{"id":10903,"date":"2022-09-24T03:47:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-24T08:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-1-chronicles-181\/"},"modified":"2022-09-24T03:47:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T08:47:00","slug":"exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-1-chronicles-181","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-1-chronicles-181\/","title":{"rendered":"Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 18:1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. <\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

Ch. 1Ch 18:1-13<\/span> (= 2Sa 8:1-14<\/span>). A Summary of David’s Foreign Wars<\/p>\n

1<\/strong>. after this<\/em> ] The phrase is adopted from 2Sa 8:1<\/span> and probably came originally from a still earlier book of annals, in which the context may have been different. We cannot therefore say at what period of David’s reign the conquest of Gath took place.<\/p>\n

took Gath and her towns<\/em> ] In 2Sa 8:1<\/span>, took the bridle of the<\/em> mother city<\/em> (R.V.), a poetical expression which the Chronicler has turned into prose.<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

Gath and her towns – <\/B>In Samuel, Methegammah (see the marginal reference note).<\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:1-12<\/span><\/p>\n

Now after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Spoils from Edom<\/strong><\/p>\n

If we have conquered an enemy we must hold the conquest as an illustration of the power of God rather than of the skill of our own might or hand. The idols which we <\/strong>bring away from the lands of darkness are to be set up in Gods house, and are to mark points in the progress of Christian civilisation. They are to be regarded as indications of a universal conquest which Christ has yet to win over the nations of the whole world. If we have brought back spoils–such as art, music, or any form of pleasure by which the popular mind can be touched and moved in an upward direction–we are to remember that in all these spoils we <\/strong>are to see the Divine power, and not proofs of our own military genius. (J. Parker,<\/em> D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

CHAPTER XVIII <\/P>

David smites the Philistines, and takes Gath<\/I>, 1.<\/P>

Reduces the Moabites<\/I>, 2.<\/P>

Vanquishes Hadarezer, king of Zobah<\/I>, 3, 4.<\/P>

Overcomes the Syrians of Damascus, and takes several of their<\/I><\/P>

cities<\/I>, 5-8.<\/P>

Tou, king of Hamath, congratulates him on his victory, and<\/I><\/P>

sends him vessels of silver, gold, and brass<\/I>, 9, 10.<\/P>

Those and the different spoils he had taken from the conquered<\/I><\/P>

nations, he dedicates to God<\/I>, 11.<\/P>

Abishai defeats the Edomites<\/I>, 12, 13.<\/P>

David reigns over all Israel<\/I>, 14.<\/P>

His officers<\/I>, 15-17. <\/P>

NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII<\/P>

<\/P>

Verse 1<\/span>. David – took Gath and her towns<\/B><\/I>] See the comparison between this chapter and 2Sa 8:1<\/span>, &c., in the notes on the latter.<\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

All this chapter is explained on 2Sa 8<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1. David . . . took Gath and hertowns<\/B>The full extent of David’s conquests in the Philistineterritory is here distinctly stated, whereas in the parallel passage(2Sa 8:1<\/span>) it was only describedin a general way. Gath was the “Metheg-ammah,” or”arm-bridle,” as it is there calledeither from itssupremacy as the capital over the other Philistine towns, or because,in the capture of that important place and its dependencies, heobtained the complete control of his restless neighbors.<\/P><\/p>\n

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

The events recorded in these three chapters are all narrated in the second book of Samuel also, and in the same order. First, there are grouped together in our 18th chapter, and in 2 Sam 8, in such a manner as to afford a general view of the whole, all the wars which David carried on victoriously against all his enemies round about in the establishment of the Israelitish rule, with a short statement of the results, followed by a catalogue of David’s chief public officials. In 1 Chron 19 and in 2 Sam 10 we have a more detailed account of the arduous war against the Ammonites and Syrians, and in 1Ch 20:1-3<\/span> and 2Sa 12:26-31<\/span> the conclusion of the war with the capture of Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites; and finally, in 1Ch 20:4-8<\/span>, we have a few short accounts of the victories of the Israelitish heroes over giants from the land of the Philistines, which are inserted in 2Sa 21:18-22<\/span> as a supplement to the last section of David’s history. Apart from this last section, which is to be regarded even in the Chronicle as an appendix, we find the arrangement and succession of the events to be the same in both books, since the sections which in 2Sa 9:1-13<\/span> and 2Sa 11:1-12<\/span>, 2Sa 11:25<\/span>, stand between the histories of the wars, contain sketches of David’s family life, which the author of the Chronicle has, in accordance with his plan, omitted. Even as to individual details the two narratives are perfectly agreed, the divergences being inconsiderable; and even these, in so far as they are original, and are not results of careless copying, – as, for instance, the omission of the word , 1Ch 18:6<\/span>, as compared with 1Ch 18:13<\/span> and 2Sa 8:6<\/span>, and the difference in the numbers and names in 1Ch 18:4<\/span>, 1Ch 18:8<\/span>, as compared with 2Sa 4:4<\/span>, 2Sa 4:8<\/span>, are, – partly mere explanations of obscure expressions, partly small additions or abridgments. For the commentary, therefore, we may refer to the remarks on 2nd Samuel, where the divergences of the Chronicle from the record in Samuel are also dealt with. With 1Ch 18:1-13<\/span> cf. 2Sa 8:1-14<\/span>; and with the register of public officials, 2Sa 18:14-17<\/span>, cf. 2Sa 8:15-18<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Examples of paraphrastic explanation are found in 1Ch 18:1<\/span>, where the figurative expression, David took the bridle of the mother out of the hands of the Philistines, i.e., deprived them of the hegemony, is explained by the phrase, David took Gath and her cities out of the hands of the Philistines, i.e., took from the Philistines the capital with her daughter cities; and in 1Ch 18:17<\/span>, is rendered by, the first at the king’s hand. Among the abridgments, the omission of David’s harsh treatment of the Moabites who were taken prisoners is surprising, no reason for it being discoverable; for the assertion that the chronicler has purposely omitted it in order to free David from the charge of such barbarous conduct, is disposed of by the fact that he does not pass over in silence the similar treatment of the conquered inhabitants of Rabbah in 1Ch 20:3<\/span>. Instead of this, the chronicler has several historical notes peculiar to himself, which are wanting in the text of Samuel, and which prove that the author of the Chronicle has not derived his account from the second book of Samuel. Such, e.g., is the statement in 1Ch 18:8<\/span>, that Solomon caused the brazen sea and the pillars and vessels of the court of the temple to be made of the brass taken as booty in the war against Hadadezer; in 1Ch 18:11<\/span>, the word , which is wanting in Samuel, as , which in 1Ch 18:11<\/span> of that book is used in place of it, probably stood originally in the Chronicle also. Such also are the more accurate statements in 1Ch 18:12<\/span> as to the victory over the Edomites in the Valley of Salt (see on 2Sa 8:13<\/span>).<\/p>\n

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

David’s Victories.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD>

B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 1042.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE>

      1 Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.   2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and<\/I> 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,<\/I> 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<\/I> in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and<\/I> brought gifts. Thus the LORD<\/B> 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 brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.<\/P>

      After this,<\/I> it is said (v.<\/I><\/span> 1<\/span>), David did those great exploits. After the sweet communion he had had with God by the word and prayer, as mentioned in the foregoing chapter, he went on his work with extraordinary vigour and courage, conquering and to conquer.<\/I> Thus Jacob, after his vision, lifted up his feet, Gen. xxix. 1<\/span>.<\/P>

      We have taken a view of these victories before, and shall now only observe, 1. Those that have been long enemies to the Israel of God will be brought down at last. The Philistines had, for several generations, been vexatious to Israel, but now David subdued them,<\/I> v.<\/span> 1<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Thus shall all opposing rule, principality, and power,<\/I> be, at the end of time, put down by the Son of David, and the most inveterate enemies shall fall before him. 2. Such is the uncertainty of this world that frequently men lose their wealth and power when they think to confirm it. Hadarezer was smitten as he went to establish his dominion,<\/I> v.<\/span> 3<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. 3. A horse is a vain thing for safety,<\/I> so David said (Ps. xxxiii. 17<\/span>), and it seems he believed what he said, for he houghed the chariot-horses,<\/I> v.<\/span> 4<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Being resolved not to trust to them (Ps. xx. 7<\/span>), he would not use them. 4. The enemies of God’s church are often made to ruin themselves by helping one another, v.<\/I><\/span> 5<\/span>. The Syrians of Damascus were smitten when they came to help Hadarezer. When hand thus joins in hand they shall not only not go unpunished, but thereby they shall be gathered as the sheaves into the floor,<\/I>Mic 4:11<\/span>; Mic 4:12<\/span>. 5. The wealth of the sinner<\/I> sometimes proves to have been laid up for the just.<\/I> The Syrians brought gifts,<\/I> v.<\/span> 6<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. Their shields of gold and their brass were brought to Jerusalem, 1Ch 18:7<\/span>; 1Ch 18:8<\/span>. As the tabernacle was built of the spoils of the Egyptians, so the temple of the spoils of other Gentile nations, a happy presage of the interest the Gentiles should have in the gospel church.<\/P><\/p>\n

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

see note on: 2Sa 8:1<\/span><\/p>\n

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

CRITICAL NOTES.] This chapter, parallel with 2 Samuel 8<\/span>, gives an account of Davids wars (1Ch. 18:1-13<\/span>); and a list of his chief officers.<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:1-2<\/span><\/em>.Gath<\/em>, the arm bridle, so called (2Sa. 8:1<\/span>) for its supremacy, as capital of Philistia, over other towns, or because in its capture and dependencies, David gained complete control of his restless neighbours. Moab<\/em>. Severities by which they were treated, and probable reason for such retribution, given in Sam. Gifts, i.e.<\/em>, became tributary to Israel.<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:3-8<\/span><\/em>.Zobah conquered. Had.<\/em>, derived from Hadad, a Syrian deity. It seems to have become the official and hereditary title of the rulers of that kingdom [Jam.<\/em>]. 1Ch. 18:4<\/span>. Chariots<\/em>. Great discrepancy between this and 2Sa. 8:3-14<\/span>. Houghed, i.e.<\/em>, cut the sinews, lamed the horses, and made chariots useless. 1Ch. 18:6<\/span>. Garrisons<\/em>, not in text, rightly restored from Sam. [Speak. Com.<\/em>]. 1Ch. 18:7<\/span>. Shields<\/em>, indicative of wealth. 1Ch. 18:8<\/span>. These places specially given on account of brass or copper obtained there.<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:9-11<\/span><\/em>.Congratulations from Tou<\/em> (Toi in Sam.). 1Ch. 18:10<\/span>. Had.<\/em>, Joram. Enquire<\/em>, to greet him and congratulate him. Had war<\/em>, lit. was a man of wars (cf.<\/em> Isa. 41:12<\/span>). 1Ch. 18:11<\/span>. Edom<\/em>, from Aram; more fully in 2 Samuel 8<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:12-13<\/span><\/em>.Edomites<\/em>, having provoked David, he sent an army, subdued and made their country a tributary province. Valley of Salt south of Salt Sea. This annexation of Edom enlarged Israel on south-east to Red Sea, fulfilled divine prediction (Exo. 23:31<\/span>), and gave command of its ports.<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:14-17<\/span><\/em>.Officers of the King. Joab<\/em>, supreme command, minister of war. Jehos.<\/em>, not keeper of records merely; but referee on internal affairs, the chancellor<\/em>, who drew up and issued royal decrees. Zadok<\/em>, became high-priest after Davids accession, through his father Ahitub, a descendant of Aarons son Eleazar. Abim.<\/em>, Ahimelech, through Abiathar from Ithamar<\/em>, younger son of Aaron (1Ch. 24:3-6<\/span>). Shavsha<\/em>, a variant from Shisha (1Ki. 4:3<\/span>); the Sheva of 2Sa. 22:25<\/span>, and the Seraiah of 2Sa. 8:17<\/span>, are probably corrupt readings [Speak. Com.<\/em>]. Scribe<\/em>, State Secretary. 1Ch. 18:17<\/span>. Ben.<\/em>, a mighty warrior of Kabzeel (2Sa. 23:20-23<\/span>). Cher.<\/em> and the Pel.<\/em>, the royal body-guard attached to the kings court and person. Chief<\/em>, heads or princes, officers in the palace.<\/p>\n

HOMILETICS<\/em><\/p>\n

DAVIDS WARS.1Ch. 18:1-8<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A short time elapsed between events of last chapter and events of this, but David ready for active service. Wonderful promises stirred up to brave deeds. <\/p>\n

I. The Philistines are subdued<\/strong> (1Ch. 18:1<\/span>). Ancient inveterate enemies, finally smitten, bereft of their capital and their towns. David smote the Philistines and subdued (humbled) them (2Sa. 8:1<\/span>). All must fall before the authority of Christ. <\/p>\n

II. The Moabites are smitten.<\/strong> Why Moab was at enmity with David not known, formerly on friendly terms (1Sa. 22:3-4<\/span>). The severe punishment inflicted upon them implies some grave offence. They became servants and paid tribute for a long time. Balaams prediction now fulfilled (Num. 24:17<\/span>). <\/p>\n

III. Hadarezer, king of Zobah, defeated.<\/strong> A powerful king, reigned over a country central and convenient for help. <\/p>\n

1. Defeated when trying to enlarge his kingdom<\/em>. He went to stablish his dominion shaken by Saul and to confirm after regaining it. One thing lost by grasping at another. Worldly possessions uncertain. Wealth, power, and empire often taken when possessors seek to stablish them. <\/p>\n

2. Defeated when allied with Syrians<\/em>. Allies in vain when God is opposed. Hand may join hand, enemies of Gods people may contribute their men and their stores, but they often combine to ruin themselves. Their wealth aid up for the just, and the spoils of nations help to adorn the house and kingdom of God. <\/p>\n

IV. The Edomites are conquered<\/strong> (1Ch. 18:13<\/span>). Davids splendour increased by another victory. Edomites fancied that Davids wars in north would give them quiet possession of the southern part of Israelitish territory. But returning from the conquest of Aramans and Ammonites he engaged Edomites in Valley of Salt, slew eighteen thousand, and garrisoned the country. Thus, from north to south, Israels enemies were overcome. Davids wars were wars of God. He overcame, as we must overcome, by Gods presence and help. He causeth us to triumph.<\/p>\n

CONGRATULATIONS OF THE KING OF HAMATH.1Ch. 18:9-11<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Toi heard of the decisive victory over Hadarezer, sent an embassy to greet David and congratulate him on success. Look at this<\/p>\n

I. As an Eastern custom.<\/strong> Who in the East has not witnessed similar things? Has a man gained a case in a court of law; has he been blessed by the birth of a son; has he given his daughter in marriage; has he gained a situation under government; has he returned from a voyage or a journey, or finished a successful speculation; then his friends and neighbours send messengers to congratulate himto express the joy they feel in his prosperity; so much so that had it come to themselves their pleasure could not have been greater [Roberts<\/em>]. <\/p>\n

II. As a stroke of policy.<\/strong> Had carried on constant war with Toi. Hence joy at deliverance from an enemy and anxiety to be friendly with the conqueror. It is our interest to be on terms with God and his people. Kiss the son (be subject to him and reverance him), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little (Psa. 2:12<\/span>). <\/p>\n

III. As an expression of friendship.<\/strong> Toi sent his son to seek friendly alliance. The rich presents an expression of respect and submission. Friendship with God procured by dedication of heart and life to him.<\/p>\n

CONSECRATED SPOILS.1Ch. 18:11<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Need not approve of all Davids actions in war, but may commend his spirit and example in the disposal of his booty. <\/p>\n

I. As an evidence of loyalty to God.<\/strong> Many princes adorned their palaces, beautified the arms of their soldiers, or preserved the spoils of the enemy for their own aggrandisement. David set them apart from profane to sacred use, put them into the treasury of the sanctuary. An instance of gratitude to God, by whose aid he had gained them, seldom imitated by victorious kings. Men not always faithful in prosperity. If we are successful in studies, business, and pursuits, let us devote our spoils, our knowledge, wealth, and influence to him from whom comes every gift. <\/p>\n

II. As a help to the furtherance of Gods cause.<\/strong> David gained subjects, territories, and political alliance; received gifts of horses and chariots, gold and brass, but all consecrated to lawful use. Presents of friends and spoils of enemies devoted to the Lord, and helped to rear and adorn the temple. Many refuse gifts from worldly men for religious purposes, disparage liberality on the ground that God cares not for material wealth. But God connects the wealth with the work of men. Christ regards whatever is done to his people as done to himself, and heathens will turn and bring presents to him (Isa. 60:6<\/span>).<\/p>\n

DAVIDS ADMINISTRATION AND OFFICERS.1Ch. 18:13-17<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Besides military exploits and activity, a description of internal government with its officials and their duties. <\/p>\n

