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2 Samuel
Chapter Eight
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 8
This
chapter gives a relation of the wars of David with his enemies, and his
victories over them, particularly the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and
Edomites, and of the spoils he took from them, and of the presents made to him
by others, 2 Samuel 8:1; and
of his righteous administration of government, and of the principal officers in
his court and camp, 2 Samuel 8:15.
2 Samuel 8:1 After
this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And
David took Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
afterwards that David smiteth the Philistines, and humbleth them, and David
taketh the bridle of the metropolis out of the hand of the Philistines.
And after this it came to pass,.... After David had rest
from his enemies for a time, and after the conversation he had had with Nathan
about building the house of God, and after the message sent to him from the
Lord by that prophet, forbidding him to build, and David's prayer to the Lord
upon it, the following events happened; and which are recorded to show that
David's rest from his enemies did not last long, and that he had other work to
do than to build the house of God:
that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them; these had
been long and implacable enemies of Israel; Samson began to weaken them in his
days; a war was waged between them and Israel in the times of Samuel and Saul,
and the battle sometimes went on one side and sometimes on the other; but now
David made an entire conquest of them: before they had used to come into the land
of Israel, and there fight with Israel, but now David entered into their land,
and took it from them:
and David took Methegammah out of the hands of the Philistines; the name of a
province in Palestine, and from the parallel place in 1 Chronicles 18:1,
it appears to be Gath, and its adjacent towns; but why that was called the
bridle of Ammah, or the bridle of a cubit, as it may be rendered, is not easy to
say. The conjecture of Kimchi is, that there was a pool or river of water, so
Ammah is thought to signify; and Aquila renders it a water course, which passed
through the city, having been brought from without it into it, the
communication of which from place to place it may be David cut off, by stopping
or turning its stream; but interpreters more generally suppose that Gath was
built upon an hill called Ammah, see 2 Samuel 2:24;
thought to be the same with the Amgaris of PlinyF4Nat. Hist. l. 5.
c. 13. though that is sometimes read Angaris, a mountain he places in
Palestine; and that it was called Metheg, a bridle, because being a frontier
city, and being very strong and powerful, erected into a kingdom, it was a curb
and bridle upon the Israelites; but now David taking it out of their hands,
opened his way for the more easy subduing the rest of their country: or the
word may be rendered Metheg and her mother, that is, Gath, the metropolis,
since that and her daughters, or towns, are said to be taken, 1 Chronicles 18:1;
and Metheg might be one of them.
2 Samuel 8:2 2 Then he defeated Moab.
Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two
lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to
be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought
tribute.
YLT
2And he smiteth Moab, and
measureth them with a line, causing them to lie down on the earth, and he
measureth two lines to put to death, and the fulness of the line to keep alive,
and the Moabites are to David for servants, bearers of a present.
And he smote Moab,.... He next went against that, and invaded
it, the people of it being always troublesome and distressing to the children
of Israel; and though the king of it had shown some favour to David, yet it was
when he considered him as an enemy to Saul, and Saul to him; but things having
taken a different turn, his and his people's enmity against David and his
people appeared; wherefore he went and fought them, and made them his subjects,
whereby was fulfilled the prophecy of Balaam, Numbers 24:17; as
it referred to David:
and measured them with a line: either their country and
fields, to distribute among his people, or rather the soldiers he took
prisoners; which, as Procopius Gazaeus says, were so numerous that they could
not be told, and therefore they were ordered to lie prostrate on the ground,
and they were measured with a line, as it follows:
casting them down to the ground; or ordering them to lie
down; though some understand this of casting down their cities, towers, and
strong holds, and levelling them with the ground:
even with two lines measured he; with one, so it may be
supplied, as the Vulgate Latin:
to put to death, and with one full line, to keep alive; that is, in
measuring them with his lines, he divided them into two parts, one he put to
death, and the other, the full line, which contained the most, he saved alive;
though it seems according to our version, and so most understand it, that David
slew two thirds, and saved one, and so JosephusF5Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5.
sect. 1. . This must be understood of the army of the Moabites that fell into
his hands, so Josephus, who persisted and refused to submit, not of all the
inhabitants of the land. The Jews sayF6Bemidbar Rabba, l. 14. fol.
