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לְהָמִית וּמְלָא הַחֶבֶל לְהַחֲיוֹת וַתְּהִי Elizabeth's Bible. Whatever may be the

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meaning of the name, Gath is the place meant. See 1 Chron. xviii. 1.

Au. Ver.-2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.

Dr. Adam Clarke.-David took Metheg καὶ ἐπάταξε Δαυίδ τὴν Μωάβ, καὶ διεμέτ ammah.] This is variously translated. The τρησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν σχοινίοις, κοιμίσας αὐτοὺς Vulgate has, Tulit David franum tributi, ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. καὶ ἐγένετο τὰ δύο σχοινίσματα David removed the bondage of the tribute, τοῦ θανατῶσαι, καὶ τὰ δύο σχοινίσματα ἐξώwhich the Israelites paid to the Philistines. γρησε· καὶ ἐγένετο Μωὰβ τῷ Δαυὶδ εἰς δούλους Some think it means a fortress, city, or strong pépovтas §évia. town; but no such place as Metheg-ammah is known. Probably the Vulgate is nearest the truth. The versions are all different. Gesen. 3. i. q t No. 7, metropolis. 2 Sam. viii. 1, and David took the bridle (bit) of the metropolis out of the hand of the Philistines, i.e., he subdued the metropolis of the Philistines. Comp. the Arabic proverb: I give thee not my bridle, i. e., do not subject myself to thee; see Schult. ad Job xxx. 11, and Hariri Cons. iv., p. 24. See also Gesch. der Hebr. Sprache, p. 41. Nos, Geth et ricos ejus, ex scripturâ loci paralleli 1 Par. xviii. Etenim, cùm nihil unum dicant veteres, ut in mendis fieri solet, et cùm ignoretur urbs Metheg...locus unus est ex altero corrigendus. Opportune Philistæi dicuntur fracti et humiles, urbe eorum Geth à Davide captâ. Nam Geth metropolis erat Philistæorum. Proptereà David in Cantico super morte Saulis, dixit, nolite hæc annuntiare in Geth.

.מתג האמה-.Houb

.גת ובנתיה 21

Dathe-1 Posthæc a) David victos a se Philistæos sibi subjecit, eisque Gatham cum vicis ejus b) eripuit.

Pool. With a line, i. e., as with line, the particle as being oft understood, as Psal. xi. 1; xxii. 6; xlv. 1. The sense is, having conquered the land, he made an estimate of it, and, as it follows, distributed the towns and people into three parts.

Dr. A. Clarke.—And measured them with a line—even with two lines.] It has been generally conjectured that David, after he had conquered Moab, consigned two-thirds of the inhabitants to the sword; but I think the text will bear a meaning much more reputable to that king. The first clause of the verse seems to determine the sense; he measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground-to put to death, and with one line to keep alive. Death seems here to be referred to the cities by way of metaphor; and from this view of the subject we may conclude that two-thirds of

a) Hoc caput non cohæret cum præ- the cities, that is, the strong places of Moab, cedenti, sed cum cap. v. 17 sqq.

b) Sic verto ex loco parallelo 1 Chron. xviii. 1, in quo pro legitur my. De variis h. 1. explicationibus vide sis Glassium, p. 783.

were erased; and not having strong places to trust to, the text adds, So the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts, i. e., were obliged to pay tribute. The word line may mean the same here as our rod, Maurer., Et sumsit Davides i.e., the instrument by which land is frenum metropoleos (ON i. q. DN xx. 19 ad measured. There are various opinions on q. cf.) a manu Philistæorum, i. e., metropolin this verse, with which I shall not trouble the Philistæorum in deditionem recepit. Pro- reader. Much may be seen in Calmet and verbialis dictio, cui simillima est Arabum: Dodd.

tradidit capistrum suum alicui, i. e., arbitrio Bp. Horsley.-Casting them down to the ejus se permisit. Auctor Paralipomenon ground; rather, laying them along upon the

.Gatham ground ,אֶת־בַּת וּבְנֹתֶיהָ dedit אֶת־מֶתֶג הָאַמָּה pro

et ejus municipia, 1 Chron. xviii. 1, quam arbitriariam mutationem non debebat recipere

Dathius.

