sacerdos amicus regius, unde non possumus II. The style and title of certain brave non colligere, et ipsos vere sacerdotes fuisse, soldiers in David's army, 2 Sam. viii. 18; fortasse sacra privata administrantes (v. Iudd. xv. 18; xx. 7, 23, occurring with p, ac1. c.), eosque tamen patris comites in aula cording to Gesenius, executioners ("cardegentes, ut sacerdotum magorumque filii nifices") and couriers. Of the first of these apud Egyptios et Persas. Quod quidem interpretations, however, no adequate authoposterius eorum munus priore omisso ex-rity can be adduced, and the second offers pressit auctor Paralipomenôn, cui sacerdotes, no very strong probability. So called, most qui Levitæ non essent, pro sui temporis likely, after the tribes of the Philistines, out rationibus non poterant non offendiculo of which they may have been hired as mer

cenary soldiers : a thing always common in וּבְנֵי דָוִיד :ponens וּבְנֵי דָוִד כֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ esse, pro

-Pro . בְּתִּים and, כְּרֵתִי m. found with ,פְּלֵתִי

bably, a mercenary soldier of one of the tribes of the Philistines-used collectivelyPelethites, 2 Sam. viii. 18; xv. 18; xx. 7, 23.

5

ވހ

Gesenius compares the Arab.celer

equus;

li, audax, robustus, celer. See

Arabic . כֹּהֲנֵי .constr, כֹּהֲנִים .m. pl, כֹּהֵן

The

Theo 1 DUNT, et filii Davidis proximi the East. See also under . erant a latere regis. Similem interpretationem etiam dederunt LXX, kaì oi vioì ▲aßid avλápxai hoav, quanquam hæc fortasse ex Paralipomenis fluxit, Targ. ; ex Rabbinis Kimchius, in recentioribus Clericus al. quibus sacerdotum mentio huic loco inepta videtur. Sed etiam h. 1. proprium sacerdotis significatum retinendum esse, ex duobus locis parallelis evidens est; filiosque regis vere sacerdotes fuisse, nemini mirum videbitur, qui intimam inter munus regium et sacerdotale apud veteres Hebræos, administrator alieni negotii; operam necessitudinem perpenderit (cf. Josephus de viro deferens in necessitate. Castell. vita sua, § 1: ὥσπερ παρ ̓ ἑκάστοις ἄλλη τίς primary notion seems to have consisted in ἐστιν εὐγενείας ὑπόθεσις, οὕτως παρ' ἡμῖν ἡ doing the business of, or acting as a mediator τῆς ἱερωσύνης μετουσία τεκμήριόν ἐστι γένους for, another : whence derived it is impossible λaμñρóτητos). — Reliqui loci, in quibus unus now to say. Thence, secondarily, acting as vel alter veterum interpretum, sed sine a priest thirdly, after idolatry had been necessitate et contra linguæ usum, , prin- introduced, as a diviner; Arab., Ariolus, cipis vel ministri significatu accepit, sunt: i. e., heathen priests: and, fourthly, from 2 Reg. x. 11: (de Ahabi sacerdotibus idolatricis). Kimchi: ON), Ibid. their wealth and influence, Syr., xi. 9: LXX, 'Iwdaè & σvverós, beatus fuit; magnarum divitiarum (opum) præterea Gen. xli. 45; Ex. iii. 1; xviii. 1; possessor. A priest, or secondary mediator Ps. cx. 4, ubi Targumista No7 interpretatus est. between God and man, both under the Professor Lee.-, masc. plur. . patriarchal and Jewish dispensations, Gen. I. Name of a portion of the Philistines, re- xiv. 18; xli. 45, 50; xlvi. 2; Exod. ii. 16; siding on the south-west shore of Judea, iii. 1; xix. 6; Josh. vi. 4; 1 Sam. xxii. 17; derived from the island of Crete, as some Ps. cx. 4. In 2 Sam. viii. 18. Comp. think; but without any good foundation, 1 Chron. xviii. 17; some have supposed the 1 Sam. xxx. 14; Ezek. xxv. 16; Zeph. ii. 5. word to signify minister, in a political sense; Comp. with Amos ix. 7; Jer. xlvii. 4; Deut. which would be to take the usage here as ii. 23: out of all which we only learn that certain grounded on the primary notion noticed Philistines came from: but not a word above: which to me is more probable than to identify Caphtor with Crete. If, more the opinion of Gesenius, who holds that over, this people was so called, after the priests in the true sense of that term are name of their country, they would here have meant: because in that case, priests, not of No re- the tribe of Levi, would be acknowledged. liance can, therefore, be placed on this CHAP. IX. 2. reasoning. See, also, Gen. x. 13, 14. LXX, χελεθὶ, κρῆτας, κρητῶν, in these places respectively, and vr. 6, in the last, has κρýτη, for Heb. n, which clearly evinces the ignorance of the translator.

