neiah, and Obed-edom and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel.

с

d

22 And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.

23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

24 And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark.

25 So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.

26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and

seven rams.

27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the h song with the singers; David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

29 And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw King David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.

CHAPTER XVI.

David brings the ark into its tent; and offers sacrifices, peace-offerings, and burntofferings, 1, 2 And gives portions to the people of Israel, 3. He appoints proper occasion, 7-36. How the different officers served at the ark, 37-42 The people return home, 43. An. Exod. Isr.

ministers and officers for the ark, 4--6. He delivers a solemn thanksgiving on the

449.

Anno ante

I. Olymp. 266.

they brought the ark of God,

So and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt-sacrifices and peace-offerings before God.

2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

e Or, on the eighth to oversee, Psa. 6, title.-d Or, was for the carriage: he instructed about the carriage.-e Heb. lifting up.-f Numb. 10. S. Psa. 81. 3-g2 Sam. 6. 12, 13, &c. 1 Kings 8. 1.-h Or, carriage.-i Ch. 13. 8-k 2 Sam. 6. 16. 1 2 Sam. 6. 17-19.

or, according to others, an instrument with eight strings. The Syriac and Arabic have it, instruments to sing with daily, at the third, sixth, and ninth hour; the Vulgate, an octave, for a song of victory: some think the eighth band of the musicians is intended, who had the strongest and most sonorous voices; and that it is in this sense that shelomith, and lenatseach, should be understood.

Verse 22. Chenaniah-he instructed about the song] This appears to have been the master-singer; he gave the key and the time, for he presided, ND bemassa, in the elevation; probably meaning what is called pitching the tune, for he was skillful in music, and powerful in his voice, and well qualified to lead the band.

Verse 26. God helped the Levites] When they saw that God had made no breach among them, as he had in the case of Uzza, in gratitude for their preservation, and his acceptance of their labour, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.

Verse 27. A robe of fine linen] A robe made of pa buts; probably the tuft, or beard, of the Pinna Magna, a species of muscle found every where on the shores of the Mediterranean, growing sometimes, as I have seen, to a foot and a half in length. I have seen a pair of gloves made of this very rich stuff; the colour is a deep dark yellow, something inclining to what is called the lilac. The buts, or byssus, was not heard of in Israel before the 'time of David; after that it is frequently mentioned.

Verse 29. Michal-saw-David dancing—and she despised him] See this whole business explained 2 Sam. vi. 20, &c. where David's conduct is vindicated, and the

4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals ; 6 Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm, to thank the LORD, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

8 P Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.

10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting cove

nant,

21 He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, 22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

W

23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; show forth from day to day his salvation.

24 Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

m Psa. 33, and 70, title.-n Heb. with instruments of psalleries and harps. o See 2 Sam. 23. 1.-p Psa. 106. 1-15-q Gen. 17. 2 & 26 3 & 25 13. & 35. 11. r Heb the cord.-s Heb. men of number -t Gen. 34. 30.-u Gen. 12. 17. & 20. 3. Exod. 7. 15-18.-v Psa. 105. 15-w Ps. 96. 1, &c.

nature of Michal's disgrace and punishment hinted at; but all left to the reader's determination.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XVI. Verse 2. He blessed the people] He blessed the people in the name of the WORD of the Lord.-T.

Verse 3. To every one a loaf of bread] A whole cake. A good piece of flesh; the sixth part of an ox, and the sixth part of a hin of wine."-T. See 2 Sam. vi. 18-20. see Jarchi also.

Verse 5. Asaph] See the preceding chapter, ver. 17, &c. Verse 7. David delivered first this psalm] I believe the meaning of this place to be this: David made the psalm on the occasion above specified; and delivered it to Asaph, who was the musician, and to his brethren, to be sung by them in honour of what God had done in behalf of his people.

Verse 10. That seek the LORD.] That seek the WORD of the Lord.-T.

