Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 11:15
Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
15. the thirty captains ] R.V. the thirty chief.
to the rock ] Samuel “in the harvest-time.” Perhaps both readings are wrong, the original reading being the name of a place. LXX. (B) in Sam. has .
the cave of Adullam ] Perhaps we should read here (and in 1Sa 22:1; 2Sa 23:13) “strong hold of Adullam.” It is called “the hold” (strong hold) in 1Sa 22:4. G. A. Smith ( Hist. Geog. p. 229) suggests an identification with a commanding hill in the Shephelah called ‘Aid-el-ma. It is about twelve miles to the S.W. of Beth-lehem.
the valley of Rephaim ] Probably the broad depression traversed by the road from Jerusalem to Beth-lehem. See Jos 15:8 (“vale of Rephaim” R.V.; “valley of the giants” A.V.).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
1Ch 11:15-19
Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David.
The water of the well of Bethlehem
This incident, although it rests upon a basis of conspicuous bravery, evidently owes its cardinal importance to far deeper considerations. Some might be tempted to think that Davids conduct in pouring out the water was fantastic and wasteful–an ill-timed intrusion of a poetic sentiment on the stern realities of life. On the contrary his conduct is penetrated with the sense of the value of life, with deep appreciation of heroism and with a high-minded shrinking from any mean appropriation of the unselfish devotion of his fellow-men. Some lives there are that whatever is done for them are never thrilled by any self-abasing surprise; no sacrifice is above their merit–their bottomless egotism could swallow worlds.
I. The base acceptance of the incalculable risks and toils and sorrows of other men is to be noted in–
1. Those in whom is developed the undue love of command and the imperious appetite for personal distinction. The monarchs of the older world who remorselessly sacrificed blood and treasure to build themselves impregnable cities, or to erect stately sepulchres. The Eastern chieftain who bade his warrior take the needless death-leap. Napoleon Bonaparte.
2. In those simply selfish ones who have not yet risen high enough to afford themselves the luxury of tyranny. Their maxim is Everybody for himself. I have heard of a farmer, whose parcel of ground one might ride round in a couple of hours, express an eager desire for a war between two great powers, since it would probably enrich him. Merchants and millowners have not been free from such wishes. All this is to batten on flesh and blood.
3. In the indifferent many of us are like the receivers of stolen property, only too satisfied to receive and to ask no questions. We expect all the machinery of our life to work with regularity, but are coldly indifferent to the means. Let us learn from David a view of life diviner and therefore more humane.
II. Think of the heroic water-fetching that lies behind our own life.
1. Historically. Whole civilisations lie behind us; the Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Greek, and Roman–each has contributed its quota and we inherit the best of each. Do we reflect, with sufficient gratitude to God and man, on that costly part of which we are–the result?
2. The present day. Our life is enriched by the multitudinous toil of those who remain unknown, and often scantily rewarded. Davids words are not without meaning to us under existing social conditions.
3. Let us step on to more personal ground.
(1) Some of us are where we are through the wonderful devotion of our parents.
(2) Some of us, later on in life, have been saved by the generous resolve and clinging faithfulness of those whom it cost a great effort to befriend us.
III. What does Davids view lead us to?
1. Solemn thoughtfulness. What are we that all this should have been done for us? We ought to learn reverence for that majesty of history which the children of the market-place deride. We ought to view our privileges with a more anxious sense of responsibility.
2. The acceptance of such services as have been referred to is inevitable, for we cannot unmake history or sever ourselves from the complex influences of the present order of society. But what does rest in every mans power is to form his own estimate of the value of such services and to decide what use their sacred splendour or gentle unselfishness urge him to put them to.
3. The impulse to self-abnegation which we see in David. This is the practical tendency of all such lives and deeds. The legend of Curtius, self-devoted that he might save the State, may have been simply a concrete personification of the general patriotism of early Rome; but it gave memorable impulses to later generations. It was not absent from the mind of Regulus; it helped to cheer the Roman legions in Parthia and Persia and amid the German swamps and forests. God has set our lives in a framework of noble and unceasing sacrifice. In this old Jewish story we have a significant though undesigned illustration of the transcendent sacrifice of Christ. He has brought us the true living water. (T. Rhys Evans.)