. בְּרַתִים not ,כַּפְתּרִים,been termed

καὶ εἶπεν, Εγὼ δοῦλος σός.

Au. Ver.-2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba.

And when they had called him unto David, | reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth.
the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he answered, Behold thy servant!
And he said, Thy servant is he.
And David said, Mephibosheth.
Thy servant is he.
Houb.-: Melius, N, ego servus num tu Miphiboseth, ut antea legitur
tuus, ut Græci Intt., éyò dovλos oós: Sic, num tu Siba? Id declarat responsum
Syrus,, ego...vel, ut versu 67,

, האתה מפיבשת ,Legendum : מפיבשת-.Houb

Miphibosethi, T, ecce servus tuus. Neque enim vocat hic David Miphibosethum, ut Deus Samuelem puerum vocabat dicens, Samuel. Aderat enim Miphiboseth, audire paratus, quid sibi a Davide diceretur. Convenit, num tu Miphiboseth, quia eum David

עוֹד

.nondum viderat לְבֵית שָׁאוּל וְאֶעֶשֶׂה עִמּוֹ חֶסֶד אֱלֹהִים

וגן

καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, Εἰ ὑπολέλειπται ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου Σαούλ ἔτι ἀνὴρ, καὶ ποιήσω μετ ̓ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος Θεοῦ, κ.τ.λ.

Au. Ver.-3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him, &c.

The kindness of God.

Ver. 8.

Au. Ver.-8 And he bowed himself, &c. Ged., Booth.-And Mephibosheth [LXX] bowed himself, &c.

Pool.—The kindness of God; either, first, Tab

Ver. 10.

לֶחֶם וַאֲכָלוֹ וּמְפִיבֹשֶׁת בֶּן־אֲדֹנֶיךָ That kindness which I owe him for God's

sake, and by virtue of my oath given to him about it, 1 Sam. xx. 14, 15. But that oath seems only to oblige him to Jonathan's posterity, and not to any other of Saul's house. Or, secondly, Great and eminent kindness. Booth.-Peculiar kindness.

Houb.Ego enim ei cum Deo benigne faciam.

Sed

καὶ ἐργᾷ αὐτῷ τὴν γῆν σὺ, καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου, καὶ οἱ δοῦλοί σου, καὶ εἰσοίσεις τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ κυρίου σου ἄρτους, καὶ ἔδεται ἄρτους· καὶ Μεμφιβοσθὲ υἱὸς τοῦ κυρίου σου φάγεται διαπαντὸς ἄρτον ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης μου, κ.τ.λ.

Au. Ver.-10 Thou therefore, and thy D'TÍN 100 103 MC, Et faciam cum eo sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for misericordiam Dei. Non aliam sententiam him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that hæc habere possent, quam, faciam miseri- thy master's son may have food to eat: but cordiam excellentem, aut mirificam, tanquam Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat notaret superlativum gradum. bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had , ubi indicat rei magnitudinem et excel-fifteen sons and twenty servants. lentiam, conjunctum esse solet cum admiHoub.-10 Tu cum tuis filiis ac servis ratione; neque convenit ut David suam ipse colito agros. Afferes annonam filio Domini beneficentiam admiretur. Propter hanc tui, quâ illi vescentur; Miphiboseth autem, causam legimus, cum Deo, sive Deo filius Domini tui, habebit in mensa mea peradjuvante. Ita legere videtur Syrus, qui, petuum cibum; erant autem Sibæ filii quin, propter Deum, quod etiam sig- decim et servi viginti.

Ver. 6.

. באלהים nificat

Au. Ver.-6 Now when Mephibosheth [called Merib-baal, 1 Chron. viii. 34], the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did de verbo.