Verse 12. Remember his marvellous works] The whole of the psalm refers to God's wondrous actions among the nations, in behalf of Israel.

Verse 22. Touch not mine anointed] By this title the patriarchs are generally understood: they had a regal and sacerdotal power in the order of God. In the behalf of the patriarchs God had often especially interfered: in behalf of Abraham, Gen. xii. 17. and xx. 3. and of Jacob, Gen. xxxi. 24. and xxxiv. 26. and xxxv. 5. But the title may be applied to all the Jewish people who were the anointed, as they were the elect and peculiar people of God. See on Heb. xi. 26.

thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

10 And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover, I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee, that the LORD will build thee a house. 11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his

CHAPTER XVIII.

David smites the Philistines, and takes Gath, 1. Reduces the Moabites, 2. Vanquishes

Hadarezer, king of Zotah, 3, 4. Overcomes the Syrians of Damascus, and takes several of their cities, 5-8. Ton, king of Hamath, congratulates him on his victory, and sends him vessels of silver, gold, and brass, 9, 10. These, and the different spoils he had taken from the conquered nations, he deficates to God, 11. Abishai defeats the Exlomites, 12, 13. David reigns over all Israel, 14. His officers, 15-17. OW A. M. 2964.

lish his throne for ever.

13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: 14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. 16 P And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ?

17 And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

18 What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

19 O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

q

20 O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

23 Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel:

n 2 Sam. 7. 14, 15-o Luke 1. 33-p 2 Sam. 7. 18.-q Heb greatnessss-r Hleb. hast revealed the ear of thy servant. Or, it hath pleased thee.-12 Sain. 8. 1, &c. u Or, Hadadezer, 2 Sam. 8. 3.-v 2 Sam. 8. 4, seven hundred.-w Heb. Darmeseck.

Verse 9. Neither shall the children of wickedness] They shall no more be brought into servitude as they were in the time they sojourned in Egypt. This is what is here referred to.

Verse 12. I will stablish his throne for ever.] David was a type of Christ; and concerning him the prophecy is literally true. See Isa. ix. 7. where there is evidently the same reference.

Verse 13. I will not take my mercy away from him] I will not cut off his family from the throne, as I did that of his predecessor Saul.

Verse 16. And what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ?] I am not of any regal family, and have no natural right to the throne.

Verse 25. Hath found in his heart to pray] The Targum expresses a full sense: "Therefore thy servant hath found an opening of mouth, that he might pray before thee."

Verse 27. For thou blessest, O LORD] "Thou beginnest

451.

and subdued them, and took Gath and Anuo ante her towns out of the hand of the Phi- 1. Olymp. 261. listines.

2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.

3 And David smote "Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them a hundred chariots.

5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

6 Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass. 9 Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;

10 He sent a Hadoram his son to King David, to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold, and silver, and brass.

d

11 Them also King David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

12 Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of Salt f eighteen thousand.

x Called in the book of Samuel Betak, and Berothai.-y 1 Kings 7. 15, 23. 2 Chr. 4. 12, 15, 16.—z Or, Toi, 2 Sam. 8. 9.-a Or, Joram, 2 Sam. 8. 10.-b Or, to salute. e Heb to bless.--d Heb. was the man of ware.-e Heb. Abshai.--f 2 Sam. 7. 13.

to bless the house of thy servant; therefore, it shall be blessed for ever."-T.

The reader is requested to refer to 2 Sam. viii. and the notes there, for many particulars that belong to the parallel places here, and which it would answer no good purpose to repeat in this place.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XVIII.

Verse 1. David-took Gath and her towns] See the comparison between this chapter and 2 Sam. viii. 1, &c. in the notes on the latter.

Verse 2. Brought gifts] Were laid under tribute. Verse 9. Tou king of Hamath] Called in 2 Sam. viii. 9. Toi.

Verse 12. Abishai-slew of the Edomites] This victory is attributed to David, 2 Sam. viii. 13. He sent Abishai against them, and he defeated them; this is with propriety attributed to David, as commander in chief. Qui facit per alterum, facit per se.