Jashobeam, and courageous companions
It was just like David with his intense nature to speak and act in the way recorded in these verses. Just as an Italian in a northern region longs for the fruits and blue skies of his own land, so David longed for the water. We have here–
I. A manifestation of devoted loyalty. What ought we to venture for our King Jesus?
II. High appreciation of service. David pours it out before the Lord as the only One who is worthy to receive so great a sacrifice. Some might blame him for appearing to throw a slight on the act of the brave men–judicious waste. Some had indignation when the woman broke the alabaster box of ointment over Christs feet; but He looked at it in another light–He approved that loving, loyal, lavish waste. Only selfish souls could be indifferent to the lives of others. His act was not like that of the Pasha in the Russo-Turkish war who, when English doctors went to him at a great cost, eager to help the wounded Turkish soldiers, repulsed them and firmly declined to receive their services. What ought to be our feeling towards our King who has broken through the ranks of evil, to gain for us the water of Life? (J. Hastings.)
Longing for the associations of child-hood
There are times in life when our childhood comes up with new meaning and with new appeal. We long for the old homestead, for the mountains which girdled us round in early life, for the friends who heard our first speech and answered our first desires; we want to leave the far country and go home again, and, forgetting all the burden of the past, start life with all that is richest in experience. Any water would have quenched Davids thirst, but there are times when mere necessaries are not enough; we must have the subtle touch, the mysterious association, the romantic impulse, all the poetry of life. In our spiritual life we cannot be satisfied with great conceptions, brilliant thoughts, miracles of genius, words employed by the tongue of the master; we need a tone, a look, a touch, a peculiar and distinctive something which belongs to the very root and core of life, being charged with a poetry and a force all its own. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Water poured out as a libation
Some years ago in the State House of Georgia, at Atlanta, this scene occurred: A coloured minister, standing in the State House, said he was thirsty, and he was looking for something to drink. A white gentleman standing by, said, Ill get you a drink, and departed from the room. As the white gentleman was coming back with a glass of water for this black clergyman some one said to the clergyman, Do you know who that is who is bringing you a glass of water? No I who is it? That is Governor Colquitt. Then the black man took the glass of water and said, Thank you, Governor, but I cannot drink this under such circumstances, and he poured it on the floor, saying: I pour this out as a libation on the altar of Christian feeling between the two races. Dramatic? Yes, but Christian. (T. De Witt Talmage.)
A modern hero
A window in the chapel of the Lichfield Cathedral has a special meaning. It is one of several windows presented by the officers and men who had served in New Zealand during the Maori War, in token of their gratitude for Bishop Selwyns attention to their welfare in that campaign. It is a medallion depicting David in the act of pouring out the longed-for water of the well of Bethlehem, procured for him by the three mighty men at the risk of their lives. This medallion commemorates the similar heroic action of a Christian Maori who had been a pupil of Dr. Selwyns when he was Bishop of New Zealand. This Maori, Henere Taratoa, when the war broke out, felt hound to join his tribe. He was placed in charge of a fortified village known as the formidable Gate Psalm The British troops stormed the pa, and were repulsed with great slaughter. Several wounded officers were left inside the village, mad one of them feebly moaned for water. There was no water to be had, the nearest being within the British lines. At night this young Christian Maori crept down, at the risk of his life, within the line of English sentries, filled a vessel with water, and carried it back to the pa to refresh his dying enemys lips. The next day the British again stormed the place, and Henere was killed. On his person was found the text of Holy Scripture which had suggested the deed: If thine enemy thirst, give him drink! (Sunday Companion.)