I. Davids government was righteous government.<\/strong> One or two qualities chronicled. He executed judgment and justice among all the people. Right and purity not always connected with authority. Society is maintained and its advantages consolidated by justice. Just rulers make contented and united people. Justice in the court, on the bench, and in the ranks exalts a nation, and gives it a sacred mission to the world. <\/p>\n

II. Davids officers were eminent men.<\/strong> The most eminent of the age composed his cabinet. The commander-in-chief, clever, courageous, and renowned for military achievements. Faithful to the king, not always to principle. The chancellor correctly published royal decrees and registered events in the State archives. The body-guard round the king and priests before the altar, each in his place and work, gave influence to the reign, and felt honoured in the service. Thus Davids rule not only associated with military prowess, but poetic genius and personal piety. Remarkable for men of rank and administrative ability, and did more for Israel than Charlemagne did for Europe or Alfred for England.<\/p>\n

HOMILETIC HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS<\/em><\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:1<\/span> to 1Ch. 3:1<\/span>. How trying the life of David!<\/em> Its wars, toils, hardships, and perils great and numerous. <\/p>\n

2. Yet how happy the life of David!<\/em> God preserved him, gave honour and success. He rendered true service; never separated any part from God to keep for self. This severs from divine care. If we take our lives wilfully into our hands, and devote them to our own selfish pursuits, God withdraws special grace, we fall into the enemys hands, and fail to accomplish the work we might have done.<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:13<\/span>. The Lord preserved David<\/em>. <\/p>\n

1. From spiritual pride. In exaltation, power and success in battle.
2. From personal injury in war. Often in danger, but an unseen hand sustained him.
3. From disgraceful defeat. Many commanders lost their lives, and kings their crowns.
4. From unjust government. He began with no fatal blunder, levied no unjust taxes, introduced no unwise policy, nor created any disloyalty. He reigned in the affections of the people, gave the glory to God, and was preserved in honour and prosperity.<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:9-13<\/span>. Lessons from Davids years of warfare<\/em>. <\/p>\n

1. A pious man may have many enemies.
2. A pious man may be required to spend much of his life in war.
3. A pious man may be compelled to inflict severe punishments.
4. A pious man, even though not always prospered or preserved, is always guided and blessed.
5. A pious man will rejoice to consecrate the richest results of his struggles and toils to God [Lange<\/em>. 2 Samuel 8<\/span>].<\/p>\n

ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 18<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:4<\/span>. Houghed<\/em>. The reason of this mutilation was that, horses being forbidden by the Mosaic constitution to the Hebrews, both in war and in agriculture, it was of no use to keep them; and their neighbours placing much dependence on cavalry, but having, for want of a native breed, to procure them by purchase, the greatest damage that could be done to such enemies was to render their horses unserviceable in war (cf.<\/em> Gen. 49:6<\/span>; Jos. 11:6-9<\/span>) [Jamieson<\/em>].<\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:11<\/span>. Dedicate<\/em>. Eastern princes have always been accustomed to hoard up vast quantities of gold [see Layard<\/em>, Nineveh and its Remains, II., p. 344]. This is the first instance of a practice uniformly followed by David, of reserving, after defraying expenses and bestowing suitable rewards upon his soldiers, the remainder of the spoil taken in war, to accumulate for the grand project of his lifethe erection of a national temple at Jerusalem [Ibid.<\/em>].<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

10. WAR WITH MOAB, PHILISTIA, AND SYRIA
(Chapter 18)<\/p>\n

TEXT<\/strong><\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:1<\/span>. And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines. 2. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.<\/p>\n

3. And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. 4. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
5. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. 6. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And Jehovah gave victory to 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. And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.
9. And when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah, 10. he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him (for Hadarezer had wars with Tou); and he had with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass. 11. These also did king David dedicate unto Jehovah, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the 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 smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt eighteen thousand. 13. And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Jehovah gave victory to David whithersoever he went.
14. And David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness unto all his people. 15. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16. and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe; 17. and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and the sons of David were chiefs about the king.<\/p>\n

PARAPHRASE<\/strong><\/p>\n

1Ch. 18:1<\/span>. David finally subdued the Philistines and conquered Gath and its surrounding towns. 2. He also conquered Moab and required its people to send him a large sum of money every year.<\/p>\n

3. He conquered the dominion of King Hadadezer of Zobah (as far as Hamath) at the time Hadadezer went to tighten his grip along the Euphrates River. 4. David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand troops. He crippled all the chariot teams except a hundred that he kept for his own use.
5.When the Syrians arrived from Damascus to help King Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of them; 6. then he placed a garrison of his troops in Damascus, the Syrian capital. So the Syrians, too, were forced to send him large amounts of money every year. And the Lord gave David victory everywhere he went. 7. He brought the gold shields of King Hadadezers officers to Jerusalem, 8. as well as a great amount of bronze from Hadadezers cities of Tibhath and Cun. (King Solomon later melted the bronze and used it for the Temple. He molded it into the bronze tank, the pillars, and the instruments used in offering sacrifices on the altar.)
9. When King Tou of Hamath learned that King David had destroyed Hadadezers army, 10. he sent his son Hadoram to greet and congratulate King David on his success and to present him with many gifts of gold, silver, and bronze, seeking an alliance. For Hadadezer and Tou had been enemies and there had been many wars between them. 11. King David dedicated these gifts to the Lord, as he did the silver and gold he took from the nations of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Amalek, and the Philistines.
12. Abishai (son of Zeruiah) then destroyed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13. He put garrisons in Edom and forced the Edomites to pay large sums of money annually to David. This is just another example of how the Lord gave David victory after victory.
14. David reigned over all of Israel and was a just ruler. 15. Joab (son of Zeruiah) was commander-in-chief of the army; Jehoshaphat (son of Ahilud) was the historian; 16. Zadok (son of Ahitub) and Ahimelech (son of Abiathar) were the head priests; Shavsha was the kings special assistant; 17. Benaiah (son of Jehoiada) was in charge of the kings bodyguardthe Cherethites and Pelethitesand Davids sons were his chief aides.<\/p>\n

COMMENTARY<\/strong><\/p>\n

The record at this point provides occasion for the student to recall how David the shepherd became commander-in-chief of a great army. The purpose of the present chapter is to summarize Davids early military victories as king of Israel. The Philistines, Israels ancient foe, had challenged Davids army on two occasions in the Valley of Rephaim. Once the Philistines fled leaving behind their broken gods. Again, Jehovah caused the Philistines to hear the sounds of a mighty army coming down upon them through the tops of the mulberry trees. No doubt, David followed the Philistines into their own country occupying Gath and other villages. Gath was about thirty five miles southwest of Jerusalem and about fifteen miles from the coast. It was one of the key Philistine cities. Israels armies moved against the Moabites whose country was just to the east of the Dead Sea. Ruth, Davids great great grandmother on his fathers side, had come from Moab. 1Sa. 22:3-4<\/span> records how David had requested the Moabites to provide a place of refuge for his parents while he tried to avoid Saul. 2Sa. 8:2<\/span> describes Davids war with the Moabites indicating that he dealt with them in a very cruel manner. It is possible that the Moabites had not been faithful in the matter of caring for Davids parents. The Moabites began to pay tribute to David. These people were the descendants of Lot.<\/p>\n

The Hadarezer of verse three is called Hadadezer in other references in the Bible. His kingdom was called Zobah and was located between Damascus and the Euphrates River. With the rise of this new power of Israel, Hadarezer moved to extend his kingdom even as far west as Hamath. This city was located on the Orontes River about 250 miles north of Jerusalem. The region involved would mark the northern-most part of the territory to be controlled by David. In subduing Hadarezer David extended the boundaries of his kingdom to the Euphrates River. This was a military victory of considerable proportions. One thousand chariots represented a fortune in military equipment. Solomon (1Ki. 10:29<\/span>) brought chariots out of Egypt at a price of six hundred shekels of silver each. This may be estimated at about four hundred dollars for each chariot. A horse in Solomons day could be bought for one hundred fifty shekels of silver, or about one-fourth the price of a chariot. David may already have had all of the horses he needed and for this reason he hocked the enemys horses. A sharp slash of the sword at the back of the horses hoof cut the tendon and made the animal unfit for service. David did select from among all of the horses taken in this battle one hundred choice animals to be added to his stables. Seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers were taken. These most likely were simply taken as prisoners of war and were subjected to task work.<\/p>\n

When Hadarezer found himself in real difficulty contesting Israels power, the Syrians called out their army to help him. The ancient capital of Syria was Damascus. This important city was about one hundred and thirty miles north northeast of Jerusalem. Through this city a very important trade route passed between the east and the west. Abraham had traveled this road when he had come to Canaan. There he had purchased Eliezer who became his chief servant. In the days of Ahab, more than a hundred years after Davids time, the kings of Syria once more would trouble Israel. However, Damascus and the Syrians could not withstand Davids power. Twenty two thousand enemy warriors fell before Israels onslaught. To make certain that the Syrians were kept in their place, David stationed detachments of Hebrew warriors at Damascus. At regular intervals tribute was collected from the conquered people. David did not set out to conquer the world. Whatever territories were annexed to his kingdom were within the limits of the original promises to Abrahambetween the Great Sea and the Euphrates River. Within these limits Jehovah gave victory to David whithersoever he went (1Ch. 18:6<\/span>). David knew that it was not his work to build the Temple; but from the time he first thought about it until he died, preparations for the Temple were of primary importance. The gold taken in battle from the Syrians was laid up in Jerusalem. The fact that the warriors of Zobah had shields of gold indicates the remarkable wealth of that nation. Tibhath and Cun are identified as cities of Hadarezer. Their exact location is not known. From them the armies of Israel took a great amount of brass. This brass (or copper) was used for the brazen sea which was set in the court of priests at the Temple. It measured ten cubits (about 15 feet) in diameter. It was five cubits high (about 7 feet). It was a hand-breadth in thickness (three or four inches). The capacity of the vessel has been estimated at about twenty four thousand gallons. The pillars were located at the entrance to the Holy Place, one on either side (1Ki. 7:15-22<\/span>). Each pillar with its capital was twenty three cubits high. Each had a circumference of twelve cubits (about 18 feet). The vessels of brass included ten lavers used in connection with the great sea of brass. The bases for these lavers measured four cubits by four cubits by three cubits in height (1Ki. 7:27<\/span>). Each contained about four hundred eighty gallons. In addition to these, bowls, flagons, spoons, pans and many other instruments were made of this material. So much brass was used in the construction of the Temple that no attempt was made to weigh or evaluate it. In his wars David was concerned with preparing a stockpile of materials out of which a splendid Temple could be built.<\/p>\n

The king who is here called Tou is called Toi in other references. He is identified as king of Hamath. Tou had engaged Hadarezer in battle on previous occasions and had formed no real obstacle in the king of Zodahs move toward the Great Sea. When Tou learned that David had overpowered the great king to the East, he decided not to challenge David. His son, Hadoram, elsewhere called Joram, came with precious gifts of gold, silver, and brass. Abundant wealth flowed into Davids treasuries and he dedicated all of it to Jehovah. Edom paid tribute to Israel. This was a reversal of what happened when Jacob had sent gifts to Esau upon Jacobs return from Haran (Genesis, chapter 33). The Edomites were the descendants of Esau. Moab and Ammon, sons of Lot, often contested the right of Israel to live in Palestine. In Davids day they, too, bring their tribute. David continually maintained military superiority over the Philistines. The Amalekites, like the Edomites, were descendants of Esau. Like the other nations, this ancient enemy, which sent the first army to attack Israel after the Hebrews left Egypt, is forced to pay tribute to David. Jehovah blessed David in all of his enterprises.<\/p>\n

Abishai (1Ch. 18:12<\/span>) was one of three sons of Zeruiah, Davids sister. Joab and Asahel, Abishais brothers, were great warriors. The Valley of Salt, sometimes called the Vale of Siddim, was located at the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. A valley, called the Arabah, extended south of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. The Valley of Salt was in the Edomite country. At some time in Davids day Abishai led an expedition against the Edomites which conflict resulted in the deaths of eighteen thousand of the enemy. As David had done at Damascus in stationing garrisons of soldiers to hold conquered territory, so he did in the land of Edom. This guaranteed the collection of the tribute.<\/p>\n

Davids remarkable ability in subduing Israels enemies magnified his reputation as a great king. At this point in the history David was making good progress as he ushered in Israels golden age. The expanding kingdom not only brought power and fame to David as king, but it also magnified the importance of each office in the government under David. The kingdom was united as it had never been before. Davids rule was characterized by justice and righteousness. He ruled by Jehovahs Law. He was no respecter of persons. His reign was to become the model for all who followed him. Joab was the chief military leader under David. From this time every Hebrew king had a man on his cabinet called a recorder whose responsibility was to write an accurate account of the kings reign. Jehoshaphat held this responsible position in Davids court. We are indebted to the work of these recorders for the accurate records of the life and times of the kings of Israel and Judah. Shavsha was the scribe or secretary. He probably held the responsible position of secretary of state and would serve as chief diplomat in all foreign relations. Zadok and Abimelech (or Ahimelech) served as the chief priests. One most likely served at the Tabernacle, the other at the ark in Jerusalem. Benaiah had the chief responsibility over the Cherethites and Pelethites who served as Davids personal bodyguard. They formed his secret service corps. David practiced nepotism in that he set his own sons in certain offices of trust. The expanding kingdom necessitated a more highly developed government than that which would have been required in king Sauls day.<\/p>\n

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

(1) Now after this it came to pass.<\/strong>Literally, And it befel afterwards.<\/em> This expression does not put the contents of this chapter into direct chronological sequence with those of the last. (Comp. Note on 1Ch. 17:1<\/span>.) The formula of the original history, from which both Samuel and Chronicles have derived a chief part of their substance, has been taken over without modification, after the manner of Oriental compilers. We may, therefore, regard the phrase as a mere mark of transition in the narrative.<\/p>\n

Gath and her towns.<\/strong>Heb., her daughters,<\/em> that is, outlying dependencies. Samuel has, And David took the bridle [control, supremacy] of the metropolis [mother-city] out of the hand, &c. The chronicler or his authority has interpreted this curious expression (mtheg hammh<\/em>).<\/em> If at the time Gath was the chief city of Philistia, and David made it recognise his suzerainty by payment of tribute, the phrases of both books are intelligible. In Solomons time Gath was ruled by a king, Achish (1Ki. 2:39<\/span>), but he was hardly independent of Solomon. ( Comp. 1Ki. 4:24<\/span>. ) The general sense is the same if mtheg hammh<\/em> be rendered the bridle of the arm<\/em>i.e.,<\/em> the sovereign control, or supremacy.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

(1-3) Reduction of the Philistines, Moabites, and Arameans of Zobah.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:13<\/strong><\/span> <\/strong> Comments – <\/em><\/strong> We read in the parallel passage of 2Sa 8:13<\/span> that David smote the Syrians Hebrew ( ) (H758<\/span>) in this great battle, and not the Edomites ( ) (H123<\/span>).<\/p>\n

2Sa 8:13<\/span>, “And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.”<\/p>\n

The context of this passage implies the Edomites were defeated, since the following verses immediately refer to them. In addition, Psalms 60<\/span> very likely refers to this battle, telling us that David fought with Edom, and not Syria.<\/p>\n

Psa 60:1<\/span>, To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand. “O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.”<\/p>\n

This is considered an orthographical error, where a scribe accidentally wrote the Hebrew word for Aram (Syria) ( ) instead of Edom ( ). These words are similar except for the letters daleth ( ) and resh ( ) being interchanged in the middle. The error obviously occurred because the two letters are very similar.<\/p>\n

Because of the tremendous reverence that the Jews gave the Hebrew Scriptures, they feared to correct the text even when it was an obvious scribal error. Therefore, any corrections of recognized errors were made in the margin or footnote of the text, while the misspelled words were retained within in the text. <\/p>\n

In this particular passage, the LXX<\/em> and Syriac versions, as well as some ancient Hebrew manuscripts read “Edom.” Some modern versions also make the correction. <\/p>\n