Ver. 2.

Ged. 2 He also smote the Moabites: whom, being laid on the ground, he measured with a line. Two line-lengths of them he measured out to be put to death, and one line-length to be kept alive. Thus the Moabites became David's subjects, and

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Booth.-2 And he smote the Moabites; that they read to stablish. Only the Targum whom, being laid on the ground, he mea- agrees with the present corruption of the sured with a line. He measured two line- Hebrew. The next word T, should, in both lengths; a line-length to put to death, and places, have been rendered border, or in one full line-length to keep alive. Thus the both dominion. The transcriber of the Book Moabites became David's servants, and of Samuel carelessly omitted the word, brought gifts. Euphrates, at the end of the verse; and the superstitious Jews continue to omit the word, only leaving a space for it, and writing, under the line, the points that belong to the

Ver. 3.

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-word. The word is well retained in Cluroni צוֹבָה בְּלֶכְתּוֹ לְהָשִׁיב יָדוֹ בִּנְהַר־

.3 .v פרת קרי ולא כתיב

IT

καὶ ἐπάταξε Δαυὶδ τὸν ̓Αδρααζὰρ υἱὸν Ραάβ βασιλέα Σουβὰ, πορευομένου αὐτοῦ ἐπιστῆσαι τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην.

Au. Ver.-3 David smote also Hadadezer [or, Hadarezer, 1 Chron. xviii. 3], the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. Hadadezer.

cles, and from thence well supplied in this
place by our translators; as it is retained in
all the ancient versions, even in the Chaldee
itself.

Boothroyd's Heb. Bible.-3 Hallet proposes to read here as in 1 Chron. xviii. 3; but on examining the narrative, I conceive that each account is correct; and that the text in Chronicles is synonymous with this; that there does not refer to David, but Ged.-Hadarezer, 1 Chron. xviii. 3. to Hadarezer—. This is supposed to be Pool.-Hadadezer, called Hadarezer, Nesibis. Saul had probably wrested from 1 Chron. xviii. 3, the Hebrew letters daleth him, or his predecessor, a part of his terriand resch being alike, and so oft inter-tory (see 1 Sam. xiv. 47), which he now changed [so Bochart, Patrick]. As he attempted to recover. By the re-conquest went. Quest. Who? Answ. Either, first, of his territory, and the subjection of the Hadarezer [so Clarke, Ged., Booth., Dathe, Syrians of Damascus, the Israelites were Maurer]; who, being already very potent, now, and not until now, in the possession and going to enlarge his dominion further, of the promised land in its full extent. David thought fit to oppose him. Or, Comp. Gen. xv. 18, Deut. i. 7, Josh. i. 4. secondly, David [so Patrick], who remembering the grant which God had made to his people of all the land as far as Euphrates, and having subdued his neighbouring enemies, went to recover his rights, and stablish his dominion as far as Euphrates.

Bp. Patrick.-As he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.] That is, as David went to extend the limits of his kingdom (according to the ancient prophecy, Gen. xv. 18) towards the river Euphrates, he smote this king, who came out, perhaps, to oppose him. See 1 Chron. xviii. 3, where it is said, "he went to establish his dominions by the river Euphrates:" which seems to relate to David, not to Hadadezer.

Bp. Horsley.-To recover; rather, to establish. 1 Chron. xviii. 3, LXX, and Vulgate.

Ged.-3 David also smote Hadar-ezer, king of Zoba; who came to re-establish his power by the river Euphrates.

Gesen.-Hiph. . 7. Seq., 4, to turn to, towards, upon any one, e. g. a)

i, to turn one's hand upon or
against any one, Is. i. 25; Am. i. 8; Ps.
lxxxi. 15; seq. id. 2 Sam. viii. 3.

Dathe-3 Porro profligavit Hadadeserum,
Rechobi filium, regem Nesibensem, qui ultra
Euphratem imperii sui limites propagare
tentavit.

Hadadeserum. In hujus nominis scrip-
tione codd. Hebræi variant. Kennicottus
25 codd. citavit, in quibus scriptum legatur
Hadareser. Sic quoque oi ó, Vulg., Syrus,
Arabs.