Self-forgetfulness
That which especially distinguishes a high order of man from a low order of man–that which constitutes human goodness, human nobleness–is surely not the degree of enlightenment with which men pursue their own advantage; but it is self-forgetfulness, it is self-sacrifice, it is the disregard of personal pleasure and personal indulgence, personal advantages remote or present. (A. Froude.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
15-19. David longed, and said, Ohthat one would give me drink . . . of the well of Beth-lehem(Seeon 2Sa 23:15). This chivalrous actevinces the enthusiastic devotion of David’s men, that they wereready to gratify his smallest wish at the risk of their lives. It isprobable that, when uttering the wish, David had no recollection ofthe military posted at Beth-lehem. It is generally taken for grantedthat those who fought a way to the well of Beth-lehem were the threechampions just mentioned [see on 1Ch11:13]. But this is far from being clear. On the contrary, itwould seem that three different heroes are referred to, for Abishai(1Ch 11:20) was one of them.The camp of the Philistines was in the valley of Rephaim (1Ch11:15), which lay on the west of Jerusalem, but an outpost wasstationed at Beth-lehem (1Ch11:16), and through this garrison they had to force a passage.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[See comments on 1Ch 11:1]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In 1Ch 11:15-19 (cf. 2Sa 23:13-17) there follows an exploit of three others of the thirty, whose names have not been handed down. , the thirty chiefs (not, as Thenius wrongly interprets the words, these three knights the chief parts, i.e., these three chief knights), are David’s heroes hereafter mentioned, the thirty-two heroes of the third class named in 1Ch 11:26-40 (or vv. 24-39 of Samuel). That three others, different from the before-mentioned Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah are intended, is plain from the omission of the article with ; for if these three were spoken of, we would have , as in 1Ch 11:18. For further remarks on this exploit, which was probably performed in the war treated of in 1Ch 14:8., and in 2Sa 5:17., see on 2Sa 23:13-17. The words , 1Ch 11:19, are to be translated, “The blood of these men shall I drink in their souls? for for their souls (i.e., for the price of their souls, at the risk of their life) have they brought it.” The expression “blood in their souls” is to be understood according to Gen 9:4 and Lev 17:14 ( , “his blood is in the soul,” is that which constitutes his soul). As there blood and soul are used synonymously (the blood as seat of and container of the soul, and the soul as floating in the blood), so here David, according to our account of his words, compares the water, which those heroes had brought for the price of their souls, to the souls of the men, and the drinking of the water to the drinking of their souls, and finally the souls to the blood, in order to express his abhorrence of such a draught. The meaning therefore may be thus expressed: “Shall I drink in this water the souls, and so the blood, of these men; for they have brought the water even for the price of their souls?”
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
see note on: 1Sa 23:13
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(15) Now three of the thirty captains.Literally, and a three out of the thirty chiefs went down; a mode of description which appears to distinguish this trio from the former (1Ch. 11:11-14). The form of the verb, however, connects this exploit with the same war. (Comp. 2Sa. 23:13-17.)
To the rock.Al ha-r (later use of al, on). Samuel has at (or towards) harvest, el qair. In Hebrew writing the phrases are very similar. Our phrase looks like a correction of that in Samuel. At any rate, the Syriac, Targum, Arabic, and probably the LXX., read qair in the MSS. of Samuel. Here the LXX. has to the rock; Syriac omits the phrase.
Cave of Adullam.See 1Sa. 22:1.
Encamped.Were camping.