NIV<\/em>, “Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.”<\/p>\n

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/strong> War With The Philistines, Moabites, and Syrians<\/p>\n

v. 1. Now, after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines,<\/strong> over whom he had already gained two victories, 1Ch 14:8-16<\/span>, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns,<\/strong> one of the five Philistine city-states, out of the hands of the Philistines. <\/p>\n

v. 2. And he smote Moab,<\/strong> the heathen nation southeast of the Dead Sea; and the Moabites became David’s servants,<\/strong> his tributary vassals, and brought gifts. <\/strong> Cf 2Sa 8:1-2<\/span>. <\/p>\n

v. 3. And David smote Hadarezer<\/strong> (or Hadadezer), king of Zobah, unto,<\/strong> rather, toward, Hamath,<\/strong> his territory lying north or northeast of Damascus, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates,<\/strong> in an effort to get the supremacy of the Syrian states. <\/p>\n

v. 4. And David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand footmen. <\/strong> The apparent discrepancy between this statement and that of 2Sa 8:4<\/span> is due to the fact that in the latter passage the Hebrew text is a trifle corrupt. David also houghed all the chariot horses,<\/strong> by hamstringing them, but reserved of them an hundred chariots,<\/strong> probably for a triumphal procession upon his return. <\/p>\n

v. 5. And when the Syrians of Damascus,<\/strong> who now held the supremacy in the Syrian countries, came to help Hadarezer, king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians,<\/strong> in defeating their army utterly, two and twenty thousand men. <\/p>\n

v. 6. Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus,<\/strong> as in a tributary country. And the Syrians became David’s servants and brought gifts,<\/strong> regular tribute money. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. <\/p>\n

v. 7. And David took the shields,<\/strong> the arms or equipments, of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer,<\/strong> with which his soldiers were equipped, and brought them to Jerusalem,<\/strong> into the treasury of the Sanctuary. <\/p>\n

v. 8. Likewise from Tibbath<\/strong> (probably Tebah) and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer,<\/strong> towns through which the main caravan road to the Euphrates ran, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass,<\/strong> 1Ki 7:15-23<\/span>. Thus the kingdom of David was extended as far as the Euphrates, because the Lord was with him. Even so the believers prosper under God’s blessings in all that His goodness bestows upon them. <\/p>\n

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

EXPOSITION<\/strong><\/p>\n

The course of last chapter’s parallel is continued here, and answers closely to 2Sa 8:1-18<\/span>. The present chapter contains the wars and victories of David (2Sa 8:1-13<\/span>), with the arrangements consequent upon them; and (2Sa 8:14-17<\/span>) an enumeration of some of his chief officers.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:1<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines<\/strong>; literally, her daughters. <\/em>The compiler of Chronicles gives us this plain statement where, in the parallel place, we find, “took Metheg-ammah,” or more exactly, Metheg-ha-ammah<\/em>, <\/em>the explanation of which word (see 2Sa 8:1<\/span>) is not yet ascertained. Its literal signification is “the bridle or curb of the mother city,” and may mark a special strong position which commanded Gath, or it may describe Gath as owning itself to such a position. Gesenius understands it to mean that David “subjected the metropolis of the Philistines to himself,” quoting the Arabian proverb, To give <\/em>one s bridle to any one, as equivalent to submitting to him. He quotes also Job 30:11<\/span>. It may be noted that Ammah is spoken of (2Sa 2:24<\/span>) as the name of a hill, otherwise unknown, however. Although David subdued so many places, he reigned over them, i.e<\/em>, over many of them, still by “their own kings” (1Ki 4:24<\/span>; 2Ch 9:26<\/span>). Hence we find Gath with a king still in 1Ki 2:39<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:2<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Brought gifts<\/strong>; i.e. <\/em>in the light of tribute and of acknowledgment of subjection. There are curious additions to this passage in the parallel place, telling the punishment inflicted on Moab: “He smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground [i.e. causing them to lie prostrate<\/em>]; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive.” This appears to mean that he put to death two parts of them, and kept the third part alive. The reason of this deliberate and severe punishment is not stated. Once David and the Moabites had been on very different terms (1Sa 22:3, 1Sa 22:4<\/span>; but see also Psa 60:8<\/span>).<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:3<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hadarezer<\/strong>; in the parallel places, Hadadezer<\/em>; <\/em>though our present form is found both in Samuel (e.g. <\/em>2Sa 10:16<\/span>) and in other places in Chronicles, yet in all these places some manuscripts show Hadadezer <\/em>(see Gesenius, ‘Lexicon,’ sub voce<\/em>). <\/em>Zobah<\/strong>. Part of Syria, east of Hamath<\/strong>, and for the most part of Coelo-Syria, north of Damascus, and stretching in the direction of the Euphrates. Possibly it is one with Ptolemy’s Zake <\/em>(1Sa 14:47; 2Sa 8:3-10<\/span>; 2Sa 10:9<\/span>; 1Ki 11:23-25<\/span>). Hamath<\/strong>. In the valley of the Orontes, the northern boundary of the Holy Land. It is traceable from the time of the Exodus (Gen 10:18<\/span>; Num 13:21<\/span>; Num 34:8<\/span>) to that of the Prophet Amos (Amo 6:12<\/span>). Though in Zobah, it is probably not <\/em>the Hamath-Zobah of 2Sa 8:3<\/span>. To stablish his dominion<\/strong>. In the parallel place, “to restore,” i.e; <\/em>no doubt, to endeavour to do so, and that against the growing force of David. He had already suffered at the hand of Saul (1Sa 14:47<\/span>, 1Sa 14:48<\/span>).<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:4<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The parallel place (2Sa 8:4<\/span>) omits, probably by error merely, the word “chariots,” and reads for our seven thousand, “seven hundred.” As the form of expression in the last two clauses of our present verse is the same in both cases, it is more natural to render, David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved a hundred<\/strong>, i.e. <\/em>a hundred horses unhoughed; he houghed all but a hundred. Our Authorized Version, in the parallel, gets over the difficulty by inserting “for,” i.e. <\/em>enough for, “a hundred chariots.”<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:5<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hebrew text of Damascus<\/strong>, here, next verse, and also 2Ch 28:5<\/span>, spells the word with a resh<\/em>, <\/em>omitting the dagesh forte <\/em>in the mere <\/em>following, which Gesenius instances (see his ‘Lexicon’) as the Syriac orthography.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:6<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The word “garrisons” appears in the text in the parallel place, and would be justly supplied in our Hebrew text here.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:7<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The shields<\/strong>; Hebrew . Much doubt has been entertained as to the meaning of this word. Its etymology is uncertain. Gesenius derives it from a root signifying “hardness.” For the most part, however, the context of the seven places of its occurrence which he instances (2Sa 8:7<\/span>; 2Ki 11:10; 1Ch 18:7<\/span>; 2Ch 23:9<\/span>; So 2Ch 4:4<\/span>; Jer 51:11<\/span>; Eze 27:11<\/span>) favour the rendering “shields,” though the quotation from Jer 51:11<\/span> (literally, “fill ye the shields”) is not so satisfactory. The wealth of Zobah is, of course, illustrated by these shields of gold.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:8<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tibhath, and Chun<\/strong>. These names replace Betah <\/em>and Berothai <\/em>in the parallel place, in the former case with possibility of orthographic explanation, but not in the latter. The purpose for which David was glad to take their brass is not mentioned in Samuel, but only here. The brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass<\/strong> (see 1Ki 7:14-47<\/span>; 2Ch 4:1-18<\/span>). In this latter place these subjects will be found treated more fully. This so-called “brazen sea” ( ) took the place in Solomon’s temple of (he earlier brazen laver <\/em>( ) of the Mosaic ritual (Exo 30:17-21<\/span>; Le Exo 8:10<\/span>, Exo 8:11<\/span>; 1Ki 7:38<\/span>). It is now called a sea, because of its large size. The use of the original laver is plainly told, for the priests to wash at it their hands and feet before offering sacrifices. It stood in the court of the tabernacle, between the altar and the door. The ten lavers of Solomon’s temple were used for washing the sacrificial victims themselves (2Ch 4:6<\/span>). The brazen sea (which was rather of copper <\/em>than brass, however) rested upon twelve standing oxen, three turning their faces to each quarter of the heavens. Its height was five cubits, its diameter ten cubits, the thickness of its metal a handbreadth, and its capacity variously given at two thousand baths (1Ki 7:26<\/span>) or three thousand (2Ch 4:5<\/span>). It was removed from its supports of oxen by Ahaz (2Ki 16:17<\/span>), and placed on a pedestal of stone. And it was eventually destroyed by the Assyrians (2Ki 25:13<\/span>). And the pillars. <\/em>(For these pillars of the porch, named Jachin <\/em>and Boaz<\/em>, <\/em>see 1Ki 7:15-22; 2Ch 3:15-17<\/span>.) And the vessels of brass. <\/em>(For these, see 1Ki 7:40-51; 2Ch 4:16-18<\/span>.)<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:9<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tou<\/strong>. In the parallel place, spelt Toi. <\/em>Nothing else is known of this King of Hamath, who now proffers his congratulations to David.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:10<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hadoram<\/strong>. In the parallel place written Joram. <\/em>The Septuagint has the name spelt with d in both places, which has led to the suggestion that possibly the real name was Jedorum. Josephus suggests that Tou had been brought into subjection by Hadadezer, and wished by his present congratulations and valuable gifts to ingratiate himself with David for a purpose. Had war<\/strong>; literally, was a man of war<\/em>; i.e.<\/em> he had shown his addictedness to war, or had warred abundantly with Tou. It is evident that Tou had generally fared the worst in their encounters.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:11<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

From Edom<\/strong>. This is probably the correct reading, and not, as in the parallel, “from Aram<\/em>,” <\/em>unless, as some think, both places were named in the original authority. From the children of Ammon<\/strong>. Perhaps the events narrated in our succeeding chapter are here referred to by the compiler. From<\/strong> Amalek<\/strong> (see 1Sa 30:1-20<\/span>, 1Sa 30:26-31<\/span>).<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:12<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Abishai slew of the Edomites<\/strong>. The parallel place omits to say that it was by aid of Abishai that David slew these eighteen thousand Edomites. They are there called Syrians, which reading is at all events in keeping with the Aram of the previous verse. Abishai, here named son of Zeruiah, possibly served under “Joab son of Zeruiah” (1Ch 18:15<\/span>), who is spoken of (1Ki 11:15<\/span>, 1Ki 11:16<\/span>) as very trenchant in this Edomite war, without any mention being made of Abishai. Psa 60:1-12<\/span>. (title) probably speaks of an instalment of the eighteen thousand spoken of here, as the nation now suffered all but extermination. The valley of salt<\/strong>. Situate in Edom (1Ki 11:14-17<\/span>; 2Ki 14:7<\/span>; 2Ch 25:11<\/span>). The word here used for “valley” is (Psa 23:4<\/span>), not the more generic word , and signifies rather “ravine.” The phrase occurs twice with the article expressed, . The place is celebrated also for the achievements of Amaziah (in references just given), who proceeded hence with ten thousand prisoners, to precipitate them down the cliff<\/em>, i.e.<\/em> Petra (, 2Ch 25:12<\/span>). The real situation of this place is still doubtful. Since the time of the German traveller Geethen (‘Reisen,’ 2:356), and of Robinson (‘Bibl. Res.,’ 2:109), it has been generally assumed to be a tract of land extending some six miles south of the Dead Sea, and bounded at that distance by the range of hills which there runs across the country; but beside the consideration that the word “ravine” could not describe that tract of country, there are others very unfavourable to the supposition.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:15<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Recorder<\/strong>. The word is of the same root with that in 1Ch 16:4<\/span>, “to record.” The exact duties and position of this officer are not stated in any one place, but may be gathered from 2Sa 8:16<\/span>; 2Sa 20:24; 1Ki 4:3<\/span>; 2Ki 18:18<\/span>, 2Ki 18:37; 2Ch 34:8<\/span>. From these notices, belonging to somewhat separate times, we may gather the dignity and responsibility and trust of the office which the recorder filled, altogether in excess of his duty as mere historical secretary.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:16<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Abimelech the son of Abiathar<\/strong>. The reading in the parallel place is, “Abimelech the son of Abiathar,” as also in 1Ch 24:6<\/span>; but comparison of 1Sa 22:20<\/span>; 2Sa 20:25<\/span>; 1Ki 1:7, 1Ki 1:8<\/span>, suggests that the right reading would be “Abiathar the son of Ahimelech.” With this Mar 2:26<\/span> agrees, and tells of a correct manuscript, from which, indirectly, the quotation came. Shavsha<\/strong>. The parallel place reads Seraiaha<\/em>; <\/em>2Sa 20:25<\/span> reads Sheva<\/em>; <\/em>and 1Ki 4:3<\/span> reads Shisha. <\/em>The differences are probably due simply to errors of transcription. Scribe<\/strong>. The historical development of this title is obscure, and not easy to trace. The use of some form or other of the root is abundantly frequent from the times of the earliest parts of Scripture, in the sense of “numbering,” or “declaring,” or “recording.” Perhaps our title of “secretary” would answer sufficiently to it, and all the better, because the Old Testament scribes were also of different leading kinds, like in some degree to our various secretaries of state. There was the kind of scribe of Jdg 5:14<\/span>where our Authorized Version is far from the mark, and should rather read “the staff of the scribe,” in place of “the pen of the writer”a military officer, whose duty it was to keep the muster-roll. There was the scribe of 2Ki 25:19<\/span>a passage which throws light on the former (see also Isa 33:18<\/span>; Jer 52:25<\/span>). There were the scribes of a more literary, lawyer-like, or clerk-like kind, as here, and in the parallel place, and in 2Sa 20:25<\/span>; 1Ki 4:3<\/span>; 1Ch 2:55<\/span>. In the time of Hezekiah, if not before, the scribes became distinctly a class of men (Pro 25:1<\/span>; Jer 8:8<\/span>); and the times of the Captivity greatly enlarged their importance. Their exact duties in the best times of the monarchy are not laid down, but the dignified place the king’s scribe held is evident from the company in which he is placed here and in the parallel passage.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:17<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada<\/strong> (see 1Ch 11:22-25<\/span>; 1Ch 12:27<\/span>; 2Sa 23:20-23<\/span>). The Cherethites and the Pelethites<\/strong>. Two tribes of Philistines whom David attached. The meaning and derivation of these two names leave it possible to translate them at once, and to read, “the public executioners, and the public couriers,” not treating them as proper names, and to this course Geseuius (see ‘Lexicon’) gives his sanction. On the other hand, a comparison of 1Sa 30:14<\/span> and 2Sa 15:18<\/span> would lead us to treat them as the names of people, although the Pelethites are net as identifiable in this sense as the Cherethites and Gittites. Anyway, it is evident they were the special guard of the king, and were faithful to David and to Solomon after him. Their duties included those of the executioner or lictor<\/em>, <\/em>and the courier. They are frequently mentioned on special occasions of the king’s moving, and of danger (2Sa 15:18<\/span>; 2Sa 20:7, 2Sa 20:23<\/span>; 1Ki 1:38<\/span>, 1Ki 1:44<\/span>). Chief about the king<\/strong>. The Hebrew text here is . The word used in the parallel place is , which signifies strictly “priests,” but sometimes more generally” princes.” This is, without doubt, the meaning of our text.<\/p>\n

HOMILETICS<\/strong><\/p>\n

1Ch 18:1-17<\/span><\/strong>.-The chapter that offers the sermons of facts with fewest words.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The chapter which to indifferent reading might seem most bare of religious instruction will yield to careful attention the most forcible lessons. Facts bring the most impressive lessons to our lives. Facts teach the most impressive aspects of the Divine character to our present power of apprehending that character. For all we read and memory retains it, for all we hear and faith believes it, for all we think, and think we see it well and clearly, that which we feel and experience from the hard facts of life or the joyful facts of life performs a thousand times over the largest and most valuable part in our education. This chapter is a narration of factsalmost exclusively this and nothing else. But they were facts full of personal interest to David, and full of illustration of Divine goodness and faithfulness. The chapter tells indeed the simplest tale of events that made the joy of a human life, strengthened the faith of a Divine life, rewarded the endurance and preparation of years past of a suffering and painful life, and gives God the praise that was his due. To notice well such facts is to listen well to God’s own sermons. Let us notice how they part here so very naturally into those which illustrate the gracious attributes of the Teacher God, and those which illustrate the better qualities of the learner David. We have here <\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> GOD<\/strong> “FAITHFUL<\/strong> AND<\/strong> JUST<\/strong>” TO<\/strong> BRING<\/strong> ON<\/strong> THE<\/strong> TIME<\/strong> OF<\/strong> THE<\/strong> “RECOMPENSE<\/strong> OF<\/strong> REWARD<\/strong>.” That time is not always to be expected in the present world. There are sometimes manifest reasons why this cannot be, or why it should not be likely, or why it were even to be deprecated. It is also one of the chiefest distinctions, nay, even the differentiae <\/em>of the Christian temper and essential quality, “to seek for glory and honour and immortality by patient continuance in well-doing,” with the eye fixed on one thing alone as the reward”eternal life<\/em>.” Yet sometimes it is the case that a manifest, ample, revealed recompense of reward comes after trial and sorrow borne, and work earnestly done, even before the partial scene of this present has passed. It is so now. Long had been the discipline of David, frequent the strokes by which heart and life had been smitten, keen and agonizing the misconceptions from which he had suffered, and the misconstructions put upon his generous conduct, and sharply had the iron of disappointment entered into his susceptible nature. But now, ’tis no longer the chapter of accidents; it is the chapter of victories. A series of joyful successes, of triumphs, of honours, came to him. And it was because God “remembered” him and “visited” him and blessed himno longer with the more hidden mercies proper to the time of preparation and discipline, but with these manifest, published mercies proper to one who had” borne the yoke in his youth,” and who had in his measure “seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.”<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> GOD<\/strong> WHO<\/strong> LENGTHENS<\/strong> OUT<\/strong> HIS<\/strong> PROVIDENTIAL<\/strong> PROTECTION<\/strong> OF<\/strong> HIS<\/strong> SERVANT<\/strong>. How true it is that “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance”! He has never forsaken David. He does not weary of him. He does not change for caprice’ sake his servant, to use a younger, a fresher, a choicer. No, he keeps by him, and “preserves him whithersoever he” goes. He is his Shield and Buckler and Defence. He guides him by day and guards him by night. He makes his enemies either fall before him or flee before him. He counsels him and surrounds him with faithful counsellors, captains of his armies, priests of the Church. This is the time that, through the goodness of a faithful Providence, his corn and his wine, and his gold and silver, are increased, and a “table is spread before him, e’en in the presence of his enemies.”! Not a day just now but David feels what a glory it is to be the servant of God, and what safety there is with him.<\/p>\n