212. 1. , that the reason of this severe treatment of them was because they
slew the father, and mother and brethren of David, whom he left to the care and
custody of the king of Moab, when he fled from Saul, see 1 Samuel 22:3;
since after that they are heard no more of; though it should rather be imputed
to their enmity against the people of Israel. The phrase of "meting out
the valley of Succoth" seems to be an allusion to this fact, Psalm 60:6, the
psalm being written on occasion of the victories here related:
and so the Moabites became David's servants; the
inhabitants of the land who were left in it, perhaps that part of the soldiers
preserved alive were brought home captives:
and brought gifts; paid a yearly
tribute to King David, as they afterwards did to Solomon and to Rehoboam, until
the revolt of the ten tribes, and then they paid it unto the kings of Israel,
to the times of Ahab, see 2 Kings 3:4, though
these gifts may be distinct from, and besides the tribute paid, which is
supposed in their being servants, see 2 Chronicles 17:11.
Thus the ArabiansF7Herodot. Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 97. carried gifts
to the king of Persia besides tribute.
2 Samuel 8:3 3 David also defeated
Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his territory
at the River Euphrates.
YLT
3And David smiteth Hadadezer
son of Rehob, king of Zobah, in his going to bring back his power by the River
[Euphrates;]
And David also smote Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah,.... Called
sometimes Aramzobah, and was a part of Syria, as its name shows. Benjamin, of
TudelaF8Itinerar. p. 59. takes it to be the same with Haleb or
Aleppo; JosephusF9Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 1.) calls it
Sophene; but that is placed by PtolemyF11Geograph. l. 5. c. 13.
beyond the Euphrates; whereas this country must be between that river and the
land of Israel, and was contiguous to it, and near Damascus; and it was so near
the land of Israel, and being conquered by David, that it became a controversy
with the Jews, whether it was not to be reckoned part of it, and in several
things they allow it to be equal to itF12T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 8. 1.
2. Misn. Demai, c. 6. sect. 11. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. . Rehob
was the first king of this part of Syria, and then his son the second and last;
he is called Hadarezer in 1 Chronicles 18:3;
the letters ד "D" and ר
"R", being frequently changed in the Hebrew tongue: him David fought
with, and overcame:
as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates; which some
understand of Hadadezer, so Jarchi and Kimchi, who attempted to recover part of
his dominions that had been taken by some one or another from him, which lay
upon the river Euphrates; or he endeavoured to enlarge his dominions, and carry
them as far as the river, and establish the borders of them; and while he was
doing this, or attempting it, David fell upon him, and routed him; or rather
this refers to David, who considering that the ancient border of the land of
Israel, as given to Abraham, reached to the river Euphrates, Genesis 15:18; he
set out on an expedition to recover this border, and whereas the country of
this king lay in his way, he invaded that; upon which Hadadezer rose up against
him, and was conquered by him, and by this means the border was recovered to
the kingdom of Israel, and reached so far, as is plain it did in Solomon's
time, 1 Kings 4:21.
2 Samuel 8:4 4 David took from him one
thousand chariots, seven hundred[a] horsemen,
and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses,
except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
YLT
4and David captureth from
him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and
David destroyeth utterly the whole of the charioteers, only he leaveth of them
a hundred charioteers.