Valley of Rephaim.See Jos. 15:8, Note. It lay south-west of Jerusalem, in the direction of Bethlehem. It may have got its name from the aboriginal Rephaim, Deu. 3:11 (Authorised Version, giants), Jos. 17:15. It was a rich corn land (Isa. 13:5). (Comp. 1Ch. 11:13.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(15-19) Three unnamed heroes who fetched water for David from the well at Bethlehem.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
1Ch 11:15. Now three of the thirty captains In 2Sa 23:13 three of the thirty chief. There were thirty-seven heads or chiefs, if we reckon all; and but seven if we reckon only those who were most honourable, and to whom also the name rash, head, or chief, is peculiarly attributed. The Hebrew words in Samuel rendered in the time of harvest, never have that signification throughout the Bible: the verse there should be translated, three captains went down who were over the thirty, and came to the rock to David, into the cave Adullam, &c. Kennicott.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
We know not which to admire most, the bravery of those men, or the piety of David, in the instance concerning the water of Bethlehem here recorded. With what boldness did they enter the host of the Philistines with their lives in their hands, for the assuaging David’s thirst? And how truly noble the conduct of David, in refusing the gratification, when he thought upon the peril with which it was purchased. Oh, gracious Jesus! how much to be prized are thy mercies, when the price with which they were obtained is considered. Be thou to me, dear Lord, a well of water in my soul, that I thirst after nothing but thee, and salvation in thee, for in thee I have all things.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
XVIII
THE WARS OF DAVID
2Sa 5:11-25
Our last chapter intimated that the union of the nation under such a king as David, in such a capital, would naturally excite the jealousy and alarm of all neighboring heathen nations. This section commences thus: “And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David.”
Your attention has already been called to the necessity of breaking the power of the hostile heathen nations lying all around Judah, if ever the Jewish nation is to fulfil its mission to all other nations. The geographical position of Judah, which is the best in the world for leavening the nations with the ideas of the kingdom of God, if it maintained its national purity and adherence to Jehovah, also made it the most desirable possession for other peoples having far different ideals. As the salvation of the world including these very hostile nations, depended on the perpetuity and purity of Israel, these nations, through whom came idolatry and national corruption, must be broken, hence the seeming cruelty and partiality of Jehovah’s order through Moses to destroy the Canaanites, root and branch, and to avoid the corruptions of the other nations, were meant as mercy and kindness to the world.
The nations against which David successfully warred, so far as our text records them, were the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Syrians of Zobah, the Syrians of Damascus, the Moabites, and the Edomites. He had previously smitten the Amalekites of the Negeb. On these wars in general the following observations are noteworthy:
1. He was never the aggressor.
2. He never lost a battle.
3. His conquest filled out the kingdom to the boundaries originally promised to Abraham.
4. The spoils of all these wars, staggering credulity in their variety and value, were consecrated to Jehovah, making the richest treasury known to history.
5. By alliance without war he secured the friendship of Hiram, king of Tyre, most valuable to him and to his son Solomon. As Phoenicia, through the world-famous fleets of Tyre and Sidon, commanded the Mediterranean with all its marine commerce, and as David ruled the land through whose thoroughfares must pass the caravans carrying this traffic to Africa, Arabia, India, Syria, and Mesopotamia, it was of infinite value to both to be in friendly alliance. To these merchant-princes it was of incalculable advantage that all the land transportation of their traffic should lie within the boundaries of one strong and friendly nation rather than to have to run the gauntlet between a hundred irresponsible and predatory tribes, while to David, apart from the value of this peaceful commerce, the whole western border of Judah along the Mediterranean coast was safe from invasion by sea so long as friendship was maintained with Hiram, king of the sea.
6. By the voluntary submission of Hamath after his conquest of Damascus, he controlled the famous historic “Entrance into Hamath,” the one narrow pathway of traffic with the nations around the Caspian Sea, thus enabling David to reach those innumerable northern hordes so graphically described in later days by Ezekiel, the exile-prophet.
7. By the conquest of Damascus he controlled the only caravan route to the Euphrates and Mesopotamia, since the desert lying east of the trans-Jordanic tribes was practically impassable for trade and army movement from a lack of water, We have seen Abraham, migrating from Ur of the Chaldees, low down on the Euphrates, compelled to ascend that river for hundreds of miles in order to find an accessible way to the Holy Land through Damascus. In his day, also Chedorlaorner’s invasion had to follow the same way, as we will see later invasions do in Nebuchadnezzar’s time, which at last conquered David’s Jerusalem.