32,000 .........Infantry hired of the Syrians וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ בְנֵי־עַמּוֹן וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ אֶת־אֲרַם

1,000 appointment of fighters and riders בֵּית־רְחוֹב וְאֶת־אֲרָם צוֹבָא עֶשְׂרִים Infantry slain by David of the whole אֶלֶף רַגְלִי וְאֶת־מֶלֶךְ מַעֲכָה אֶלֶף אִישׁ

when David heard of this, he sent Joab, &c.

Houb.—7 David, his auditis, misit Joab et exercitus delectum robur, qui cum iter fecissent, contra Medaba castra posuerunt.

καὶ ἔφυγε Συρία ἀπὸ προσώπου Ισραήλ. καὶ ἀνεῖλε Δαυίδ ἐκ τῆς Συρίας ἑπτακόσια ἅρματα, καὶ τεσσαράκοντα χιλιάδας ἱππέων, καὶ τὸν Σωβὰκ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ ἐπάταξε, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐκεῖ.

Au. Ver.-18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen [1 Chron. xix. 18, footmen], and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

7 & 8, et exierunt. Ante hæc verba hoc addendum, quod legitur, I Parul., cap. xix. ver. 7, No17 19 1m 18", et venerunt, et castra posuerunt e regione Medaba, quae verba hic omissa sunt a scriba saltum faciente a verbo ad verbum simile , et quæ Bp. Patrick.-David slew the men of seven in medio erant, relinquente. Mox subjungitur filios Ammon castra posuisse in in- hundred chariots.] That is, seven thousand troitu porta; quibus verbis aperte declaratur, men, who belonged to those seven hundred nominatam fuisse in ante-dictis urbem eam, chariots, as it is explained in 1 Chron. cujus portæ hic memorantur. Nempe urbs est Medaba, ad quam convenit uterque exercitus Syrorum et Israelitarum. In libro Paralipomenon de Syris hoc narratur, hic

autem de Israelitis.

Ver. 9.

Au. Ver. When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

Bp. Patrick.-The front of the battle.] In the Hebrew, the face of the battle, &c., i. e. they had divided their forces; the Syrians appearing before him, and the Ammonites behind him.

Ver. 10.

"N: Plene fuit scribendum ", Abisai, ut infra ver. 14, quomodo supra ver. 5, scribendum fuerat, Jericho, ut lego in plerisque codicibus, non autem v.

Ver. 14.

xix. 18.

Forty thousand horsemen.] In that place of the Chronicles it is said "forty thousand footmen." Which teaches us how to explain the words here; viz., that they were mixed together, horse and foot: and that in all there were slain forty thousand of them, part horsemen and part footmen.

Pool. The men of seven hundred chariots; Heb., seven hundred chariots, i. e., the men belonging to them, that fought in or with them; as plainly appears, 1. Because the men only, and not the chariots, were capable of being killed, as these are said to have been. 2. Because it is thus explained in the Book of Chronicles, which was written after this book, for this end, to explain what was dark or doubtful, and to supply what was omitted here; where, instead of these words, are seven thousand men which fought in chariots, 1 Chron. xix. 18. And this is a very common metonymy; of which see above, chap. viii. 4, and the notes on 1 Sam.

Au. Ver.-14 And when the children of xiii. 5. Although there might be seven Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled.

Ged., Booth.--that the Syrians were fleeing.

1. Both

thousand chariots in all, whereof seven hun-
dred were chosen ones; according to the
distinction made Exod. xiv. 7. Forty thou-
sand horsemen; for which in 1 Chron.
xix. 18, is forty thousand footmen; which
may be reconciled divers ways.
these may be true, that he slew forty thou-
sand horsemen, which being the most con-
siderable part and strength of the army, it
might seem sufficient to name them, and
every one could easily understand that the
footmen in that case were certainly cut off;
and that he slew also forty thousand foot-

men, as is said 1 Chron., where he mentions מֵאֲרָם שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב וְאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף them only, because they were omitted in פָּרָשִׁים וְאֵת שׁוֹבַךְ שַׂר־צְבָאוֹ הִכָּה here, it was needless to repeat them in וַיָּמָת שָׁם :

TIT

2 Sam., and the horsemen being expressed

4 D

VOL. II.

Seven thousand horse. This reading is formed partly from Josephus, and partly from p. p. 1 Chron. xix. 18.—Ged.