And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven
hundred horsemen,.... "Chariots" are not in the text here, it is only
1700 "horsemen"; but it is supplied from 1 Chronicles 18:4;
where the word is expressly mentioned, and there the horsemen are said to be
seven thousand as in the Septuagint version here, and in JosephusF13Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 1.) ; which may be reconciled by observing,
with Kimchi and Abarbinel, that here the chief officers are meant, there all
the chariots and horsemen that were under their command are mentioned, which
together made up that large number; or else here are meant the ranks and
companies of horse David took, which were seven hundred; and these having ten
in a company or rank, made seven thousand; and there the complement of soldiers
in those companies and ranks are intended:
and twenty thousand footmen; the same as in 1 Chronicles 18:4;
and so in JosephusF14Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 1.) :
and David houghed all the chariot horses; or hamstrung
them, as Joshua was ordered to do with respect to the Canaanites, Joshua 11:6; he did
not kill them, which might seem cruel and unmerciful to the brute creatures,
but hamstrung them, that they might be useless for war; and the reason of it
was, that horses might not be multiplied in Israel for that purpose, that so
their trust and confidence might not be placed in them; see Deuteronomy 17:16,
but reserved of them for an hundred chariots; for his own
use, not for war, but for grandeur; which accounts in some measure for the
number of chariots and horses Solomon had, 1 Kings 4:26; the
number of horses reserved is supposed to be four hundred, four horses being
used in a chariot, which Jarchi gathers from 2 Chronicles 1:17.
2 Samuel 8:5 5 When the Syrians of
Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand
of the Syrians.
YLT
5And Aram of Damascus cometh
to give help to Hadadezer king of Zobah, and David smiteth of Aram twenty and
two thousand men;
And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of
Zobah,.... These seem to have had no king at this time, or, if they
had, Hadadezer was their king, which is not improbable; and Nicholas of
DamascusF15Apud Joseph. ib. (l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 2. ; an Heathen
writer, is clear for it, whom he calls Adad, who, he says, reigned over
Damascus, and the other Syria without Phoenicia, who made war with David king
of Judea, and was routed by him at Euphrates: and he seems to be the first king
of Damascus, which he joined to the kingdom of Zobah, and all the kings of
Damascus afterwards were called by the same name; though JosephusF16Ibid.
, who also speaks of Adad being king of Damascus and of the Syrians, yet makes
him different from this Hadadezer, to whose assistance he says he came:
David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men; that is, of
the Syrians of Damascus.
2 Samuel 8:6 6 Then David put garrisons
in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and
brought tribute. So the Lord
preserved David wherever he went.
YLT
6and David putteth garrisons
in Aram of Damascus, and Aram is to David for a servant, bearing a present; and
Jehovah saveth David whithersoever he hath gone;
Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus,.... Which was
Coele-Syria, and lay between Libanus and Antilibanus, the chief city of which
was Damascus; which CurtiusF17Hist. l. 3. c. 8. calls Damascus of
Syria, being the head of it, Isaiah 7:8; in the
principal places of which he put garrisons of soldiers to keep the country in
subjection to him; or he put commanders or governors, as the Targum, in the,
chief cities, and so Ben Gersom and R. Isaiah interpret it:
and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts; or paid him
tribute by way of homage, acknowledging themselves his subjects:
and the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went; he covered
his head in the day of battle, and saved him from the hurtful sword.
2 Samuel 8:7 7 And David took the shields
of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to
Jerusalem.
YLT
7and David taketh the shields
of gold which were on the servants of Hadadezer, and bringeth them to
Jerusalem;
And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of
Hadadezer,.... That were found with them, which they had in their hands;
these must be supposed to be with the principal officers of his army; or golden
chains, as Aquila, or golden bracelets on their arms, as the Septuagint; the
Syriac version is "quivers of gold", such as they put arrows into,
and so Jarchi and R. Isaiah understand it of such, and refer to Jeremiah 51:11; and
so JosephusF18Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 3. :
and brought them to Jerusalem; where they were laid up,
and converted to the use of the sanctuary Solomon built; see Song of Solomon 4:4.
2 Samuel 8:8 8 Also from Betah[b] and from
Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
YLT
8and from Betah, and from
Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, hath king David taken very much brass.
