. 
 
 New Zealand. 
 
 England and Wales. 
 
 Scotland. 
 
 Ireland. 
 
 Palestine. 
 
 Wanderings of the Israelites. 
 
 The above are reductions of the large series, constructed by William Hughes, 
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 Philips New School Maps of the Counties 
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 LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE. Size— S feet 8 inches by 4 feet 
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 LANCASHIRE. Size— 37 inches by 54 inches. Reduced from the 
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 CIj-A-SS BOOIKS, Ssa. 
 
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 25
 
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 Geography of the British Colonies 
 
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