Houb.-18 Sed Syri ante Israel terga verterunt, delevitque David septem millia equitum, septingentos currus et quadraginta millia peditum ; simul Sobach exercitus ducem percussit, qui et ibi mortuus est.

1 Chron. 2. The horsemen may be here | horse, and forty thousand foot. He smote called footmen, in opposition to those that also, Shobach, the captain of their host, who fought in chariots; because they sometimes died there. fought on horseback, and sometimes came down from their horses, and fought on foot, when the place of the battle was more commodious for footmen than for horsemen ; which it is not improbable was their case here; for David being a soldier of great prudence and experience, and understanding the great numbers of the Syrian horsemen, whereas the Israelites had but very few, Nya, Septingentos currus. LeDeut. xvii. 16, would doubtless endeavour to gitur, 1 Paral. xix. 18 nya, septem choose a place as inconvenient for their millia (curruum). Alterutrum in mendo horsemen as he could. 3. Peradventure the positum. Nos numerum eum, qui minor Syrians designed to bring the war into David's est, anteferimus. Nam septem mille currus country, and therefore hastened their march, nimis multi sunt pro exercitu Syrorum, qui and for that end put their footmen on horse- numerum non excedebat triginta trium back (as hath been frequently done in like millium, ut liquet ex versu 6 ..., (quacases), who, when they came to the place of draginta millia) equitum. Locus parallelus, battle, came down from their horses, and quadraginta millia, ws, peditum, vera fought on foot. So there is no need of scriptura: nam equitum, falsa. Numerus acknowledging an error of the scribe in the enim quadraginta millium equitum nimis sacred text; which yet if it were granted in such historical passages of no moment to the doctrine of faith and good life, it would not shake the foundation of our faith in matters of great importance, which it might reasonably be presumed the providence of God would more watchfully preserve from all depravation or corruption.

multus est pro utroque exercitu Syrorum et Ammonitarum, non item numerus quadraginta millia peditum. Nam Syri erant triginta tria millia; Ammonitæ eundem numerum militum habere poterant; ut non sit incredibile apud utrosque cecidisse pedites quadraginta millia. Perturbationem magnam huc fuisse invectam probat, tum id quod supra diximus, tum vero Dr. A. Clarke.-SEVEN HUNDRED chariots etiam quod hic omittitur, quot pedites in -and forty thousand HORSEMEN.] In the pugna ceciderint, quanquam quot equites, parallel place, 1 Chron. xix. 18, it is said, non omittitur. Sed equites Syros memorat David slew of the Syrians SEVEN THOUSAND locus parallelus, numero septem millium, men, which fought in chariots. It is dif- quem nos numerum amplectimur. Ut videat ficult to ascertain the right number in this lector, ad quas nugas recurrant, qui negant and similar places. It is very probable that, fuisse hic quidquam a librariis peccatum, in former times, the Jews expressed, as they juvat nos memorare hæc, quæ adversus Lud. often do now, their numbers, not by words at Cappellum respondebat Junior Buxtorfius in full length, but by numeral letters; and, as Anticritica sua. Lud. Cappellus hæc obmany of the letters bear a great similarity to servarat : "David dicitur percussisse ex each other, mistakes might easily creep in Syris quadraginta millia pedites. At 2 Sam. when the numeral letters came to be ex- x. 18 pro peditibus dicuntur equites: alterpressed by words at full length. This alone utrum videtur mendosum." Cui Buxtorfius will account for the many mistakes which sic respondet: "At ipsi soli sic videtur: we find in the numbers of these books, and aut dicat, cui præterea? Codices consenrenders a mistake here very probable. The tiunt: Interpretes hactenus in utraque lectione letter, with a dot above, stands for seven acquieverunt. Respondent nonnulli, Davidem thousand, for seven hundred: the great similarity of these letters might easily cause the one to be mistaken for the other, and so produce an error in this place.

Ged., Booth.-But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David destroyed seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and seven thousand

percussisse quadraginta millia pedites et totidem equites; in uno loco commemorari hos, in altero illos. Alii putant fuisse quidem pedites, qui percussi fuerunt, sed ob fortitudinem appellari equites, sicut hodie quivis strenuus et fortis appellatur cavalier. Alii existimant hos quadraginta millia fuisse