8. By the conquest of Ammon, Moab, and Edom, all the Arabah passed into his hands, checkmating invasion by Arabian hordes, as well as barring one line of invasion from Egypt. By the conquest of the Philistines and Amalekites the other two ways of Egyptian invasion were barred. You should take a map, such as you will find in Huribut’s Atlas, and show how David’s wars and peaceful alliances safeguarded every border, north, east, south, and west.
Besides these general observations, we may note a special feature characterizing these, and indeed all other wars, prior to the leveling invention of gunpowder and other high explosives, namely, much was accomplished by individual champions of great physical prowess and renown. David himself was as famous in this respect as Richard, the Lionhearted, until in a desperate encounter, related in this section, his life was so endangered that a public demand justly required him to leave individual fighting to less necessary men and confine himself to the true duty of a general the direction of the movements of the army.
Your text recites the special exploits of Jashobeam, Eleazer, Shammah, Abishai, Benaiah, or Benajah, after whom my father, myself, and my oldest son were named. With them may be classed the ten Gadites whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as the mountain deer, the least equal to 100 and the greatest equal to 1000. These crossed the Jordan at its mighty flood and smote the Philistines in all its valley, east and west.
Quite to the front also, as giant-killers, were Sibbecai, Elhanan, and Jonathan’s nephew. Of others, all mighty heroes, we have only a catalogue of names as famous in their day as Hercules, Theseus, and Achilles, Ajax, Ulysses, Horatius, and .King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, but, as philosophizes Sir Walter Scott in lvanhoe concerniog the doughty champions at the tourney of Ashby de la Zouch: “To borrow lines from a contemporary poet, ‘The knights are dust, And their good swords rust, Their souls are with the saints, we trust,’while their escutcheons have long mouldered from the walls of their castles; their castles themselves are but green mounds and shattered ruins; the place that once knew them knows them no more. Nay, many a race since theirs has died out and been forgotten in the very land which they occupied with all the authority of feudal proprietors and lords. What then would it avail to the reader to know their names, or the evanescent symbols of their martial rank?”
One exploit of three of these champions deserves to live forever in literature. It thrills the heart by the naturalness of its appeal to the memory of every man concerning the precious things of his childhood’s home. David was in his stronghold, the Cave of Adullam, weary and thirsty. Bethlehem and his childhood rise before him: “O that one would give me water to drink of the Well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” His exclamation thrills like Woodworth’s famous poem, “How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood, As fond recollections presents them to view! The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wildwood, And ev’ry loved spot which my infancy knew”.
David’s longing for water from that particular well, and Woodworth’s “Old Oaken Bucket” harmonize with my own experience whenever I am delirious with fever. I always see a certain spring on my father’s plantation issuing from the mosscovered, fern-bordered rocks, and filling a sucken barrell. Hard by, hanging on a bush, is the gourd which, when dipped into the cold, clear spring, is more precious to thirsty lips than the silver tankards or gold drinking cups of kings; only in my fever-thirst I never am able to get that gourd to my lips. Three of David’s mighty men heard the expression of his longing for that water out of the Well of Bethlehem, and slipping quietly away, not caring that a Philistine garrison held Bethlehem, the three men alone break through the defended gate and under fire draw water from the well and bring a vessel of it over a long, hot way to thirsty David. It touched his heart when he saw their wounds. He could not drink water purchased with their blood, but poured it out as a libation to such great and devoted friendship.
Some other incidents of the Philistine war are worthy of comment:
1. So great was the defeat of the Philistines in their first battle, where David, under divine direction, attacked the center of their army, the scene is named “Baal-Perazirn,” i.e., “The place of breaking forth.” Splitting their column wide open at its heart, he dispersed them in every direction. They even sat their gods behind them to be burned by David’s men. We need not be startled at the burning of such gods, for history tells of one nation that ate their god, made out of dough, in times of famine. This breaking of a battle-center was a favorite method with Napoleon later, and vainly attempted by Lee at Gettysburg.