And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer,.... Which, in
1 Chronicles 18:8,
are called Tibhath and Chun, they having different names; or their names might
be changed upon this conquest of them, and the one might be the names they went
by with the Syrians, and the other the Israelites called them by; the latter is
the same with Berothah in Ezekiel 47:16; and
the Barathena of PtolemyF19Geograph. l. 5. c. 19. , placed by him
near Mesopotamia; in the Arabic version of 1 Chronicles 18:8,
they are called Emesa and Baalbec, the former was a city of Coele-Syria, the
latter was at the foot of Mount Lebanon; See Gill on Amos 1:5,
King David took exceeding much brass; whereby he
was furnished and able to give the large quantity he did for the service of the
temple, 1 Chronicles 29:7.
The Septuagint version adds here what is expressed in 1 Chronicles 18:8,"wherewith
Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the layers, and all the
vessels.'
2 Samuel 8:9 9 When Toi[c] king of
Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer,
YLT
9And Toi king of Hamath
heareth that David hath smitten all the force of Hadadezer,
When Toi king of Hamath,.... Which was another
small kingdom in Syria, perhaps lately erected to defend themselves against
Hadadezer, and this the first king of it, at least the first we hear of; his
name is Tou in 1 Chronicles 18:9;
where in the Targum he is called king of Antioch. Hamath lay to the north of
the land of Canaan; See Gill on Numbers 34:8, it is
saidF20Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 6. to be three days'
journey from Tripoli, and that it stands in the midway to Aleppo, on a very
goodly plain, replenished with corn and cotton wool, but very much in ruins,
and falls more and more to decay: at this day (says my author, who travelled in
those parts in the beginning of the seventeenth century) there is scarce one half
of the wall standing, which hath been very fair and strong. The king of this
place
heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer; the news of
which soon reached him, he being in the neighbourhood.
2 Samuel 8:10 10 then Toi sent Joram[d] his son to
King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer
and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram
brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze.
YLT
10and Toi sendeth Joram his
son unto king David to ask of him of welfare, and to bless him, (because that
he hath fought against Hadadezer, and smiteth him, for a man of wars [with] Toi
had Hadadezer been), and in his hand have been vessels of silver, and vessels
of gold, and vessels of brass,
Then Toi sent Joram his son unto King David,.... Who is
called Hadoram in 1 Chronicles 18:10;
though the Syriac and Arabic versions read Joram there:
to salute him: to inquire of his welfare after his fatigue
in the battles he had had with the Moabites and Syrians, and to wish him all
happiness and prosperity for the future:
and to bless him; to congratulate him on his victory, and to
wish him success in all after wars he might be engaged in; and particularly to
give him thanks for delivering him from so great an enemy as Hadadezer had been
to him, as also to bring a present to him, which is sometimes called a
blessing; see Genesis 33:11,
because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him; that is,
David had, which had endeared him to Toi:
for Hadadezer had wars with Toi; was an enemy of his,
sought to take his kingdom from him, and had had many battles with him: and
though he could not conquer him, he sadly harassed him, being too mighty for
him:
and Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels
of gold,
and vessels of brass; as a present to David,
in gratitude for his deliverance from his enemy by him, and as a token of his
homage and subjection to him; at least as a sign that he put himself under his
protection, and desired to be his friend and ally. The word "Joram",
though not in the Hebrew text, is rightly supplied; for none else can be
supposed to bring the present.
2 Samuel 8:11 11 King David also dedicated
these to the Lord,
along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which
he had subdued—
YLT
11also them did king David
sanctify to Jehovah, with the silver and the gold which he sanctified of all
the nations which he subdued:
Which also King David did dedicate unto the Lord,.... He
devoted it to sacred uses, particularly to the building of the house of the
Lord, as he also had the gold and the brass he took from Hadadezer: together
with the silver and the gold he had dedicated of all nations which
he subdued; who are after particularly mentioned; he did not convert the
spoils he took to his own use, but observed the law God gave to the kings of
Israel, that they should not greatly multiply to themselves silver and gold, Deuteronomy 17:17.