III.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> CONTINUED<\/strong> FAITHFUL<\/strong> DEVOTION<\/strong> ON<\/strong> THE<\/strong> PART<\/strong> OF<\/strong> THE<\/strong> SERVANT<\/strong> OF<\/strong> LIFE<\/strong> AND<\/strong> POWER<\/strong> TO<\/strong> HIS<\/strong> GREAT<\/strong> MASTER<\/strong>. His wars are against the enemies of God and the people of God. There is no sign of personal and ambitious objects in what David is doing. He “reigns over all Israel,” and thus reigning he “executes judgment and justice among all his people.” He does not forget his responsibilities in the time of rank, dignity, luxury, nor surrender himself to indulgence. It is evident he holds himself, still the servant of God, the willing, conscious, intelligent instrument for his use. In undoubted “authority,” his conduct is not that, his bearing is not that, that ever exposes him to the finger of just satire or ridiculeas one who is dressed in a “little brief authority,” and for reality and true dignity satisfies himself with display. The reaction from poverty, persecution, subordination, and grief is not what many bear well. Thus far David has come through the trial well. He bears the burden nobly, even as bravely he lifted it to his shoulders; and if God has not forgotten his servant, neither does David show any sign of forgetting that he is God’s servant.<\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> UNDIMINISHED<\/strong> INTEREST<\/strong> OF<\/strong> A GREAT<\/strong> RELIGIOUS<\/strong> DEVOTION<\/strong> STILL<\/strong> POSSESSING<\/strong> THE<\/strong> THOUGHT<\/strong> AND<\/strong> HEART<\/strong> OF<\/strong> DAVID<\/strong>. There were no doubt considerations which we may suppose to nave been present to the mind of David, in the destined promotion and dignity of Solomon, ancillary to his own continued deep interest in the projected temple. Yet we should not be justified in putting all his sustained devotion down to this source. The project had been a native of ms own heart. And he does not mean to disown “the better part” of faith because he is disappointed in sight. David was now one of the honoured rank of those “kings and prophets who desired to see a <\/em>certain sight, but died without seeing it. The Pisgah-glimpse possible to him is that which could come of faith indeed, but of faith only. Yet his disappointment has not soured him, his refusal has not turned him sulky. He loves to think of that “habitation of God’s house” still. He can’t envy his own son; and to console nevertheless his disappointment that he shall not see the glorious stones laid one upon another, towering aloft, and the picked cedars, and the gold flashing again in the sun, his thoughts fill the time with collecting, and getting, and giving, and dedicating for these ends. It was always now in David’s thought. The shields of gold and the brass and the silver are all sacred at once in his thought to one purpose. This is some of the noblest of the Divine working in the heart and life that are but human after all. The eye of David shall not <\/em>see the reared temple, but his thought and purpose and love are laid with its foundations, and reach to its highest pinnacle. And the most magnificent block of its stone, the finest timber of all its cedar, the gold that reflected most brilliantly the light, of all that was in it, may have been those which the eye and the hand too of David did surely and literally touch. Such confidence may all the servants of God entertain.<\/p>\n

HOMILIES BY J.R. THOMSON<\/strong><\/p>\n

1Ch 18:6<\/span><\/strong>.<\/strong>–<\/em><\/strong>Preservation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The contrast between the God of the Bible and the gods of the heathen, in respect to moral character, is of the most thorough and striking kind. Amongst other noticeable points of contrast, observe this: the imaginary deities of the superstitious idolaters are usually famed and feared for their destructive qualities, whilst the Lord is ever represented as a God of salvation, delighting to preserve his people. The bloodthirsty Shiva, one of the most widely worshipped gods of the Hindus, is the destroyer. <\/em>Jehovah, it is recorded, “preserved David whithersoever he went.”<\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> DANGERS<\/strong> of ordinary human life are many. It is not only kings and warriors who are exposed to peril, though the position of monarchs exposes them to the violence of the assassin, and the occupation of the soldier is in itself a challenge to the dart of death; but in every position of life, at every age and in every clime, we walk encompassed by dangers seen and unseen.<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> DIVINE<\/strong> PROTECTION<\/strong> is a truth supported by revelation. Not by reason of favouritism and caprice, not in response to any superstitious observances or entreaties, but in virtue of his own attributes, God is a Protector. He is not satisfied to create, and then to abandon what he has made. His universal providence, general and particular, is the joy and comfort of his people. It is equally shown in their prosperity and their adversity.<\/p>\n

III.<\/strong> Hence THE<\/strong> PRESERVATION<\/strong> OF<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>‘S PEOPLE<\/strong> FROM<\/strong> HARM<\/strong>. He is their Shield, and Buckler, their Defence, and Fortress. He delivers their eyes from tears, their souls from death, their feet from falling. The confidence of the psalmist was signal and most instructive (see Psa 91:1-16<\/span>.). It is a source of security and consolation to know that our times are in God’s hands.<\/p>\n

“An earthquake may be bid to spare
The man that’s strangled with a hair.”<\/p>\n

And when Christians fall victims to the hate and hostility of sinners, or are slain by the operation of natural laws, they still have the assurance that no real evil can befall them.<\/p>\n

“Angel-guards from thee surround us;
We are safe, for thou art nigh.”<\/p>\n

Well may the friend of Jesus exclaim, “I will trust and not be afraid.”<\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong> The obligation is plain, GRATEFULLY<\/strong> TO<\/strong> ACKNOWLEDGE<\/strong> THE<\/strong> PRESERVING<\/strong> MERCY<\/strong> OF<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>. The royal psalmist was not backward in recording with adoring gratitude the delivering and upholding mercy of a faithful God. Never should we forget that he that is our God is the God of salvation.T.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:11<\/span><\/strong>.-Dedication of gifts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

David was a generous giver. In his many campaigns he won great spoils from his enemies. We need not approve his conduct in all these military expeditions. But we cannot do other than commend the princely generosity which he displayed in the disposal of his booty. Though not himself permitted to build the temple, he was allowed to accumulate treasures to be used by his son and successor in the construction of the sacred edifice. He freely parted with his wealth for this purpose, and for the maintenance of Divine worship in suitable dignity and splendour. His example in thus dedicating gifts to the service of Jehovah is one which all Christians should follow; the more so, as their motives to consecration are more powerful, and their opportunities of service are more numerous.<\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> ALL<\/strong> GIFTS<\/strong> ARE<\/strong> OF<\/strong> AND<\/strong> FROM<\/strong> THE<\/strong> LORD<\/strong>. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof;” “The silver and the gold are the Lord’s;” his are “the cattle upon a thousand hills.” We can, accordingly, only offer unto the Lord of what is really his. “Of his own” we give unto him.<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> ALL<\/strong> THAT<\/strong> CHRISTIANS<\/strong> CAN<\/strong> OFFER<\/strong> TO<\/strong> GOD<\/strong> IS<\/strong> THE<\/strong> PURCHASE<\/strong> OF<\/strong> CHRIST<\/strong>‘S BLOOD<\/strong>. When our Saviour redeemed us, he ransomed all our powers and possessions. “Body, soul, and spirit” are his of right. It is the Christian’s privilege to feel that nothing which he has is his own; all is his Lord’s.<\/p>\n

III.<\/strong> The gifts of Christians are THE<\/strong> EXPRESSION<\/strong> OF<\/strong> THEIR<\/strong> GRATEFUL<\/strong> LOVE<\/strong>. They do not give to the cause of their Redeemer merely because they feel that they ought to <\/em>do so, but because they delight in any opportunity of showing their affection. The most costly, lavish gifts are poor and worthless, if not the expression of the heart’s love and loyalty. When the heart is offered, the meanest gifts are sufficient to represent its love. The “two<\/em> mites” of the widow were accepted and approved; for they cost her much to give, and yet she gave them with a willing mind.<\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong> DEDICATED<\/strong> GIFTS<\/strong> MAY<\/strong> SERVE<\/strong> TO<\/strong> WORK<\/strong> OUT<\/strong> THE<\/strong> SPIRITUAL<\/strong> PLAN<\/strong>‘S OF<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>. Some professing Christians disparage expenditure for religious objects, on the ground that God cannot care for such trifles as our material wealth. But they forget that, in the order of Divine providence, God’s kingdom upon earth is mysteriously bound up with both the wealth and the work of men. And they forget that Christ regards what is given to his people and to his cause as given to himself. It is, therefore, an honour to be permitted to dedicate of our substance to ends so lofty, to a Master so gracious.<\/p>\n

V.<\/strong> GIFTS<\/strong> OFFERED<\/strong> IN<\/strong> A RIGHT<\/strong> SPIRIT<\/strong> ARE<\/strong> ACCEPTABLE<\/strong> TO<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>. There is much in Scripture which proves that this is so. “The Lord loveth a cheerful giver;” “It is accepted according to that a man hath;” “He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully.” If our offerings be dedicated from Christian motives, and to wise and scriptural objects, we need be under no apprehension lest our Lord should despise the givers or reject their gifts.T.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:14<\/span><\/strong>.-A righteous ruler.<\/strong><\/p>\n

David’s work as a warrior was preparatory to his as a king. He defeated enemies and vanquished conspirators, in order that there might be peace and tranquillity in the land, in order that the pursuits and arts of peace might take the place of violence, disorder, and turbulence. It is still sometimes necessary that the sword should be drawn for the protection of liberty and for the preservation of order. There could not be a worthier, a nobler outcome of David’s campaigns and victories than that recorded in the text: “So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.”<\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> CIVIL<\/strong> SOCIETY<\/strong> INVOLVES<\/strong> THE<\/strong> EXERCISE<\/strong> OF<\/strong> AUTHORITY<\/strong>. This need not reside in a king; it may be a president, or other chief magistrate. But in some person or persons must be deposited the right and power to rule. Unless men are to live in the condition of savages or brutes, civil authority must be constituted, recognized, and supported. Checks to arbitrary power, limitations to all personal action, there must be; but not to the destruction of a right to reign and to require obedience.<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> CIVIL<\/strong> SOCIETY<\/strong> INVOLVES<\/strong> THE<\/strong> MAINTENANCE<\/strong> OF<\/strong> JUSTICE<\/strong> BETWEEN<\/strong> MAN<\/strong> AND<\/strong> MALE<\/strong>. Power is good when rightly used. Right and might should go together. Rulers are not entrusted with authority for the indulgence of their own caprice, or the enhancement of their own glory. They are bound to act, “not for their own, but for their people’s good.” In Oriental countries it was and is the custom for princes themselves to sit in the gate and to administer justice. It was so with David and Solomon, and with other kings of Israel. In modern society, where law is more complex, the administration of justice is confided to a professionto judges and magistrates. In any case, well-ordered society requires both judicial and legislative functions, in whomsoever centred. “The powers that be are ordained of God.”<\/p>\n

III.<\/strong> CIVIL<\/strong> SOCIETY<\/strong> IS<\/strong> CONSOLIDATED<\/strong> AND<\/strong> PERFECTED<\/strong> BY<\/strong> JUSTICE<\/strong>, “David reigned over all<\/em> Israel.” This was undoubtedly the consequence of the impartial administration of justice among all classes. Civil rulers have often been slow to learn the lesson, that there is no foundation for general content like unswerving justice. Just rulers make contented and united peoples.<\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong> CIVIL<\/strong> SOCIETY<\/strong> IS<\/strong> DESTINED<\/strong> TO<\/strong> EXTEND<\/strong> ITS<\/strong> ADVANTAGES<\/strong> TO<\/strong> ALL<\/strong> MANKIND<\/strong>. Every community where kings and rulers reign with justice, every nation which is exalted by righteousness, is a beacon to the world. Peoples so favoured have a sacred mission to fulfil, and upon them is laid a responsibility from which there is no escape.T.<\/p>\n

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON<\/strong><\/p>\n

1Ch 18:1-12<\/span><\/strong>.-The Christian campaign.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As “David smote the Philistines and subdued them,” so we, engaged in a holy warfare, must live to smite and to subdue the enemies of God. Our Christian life cannot be fully represented under any one image, but if it can be said to be one thing more than another, it is a long spiritual campaign. We ask what are <\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> ENEMIES<\/strong> WHOM<\/strong> WE<\/strong> HAVE<\/strong> TO<\/strong> SLAY<\/strong>. These are not visible Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, such as presented themselves against David, sword in hand. The adversaries of our souls and of God are:<\/p>\n

1<\/strong>. Invisible spiritual forces (Eph 6:12<\/span>).<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>. Evil things embodied in the outer world. In<\/p>\n

(1)<\/strong> ungodly men, who deliberately tempt us to depart from rectitude; and<\/p>\n

(2)<\/strong> unfaithful Christian men, whose tone or type of character is lower than our own, and who, unwittingly to themselves and imperceptibly to us, draw us down towards their own spiritual level;<\/p>\n

(3)<\/strong> unchristian institutions.<\/p>\n

3<\/strong>. Evil forces within our own soul. A man’s worst foes are those of the household of his own hearthis own tendencies to pride, to self-will, to indulgence, to worldliness.<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> WEAPONS<\/strong> OF<\/strong> OUR<\/strong> WARFARE<\/strong>. David’s weapons on his fields of battle were sword and shield, spear and bow, war-chariots and horses. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to the pulling down of strongholds” (2Co 10:4<\/span>). They are:<\/p>\n

1<\/strong>. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. <\/p>\n

2<\/strong>. The force of Christian sympathy and zeal. <\/p>\n

3<\/strong>. The co-operation of single-minded, earnest men.<\/p>\n

III.<\/strong> OUR<\/strong> HOPE<\/strong> OF<\/strong> SUCCESS<\/strong>. David looked to<\/p>\n

(1)<\/strong> his own generalship; <\/p>\n

(2)<\/strong> the support of his “mighty men;”<\/p>\n

(3)<\/strong> the valour and discipline of his troops; but especially and mainly to <\/p>\n

(4)<\/strong> the presence and power of the living god.<\/p>\n

We look to<\/p>\n

(1)<\/strong> the perfect fitness of the truth we preach for the hearts and wants of men;<\/p>\n

(2)<\/strong> the presence and power of the Almighty Spirit of our God. He it is who “causeth us to triumph.”<\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong> THE<\/strong> SPOILS<\/strong> OF<\/strong> VICTORY<\/strong>. These in David’s wars were towns (1Ch 18:1<\/span>), subjects (1Ch 18:2<\/span>, 1Ch 18:6<\/span>), gifts (1Ch 18:2<\/span>, 1Ch 18:6<\/span>), chariots and horses (1Ch 18:4<\/span>), gold and brass (1Ch 18:7<\/span>, 1Ch 18:8<\/span>), political alliance (1Ch 18:9<\/span>, 1Ch 18:10<\/span>). Other spoils than these are the reward of victory in the Christian strife. They are:<\/p>\n

1<\/strong>. Regenerated human souls. <\/em>“He that converteth a sinner,” etc. (Jas 5:20<\/span>). “What is our crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye,” etc.? (1Co 2:1-16 :19<\/span>). Those whom we have been the means of enlightening and redeeming are the spoils we “bring home,” the crown we wear.<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>. Faculties and forces restored to their rightful use. <\/em>David took “very much brass wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea,” etc. (1Ch 18:8<\/span>), for the house of the Lord (1Ch 18:11; 2Ch 4:12<\/span>, 2Ch 4:15<\/span>, 2Ch 4:16<\/span>). Thus were the possessions of the enemy made to contribute to the service of Jehovah. It is the truest of all triumphs when we succeed in so changing the spirit of men that the time, the thought, the money, the energy which they had given to the service of sin they now devote to the cause of Christ and to the well-being of the world.C.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:11-17<\/span><\/strong>.<\/strong>–<\/em><\/strong>God’s preserving kindness.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The key-note of this chapter is the passage, “Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went” (1Ch 18:6<\/span>, 1Ch 18:13<\/span>). We may let the other verses of the text take their tone from this.<\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>‘S PRESERVING<\/strong> KINDNESS<\/strong> TO<\/strong> DAVID<\/strong>. This was manifested in various ways: God preserved him from:<\/p>\n