2. In the second great battle, again following divine direction, he avoided the center where they expected his attack as before and were there prepared for him this time, and “fetched” a compass to their rear, sheltered from their view by a thick growth of balsam trees, and on hearing “a sound of a going” in these trees, struck them unawares and overthrew them completely.
So Stonewall Jackson, his movements sheltered from observation by the trees of the wilderness, marched and struck in his last and greatest victory at Chancellorsville. And so did that master of war, Frederick the Great, screened by intervening hills, turn the Austrian columns and win his greatest victory at Leuthen. Major Penn, the great Texas lay-evangelist, preached his greatest sermon from “This fetching a compass,” and “When thou hearest the sound of a going in the mulberry trees, bestir thyself.” His application was: (a) Let great preachers attack the center, as David did at Baal-Perazim. (b) But as I am only a layman I must fetch a compass and strike them in the rear where they are not expecting attack. (c) As the signal of assault was the sound of a going in the mulberry trees, which we interpret to mean the power of the Holy Spirit going before, we must tarry for that power, for without it we are bound to fail. (d) But that power being evident, let every member of the church bestir himself. On this last point his zealous exhortation put every man, woman, and child to working.
3. The third incident of this war was its culmination. He pressed his victory until “he took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines;” that is, he captured Gath and the four other cities, or daughters, that had gone from it. To take the bridle of a horse from the hand of a rider is to make that horse serve the new master, so Gath and her daughters paid tribute to David and served him quite a new experience for the Philistines.
4. The result of these great achievements is thus expressed: “And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him on all nations.”
The occasion of his next war, the one with Ammon, was remarkable. Nabash, the king of Ammon, held very friendly relations with David. The fact is that he may have ‘been the father of Amasa, a son of David’s sister, Abigail. Anyway, the relations between them had been very pleasant, so when Nahash died, David, out of the kindness of his heart, always remembering courtesies shown him, sent a friendly embassy to Hanun, the son of Nahash, but the princes of Ammon said to the young king, “Do you suppose that love for your father prompted David to send these men? He sent them to spy out the land so that he can make war successfully against us.” This evil suggestion led the young king to do a very foolish thing, and one that violated all international policy. He arrested these ambassadors and subjected them to the greatest indignity. Their venerable beards were cut off. I don’t know whether that means cut off half-way or just shaved off one side of the face. Then he cut off their long robes of dignity so they would be bob-tailed jackets striking about the hips, and sent them home. No mortification could exceed theirs. Somebody told David about it and he sent this word to them: “Tarry at Jericho until your beards grow out.”
A deacon of the First Church at Waco, when I was pastor, whenever a young member of the church would propose some innovation on the customs of the church, would draw up his tall figure he was quite tall and would reach out his long arm and point at the young man and say, “My young brother, you had better tarry at Jericho until your beard grows out.” It was very crushing on the young brother, and I used to exhort the deacon about his curt way of cutting off members who, whether young or old, had a right equal to his own to speak in conference.
Having practiced that unpardonable indignity upon the friendly ambassadors, the Ammonites know they must fight, since they have made themselves odious to David, so they raise an enormous sum of money, 1,000 talents of silver, and hire 33,000 men from the Syrians, the different branches of the Syrians. Some of them were horsemen from across the Euphrates, some from Tob, some from Maacah, and the rest of them from Zobah. David sends Joab at the head of his mighty army of veterans to fight them. The Ammonites remain in their fortified city of Rabbah, and as Joab’s army approaches, 33,000 Syrians come up behind them, and Joab sees that there is a battle to be fought in the front and in the rear, so he divides his army and takes his picked men to attack the Syrians, and commands Abishai, his brother, to go after the Ammonites as they pour out of their city to attack in front. Joab says to his brother, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, you help me, and if the Ammon-ites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you,” and so they fight both ways and whip in both directions with tremendous success. Joab destroys the Syrians, and Abishai drives the Ammonites back under the walls of their city.