He set it apart, and laid it up for the service of the sanctuary; and this
accounts for the abundance of gold, silver, and brass, which David had amassed
together, and left to his son Solomon to build the temple with; see 1 Chronicles 28:1.
2 Samuel 8:12 12 from Syria,[e] from Moab,
from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil
of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
YLT
12of Aram, and of Moab, and
of the Bene-Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of
Hadadezer son of Rehob king of Zobah.
Of Syria,.... Of Syria of Damascus, as distinct from Syriazobah, Hadadezer
was king of, after mentioned; this is omitted in 1 Chronicles 18:11,
and of Moab: who brought him gifts and presents, and were tributaries to him,
2 Samuel 8:2,
and of the children of Ammon; who very probably joined
the Moabites, and were conquered and spoiled at the same time:
and of the Philistines; when Methegammah was
taken from them, 2 Samuel 8:1,
and of Amalek; for though we have no account of any war of
his with that people, since he was king, yet he doubtless had, and had been victorious
and spoiled them; see Psalm 83:7,
and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah; see 2 Samuel 8:3. These
conquests of David, are confirmed by the testimony of Eupolemus, an Heathen
writer, who says that he overcame the Syrians by Euphrates, and the Assyrians
in Galadene (or Gilead), and the Phoenicians; that he fought against the
Idumeans (or Edomites), the Ammonites, Moabites, Ituraeans, Nabathaeans, and
Nabdaeans; also against Syron king of Tyre and Phoenicia; all of whom he
obliged to pay tribute to the JewsF1Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l.
9. c. 30. p. 447. .
2 Samuel 8:13 13 And David made himself
a name when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Syrians[f] in the
Valley of Salt.
YLT
13And David maketh a name in
his turning back from his smiting Aram in the valley of Salt -- eighteen
thousand;
And David gat him a name,.... Fame and reputation
in the several nations of the world for valour and courage, for the many and
signal victories that he obtained; the Jewish writers generally refer this to
his humanity in burying the dead bodies of his enemies slain in war, which
gained him great esteem among all, and even his very enemies; but nothing of
that kind is pointed at here, but his conquests: or "he made himself a
name"; erected a triumphal archF2So Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2
Reg. fol. 78. D. in memory of his victories:
when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt,
being eighteen
thousand men; in the relation of this fact in different places some
difficulties arise, both as to the people smitten, and their numbers, and by
whom; in this place they are said to be Syrians, but in 1 Chronicles 18:12,
and in the title of Psalm 60:1, which
was composed on account of these victories, they are called Edomites, and said
to be of Edom; which may be reconciled by observing, that the Syrians and
Edomites were confederates in this war; and that whereas the latter were
auxiliaries to the former, the whole body of the army might be called Syrians,
of which twenty two thousand were slain that were properly Syrians, and
eighteen thousand Edomites, in all forty thousand; which was a very great
slaughter: or the sense is, that when he had smitten the twenty two thousand
Syrians, and was upon the return, he met with a body of Edomites, who came to
the assistance of the Syrians, and he slew eighteen thousand of them; and the
Jews say, as Jarchi observes, there were two battles; and if so, this would
remove all the difficulties started; as for the numbers slain, here eighteen
thousand, and Psalm 60:1, twelve
thousand, it is reconciled by observing, that Abishai first began the attack
upon the Edomites, and slew six thousand of them; and then Joab fell upon them,
and slew twelve thousand more, in all eighteen thousand; in 1 Chronicles 18:12,
this slaughter is ascribed to Abishai, because he began it, even the whole
number; and in Psalm 60:1, to
Joab, the twelve thousand slain by him, who seconded Abishai; and the whole is
here attributed to David, because he was king, under whom Abishai and Joab
served as generals: and no less difficult is it to ascertain the place where
this slaughter was made, called "the valley of salt": it seems by our
text that it was in Syria, but in other places as if it was in Edom; see 2 Kings 14:7; but
in Edom itself is no such valley to be found, though there is in Syria; one
travellerF3Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 11. tells us, that in
the way from Aleppo to the banks of Euphrates are many villages, among which is
one of note, called Tedith, famous for a synod held here by the Jews, in the
year from the creation 3498, of which Ezra was the scribe; when were placed the