1<\/strong>. Injury in battle. He was neither slain nor wounded by the darts that must have been levelled at him by many a foe.<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>. Defeat in war. He was never beaten by any enemy he encountered, and, finally, all his foes submitted to his rule.<\/p>\n

3<\/strong>. Serious mistakes in public policy. Solomon, his brilliant son, committed a most serious error in overtaxing his people; and Rehoboam, his grandson, started on his royal career with a fatal blunder (2Ch 10:1-19<\/span>.). But David had been thus far preserved from taking any step which endangered his own position or enfeebled his kingdom; hence he was delivered from:<\/p>\n

4<\/strong>. Disloyalty on the part of his subjects. “Executing judgment and justice among all his people” (1Ch 18:14<\/span>), placing competent men at the head of the different departments of the state (1Ch 18:15-17<\/span>), he was secure of the attachment of his people, and “reigned over all Israel” without (at this time) any danger of rivalry or disturbance.<\/p>\n

5<\/strong>. Special spiritual perils. David was exposed to the peculiar danger of kings, and very particularly to the peril of complacency and self-glorification. He had risen from the sheepcote to the throne, had enlarged and magnified the Hebrew kingdom, had attained to considerable distinction in the world (so far as it was known to him), and he must, as a fallible man, have been under a strong temptation to glorify himself and take great credit for enterprise and sagacity. From this “the Lord preserved David.” The human sovereign laid his victorious position at the feet of the Divine King. He did not apply the spoils of war to the embellishment of his own house, but “dedicated them unto the Lord” (1Ch 18:11<\/span>). But he did something more and better than this: he ascribed his successful careerwitness his psalms of thanksgivingto the good hand of his God upon him. He gave God the glory. Thus “the Lord preserved him whithersoever he went,” even when he went far along that “slippery place”prominence, power, success in battle.<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>‘S PRESERVING<\/strong> KINDNESS<\/strong> TO<\/strong> US<\/strong>. We have to bless God as our Creator, Provider, Father, Redeemer; we have also to magnify him as our continual Preserver. He preserves us.<\/p>\n

1<\/strong>. In life; both in the retention of our being (Job 10:12<\/span>), and in the continuance of our existence on earth.<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>. In health; in freedom from disease, in deliverance from mental failure, in the possession of “heart and hope.”<\/p>\n

3<\/strong>. In favourable circumstance; saving from overwhelming loss and from crushing disappointment, and (often for very long periods together) from saddening bereavement.<\/p>\n

4<\/strong>. In spiritual integrity. When other things had gone, David could find unspeakable consolation in the thought, “As for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity” (Psa 41:12<\/span>). And whatever may betide; though God should remove health, treasure, kindred, friends, from the path on which we walk, yet if he is maintaining us in his fear and in the love of our Redeemer, if he is delivering us from the shipwreck of the soul (1Ti 1:19<\/span>), and sustaining us by the upholding power of his Holy Spirit (Psa 51:12<\/span>), then may we exclaim, not in the accents of despondency like the broken patriarch (Job 7:20<\/span>), but in the joyous and thankful tones of a successful spiritual warrior,” What shall I do unto thee, O thou Preserver of men?”C.<\/p>\n

HOMILIES BY F. WHITFIELD<\/strong><\/p>\n

1Ch 18:1-5<\/span><\/strong>, <\/strong>1Ch 18:12<\/span><\/strong>, <\/strong>1Ch 18:13<\/span><\/strong>.<\/strong>–<\/em><\/strong>David’s wars.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This chapter opens with an account of David’s wars, followed by a succession of brilliant victories. Following on the previous chapter, though separated from it by a considerable length of time, it brings before us much spiritual instruction. The previous chapter contains an account of the many “exceeding great and precious promises” made to David, his confidence in them, and also that which invariably flows out of such gracehis communion with God. Communion with God is the outcome of grace received. But out of realized grace and communion with God flow warfare and victory. This is the opening record of this chapter. The former supplies strength for the latter, and he who goes forth from his knees to fight the good fight of faith will, in every battle, be “more than conqueror” through him that loves him. And mark how David is single-handed among many foes, and all of diverse character. “Edom, Moab, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and the Syrians. What a host, and how diverse! Yet God’s eye follows the single-handed servant amid all these foes. A “wall of fire” is round about him”the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.” So is it with every servant of God who goes forth to fight the Lord’s battles direct from communion. “Victory!” is inscribed on his banner. He is invincible, because “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his<\/em> might.” He may be single-handed, and his foes may be legion and of every character, but he triumphs over all and, like David here, lays all the trophies of victory at the Saviour’s feet.W.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:4<\/span><\/strong>, <\/strong>1Ch 18:9-11<\/span><\/strong>.-<\/em><\/strong>David, Hadarezer, and Tou.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Spirit of God is a faithful Biographer. If he records the good features of character in God’s children, he is no less faithful in describing the dark side of their character. In this the Word of God is a striking contrast to all human biography. David’s cruel conduct in “houghing the chariot-horses” is in keeping with the imperfect light of that dispensation, and is not recorded for our imitation any more than the records of crime in our daily press. It teaches us that there is only One perfect. There is a blot on every escutcheon except that of the Lord Jesus; and they are recorded by the Spirit of God in order that the eye of the soul should be ever turning from the best <\/em>of earth’s heroes to him who is the “chief of ten thousand, and the altogether lovely.” Let us be warned by the cruelties of David’s time and mark his graces, and follow him so far as he followed Christ. Hadarezer’s spoils and every other are consecrated to God. Not a trophy falls into David’s hands but is laid there. Hadarezer’s spoils and Tou’s gifts are all alikethe Lord’s. May we follow him here, and cast every crown at the feet of Jesus!W.<\/p>\n

HOMILIES BY R. TUCK<\/strong><\/p>\n

1Ch 18:6<\/span><\/strong>, <\/strong>1Ch 18:13<\/span><\/strong>.<\/strong>–<\/em><\/strong>Divine preservations in work and war.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the record given of David’s expeditions and wars, one thing stands out prominently and impressively; it is twice repeated here, as if to it attention was to be particularly drawn: “The Lord preserved David whithersoever he went;” or, in the quaint language of Nehemiah, “The good hand of his God was upon him for good.” It may be noted<\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> THAT<\/strong> DAVID<\/strong> WAS<\/strong> IN<\/strong> ALL<\/strong> THINGS<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>‘S SERVANT<\/strong>, This relation set him in an especial manner under God’s care. As his creatures<\/em>, <\/em>we come under his providences. As his children<\/em>, <\/em>we come into the grace of his fatherly tending. And as his servants<\/em>, <\/em>we are assured of his safe keeping while engaged in his mission. The fuller and nearer are our relations with God, the more complete may be our security and our rest in the Divine hands. Compare the expression, “Man is immortal till his work is done.” Our Lord Jesus knew that no harm could come to him while he was about “his Father’s business.”<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> THAT<\/strong> DAVID<\/strong>‘S WHOLE<\/strong> LIFE<\/strong> WAS<\/strong> IN<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>‘S KEEPING<\/strong>. Because he never broke free of the idea of service<\/em>. He never wanted to isolate any part of his life, and keep it for self. It is this which alone severs a man from Divine keeping. A man’s wilfully taking his life into his own hand involves the withdrawing of special Divine grace, and then the man learns the evil of his own waywardness by the unrelieved troubles into which he falls. This is the permanent lesson for the ages taught by Eve’s wilfulness in the garden of Eden. The man who can say, “We serve the Lord Christ,” and apply it to his whole time and powers and spheres, may be sure that he is altogether safe in “the secret place of the Most High, abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.” The angels have charge concerning him, to keep him in all his ways. They will be so near that they shall even bear him up lest he “dash his foot against a stone.”<\/p>\n

III.<\/strong> THIS<\/strong> IN<\/strong> NO<\/strong> WAY<\/strong> INTERFERED<\/strong> WITH<\/strong> HIS<\/strong> SHOWING<\/strong> ENERGY<\/strong> AND<\/strong> ENTERPRISE<\/strong>, It might seem that such assurance of Divine preservation would give a sense of security that would lead to indolence and indifference. But it never does do so, because such a temptation is resisted and overcome by the impulse to faithfulness. <\/em>To look at<\/em>, <\/em>the good man’s life should in these respects be the same as the worldly man’s. On the surface there should be the energy, enterprise, perseverance, and skill, which are the conditions of success in worldly undertakings. The difference lies below. The good man lives and labours for God, and in his strength. The worldly man has no other end than his own fancied good. It may be fully proved and illustrated, from Bible examples, and from those of the Christian history, that full consecration to the service of God has ever been the impulse to a nobler living than any other motive can inspire men to reach. God’s servants always strive to be the best possible <\/em>in every sphere where they are set.<\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong> IT<\/strong> BROUGHT<\/strong> DAVID<\/strong> STRENGTH<\/strong> FOR<\/strong> DUTY<\/strong>, AND<\/strong> BEST<\/strong> FOR<\/strong> THE<\/strong> HEART<\/strong>, TO<\/strong> BE<\/strong> ASSURED<\/strong> THAT<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>‘S SHADOW<\/strong> WAS<\/strong> OVER<\/strong> HIM<\/strong>. Compare such expressions as, “I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety;” “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” And compare such experiences of strength <\/em>as when fighting the lion and bear, or the giant Goliath; and such experiences of preservation <\/em>as when hunted by King Saul upon the mountains. All new undertakings were entered upon with the quiet heart. God hath kept; he has promised to keep. “He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.”<\/p>\n

Here meet the ever-recurring difficulty of practically fitting together man’s energy and God’s inspirations; man’s enterprise and God’s preservations; man’s free-will and God’s absolute will. Show that to the man who fully trusts<\/em>, <\/em>the difficulty fades away; and that, in a most real and practical sense, God’s care and preservation and grace are the sanctifying shadow under which noble lives are now lived.R.T.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:11<\/span><\/strong>.<\/strong>–<\/em><\/strong>Loyalty to God in the time of success.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is noted that the best of the spoils of David’s wars he loyally “dedicated unto the Lord,” thus proving himself as faithful in the time of prosperity and success as he had proved himself in the time of failure and trouble. The testing <\/em>power of adversity is often considered, and D, indeed, one of the familiar topics of public teaching; but the testing <\/em>power of prosperity is not worthily estimated or efficiently treated. Yet God works by both<\/em>, <\/em>and the second provides the more searching and severe forms of testing. Many a man’s root-weakness of character has been discovered by success. It is harder work to go up in life, keeping hold of God’s hand, than it is to go down. <\/em>And it says much for David, and little for Solomon, that under God’s temporal blessings David held fast his integrity, and Solomon virtually forsook the God of his fathers. In the instance now before us, David had a grand present from Tou<\/em>, <\/em>the King of Hamath. Such a present would seem to be his own exclusive property, and no man could have blamed him if he had added it to his private estate. But, in pious loyalty to God, he looked upon it as a part of the success .with which God had attended his labours, so he dedicated it to the honour and service of God, and gained a far richer blessing out of the gift than if he had kept it for himself.<\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> SUCCESS<\/strong> IN<\/strong> LIFE<\/strong> MAY<\/strong> SEPARATE<\/strong> US<\/strong> FROM<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>. It may, by filling our life with fresh interests, and crowding out God. It may, by nourishing pride, and destroying the conditions on which alone God can dwell with us. It may, by making the real god of our worship to be self, and so dethroning the living God. It may, by declaring our unfaithfulness as we use the success for self, and not for God, and so bring ourselves under Divine judgments. Or it may, by nourishing carnal security<\/em>, <\/em>and bringing us into a spiritual condition that must grieve <\/em>and quench <\/em>the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> SUCCESS<\/strong> IN<\/strong> LIFE<\/strong> MAY<\/strong> BIND<\/strong> US<\/strong> CLOSELY<\/strong> TO<\/strong> GOD<\/strong>. It will, if we fully recognize the Source whence all success comes. It will, if we are watchful over our spiritual culture, through the means of grace, while the success is growing. It will, if we are fully resolved to consecrate to God’s use any success we may gain. It will, if we carefully reproportion our gifts, to God’s house and service, as our success advances. Compare Jacob’s early vow at Bethel (Gen 28:22<\/span>), “Of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give a tenth to thee.” And illustrate David’s sacrifices for the tabernacle and temple during his reign, culminating in his splendid gift out of his “own proper good,” his own private property, just at the close of his career (1Ch 29:3-5<\/span>). We may be directly helped in maintaining the right spirit, under advancing prosperities, by the devotement of portions of our success to pious uses. Making the gift of portions testify that we hold the whole as God’s, and only entrusted to our stewardship in the mystery of the Divine grace. “What<\/em> have we that we have not received?” Offer what we may to God’s service, of it we must say but this, “Of <\/em>thine own have we given thee.’R.T.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:14<\/span><\/strong>.<\/strong>–<\/em><\/strong>King’s justice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of all the features of royalty the chronicler selects one, or apparently two, as special characteristics of David’s reign. “He executed judgment and justice among all his people.” Magistracy, the deciding of disputes, and the punishment of criminals, are always prominent parts of kingly duty. They are less<\/em>, apparently<\/em>, <\/em>in our times, because our sovereign does not preside in person in our law-courts, but delegates her duty to her judges. They were more<\/em>, <\/em>apparently, kingly work in ancient times, and under Eastern conceptions of royalty. When Solomon entered on the responsibilities of kingship, the thing that seemed most serious to him was his duty as a judge. He felt the need of judicial <\/em>insight, seeing that, as a young man, he had no treasured stores of experience. His request of wisdom chiefly referred to this necessary gift of Eastern kingship. Kitto says, “The wisdom which he craved was that of which he had already enough to be able to appreciate the value of its increasepractical wisdom, sagacity, clearness of judgment and intellect in the administration of justice and in the conduct of public affairs.” The administration of justice may well be set thus prominently forward, for probably nothing bears so directly upon the well-being of a nation as the wisdom and the purity of its judges. The terms used in this verse are, however, intended to include more than court-justice, and we may see that <\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> KINGLY<\/strong> JUSTICE<\/strong> IS<\/strong> THE<\/strong> EXPRESSION<\/strong> IN<\/strong> THE<\/strong> NATION<\/strong> OF<\/strong> THE<\/strong> PATERNAL<\/strong> RULE<\/strong>. The family <\/em>is the first aggregation of human individuals, and its head and ruler is the father. <\/em>The next aggregation of men is that of the tribe; a number of families uniting their interests, and dwelling together, and at the head of the tribe, as ruler and judge, is the patriarch, or tribal father. The larger aggregation of men is the union of tribes in the nation, but the same idea is preserved, and the recognized head and ruler is the king-father<\/em>, <\/em>or the fatherly king. The associations of these two terms need to be carefully given; and it should be shown how the one tones the other. This distinction being set prominently forward,The king seeks to do the absolutely right <\/em>without any more than a general knowledge of and interest in his people; a king cannot be expected to know individuals. But exactly this is of the very essence of fatherhood. The father is as loyal to the right as the king, but he seeks to apply the claims of right to the actual condition of individuals, whom he knows with precision, and in whom he feels a direct and personal interest. And so it may be said that the perfect idea of a king is expressed in the term father<\/em>, <\/em>and that a true father must have all that is essential to a king. It is always said of the good king, “He is the father of his people.”<\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> KINGLY<\/strong> JUSTICE<\/strong> IS<\/strong> THE<\/strong> REVELATION<\/strong> TO<\/strong> MEN<\/strong> OF<\/strong> THE<\/strong> DIVINE<\/strong> JUSTICE<\/strong>. No one word can suffice to present the relations of God with men. And that because no words contain an absolute and necessary meaning. Their connotation differs for different individuals. Show that neither king nor father <\/em>are sufficient alone. We want for God a word which shall bring home to our hearts the conviction that he is dominated by the sense of right; but we as certainly want a word which shall assure us that all his ways with us are toned with personal interest in us, perfect knowledge of us, and the gentlest consideration for our weaknesses and wants. So the justice of God must be to us both kingly and fatherly.<\/p>\n

This subject opens up the discussion of the true basis of the “atonement.” Only by fully estimating Divine justice as both kingly and fatherly can we discern the “needs be” for a satisfaction of eternal law<\/em>, <\/em>and a persuasive manifestation of eternal love.<\/em>R.T.<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

.Davids Wars and Officers of State, especially his Victorious Battles with the Ammonites and the Philistines:<\/em> 1 Chronicles 18-20<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:1<\/span> And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her daughters out of the hand of the Philistines. 2And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became Davids servants, and brought gifts.<\/p>\n