Hallet.-3 It is said, he (meaning Hadadezer) went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. 1 Chron. xviii. 3, it is, he (meaning David) went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates. The dif- Euphratem. Vocem, quam codd. ference between the Hebrew in these places, Masorethici tantum in margine ponunt, leis but in one letter. In Samuel the word is gerunt omnes interpretes veteres in suis , to recover, in Chronicles it is , to codd., et Kennicottus in 32 codd. in textu stablish. The old versions of Samuel shew invenit. Sensus idem est, si quoque omit

tatur, cum constet,kar' ¿§ox in cod. | Chariots are here put for chariot horses, as
Hebræo de flumine Euphrate dici.
they are 1 Sam. xiii. 5; 2 Sam. x. 18;
Psal. lxxvi. 6.

Maurer.-3, Ut dominium
suum ad Euphratem restauraret, i. e., eam Bp. Patrick.-A thousand chariots.] The
Euphratensis regni partem, quam Saulo word chariots is not in the Hebrew: but it
rege (cf. 1 Sam. xiv. 47) amiserat, in di- is well supplied by our translators, out of
tionem suam reciperet. Alii, in his Ros. 1 Chron. xvi. 4, in which book many things
Archæol. i. 2, p. 249, suffixum in i et are explained which are briefly related here.
IT non ad Hadadeserum sed ad Davidem Seven hundred horsemen.] Here again is
referunt, ut sensus prodeat hic: ut eam an ellipsis, as in the foregoing words: for in
Euphratensis regni partem, quam Saulo rege 1 Chron. xviii. 4, it is said seven thousand.
Israelitæ occuparant (cf. 1 Sam. xiv. 47), But as after a thousand something is to be
postea vero inclinatis valde Israelitarum understood, viz. chariots: so after seven
rebus (1 Sam. xxxi.) Hadadeserus receperat, hundred something is to be understood, viz.,
iterum in potestatem suam redigeret. Præter captains (as Abarbinel explains it), under
necessitatem pro Masorethæ legi jubent whom a great many others served, so that
commanders and soldiers made in all, seven
thousand. Such an ellipsis is observed in
this very book, v. 8, "Whosoever smites the
Jebusites, and the blind, and the lame," &c.

Ver. 4.

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καὶ προκατελάβετο Δαυίδ τῶν αὐτοῦ χίλια

ἅρματα, καὶ ἑπτὰ χιλιάδας ἱππέων, καὶ εἴκοσι χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν πεζῶν. καὶ παρέλυσε Δαυὶδ πάντα τὰ ἅρματα, καὶ ὑπελείπετο ἑαυτῷ ἑκατὸν ἅρματα.

Au. Ver.-4 And David took from him [or, of his] a thousand chariots [as 1 Chron. xviii. 4], and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen : and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.

Seven hundred horsemen.

Lud. Capellus, Grotius, Houb., Hallet, Ged., Booth.-Seven thousand [LXX, Josephus, and p. p. 1 Chron. xviii. 4] horse

men.

which is plainly mentioned 1 Chron. xi. 6,
where it is said, he shall be chief (see l'Em-
pereur on Bava-kama, cap. 7, sect. 7).

Here again is the same ellipsis, for there is

David houghed all the chariot horses.]

no word in the Hebrew for horses. Yet the

meaning can be nothing else, but that he
cut the hamstrings of the horses that drew
their chariots, and made them unserviceable
hereafter (see Josh. xi. 9). Thus, in x. 18,
David is said to have slain seven hundred
chariots; that is, the horses of so many
chariots: and in Psalm 1xviii. 18, by "the
chariots of the Lord," some understood
horsemen and lxxvi. 6, "the chariot and
horse," &c.; that is, as well the horses that
drew the chariot, as they that rode in it (see
Bochartus, in his Hieroz., par. i., lib. ii.,
cap. 6).