books of the Old Testament in the order in which they now are; and near this
town, he says, is the valley of salt, memorable for the victory here recorded:
others sayF4Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 2. p. 347. about three
or four hours' journey from Aleppo is the valley of salt, near which is a salt
spring, whose waters running over the place leave, when dried by the sun, a
great quantity of excellent salt; this salt is thrown together in the Gabboul,
or salt house; but by othersF5See Lowthorp's Philosophical
Transactions abridged, vol. 3. p. 504. we are informed, that near about an
hour's distance from the city of Tadmor, see 1 Kings 9:18 2 Chronicles 8:3,
is to be seen a large valley of salt, affording great quantities thereof; and
it is thought that this is more probably the valley of salt mentioned here, than
another which lies about four hours from Aleppo, and has sometimes passed for
it; and which the above accounts show: but a modern writerF6Halifax
apud Calmet's Dictionary in the Word "Salt". , in his account of
Palmyra, the same with Tadmor, speaks of a great plain, all covered with salt,
from whence the whole country round is supplied. This plain is about a league
from Palmyra, and extends itself towards the eastern part of Idumea (or Edom)
the capital city of which was Bozra; and indeed this valley being both in
Syria, and reaching to the borders of Edom, bids fair to be the valley here
spoken of.
2 Samuel 8:14 14 He also put garrisons in
Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s
servants. And the Lord
preserved David wherever he went.
YLT
14and he putteth in Edom
garrisons -- in all Edom he hath put garrisons, and all Edom are servants to
David; and Jehovah saveth David whithersoever he hath gone.
And he put garrisons in Edom,.... To keep the
inhabitants in subjection to him; as their forts and strong holds came into his
hands, he placed companies of soldiers in them for the said purpose; or
governors, as the Targum, men of his own nation, into whose hands he put their
principal cities, who governed them for him, and under him. Jarchi interprets
it of officers appointed to collect the tribute he exacted of them:
throughout all Edom put he garrisons; which is
observed to show that the whole country was brought into subjection to him:
and all they of Edom became David's servants; and hereby
were fulfilled the oracle delivered to Rebekah, and the prophetic blessing of
Isaac, Genesis 25:23,
and the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went; See Gill on 2 Samuel 8:6.
2 Samuel 8:15 15 So David reigned over all
Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people.
YLT
15And David reigneth over all
Israel, and David is doing judgment and righteousness to all his people,
And David reigned over all Israel,.... Not only over Judah,
but over all the tribes of Israel, and over the whole land of Canaan, as promised
to Abraham, Genesis 15:18;
reaching to the river Euphrates, as Syria did, now conquered by David:
and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people; when he
returned from his wars, he heard and tried all causes impartially, brought
before him, and gave sentence according to the law of God, and administered
righteous judgment without any respect to persons; all had justice done them
that applied unto him, whether high or low, rich or poor; and indeed during his
wars he was not negligent of the civil government of his subjects, and the
distribution of justice to them by proper officers, in which he was a type of
Christ; see Isaiah 11:5.
2 Samuel 8:16 16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was
over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
YLT
16and Joab son of Zeruiah
[is] over the host, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] remembrancer,
And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host,.... Which was
not only owing to his relation to David, being his sister's son, but to his
promise that whoever smote the Jebusites first should be chief and captain;
that is, should have the command of the army under him; this Joab did; and so
was entitled to this office, and was put into it, and continued in it, 1 Chronicles 11:6,
and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; of memorable
events, who kept a diary of whatsoever remarkable happened, which were digested
into a chronicle, history, or annals; see Esther 6:1; so the
Targum, he"was appointed over the memorials;'or book of memorials, as
Kimchi interprets it; that is, to take care of it, and see that everything
worthy of notice was inserted in it; or was "remembrancer"F7מזכיר "commemorans", Montanus;
"commemorator", Syr. Ar. "memorans, sive reducens in
memoriam", Vatablus. ; one that put the king in mind what was to be done
every day, or in certain cases, and so R. Isaiah explains it, the king's
counsellor; some take him to be chancellor, as Luther and othersF8Vid.