That victory leads to another war. When the Syrians heard of the overthrow of the contingent sent to succor Ammon, they sent across the Euphrates again for reinforcements and mobilized a large home army to fight David. David met them in battle and blotted them off the map, and having disposed of the Syrians, at the return of the season for making war, he sent Joab with a mighty army to besiege the city of Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites. Joab besieges them and when he sees them about to surrender he sends for David to come and accept the surrender and David puts the crown of the king of Ammon on his own head. Then having destroyed the Ammonites, he marches against their southern ally, Moab, and conquers them. Following up this victory he leads his army against Edom, and conquers all that country. This war lasts six months. He gains a great victory over the Edomites and through Abishai, his leader, 18,000 of the Edomites were slain. The heir of the king escapes with great difficulty to Egypt, and is sheltered there. Joab remained six months to bury the dead and gather up the spoils. So ends this period of conquest.
The text tells you, in conclusion, who were the administration officers during this period. You will find it on page 122 of the Harmony. Joab was over the host, Jehoshaphat was recorder, Zadok and Ahimelech were priests, Seraiah was scribe, Benaiah, or Benajah, was over the Cherethites and Pelethites and David’s sons were chiefs about the king.
That great round of successes is followed by the magnificent song of thanksgiving, which needs to be analyzed specially and which is transferred to the Psalter as Psa 18 .
That you may have a connected account of these wars, the consideration of three periods is deferred to the next chapter:
1. The great sin of David, with its far-reaching consequences, 2Sa 11:2-12:24 .
2. His treatment of the Ammonites after the fall of Rabbah, 2Sa 12:31 and 1Ch 20:3 .
3. His treatment of the Moabites, 2Sa 8:2 .
QUESTIONS
1. What is the necessity of breaking the power of the hostile nations within and around Judea?
2. Show why the geographical position of Judea was favorable to its mission of leavening all nations with the ideas of the kingdom of God, and why Judea was a desirable possession to those nations.
3. What event brought a tide of war on David?
4. According to the record, with what nations did he wage successful war?
5. What eight general observations on these wars?
6. What special feature characterized them and all other ancient wars, and what modern inventions have now divested war of this feature?
7. Cite the names of some of David’s champions and their exploits.
8. How does Sir Walter Scott, in Ivanhoe, philosophize on the speedy oblivion coming to great champions?
9. Recite one exploit that deserves to live in literature, and why?
10. Cite the notable characteristic of the battle of Baal-Perazirn.
11. Name the more decisive battle which followed, and give illustrations from history of the different methods of attack in those two battles.
12. Give Major Penn’s text and sermon outline on some words concerning this battle.
13. Explain: ”He took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.”
14. What was the result of these great achievements?
15. Recite the occasion of the war with Ammon and its results, and describe the first battle.
16. Give a brief statement of wars with Syria, Moab, and Edom.
17. With a map before you, show just how by these wars and alliances David safeguarded all his borders.
18. How did he commemorate his victories?
19. How did he celebrate them?
20. Into what other book was his thanksgiving song transferred, and how numbered there?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
1Ch 11:15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
Ver. 15. Now three of the thirty captains. ] Or, Three captains over the thirty. These first famous three jointly did the following exploit. See 1Ch 11:19 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thirty. See note on 1Ch 27:1.
Rephaim. Hebrew. Rapha. One of the great among the Nephilim, like Anak; giving his name to this valley. Compare Jos 15:8. 2Sa 5:18, 2Sa 5:22; 2Sa 23:13. Isa 17:5. See note on Num 13:22, Num 13:28. Deu 1:28, and App-23.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
of the thirty captains: or, captains over the thirty, 2Sa 23:13-39
the cave: Jos 12:15, 1Sa 22:1, Mic 1:15
in the: 1Ch 14:9, 2Sa 5:18, 2Sa 5:22, Isa 17:5
Rephaim: Jos 15:8, the giants
Reciprocal: Gen 14:5 – Rephaims 1Sa 22:2 – a captain 1Ch 12:4 – a mighty man
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
11:15 Now three of the {d} thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
(d) That is, Eleazar and his two companions.