Hallet.-4 And David took from him a Pool.-Chariots; which word is fitly sup- thousand chariots, and seven hundred horseplied out of 1 Chron xviii. 4, such submen. Our translators have well noted, that stantives being oft understood in the Hebrew there is no word for chariots in this place, language, as Gen. xxvi. 30; 2 Sam. xxi. 16. in the Hebrew, by causing it to be printed Seven hundred horsemen, or seven hundred in a different letter. It is well supplied out companies of horsemen, i.e., in all seven of 1 Chron. xviii. 4. The Greek and Syriac thousand; as it is 1 Chron. xviii. 4; there versions of Samuel retain the word, and being ten in each company, and each ten there can be no doubt, but it originally behaving a ruler or captain, Exod. xviii. 21; longed to the text of Samuel: since no Deut. i. 15. Or these seven hundred were figure of speech will bear out a writer in the chief and the rulers of the rest, and the saying a thousand were taken, when he does remaining six thousand three hundred were not let his readers know whether they were the common horsemen, subject to their chariots, asses, mules, &c., or 1,700 horsecommanders. Houghed all the chariot men. This shows how merry Bishop horses, except the following reserve. Patrick's note is on this omission. It is

VOL. II.

4 B

It will signify that the chariots were spoiled, or rendered useless; and we may allow that the manner of spoiling them was like that of spoiling the horses, viz., cutting the cords or leathers that fastened one part of the chariot to another.

supplied, says he, out of Chron., "in which purpose. For houghing, plucking up, rooting book many things are explained, which are up, and digging down, are various methods briefly related here." His next is equally of spoiling or hurting things. The word surprising, viz.: may as well be applied to a chariot, as it "And seven hundred horsemen.] Here again confessedly is to a plant, a town, or a wall. is an ellipsis, as in the foregoing words. For in 1 Chron. xviii. 4, it is said, seven thousand." This figure ellipsis will, it seems, do wonders. It will excuse a writer when he omits the most essential words of a sentence. I do not see then, why the same excuse should not be made for a transcriber, when he omits a whole sentence, and the omission be called by the soft name of an ellipsis, when it is really a blunder. Supposing the The very great utility of comparing transcribers had been guilty of the same parallel places may be further ascertained, ellipsis or omission in Chronicles as they have by a comparison of some parts of the chapin Samuel, it would not have been possible ters above specified.

Ken.-2 Sam. viii. and x., compared with 1 Chron. xviii. and xix.

(if the old versions had been laid aside), to Sam. viii. 1 David took Metheg-ammah. have known what those thousand things Chron. xviii. 1 David took Gath and her were which David took. We might as well Sam. 3 David smote Hadadezer.

have supposed they were horses as chariots, Chron. towns. 3 David smote Hadarezer. especially since he next mentions the horse- Sam. 4 And David took from him 1,000 men. The other instances there produced Chron. 4 And David took from him 1,000 by the Bishop are of the same kind, except Sam. and 700 horsemen, and

Sam. says,

7,000 horsemen, and
6 Then David put
6 Then David put
Syria. 8 And from
in Syria.
8 And from
Betah and Berothai cities of Ha-

20,000 foot.
Chron. 20,000 foot.
Sam. garrisons in
Chron.
Sam.