Beckium in Targ. 1 Chron. xviii. 15. .
2 Samuel 8:17 17 Zadok the son of Ahitub
and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Seraiah[g] was
the scribe;
YLT
17and Zadok son of Ahitub,
and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, [are] priests, and Seraiah [is] scribe,
And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were
the priests,.... Not high priests, as JosephusF9Ut supra, (Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 5.) sect. 4. suggests, for there was only one high priest at a time;
indeed there was a "sagan", or deputy priest, on occasion; and so
Abarbinel says that Zadok was the high priest, and Ahimelech his second or
deputy; but the truth of the case was this, Abiathar was high priest only, and
continued so until the time of Solomon, when he was thrust out of his office,
and Zadok put into it; and Ahimelech his son and Zadok were the principal
priests under him, the one of the family of Ithamar, the other of Eleazar; so
the Targum on 1 Chronicles 18:16
calls them "sagans", or deputies of the high priesthood. Zadok is
mentioned first, though Ahimelech was the son of the present high priest,
because he was in great favour with David, as afterwards with Solomon, in whose
days the high priesthood was translated to him; the family of Eli being now upon
the decline, and near being removed from the high priesthood, as was foretold
by Samuel it should:
and Seraiah was the scribe; or secretary of state;
in 1 Chronicles 18:16
he is called Shavsha; he seems to have had two names.
2 Samuel 8:18 18 Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s
sons were chief ministers.
YLT
18and Benaiah son of Jehoiada
[is over] both the Cherethite and the Pelethite, and the sons of David have
been ministers.
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the
Cherethites and Pelethites,.... These, according to JosephusF11Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect.4.) , were the king's bodyguards, and this man
is expressly said to be set over his guards, 2 Samuel 23:22; and
which some think were of the nation of the Philistines, famous for archery, and
slinging of stones; and so the Targum renders it,"was appointed over the
archers and slingers;'so "choriti" in VirgilF12Aeneid. 10.
are quivers for arrows; the great use of which in fighting David had observed,
and therefore got a select company of these men, partly to teach Israel, and
partly to guard himself: but others are of opinion that David would never
suffer such as were Heathens to be so near his person, and therefore take them
to be Israelites; and so some Jewish writers say they were two families in
Israel; which is much better than to interpret them as others do of the
sanhedrim, and even of the Urim and Thummim, as in the Targum on 1 Chronicles 18:17;
See Gill on Zephaniah 2:5; and
it is most probable that they were Israelites, who were David's guards, and
consisted of the chiefs that were with him in Philistia, and particularly at
Ziklag, which lay on the south of the Cherethites, 1 Samuel 30:14; and
so had their name from thence; and among the chief of those that came to him at
Ziklag there was one named Peleth, from whence might come the Pelethites, and
they were all of them archers; see 1 Chronicles 12:2,
and David's sons were chief rulers; princes, princes of the
blood, or "chief about the king", as in 1 Chronicles 18:17;
they were constant attendants at court, waiting on the king, ready at hand to
do what he pleased to order; they were the chief ministers, and had the
management of the principal affairs at court. Abarbinel thinks that this
respects not only David's sons, but Benaiah, and the family of the Cherethites
and Pelethites, who had none of them particular posts assigned them, which were
settled and known, as those before mentioned had, but were always near at hand,
to do whatsoever the king commanded them; and which seems better to agree with
the literal order and construction of the words; which are:
and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and
Pelethites,
and the sons of David, were princes, or chief
rulers; or priests, who according to GussetiusF13Ebr. Comment. p.
366. brought the offerings or presents to the king, and did that to him the
priests did to the Lord.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)