13 And he put garrisons in Edom; and all [ the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he

went.

14 So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people. 15 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder.

16 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and i Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;

17 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king. CHAPTER XIX.

David sends a congratulatory message to Hanun, king of Ammon, 1,2. He treats the messengers with great incivility, 3-1. David is exasperated, but condoles with the degraded messengers, 5. The Ammonites prepare for war, and hire thirty-two thousand chariots, and besiege Medeba, 6, 7. David sends Joab to attack them; he defeats the Syrians and Ammonites, 8-15. The discomfitel Syrians recruit

their army, and invade David's territories beyond Jordan; he attacks them, kills Shophach, their general, seven thousand charioteers, and forty thousand of their Infantry, 18. The Syrians abandon the Amunonites, and make a separate peace

with David, 19.

A. M. 2967.

B. C. 1037.

An. Exod. Isr.

454.

Anno ante

n

OW it came to pass after this, Nthat Nahash the king of the chil

dren of Ammon died, and his son 1. Olymp. 261. reigned in his stead.

2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father: So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?

4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst, hard by their buttocks, and sent them

away.

5 Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves Podious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and out of Zobah.

8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the chil dren of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.

13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.

14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.

15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 ¶ And when the Syrians saw that A. M. 2008. they were put to the worse before Is rael, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond 10p 60 the "river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

CHAPTER XX. Joab smites the city of Rabbah; and David puts the crown of its king upon his men

head, and treats the people of the city with great rigour, 1-3 Fint Barth with the Philistines, 4. Second battle with the Philistines, 5. Third battle with the Philby tines, 6, 7. In these battles three giants were slain, S

W

ND it came to pass, that after

A. M. 2909.

B. C. 1005.

Verse 15. Joab-was over the host] General in chief. Jehoshaphat-recorder.] The king's remembrancer, or historiographer royal.

Verse 16. Zadok-and Abimelech-priests] Both high priests; one at Gibeon, and the other at Jerusalem, as we have seen, chap. xvi. 39.

Sharsha was scribe] Called Seraiah, 2 Sam. viii. 17. Verse 17. Cherethites and the Pelethites] See the note on 2 Sam. viii. 18.

The Targum says, "Benaiah was over the great sanhedrim and the small sanhedrim; and consulted Urim and Thummim. And at his command the archers and slingers went out to battle."

The sons of David] These were the highest in authority.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XIX. Verse 1. Now it came to pass] See the same history, 2 Sam. x. 1, &c. and the notes there.

Verse 4. And cut off their garments in the midst] Usque ad eorum pudenda. So the Targum, Jarchi,

Auno ante

that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and Lymp. 258. wasted the country of the children of Ammon,

P Heb. to stink -- Chap. 18. 5, 9.- Heb. the face of the battle was - Ot, young men. Heb. Abhi-u That is, Euphratés. —v Or, Söwhach, 2 Sam 18 16-w 2 Sam. 11. 1.-x Heb. at the return of the year.

These are not mentioned in the parallel place in Samud: probably they did not arrive till the Ammonites and their other allies were defeated by the Israelites in the first battle.

Verse 7. Thirty and two thousand chariots] The whole number mentioned in Samuel is, Syrians of Bethrehob, twenty thousand; of King Maachah, one thou sand; of Ishtob, twelve thousand; in all, thirty-three thousand. Of chariots or cavalry there is no mention. These could not have been the whole army.

Verse 13. Be of good courage] See the note on 2 Sam. x. 12.

Verse 18. Forty thousand footmen] See this number accounted for in the note on 2 Sam. x. 18.

Verse 19. They made peace with Darid, and became his servants] See on 2 Sam. x. 19. and the concluding note in that place: and see for omissions in Chronicles, the preface to these books.

Verse 6. Chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia] |

After this verse the parallel place in Samuel relates the