of the tabernacle that David had "pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, "he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

19 And he dealt among all the people, eren among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

rious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows 'shamelessly uncovereth himself!

21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.

22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and "of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

20 Then David returned to bless his houshold. And Michal the daughter of Saul 23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glo- had no child unto the day of her death. 15 Or, openly.

18 Heb. stretched. 141 Chron. 16. 2.

16 Or, of the handmaids of my servants.

Verse 2. "Baale."-The same that is called Baalah, Kirjath-Baal, and Kirjath-jearim. Compare Josh. xv. 9, 60 ; 1 Sam. vii. 10.

6. "Took hold of it; for the oxen shook it."-It will be observed that the whole process adopted in the removal of the ark is entirely contrary to the directions given in the Law. The ark was not to be conveyed on a cart, or drawn by any animals, but to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites, by means of staves; which precluded the ark itself from being handled by the bearers in its removals. Indeed, in Num. iv. 15, it is forbidden, on pain of death, that any of the holy things should be touched by the Levites; and we might expect to find this law the more rigidly enforced with respect to the ark, on account of the superior sanctity with which it was invested. The ark had indeed before been conveyed on a cart, when returned by the Philistines; but that case was very different from the present. The Philistines could not be supposed to have been acquainted with the rules for its conveyance; and if they had, they could not have commanded the services of the Levites for the occasion. Now the removal is conducted by persons who ought to have known what the law required in such removals, particularly as they could not but have heard of the awful judgment with which an intrusion on the sanctity of the ark had been visited at Beth-shemesh (1 Sam. vi. 19). Probably the course adopted by the Philistines on the occasion referred to, formed the bad and inapplicable precedent adopted in the present instance.

10. "Obed-edom the Gittite."-This Obed-edom was a Levite, as appears from 1 Chron. xv. and xvi. Some suppose he is called a Gittite because he had lived at Gath; but more probably from being a native of Gath-rimmon, which was a city of the Levites.

14. "David danced before the Lord."-(See the note on Judges xxi. 21). This dancing before the ark was certainly not a usual circumstance, nor were any of the solemnities and rejoicings attending its present removal usual; but they were thought to be, and doubtless were, proper expressions of exultation and joy at the progress of the symbol of the Divine Presence to the seat of government.

17. "The tabernacle."-A temporary erection, not the old tabernacle, which remained still at Gibeon, as appears from 1 Chron. xvi. 39, xxi. 29, and 2 Chron. i. 3.

19. "A good piece of flesh."—It was a good piece, if the sixth part of a bullock, as the Rabbins say. But the piece was probably not more than enough to furnish every person with a hearty meal. The original word (UN, eshpar) only occurs here, and in the parallel passage, 1 Chron. xvi. 3. Its etymology is very uncertain. It is probably from N (fire), and (bull), and may then mean "roast beef," as rendered by the Vulgate, and followed by Boothroyd. This is the very thing we do on occasions of great rejoicing.

“A flagon of wine.”—The words "of wine" are not in the original, and it is agreed that N (ashishah) does not mean "a flagon." It certainly means some kind of cake or other, probably of a sweet and pleasant description. The Septuagint has "pancake" here, and "honey-cake" in the parallel text, 1 Chron. xvi. 3. Honey was used as we use sugar; "honey-cake" means therefore a sweet cake, which might be true of a pancake. We use sugar with pancakes. These cakes were probably such as were "baken in a pan" or "baken in the frying-pan," mentioned in Lev. ii., and explained in the notes to that chapter.

20. "How glorious was the king of Israel to day," &c.—The meaning of all this verse is, that Michal thought David had acted a part unbecoming his royal dignity, in laying aside the ensigns of that dignity, and taking so active and leading a part in the rejoicings of the people. Our translation is too broad, and insinuates a charge of indecency, which is not to be found in the original, and is adverse to the plain meaning of the context. First, as to the word "uncovered,"-we have shown, in the note to 1 Sam. xix. 24, that the word rendered "naked" often means no more than being without the outer garment. The present is a different word (, niglah), the frequent signification of which is, "to show oneself openly;" as in 1 Sam. xiv. 18, "Behold we will pass over to these men, and discover ourselves unto them." And that this is the sense to be selected here, is clear from verse 16, where the cause of Michal's contempt is mentioned-which is, not that she saw him "uncovered," but that she saw him "leaping and dancing." Then the word "shamelessly" is not in the original at all. Who the "vain fellows" (D', rekim) are, is not quite clear. Some think that the term is scornfully applied to the Levites; but this is on the supposition that the reflection refers to David's ephod-dress, which seems to have been the same as that of the Levites. We rather think it refers to the lower class of the spectators, as the word seems often equivalent to our own popular terms of contempt applied to the low and worthless. The sense then is, that David, in Michal's opinion, had degraded himself by laying aside his kingly state, and putting himself too much on a level with the common people. She probably made her father a model of what a king ought to be; and his character seems to have been more stern and reserved, and much less animated and popular, than that of David.