3And David smote Hadadezer1<\/span> king of Zobah towards Hamath, as he went to set up his sign at the river Euphrates. 4And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and 5David lamed all the teams, but reserved of them a hundred teams. And the Syrians of Damascus2<\/span> came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah; and David slew 6of the Syrians twenty and two thousand men. And David put [men3<\/span>] in Syria Damascus; and the Syrians became Davids servants, and brought gifts: and the Lord preserved David wherever he went. 7And David took the arms of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8And from Tibhath and from Chun, cities of Hadadezer, David took very much brass, of which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the brazen vessels.<\/p>\n

9And Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer king of Zobah. And 10he sent Hadoram his son to King David, to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him; for Tou was at war with Hadadezer; and [with him] all manner11of vessels of gold, and silver, and brass. These also King David dedicated unto the Lord, with the silver and the gold that he had taken from all the nations, from Edom, and from Moab, and from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.<\/p>\n

12And Abshai the son of Zeruiah slew of Edom in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. 13And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants of David: and the Lord preserved David wherever he went.<\/p>\n

14And David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice for all his people. 15And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. 16And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech4<\/span> the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe. 17And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethi and Pelethi; and Davids sons were the chief beside the king.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:1<\/span> And it came to pass after this, that Nahash king of the sons of Ammondied, and his son reigned in his stead. 2And 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: and the servants of 3David came to the land of the sons of Ammon, to Hanun, to comfort him. And the princes of the sons 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 to thee to search and to turn over, and to spy out the land? 4And Hanun took Davids servants, and shaved them, and cut off half their 5garments by the breech, and sent them away. And they went, and they told David about the men, and he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beard be grown, and then return.<\/p>\n

6And the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves stink with David: and Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and7out of Zobah. And they hired them thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; and they came and pitched before Medeba: and the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities, and came to battle. 8, 9And David heard,, and sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. And the sons of Amnion came out, and set the battle in array at the gate of the city; and the kings that were come stood by themselves in the field.<\/p>\n

10And Joab saw that the battle was directed against him before and behind; and he chose out of all the choice in Israel, and drew up against the Syrians. 11And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abshai his brother, and they drew up against the sons of Ammon. 12And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt come to my help; and if the sons of Ammon be 13too strong for thee, then I will help thee. Be courageous, and let us do valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God; and the Lord do that which is good 14in His sight. And Joab, and the people that were with him, drew nigh before 15the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him. And the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, and they also fled before Abshai his brother, and went into the city; and Joab went to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

16And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river; and Shophach, captain of the host of Hadadezer, went before them. 17And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed the Jordan, and came to them,5<\/span> and drew up against them; and David drew up against the Syrians for battle, 18and they fought with him. And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand teams, and forty thousand footmen; and he killed Shophach, captain of the host. 19And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him; and the Syrians would not help the sons of Ammon any more.<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:1<\/span>.And it came to pass, when the year was ended, at the time when the kings go out, that Joab led forth the strength of the host, and wasted the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah; but David tarried in Jerusalem; and Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. 2And David took the crown of their king from his head, and found it in weight a talent of gold, and set with precious stones; and it was put upon Davids head, and he brought very much spoil out of the city. 3And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and iron threshing-carts and saws;6<\/span> and so David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon; and David returned with all the people to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

4And it came to pass after this, that a war arose at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, one of the sons of Rapha; and they were subdued. 5And there was a war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lachmi, brother of Goliath the Gittite; and his 6spears staff was like a weavers beam. And again there was war in Gath, where was a man of [great] stature, and his fingers were six and six, twenty and four 7[in all]; and he also was born to Rapha. And he reproached Israel; and Jonathan the son of Shima, Davids brother, slew him. 8These were born to Rapha in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.<\/p>\n

EXEGETICAL<\/strong><\/p>\n

Preliminary Remark.The present group of war reports runs parallel to four sections of 2 Samuel, separated from one another by other accounts. To the present summary accounts of the victorious warfare of David with all surrounding enemies in general, in 1 Chronicles 18<\/span>, corresponds 2 Samuel 8<\/span>; to the more copious description of the peculiarly difficult war with Ammon, in 1 Chronicles 19<\/span>, corresponds 2 Samuel 10<\/span>; the close of this war, described in 1Ch 20:1-3<\/span>, by the taking of Rabbah, has its parallel in 2Sa 12:26-31<\/span>; the shorter reports of the several heroic acts of Davids warriors in conflict with giants from the land of the Philistines, 1Ch 20:4-8<\/span>, corresponds with the section 2Sa 21:18-22<\/span>. The statements of 2 Samuel coming between these sections (namely 1 Chronicles 9<\/span> and 1Ch 11:1-12; 1Ch 11:25<\/span>; but also 1 Chronicles 13, 14-18) are particulars from the private life and domestic history of David, which the Chronist, in conformity with his plan, neither could nor would take up.<\/p>\n

1. General Report of Davids Victorious Wars with his Neighbours:<\/em> 1Ch 18:1-13<\/span>. 1Ch 18:1<\/span> treats of the victories over the Philistines.And took Gath and her daughters out of the hand of the Philistines.<\/em> This statement is surprising, because 2Sa 8:1<\/span> has the more general and withal poetical expression: and David took the arm-bridle from the hand of the Philistines( for ). To assume a purely arbitrary change of text on the part of ourauthor is questionable; and against, at least, a passing seizure of the metropolis Gath with its daughter towns (1Ch 7:28<\/span>) by David, it can scarcely be maintained that in Solomons time Gath was again an independent city under its own king.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:2<\/span>. And the Moabites became Davids servants, and brought gifts,<\/em> in short, became tributary subjects (1Ch 18:6<\/span>). Why our author has omitted the notice, following here in 2Sa 8:2<\/span>, of the severe handling of the Moabites by David, is uncertain. It scarcely rests on an apologetic tendency in favour of David; comp. in 1Ch 20:3<\/span> the account of the cruel punishment of Rabbath Ammon. Moreover, this war of David with Moab seems to be that in which Benaiah slew the two sons of the king of Moab, 1Ch 11:22<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:3-8<\/span>. The War with Hadadezer of Zobah.King of Zobah towards Hamath.<\/em> This closer determination of the situation of Zobah (), which is peculiar to our text, places it pretty far north, not far from Hamath, the later Epiphania, on the Orontes; scarcely Haleb or Nisibis, both of which lay farther north than Hamath, and can scarcely, from an Israelitish point of view, be described as lying towards Hamath (against the Rabbis of the middle ages on the one hand, and J. D. Mich on the other). Zobah is perhaps = Zabe of Ptolemy; at all events, it is to be sought north or north-east of Damascus (with Ew., Then., Berth., etc.).7<\/span> On the spelling peculiar to Chronicles and 2Sa 10:16-19<\/span>, Hadarezer (Sept. ) see Crit. Note.As he went to set up his sign at the river Euphrates,<\/em> to establish his power (properly hand) there; comp. 1Sa 15:12<\/span>. Whether these words refer to David or Hadadezer is doubtful; the latter (which J. H. Mich., Ew., Berth., etc., assume) may be the more probable, on account of the mention of David as subject at the beginning of the following verse. The various reading in 2Sa 8:3<\/span> : , to turn his hand, is perhaps to be amended from our passage, as it gives a less suitable sense.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:4<\/span>. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen.<\/em> For this 2Sa 8:4<\/span> has 1700 horsemen and 20,000 footmen, perhaps defectively; after , and before , it appears necessary to insert there, for which also the Sept. speaks. Yet comp. Wellh. on this passage, who questions the insertion of , on account of the close of the verse.And David lamed all the teams, but reserved of them a thousand teams,<\/em> for his own use; in fact, therefore, he lamed only 900. For this custom of laming () war-horses, comp. Jos 11:6<\/span>; Jos 11:9<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:6<\/span>. And David put in Syria Damascus,<\/em> men, soldiers, garrison troops. From 2Sa 8:6<\/span> and 1Ch 18:13<\/span> of our chapter the word appears to have fallen out after ; comp. also 1Ch 13:3<\/span>; 1Sa 10:5<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:7<\/span>. And David took the arms<\/em> (or equipments) of gold,<\/em>; so rightly the moderns, instead of the golden collars () of the Sept., the quivers (pharetr<\/em>) of the Vulg., and the golden shields of the Chald., of some Rabbis, and of Luther.Which were on the servants of Hadadezer,<\/em> his military servants, soldiers. On the addition of the Sept., in 2Sa 8:7<\/span> relative to the later capture and carrying away of these golden arms by Shishak of Egypt, under Rehoboam, comp. the expositors of that passage.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:8<\/span>. And from Tibhath and from Chun,<\/em> etc. Tibhath (), or, as it is perhaps to be read, Tebah (, for which, 2 Samuel 8<\/span>, stands erroneously ), appears to be identical with the family mentioned, Gen 22:24<\/span>, among the descendants of Nahor; whether it be the present Taibeh, on the caravan road between Aleppo and the Euphrates, is questionable. In place of 2 Samuel gives (= Barathena,<\/em> Ptol. v. 19? or , Eze 47:16<\/span>?). On what this diversity of name rests, whether on the corruption of the original into , as Berth. thinks, or on a double name of the place in question, must remain doubtful.Of which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the brazen vessels.<\/em> These words, wanting in 2Sa 8:8<\/span> in the Masoretic text, are perhaps to be restored according to our passage, and according to the Sept. and Vulg.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:9-11<\/span>. Embassy and Present of Tou King of Hamath to David. In the parallel account, 2Sa 8:9-12<\/span>, this Tou is called Toi ()<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:10<\/span>. And he sent Hadoram his <\/em>son.<\/span><\/em> 2<\/span> Samuel: Joram, at all events incorrect, as a name compounded with would scarcely have suited a member of a Syrian royal house; and the Sept. gives there (here)To greet him,<\/em> to wish him health. So is to be taken, according to the parallel passages, as Gen 43:27<\/span>, not, with the Sept. and Vulg., in the sense of a prayer for peace (ut postulant ab eo pacem<\/em>).For Ton was at war with Hadadezer,<\/em> literally, For Hadadezer was a man of wars of Tou, a constant assailant and adversary to him; comp. 1Ch 28:3<\/span>; Isa 42:13<\/span>. After these words, which form a parenthetical explanation to the foregoing, follows the wider object of : and all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass, which Luther erroneously refers to 1Ch 18:11<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:11<\/span>. With the silver and the gold that he had taken.<\/em> For 2 Samuel presents , perhaps the original form.From all the nations<\/em> . . . and from Amalek.<\/em> In 2 Samuel a more complete and probable text is found (in which, besides, is to be read for .<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:12-13<\/span>. Abshais Victory over the Edomites in the Valley of Salt.And Abshai . . . slew of Edom<\/em> (literally, slew Edom) in the valley of salt,<\/em> 18,000 men.<\/em> In Bertheaus combination of the very different reading in 2Sa 8:13<\/span> with our passage, for Abshai son of Zeruiah would have to be read Joab, etc., and after slew of Edom would have fallen out the words when he (Joab) returned from the conquest of Aram. Otherwise Ew., Then., Wellh., Keil, etc., the latter of whom upholds the statement of Chronicles, that Abshai gained this victory, by reference to 1Ch 10:10<\/span> ff. of our book (where Abshai appears as commander under his brother Joab), and declares it consistent as well with Psa 60:2<\/span> as with 1Ki 11:15<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:14<\/span>. And all the Edomites became servants of David.<\/em> For this 2 Samuel has more fully, and perhaps originally: and in all Edom he appointed officers; and all the Edomites became Davids servants.<\/p>\n

2. Davids Officers of State:<\/em> 1Ch 18:14-17<\/span>,a list in 2 Samuel 8<\/span> also appended to the above summary war reports ( = 2Sa 8:15-18<\/span>), that was certainly found here in the old common sources of both authors, introduced by the general remark on the ability and excellence of the government of David (1Ch 18:14<\/span>).<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:15<\/span>. For Joab, comp. on 1Ch 2:16<\/span>.Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.<\/em>, properly remembrancer, that is, not annalist (Sept. Vulg. a commentariis<\/em>), but chancellor, who makes to the king a report of all that takes place in the kingdom, and conveys his commands; comp. the magister memori<\/em> of the later Romans, and the Waka Nuvis<\/em> in the Persian court (Chardin, Voyages<\/em>, v. p. 258).<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:16<\/span>. For Zadok, comp. on 1Ch 5:30 ff.Abimelech the son of Abiathar.<\/em> For is certainly to be read, with the Sept., Vulg., and 2Sa 8:17<\/span>, ; for so is this priest called in 1Ch 24:3<\/span>; 1Ch 24:6<\/span>; 1Ch 24:31<\/span>, where he is likewise named as the representative of Ithamar with Zadok of Eleazar, and where he appears as the son of Abiathar. That Abiathars father was also called Ahimelech, 1Sa 22:20<\/span>, does not warrant the assumption that in our passage, as in 24, there is an exchange of the father and the son; and thus a transposition of the names into Abiathar the son of Ahimelech is necessary (as Movers, Then., Ew., Wellh. think). Rather is our Ahimelech to be regarded as a son of the same name with his grandfather, according to the known Hebrew custom, who, even during his fathers lifetime, acted in the priestly office. Comp. the frequent recurrence of the grandfathers name in the grandson in 1Ch 5:3041.And Shavsha was scribe,<\/em> that is, secretary of state. This Shavsha (Luth. Sausa) is called in 1Ki 4:3<\/span> Shisha (, differing only in spelling from ), but in 2Sa 20:2<\/span>5 () If 2Sa 8:17<\/span> exhibits , this is to be considered, perhaps, an error of the pen.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:17<\/span>. And Benaiah . . . was over the Cherethi and the Pelethi.<\/em> So also 2Sa 8:18<\/span>, with the more correct reading for , as in 2Sa 20:23<\/span>. That Cherethi and Pelethi denote the two divisions of the royal guard (the , Joseph. Antiq.<\/em>vii. 5. 4) is undoubted, though, with Gesen., Then., Bhr (on 1Ki 1:36<\/span>), Keil, etc., the former name be explained by confossores, lictores<\/em>, executioners, the latter by celeres, , runners (couriers), and thus both appellatively, for which the passages 1Ki 2:25<\/span>, 2Ki 11:1<\/span> appear to speak, or though (with Lakemacher, Movers, Ew., Berth., Hitz., etc.) they be regarded as the nationalities of the Cretans (Carians) and the Philistines. Comp. the latest discussion of this controversy by J. G. Mller (Die Semiten in ihrem Verhaltniss zu Chamiten und Japhetiten,<\/em> 1872, p. 263 ff.), who decides for the latter interpretation. For Benaiah, comp. also 1Ch 11:22<\/span> ff.And Davids sons were the chief beside the king,<\/em> the next to him. In 2Sa 8:18<\/span> the ancient term , privy counsellors, is chosen to designate the high rank of the royal princes (comp. 1Ki 4:5<\/span>).<\/p>\n

3. The War with Ammon and Syria:<\/em> 1Ch 19:1<\/span> to 1Ch 20:3<\/span>; comp. 2 Samuel 10<\/span>.And it came to pass after this.<\/em> The loose form of connection serves sometimes to introduce new reports, even if there be no strict chronological order, or if, as here (comp. 1Ch 18:3-5<\/span> with 1Ch 19:16<\/span> ff.), that which is to be related has been partly mentioned before. Comp. for example, 2Sa 8:1; 2Sa 10:1<\/span>; 2Sa 13:1<\/span>. For the Ammonite king Nahash, and his war with Saul, see 1 Samuel 11<\/span>.And his son reigned in his stead.<\/em> The following certainly shows that this son was called Hanun; yet the name , from 2Sa 10:1<\/span>, appears to have originally stood in the text after , as inversely there, the omitted name must apparently be supplied from our passage.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:3<\/span>. Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father?<\/em> literally, Does David honour thy father in thine eyes? The emphasis in this question rests on the notion of honouring, of which the questioners doubt whether it really forms the object of Davids embassy.To search and to turn over<\/em> (turn up side down, examine thoroughly), and to spy out the land.<\/em> This sentence is also in Hebrew a question, but, as an affirmative answer is expected, introduced, not with , but with Are they not come to search, etc.? In 2Sa 10:3<\/span>, the sentence runs somewhat different, so that riot the land (), but the city (), is the object of the verbs, and the removed to the end has the sense, not of turning over, but of destroying. But it is scarcely necessary to change our text accordingly (against Berth.).<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:4<\/span>. And shaved them.<\/em> 2 Samuel more exactly: shaved off the half (the one side) of their beard.And cut off half their garments by the breech.<\/em>, properly, the step, the step-region in the middle of the body, here euphemistic for , nates<\/em>, which is used in 2 Samuel.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:5<\/span>. And they went.<\/em> This is wanting in 2 Samuel, but not therefore to be erased as superfluous (against Berth.).And the king said, Tarry at Jericho.<\/em> So far they were then come on their way to Jerusalem. The following then return is naturally completed by adding to Jerusalem or hither.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:6<\/span>. That they had made themselves stink with David,<\/em> had drawn his hatred on them. For the Hithp<\/em>. 2 Samuel has the Niph.<\/em> of the same verb, in the same reflexive sense.Hanun . . . sent a thousand talents of silver to hire,<\/em> etc. The statement that this hiring of auxiliaries took place is wanting in 2 Samuel, but is certainly genuine.For Mesopotamia = Aram-naharaim, 2 Samuel names, as the first of the countries from which Hanun hired his auxiliaries, Aram-beth-rehob, which can scarcely be only another name of Mesopotamia (as some ancients have assumed, identifying the city Beth-rehob with Rehobath, now Rahabe, on the Euphrates, Gen 36:37<\/span>), but the kingdom or territory of Beth-rehob, a Syrian city, Num 13:21<\/span>, Jdg 18:28<\/span>, lying south of Hamath. For the following name, Aram-Maachah, 2 Samuel 10<\/span>. (as 1Ch 19:7<\/span> of our ch.) has only Maachah (on which region, bordering northward on the trans-jordanic Palestine, comp. Deu 3:14<\/span>; Jos 12:5<\/span>; Jos 13:11<\/span>). On the contrary, Zobah is there called more fully: Aram-Zobah (comp. on 1Ch 18:3<\/span>).<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:7<\/span>. And they hired them<\/em> 32,000 chariots<\/em>, that is, chariots with riders, , as the foregoing verse shows. The number 32,000 agrees substantially with the deviating statement in 2 Samuel, in which these auxiliaries appear rather as footmen, and, indeed, consisting of 20,000 footmen from Aram and Aram-beth-rehob, 1000 men from Maachah, and 12,000 men from the kingdom of Tob (Jdg 11:3<\/span>), which latter our author has left undistinguished.And they came and pitched before Medeba,<\/em> the city of the tribe of Reuben mentioned Jos 13:16<\/span>, two miles (about nine English miles) south-east of Heshbon. This statement as well as the following, relative to the simultaneous assembling of the Ammonite troops, is wanting in 2 Samuel 10<\/span>, but was found no doubt in the old sources used by our writer, in common with the author of the books of Samuel.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:8<\/span>. And all the host of the mighty.<\/em> Different, but merely in expression, from 2 Samuel: the whole host, the mighty men.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:9<\/span>. And the sons of Ammon . . . at the gate of the city,<\/em> before the gates of Rabbah, their capital. This reading: , is to be preferred, as clearer than that in 2Sa 10<\/span>:1 , at the gate, outside the gate.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:10<\/span>. And Joab saw that the battle was directed against him before and behind,<\/em> literally, that the face of the battle ( = the front of the line) was before and behind him: that before him stood the Ammonites, and in his rear the Syrians. Opposite the latter, as the stronger foe, Joab took his ground, while, 1Ch 19:11<\/span>, he entrusted the engagement with the Ammonites to his brother Abshai.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:13<\/span>. For our people, and for the city of our God:<\/em> that these may not fall into the hands of the heathen, and from cities of the Lord become cities of idols.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:15<\/span>. And went into the city,<\/em> fled into their capital Rabbah, while Joab first returned to Jerusalem, reserving the siege and capture of this strong fortress for the following campaign.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:16-19<\/span>. The Conquest of the Syrians allied with the Ammonites.They sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river Euphrates,<\/em> the Mesopotamians, who must have been somehow subject to Hadadezer, and laid under tribute; comp. 2Sa 10:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:17<\/span>. And came to them.<\/em> Instead of this notice, which is superfluous, along with the following words: and drew up against them, should be read, with 2Sa 10:16<\/span> (see Crit. Note): and he came to Helam. This elsewhere not occurring local name or (Sept., Vulg. Helam<\/em>) the Chronist quite omits in its first place (in 2 Samuel 10, 16<\/span> = 1Ch 19:16<\/span> of our ch.), and changes it the second time, whether intentionally or not, into . Comp. Joseph. Antiq.<\/em>vii. 6, 3, where the name is regarded as a proper name of a king beyond the Euphrates, the master of the general Shophach (Sabekos). It is, moreover, not impossible that the local name Helam corresponds to the Alamatha on the Euphrates in Ptolem. 1Ch 15:5<\/span>, in which case 1Ch 18:3<\/span> might be combined with our passage, if the same war with Hadadezer and the Syrians be spoken of there as here.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:18<\/span>. And David slew of the Syrians<\/em> 7000 teams<\/em> (chariot horses) and<\/em> 40,000 footmen.<\/em> On the contrary, 2 Samuel has 700 teams and 40,000 horsemen. Perhaps the smaller number of teams in 2 Samuel and the designation of the 40,000 as footmen in our text deserve the preference; comp. Wellh. p. 180.<\/p>\n

1Ch 19:19<\/span>. And when the servants of Hadadezer,<\/em> here not his warriors, but his allies or subject kings (vassals); comp. 2Sa 10:19<\/span> : .<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:1-3<\/span>. The Siege and Conquest of Rabbah, here more briefly related than in 2Sa 11:1<\/span>; 2Sa 12:26-31<\/span>, and therefore without any reference to the death of Uriah.When the year was ended, at the time when the kings go out,<\/em> in the spring, as most suitable for re-opening the campaign. The last described battle with the Syrians appears accordingly to have fallen in the autumn of the previous year.Joab led forth the strength of the host;<\/em> more circumstantially 2Sa 11:1<\/span> : David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. On , comp. the similar , 2Ch 26:13<\/span>.And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it,<\/em> properly, pulled it down; comp. Eze 16:39<\/span>; Eze 26:4<\/span>; Eze 26:12<\/span>; Lam 2:2<\/span>; Lam 2:17<\/span>. Compared with 2Sa 12:26<\/span> ff, where it is reported that Joab first only took the so-called city of waters, but called King David to the taking of the proper fortress (citadel, acropolis), that the honour of completing the conquest and destruction of the city might be his, the present report appears brief and summary.<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:3<\/span>. And cut them with saws, and iron threshing-carts and saws.<\/em>, . ., from the root , cut; comp. saw, from the cognate root . In 2Sa 12:31<\/span>, is perhaps only an error of the pen for or (Bttcher).For , as in 2 Samuel, , and with scythes (or like iron-cutting instruments, scarcely wedges, as Luther, or axes, as Kamph., thinks), is perhaps to be read. A twofold mention of saws, first in the sing., then in plur., would be an intolerable tautology. Moreover, this cutting and grinding of the vanquished Ammonites with iron saws, threshing sledges, and the like, is in itself horrible and barbarous enough (comp. Pro 20:26<\/span>; Amo 1:3<\/span>); and we need not assume that the Chronist intentionally, and from an apologetic tendency, passed over a still more horrid kind of punishment then inflicted on the vanquished Ammonites, burning in tile-kilns (2Sa 12:31<\/span>); comp. on 1Ch 18:2<\/span>.<\/p>\n

4. Appendix: Briefer Report of the Heroic Deeds of some of Davids Warriors in the Conflict with Philistine Giants:<\/em> 1Ch 20:4-8<\/span>.This report is also treated as an appendix in 2 Samuel, where it is found quite at the end of the history of David, 1Ch 21:15-22<\/span>, and, indeed, enlarged by a fourth heroic deed (1Ch 21:15-17<\/span>), there related in the first place, but here wantingthe dangerous conflict of David with the giant Ishbi-benob, whom Abshai at length slew. It appears as if the Chronist had omitted this story intentionally, because it might have lessened the military fame of David. Comp. Lightfoot, Chronol. V. T. p.<\/em> 1Chr 68: lllud prlium, in quo David in periculum venit et unde decore et illsus prodire non potuit, omissum est;<\/em> as Starke: The dangerous combat of David with Ishbi is not mentioned here, as the book of Chronicles, as some remark, conceals or passes over the shame of the saints; whence also nothing occurs here of the adultery and murder by David, or of the idolatry of Solomon.<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:4<\/span>. And it came to pass after this.<\/em> This formula stood here originally not so unconnected as in 1Ch 19:1<\/span>; but the event to which it referred, 2Sa 21:18<\/span>, was that history of the combat with Ishbi which is intentionally omitted by our author, on which account the formula does not now appear very suitable.A war arose at Gezer.<\/em> (perhaps arising out of , 2Sa 21:18<\/span>), here = , according to later usage. For Gezer (in the tribe of Ephraim, to the south-west, near the north border of the Philistines), sec 1Ch 7:28<\/span>. For , moreover, we should apparently (2Sa 21:18<\/span>) read , or perhaps ; that passage is not inversely to be amended from ours (against Berth.).Then Sibbecai the, Hushathite<\/em> (one of Davids Gibborim; see 1Ch 11:29<\/span> and 1Ch 27:11<\/span>) slew Sippai, one of the sons of Rapha,<\/em> one of the Rephaites or descendants of Rapha, that gigantic tribe that before the invasion of the Philistines inhabited the south-west of Canaan, and of which several families of gigantic size still lived among the Philistines; comp. Jos 11:22<\/span>; Deu 2:6<\/span>; Deu 2:23<\/span>.And they were subdued,<\/em> namely, by the conquest of this giant; comp. Jdg 11:33<\/span>; 1Sa 7:13<\/span>. The absence of this remark in 2 Samuel does not make its originality suspicious.<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:5<\/span>. And there was a war again with the Philistines,<\/em> namely, 2Sa 21:19<\/span>, at Gob (or Nob), and so at the same place as the former.Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lachmi, brother of Goliath the Gittite.<\/em> According to this certainly original reading is the defective text, 2Sa 21:19<\/span> : Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, to be amended (with Piscat., Cleric, Mich., Mov., Then., Keil, Wellh.). The form , instead of of Chronicles, would be caused by the following , the accidental insertion of which from the line underneath is easily understood (Wellh.). Besides, the here quite unexplained mention of the celebrated captain of David, Elhanan of Bethlehem (1Ch 11:26<\/span>), will have occasioned a change of into . Accordingly, the question started by Berth., as defender of the originality of the text of Samuel: Have there been two Goliaths? falls to the ground as an idle one.<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:6<\/span> ff. The Last of the Four Heroic Deeds.Where was a man of<\/em> (great) stature:<\/em> = the , vir mensurarum,<\/em> in 2 Samuel.And his fingers were, six and six<\/em> (namely, on the hands and the feet, therefore in all), twenty and four.<\/em> Comp. the sedigiti<\/em> mentioned by Plin. . H. N<\/em>. xi. 43; also Trusen, Sitten, Gebruche, and Krankheiten der alten Hebrer,<\/em> p. 198 f.; Carlisle, An account of a family having hands and feet with supernumerary fingers and toes (in Philos. Transac.<\/em> 1814, part 1, p. 94); Rosbach, Diss, de numiero digitorum adaucto,<\/em> Bonn 1838; Blasius, Fall von Ueberzahl der Zehen,<\/em> in Siebolds Journ. fr Geburtshlfe<\/em>, vol. xiii. Art. 1; also Lond. Medic. Gaz.<\/em> vol. xiv. Apr. 1834, and Friedrich, Zur Bibel,<\/em> i. p. 298 f. Recently the well-known Arabian traveller F. v. Maltzan, in the Berlin Anthropological Society, reported as follows: Among the Himyarites (in South Arabia), in the dynasty of Forli, the six fingers are hereditary, and the pride of the ruler and the people. Indeed, this property of six fingers, a sign of bodily or, if not bodily, of mental strength among the Arabs, is still kept up artificially, as the six-fingered princes of the reigning house are allowed to marry only six-fingered members of the family, to avoid as much as possible the appearance of five fingers. In short, the twenty-four fingers and toes of the ruler are the pride of the country; and any one out of the country might prove his nearer or further connection with the ruling house by a greater or smaller superfluity of fingers (Correspondence Sheet<\/em> of the German Society for Anthropology, Ethnol., etc., 1872, No. 8, p. 60).<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:7<\/span>. Jonathan the son of Shima, Davids brother, Slew him.<\/em> Comp., on this Shima, 1Ch 2:13<\/span>.<\/p>\n

1Ch 20:8<\/span>. These were born.<\/em> for is an archaism, that occurs eight times in the Pentateuch, but always with the article (), and stands only here without it, for which reason it appears suspicious; the following also probably contains an error; comp. the regular in 2Sa 21:22<\/span>, Where it is preceded by the number four (Which is naturally omitted by the Chronist).And they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants,<\/em> namely, by Davids hand in a mediate way, as he was the supreme commander and military chief of the victorious Israelites, but immediately by the hand of his so-called servants or heroes. The whole remark forms a concluding subscription, that appears no less suitable in our passage than in 2Sa 21:22<\/span> (against Berth.).<\/p>\n

Footnotes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]<\/span> is the Kethib<\/em> in all passages of our chapter, but the Keri<\/em>: (so in 2Sa 10:16-19<\/span>). The first form, the more usual in the books of Samuel and Kings, is also the more original, because , a Syrian idol name, occurs in other Syrian proper names.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/span>Properly Darmascus (so here and 1Ch 18:6<\/span>, also 2Ch 16:2; 2Ch 24:23<\/span>, without variation; elsewhere always ).<\/p>\n

[3]<\/span>After there seems to have fallen out ; comp. Sept. () and Vulg. (milites<\/em>), and see Exeg. Expl.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/span>For read rather (with the Sept., Vulg., and 1Ch 24:3<\/span>; 1Ch 24:6<\/span>) .<\/p>\n

[5]<\/span>For the text in Samuel (2Sa 10:17<\/span>) has , and went to Helam, perhaps more correct and original (comp. Exeg. Expl.), though all translations and mss. conform the of our passage.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/span>Rather, perhaps, and scythes, as for is (with 2Sa 12:31<\/span>) no doubt to be read.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/span>Recently Th. Bischoff (Das Ausland<\/em>, 1873, p. 136) thinks he has found the ruins of Zobah south-east of Aleppo, near the salt lake Jabul. He appears to mean the same ruins which J. W. Helfer (Helfers Reisen in Vorderasien<\/em>, by Countess Pauline Nostitz, Leipz. 1873, i. p. 174 ff.) saw in 1830.<\/p>\n

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

CONTENTS<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This Chapter relates the circumstances of David’s war with the Philistines, and Moabites. He smiteth Hadarezer.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

The blessed effects of David’s interest with God, are manifested in his success in all that he put his hand unto. The Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. Sweet thought to the souls of the gracious. But we must look beyond David in this history, to eye him of whom David in many instances was but the type. All that oppose the Son of David shall perish. Jesus must go on conquering and to conquer. His dominions shall be from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Psa 72:8<\/span> .<\/p>\n

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:1-12<\/p>\n

[ The Speakers Commentary<\/em> points out that this chapter is closely parallel with 2Sa 8<\/span> , differing from it only in a few passages. It contains an account of David’s chief wars ( 1Ch 18:1-13 ), and a list of his principal officers ( 1Ch 18:15-17 ).]<\/p>\n

1. Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.<\/p>\n

2. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.<\/p>\n

3. And David smote Hadarezer [ or,<\/em> Hadadezer ( 2Sa 8:3 ). This is a corrupt form of the name which is given correctly in 2Sa 8:3-12<\/span> , and 1Ki 11:23<\/span> , as Hadadezer. It means “The Sun-God helps” or “has helped”] king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.<\/p>\n

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 an hundred chariots.<\/p>\n

5. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

7. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

8. Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.<\/p>\n

9. Now when Tou [this king is called Toi in 2Sa 8:9<\/span> . It is impossible to say which is the right reading] king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;<\/p>\n

10. He sent Hadoram [in Samuel “Joram;” but “Hadoram” is preferable, since it is not likely that the Syrians would employ a name of which one element is “Jehovah”] his son to king David, to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him [the words are the same here and in Samuel, where the A.V. has “to salute him and to bless him.” “To greet him and congratulate him” would perhaps best represent the original], because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels [the purchase of foreign aid by means of gold and silver vessels,<\/em> rather than by specie, receives illustration from the later Jewish history, where we find Ahaz bribing Tiglath-pileser with “the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord” ( 2Ki 16:8 ), as well as from the Assyrian records, which speak of a Babylonian monarch as procuring the help of the Elamites in the same way] of gold and silver and brass.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

12. Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. [This is no doubt the victory assigned in 2Sa 8:13 to David, and there wrongly described as a victory over the Syrians. That the “valley of salt” was in Edom appears from 2Ki 14:7<\/span> ; 2Ch 25:11<\/span> . That Abishai was the general who gained the victory for David we learn from this passage only. Other incidents of the Edomite war are related in 1Ki 11:14-17<\/span> .]<\/p>\n