CHAPTER VII.

1 Nathan first approving the purpose of David to build God an house, 4 after by the word of God forbiddeth him. 12 He promiseth_him benefits and blessings in his seed. 18 David's prayer and thanksgiving.

AND it came to pass, 'when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;

2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, 1 dwell in an house of

▲ Chron. 17. 1.

cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

4 ¶ And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house

Heb. to my scrvant to David

14 John 17. 17.

Verse 18. "King David went in, and sat before the Lord.”—To us it may seem somewhat disrespectful for David to go and address the Lord in a sitting posture. We have, by anticipation, shown this impression to be groundless, in the

note to 1 Sam. iv. 18; where we have stated, that a mode of sitting on the heels is in the East highly respectful, is used on ceremonial occasions, and is even one of the postures of devotion. The cut represents the late king of Persia seated in this fashion. He wears his state-dress, and on his arms appear those celebrated regal armlets which we noticed under chap. i. 10.

twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.

5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew 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 gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he

went.

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

8 And from Betah, and from Berothai, rities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.

9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,

10 Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to 'salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and ressels of brass:

:

11 Which also king David did dedicate

Heb. ask him of peace.

7 Heb. was a man of wars with.

unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;

12 Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 And David gat him a name when he returned from 'smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand

men.

14 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

17 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the "scribe;

18 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were

rulers.

10 Or, remembrancer, or, writer of chronicles. 11 Or, secretary.

chief

Verse 1. "Metheg-ammah.”—There has been some speculation about the signification of this name. It seems sufficent to know that it denotes "Gath and her towns;" as in the parallel passage, 1 Chron. xviii. 1.

2. Measured them with a line."-Some apply this to the country of Moab; but the plain meaning of the text seems to be, that David (in conformity, doubtless, with a known usage of Oriental warfare) caused all his captives to lie down, and instead of destroying the whole, as the law authorised, and as they all probably expected, marked off a certain proportion to be spared. What that proportion was is not very clear. Our version seems to make those who were destroyed two-thirds of the whole; but we prefer the reading of the Septuagint and Vulgate, which, although they differ in terms, concur in the sense of making the proportion one half. The former says there were two lines for preerving alive, and two for putting to death: and the latter, that there were two lines, one for each purpose; and this is the clearest interpretation. As to the principle of the measure, all comment has been anticipated in the remarks on he ancient war-law of the Hebrews and their neighbours, in the notes to Deut. xx. Of these, the note on verse 13 is particularly applicable to the illustration of the present text; as it will serve to show that the procedure here described could scarcely at that time have been considered as a severe measure, but rather as an act of lenity, with the intention of sparing a part of the male captives, whom the law and the general custom of war doomed to death.

3. "Zobah."-See the notes on 1 Chron. xviii.

4. "Houghed all the chariot horses.”—See the notes on Deut. xvii. 16, Josh. xi. 6. The neighbouring nations, with sone exceptions, continue strong in cavalry; while the Hebrews, according to the intentions of their lawgiver, remain without horses. In David's own Psalms there are frequent references to this, chiefly as contrasting their own confidence in Jehovah with the reliance which their enemies placed on their strong bodies of cavalry (Ps. viii. 8, xxxiii. 17, ixxvi. 7, cxlvii. 10); and such expressions occurring in hymns, were well calculated to foster in the minds of the Hebrews, those feelings of contempt towards cavalry which they unquestionably entertained. The direction to hough the horses of the enemy is not in the Law; but was given to Joshua on occasion of his war with the northern Canaanites: bat whether David in the present instance acted with reference to that direction, or according to the common practice of the time, is not very clear. The practice of thus treating the horses of the adverse party, when they cannot be brought off, has been continued in modern warfare, for the purpose of disabling the animals and rendering them unserceable to the enemy. The Hebrews had more reason for such a proceeding than any modern European nation; for they were forbidden to employ horses in war, and did not employ them for travelling or agriculture: and it is thereLe difficult to see what they could have done with these animals, if they had preserved them. It is true they might bare sold them; but then their enemies might have contrived to buy them back again, and employed them anew against their conquerors. The policy therefore was to diminish, as far as possible, the race of these animals, as posSessed by their neighbours; and the importance of this we cannot estimate without recollecting that the immediate Dighbours of the Hebrews do not appear to have had any native breed of horses, but to have obtained them by purChase from Armenia or Egypt-a circumstance which rendered it not easy to repair the loss which the destruction of 105

VOL. II.

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