Spoils From Edom<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

IT would appear from the opening of this chapter that David was called to war rather than to building. We are not to suppose that we are necessarily in direct chronological sequence; but we are face to face with the fact that the man who proposed to build a tabernacle for the ark was called upon to do the work of a warrior, which he could better do than his son Solomon. Who so mighty as David in battle? Who but himself could have taken Gath and her daughters, or outlying dependencies? At the same time we are entitled to reason that though David was prevented from entering upon the actual occupation of building, yet even in war he was contributing to the rearing of the tabernacle. Properly considered, righteous war means building it is not the act of building, but it prepares for the work of edification. Until the work of subjugation has been completed, the building cannot be settled upon proper foundations. Alas, there is always an immense destructive work to be done before the work of construction can be properly begun. In reading these ancient records we must remember that at the time war was the only power that could be understood. We are not entitled to take back Christian ethics to pre-Christian times, and to judge those ages by the higher standards of apostolic morality. Did verses of this kind occur in the New Testament, we should hesitate to regard them as expressing the divine will, but should rather say, “an enemy hath done this.” But when David lived, the sword appeared to be indispensable; war was a tremendous but necessary evil, and issues had to be wrought out which it would seem were impossible apart from the deadly action of the soldier. The moral meaning of this is clear enough: whilst we are destroying evil we are building the altar; whilst we are closing springs of evil we are opening the fountains of God; whilst we are causing men, by argument and example, to cease to do evil; we are also by so much teaching them to do well.<\/p>\n

“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” (<\/em> 1Ch 18:11 ).<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

The spoils which we take in war are not ours but God’s. Nothing that David took was to be used tor the decoration of his own house, or the increase of his own ostentation in the eyes of his people: all that his right hand plucked from the enemy was to be set up in the house of the Lord. So it is in the Christian warfare. If we have conquered an enemy we must hold the conquest as an illustration of the power of God rather than of the skill of our own might or hand. The idols which we bring away from the lands of darkness are to be set up in God’s house, and are to mark points in the progress of Christian civilisation. They are not to be laughed at or mocked; they are to be solemnly regarded as indications of a universal conquest which Christ has yet to win over the nations of the whole world. If we have brought back spoils such as art, music, or any form of pleasure by which the popular mind can be reached and moved in an upward direction we are to remember that in all these spoils we are to see the divine power and not proofs of our own military genius. Where Music has been abused, let the Church go forth and rescue the angel from the hands of those who have ill-treated her, and let that angel come and sing within the shadow of the altar; if Art has been prostituted so as to minister to the lustful eye or the degenerate heart, let her be rescued from her tormentors, and be brought into the Church to add some new beauty to all that is rare and choice and delicate in the treasures of the sanctuary. The whole object of the Christian life should be to enlarge the Church in the best sense; to increase its treasures, to add to its spoils, to prove its energies, and to uphold and vindicate the claim that the Church has within herself all that is needful to release men from the burden of sin, and give them all the joy of the highest service and all the comfort of the truest and deepest consolation. The Church of God should be the richest of all institutions, the very focus of all light, the very home of all goodness.<\/p>\n

Prayer<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Almighty God, we would be thy sons and daughters. Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us. Our Father in heaven; hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come. Be pleased to work within us all the good pleasure of thy will and the work of faith with power. Accomplish thy purpose in our hearts, and make our lives beautiful as a palace built for God. We thank thee that we have yearnings towards thee outgoings of the soul strong and ardent which cannot be satisfied but by the living God and by the fountains which spring and flow in heaven. This is the miracle of grace; this is the marvel of the Holy Ghost; this is the pledge that we have not been left unto ourselves, but are still cared for by the eye of heavenly pity. Thou hast called us thy sons, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. Thou hast hidden a promise in our hearts. Thou hast set up the spirit of prophecy in the Church. We dwell not only in history, so full of thy presence and so gracious by thy providences, but we dwell in the future, in the morning of purity and peace and liberty; and already we feel upon our lives the warm sun-blaze of the coming time, and we rejoice in the dawn of the brighter day, and look onward with honest hearts and ever-enlarging faith both the miracles of thy Holy Spirit to the realisation of opportunities fast hastening. We bless thee for thy house. We run into it and are safe; we sit down within it and are conscious of a Father’s blessing; we look forward to it, and it is as the rising of the sun. Pity us in our littlenesses and weaknesses, in our infirmities of every kind; and let thy pity grow into pardon when it fixes the eyes filled with tears upon our guilt and iniquity; cover it up we beseech thee; bless us with a sense of forgiveness, and dry the tears of our penitence with the assurance of divine pardon. The Lord’s mercy be the secret of our life, the spring of our consolation, the pledge of our immortality in heaven. And to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, Three in One, One in Three, be the kingdom and the power and the glory, world without end. Amen.<\/p>\n

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

XVIII<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

THE WARS OF DAVID<\/p>\n

2Sa 5:11-25<\/span><\/strong> ; 2Sa 8:1<\/span><\/strong> ; 2Sa 10:1-19<\/span><\/strong> ; 2Sa 21:15-22<\/span><\/strong> ; 2Sa 23:13-17<\/span><\/strong> ; 1Ch 11:15-19<\/span><\/strong> ; 1Ch 12:8-15<\/span><\/strong> ; 1Ch 14:1-2<\/span><\/strong> ; 1Ch 14:8-17<\/span><\/strong> ; 1Ch 18:1<\/span><\/strong> ; 1Ch 19:1-19<\/span><\/strong> ; 1Ch 20:4-8<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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:<\/p>\n

1. He was never the aggressor.<\/p>\n

2. He never lost a battle.<\/p>\n

3. His conquest filled out the kingdom to the boundaries originally promised to Abraham.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/em><\/strong> 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?”<\/p>\n

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”.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Some other incidents of the Philistine war are worthy of comment:<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/span> .<\/p>\n

That you may have a connected account of these wars, the consideration of three periods is deferred to the next chapter:<\/p>\n

1. The great sin of David, with its far-reaching consequences, 2Sa 11:2-12:24<\/span> .<\/p>\n

2. His treatment of the Ammonites after the fall of Rabbah, 2Sa 12:31<\/span> and 1Ch 20:3<\/span> .<\/p>\n

3. His treatment of the Moabites, 2Sa 8:2<\/span> .<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

QUESTIONS<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. What is the necessity of breaking the power of the hostile nations within and around Judea?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

3. What event brought a tide of war on David?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

4. According to the record, with what nations did he wage successful war?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

5. What eight general observations on these wars?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

6. What special feature characterized them and all other ancient wars, and what modern inventions have now divested war of this feature?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

7. Cite the names of some of David’s champions and their exploits.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

8. How does Sir Walter Scott, in Ivanhoe, <\/em><\/strong> philosophize on the speedy oblivion coming to great champions?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

9. Recite one exploit that deserves to live in literature, and why?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

10. Cite the notable characteristic of the battle of Baal-Perazirn.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

11. Name the more decisive battle which followed, and give illustrations from history of the different methods of attack in those two battles.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

12. Give Major Penn’s text and sermon outline on some words concerning this battle.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

13. Explain: ”He took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

14. What was the result of these great achievements?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

15. Recite the occasion of the war with Ammon and its results, and describe the first battle.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

16. Give a brief statement of wars with Syria, Moab, and Edom.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

17. With a map before you, show just how by these wars and alliances David safeguarded all his borders.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

18. How did he commemorate his victories?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

19. How did he celebrate them?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

20. Into what other book was his thanksgiving song transferred, and how numbered there?<\/p>\n

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:1 Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.<\/p>\n

Ver 1.<\/strong> ] This chapter is the same with 2Sa 8:1-18<\/span> . See Trapp on “<\/em> 2Sa 8:1 “<\/em> &c.<\/p>\n

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1 Chronicles Chapter 18<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the next chapter (1Ch 18<\/span> ) the Spirit of God shows us the power that was conferred upon David. He smote the Philistines who were the tyrannous enemies of Israel in Saul’s day, by whom Saul himself was slain and his family. David smote them and subdued them. He smote Moab, the old enemy, the envious and spiteful against the people. “And the Moabites became David’s servants and brought gifts. And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath.” This power extended beyond those who immediately surrounded Israel. “And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought gifts. Thus Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went.” Accordingly, we find that David dedicates the spoils, the silver and the gold, “from Edom and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.” Nor was it only David, but his servants, on whom God put honour. “So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people,” and had his kingdom duly set out with servants adequate to the work.<\/p>\n

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

it came to pass. Compare the parallel (2Sa 8:1-8); and note that the two accounts are supplementary and complementary, not contradictory. <\/p>\n

Gath. See note on “Metheg-ammah” (2Sa 8:1). In the time of Solomon (1Ki 2:39 Gath was tributary. <\/p>\n

her towns. Hebrew her daughters. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia. App-6. <\/p>\n

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:1-2<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:1-2<\/p>\n

DAVID’S GOD-GIVEN VICTORIES OF HIS ENEMIES;<\/p>\n

VICTORY OVER THE PHILISTINES AND THE MOABITES<\/p>\n

“And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Goth and its towns out of the hands of the Philistines. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.”<\/p>\n

E.M. Zerr:<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:1. This book is a general collection of the outstanding facts concerning the nation of God. It does not claim to give all the details, neither does it profess to be always connected chronologically. We have just read a psalm and prayer of David for the promise made to him concerning the house to be built by his son. Now the sacred writer or historian goes into some of the military operations of the great man of God. We shall finally learn that David was not permitted to build the house of God because of his warlike activities. It was consistent, therefore, for the writer to break away from the happy subject of the temple to be built in the future, and to take up the narrative of David’s military movements. <\/p>\n

1Ch 18:2. Brought gifts. See my comments at Gen 32:13 on the meaning of this. <\/p>\n

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

With slight variations, this chapter is identical with 2Sa 8:1-18. It tells the story of David’s victories over surrounding foes by which he made the boundaries of his kingdom secure, and put himself in position to increase his trading facilities. First, he dealt with the Philistines on the southwest, and then turned to the northeast, where he secured a position on the great river. The Edomites were defeated by Joab and Abishai, and so security and opportunity to trade were made certain.<\/p>\n

In view of the desire of the king to build the Temple of God, this chapter is of special interest, as it shows how in all these wars David was amassing treasure with that end in view. The Moabites and the Syrians brought presents. Shields of gold and much brass were gathered from the cities and servants of Hadarezer. Vessels of gold and silver and brass were sent by Tou. All these things were dedicated to the Lord.<\/p>\n

Thus through all the days of conflict, and notwithstanding the fact that he was not to be personally permitted to build, the desire to accomplish his purpose burned in his heart.<\/p>\n

The story suggests to us the possibility of our helping very really the work of God to which, in some respects, we may not be permitted to put our hands. The passion of the heart may have been to go into the foreign field of service, and for some reason the way is blocked, evidently by God. The temptation is to think that therefore we are excluded from that work. Let us rather set ourselves to gather treasure for the work, and so keep the passion burning. <\/p>\n

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

8. Davids Wars and Successful Reign<\/p>\n

CHAPTER 18<\/p>\n

1. War with the Philistines (1Ch 18:1)<\/p>\n

2. War with Moab (1Ch 18:2)<\/p>\n

3. War with Zobah (1Ch 18:3-4)<\/p>\n

4. War with Damascus (1Ch 18:5-11)<\/p>\n

5. Wars with Edom (1Ch 18:12-13)<\/p>\n

6. Davids administration (1Ch 18:14-17)<\/p>\n

After such glorious experiences David went forth as the victorious warrior-king to conquer the enemies of Israel. He first smote the Philistines, subdued them and took Gath and her towns. Gath, the chief city of the Philistines, is called in 2Sa 8:1 Metheg-aminah, which means the bridle of the mother city. Then he smote Moab and they became his servants and brought presents. Great are the conquests and victories of David recorded in this chapter. From Hadarezer, King of Zobah, he took 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 footmen. (2Sa 8:4 has 700, which is a copyists error.) Then the Syrians came to help the King of Zobah and lost 22,000 men. Then the Syrians also became his servants and brought presents. And the LORD gave victory to David whithersoever he went. In all this we see foreshadowed the triumphs of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes as the victorious King and His enemies shall all be subdued.<\/p>\n

All the spoil taken, the shields of gold, were brought to Jerusalem. From Tibhath and from Chun, cities which belonged to Hadarezer, David took very much brass. The brazen sea, the pillars and the vessels of brass for the temple were made by Solomon out of this material. Silver and gold which he carried away from all the conquered nations were all dedicated unto the Lord. And in a future day shall the silver and the gold of the Gentiles be brought to Jerusalem (Isa 60:6; Isa 60:17; Psa 72:10). So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

am 2964, bc 1040, An, Ex, Is, 451 <\/p>\n

after this: 2Sa 8:1, 2-18 <\/p>\n

Gath: 1Sa 5:8, 1Sa 27:4, 2Sa 1:20, 2Sa 8:1, Metheg-ammah <\/p>\n

Reciprocal: Jos 11:22 – only in Gaza Jdg 13:5 – begin 2Ki 12:17 – against Gath 2Ch 11:8 – Gath 2Ch 26:6 – the wall of Gath Psa 60:8 – Moab<\/p>\n

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:1. Now after this David smote the Philistines After the sweet communion he had had with God by the word and prayer, as is recorded in the foregoing chapter, he went on in his work with an extraordinary vigour and courage, conquering and to conquer. The reader will find all this chapter explained in the notes on 2 Samuel 8. Nevertheless we shall here make two or three short observations upon some parts of it.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:3. Zobah is placed a few leagues east of Palmyra in the old maps; and Hamath, as in 1Ch 12:5. See the illustrations in 2 Samuel 8.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:13. He put garrisons in Edom. Here was a fulfilment of the words of the Lord to Rachel, concerning the posterity of her twins, that the elder should serve the younger. The seed of Esau were now compelled to serve the seed of Jacob.<\/p>\n

REFLECTIONS.<\/p>\n

See the Reflections on 2 Samuel 8. Tou, king of Hamath, finding his rival vanquished, very prudently ventured to congratulate David by an embassy of his son, and to court his alliance by splendid gifts. So in prosperity a man has many friends, and his enemies are all at peace with him. But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, an alsufficient friend that lives and reigns for ever. Let us pay him an early homage; for his lovingkindness is better than life; and they that trust in him shall never be confounded.<\/p>\n

We must note the profound piety of David, in dedicating all his share of the spoils of gold and silver to the Lord, while preparing to build the temple. In all things we should aim at glorifying his holy name. <\/p>\n

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

1Ch 18:1-17. Davids Wars (see notes on 2 Samuel 8).Gath and her towns: lit. and her daughters; in 2Sa 8:1 the words the bridle of the mother city are probably corrupt.<\/p>\n

1Ch 18:17. the sons of David were chief about the king: the words in 2Sa 8:18, and Davids sons were priests, were altered by the Chronicler, who held that only the descendants of Aaron could be priests.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

18:1 Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took {a} Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.<\/p>\n

(a) Which 2Sa 8:1 calls the bridle of bondage, because it was a strong town and kept the country around it in subjection.<\/p>\n

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n

David’s victories over his enemies chs. 18-20<\/span><\/p>\n

These chapters record the fulfillment of God’s promised victory over David’s enemies as part of the Davidic Covenant (1Ch 17:8). David was successful because God was with him and helped him (1Ch 18:6; 1Ch 18:13; cf. 1Ch 19:19). [Note: For a good explanation of the difference between 18:17 and 2 Samuel 8:18, see G. J. Wenham, "Were David’s Sons Priests?" Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 87:1 (1975):79-82.] <\/span> Human kings only defeat themselves when they oppose the Lord and His anointed (cf. Psa 2:1-2). The evidence that God gave David victory bolsters confidence that He will do the same to David’s great Son, Messiah.<\/p>\n

The Chronicler recorded David’s victories over the Philistines (1Ch 18:1), the Moabites (1Ch 18:2), the Arameans (1Ch 18:3-11), the Edomites (1Ch 18:12-13), and the Ammonites (1Ch 19:1 to 1Ch 20:3). He also noted his defeat of the giants who came from the home of David’s first great adversary, Goliath (1Ch 20:4-8). David’s wars were both aggressive and defensive (cf. ch. 19). [Note: See Zane C. Hodges, "Conflicts in the Biblical Account of the Ammonite-Syrian War," Bibliotheca Sacra 119:475 (July-September 1962):238-43.] <\/span><\/p>\n

The writer portrayed David as having acted decisively to rid his kingdom of internal and external threats. He set up garrisons in Israel’s neighbor states by which he extended his influence beyond his own borders (1Ch 18:6; 1Ch 18:13). God’s blessing of Israel paralleled His blessing of David. Both nation and king had begun in humility with lowly origins but had expanded because of God’s grace and David’s appropriate trust and obedience to that grace (cf. 1Ch 17:7).<\/p>\n

These chapters also help clarify why David did not build the temple himself. He was a man of war who had shed much blood, and his reign was not a period of "rest," which was necessary for the establishment of a central sanctuary. Also these chapters show the economic prosperity that would have been needed for temple building, which characterized Solomon’s reign more than David’s. [Note: Williamson, pp. 137-38.] <\/span><\/p>\n

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. Ch. 1Ch 18:1-13 (= 2Sa 8:1-14). A Summary of David’s Foreign Wars 1. after this ] The phrase is adopted from 2Sa 8:1 and probably came originally … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Chronicles 18:1”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10903\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}