that about David's houghing the chariots, in Chron. chariots, and this same verse. As to which he "The meaning can be nothing else, but that he cut the hamstrings of the horses that drew their chariots." I see no necessity to suppose that horses are here intended. Both Samuel and Chronicles exactly agree in Chron. Tibbath and Chun cities of Hareading which ought to be ren- Sam. dadezer. 9 When Toi heard, that dered, he destroyed all the chariots, or made Chron. darezer. 9 When Tou heard, that them useless. To show the justness of this Sam. David had smitten Hadadezer, rendering, it must be observed, that the Chron. David had smitten Hadarezer, word is used seven times in the Old Sam. 10 Then Toi sent Joram his son. Testament. In two places it signifies, to Chron. 10 He sent Hadoram his son. hough horses, or to cut their hamstrings, Sam. 12 Syria and Moab. 13 Syrians, Josh. xi. 6, 9. In both which places the Chron. 11 Edom and Moab. 12 Edomites, word horses is expressly mentioned. In two Sam. in the valley of salt, 18,000. other places it is rendered, to pluck up, or Chron. in the valley of salt, 18,000. root up; Eccles. iii. 2, a time to pluck up Sam. 17 Ahimelech and Seraiah was the that which is planted; Zeph. ii. 4, Ekron Chron. 16 Abimelech and Shavsha was shall be rooted up. In the fifth place it is Sam. scribe. x. 16 Shobach the captranslated, to dig down, Gen. xlix. 6, they Chron. scribe. xix. 16 Shophach the capdigged down a wall: which the Bishop Sam. tain. 17 David passed over Jordan, inclines to think is the true rendering of that Chron. tain. 17 David passed over Jordan, place, and not the marginal. The other two Sam. and came to Helam. 18 David places where this word is used are those now Chron. and came upon them. 18 David under consideration. It appears from this Sam. slew 700 chariots of view of the use of the word, that when Chron. slew of the Syrians 7,000 chariots horses are not mentioned with it, there is no Sam. the Syrians, and 40,000 horsemen ; occasion for us to think of them. The Chron. and 40,000 footmen; general meaning of the word appears to be Sam. and smote Shobach, &c. spoiling, hurting, destroying, or to that Chron. and killed Shophach, &c.

Without remarking all the differences in | horsemen it may easily be imagined 400 these passages, it may be observed in general were killed.

—that I by no means suppose every variation

.

Dr. A. Clarke.—A thousand chariots.] It is strange that there were a thousand chariots, and only seven hundred horsemen taken, and twenty thousand foot. But as the discomfiture appears complete, we may suppose that the chariots, being less manageable, might be more easily taken, while the horsemen might, in general, make their escape. The infantry also seem to have been surrounded, when twenty thousand of them were taken prisoners.

Houghed all the chariot-horses; rather, here to be a corruption, and yet that I cannot "crippled all the chariots, except that he suppose these passages uncorrupted. Are reserved of them," &c. Crippled," namely we to believe, that the same man is properly by breaking the wheels, or the axles. See called Hadadezer and Hadarezer-or Ahi- LXX, Queen Elizabeth's Bible, and Parkmelech and Abimelech, &c. Are we to say, hurst, with Bishop Patrick, that Methegammah in Samuel, is expounded to be Gath and its territories in Chronicles—or, that 700 in Samuel and 7,000 in Chronicles agree in sense, only the number in Samuel is expressed by an ellipsis? Other interrogatories might be put, and the impossibility of supposing the text entire in these passages might be largely insisted on. But as judicious remarks have been made on some of these mistakes by Mr. Hallet, I shall only mention one. The text in Chronicles tells David houghed all the chariot horses.] If us that "David took 1,000 chariots, and he did so, it was both unreasonable and in7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 footmen." But human; for, as he had so complete a vicin Samuel that David took 1,000 (what?) tory, there was no danger of these horses and 700 horsemen, and 20,000 footmen." falling into the enemy's hands; and if he The omission of the word 17, chariots, seems did not choose to keep them, which indeed indubitable: LXX, xiλia apμaтa. But, how the law would not permit, he should have are we to account for the surprising variation killed them outright; and then the poor in the numbers; since 2, 700, and innocent creatures would have been put out □ nyaw, 7,000, differ widely in letters and of pain. But does the text speak of houghsignification? We have here then another ing horses at all? It does not. confirmation of what was supposed, page 96, hear: ", And David dis&c., that the Jews formerly expressed the jointed all the chariots, except a hundred Bible numbers by single letters; and then chariots which he reserved for himself. the mistake is easy-i being 7,000, and † 700. Now, this destruction of the chariots was a The same mistake occurs in 2 Sam. x. 18, matter of sound policy, and strict piety. 700, which in 1 Chron. xix. 18, is 7,000 i. God had censured those who trusted in Will any other hypothesis so naturally solve chariots; piety therefore forbade David the this repeated difficulty? use of them and lest they should fall into the enemy's hands, and be again used against him, policy induced him to destroy them. The Septuagint render the words nearly as I have done, kai mapeλvσe David παντα τα άρματα.

Let us

Bp. Horsley.-A thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and, &c. The word chariots is very properly inserted, upon the authority of the parallel place in Chronicles, and the version of the LXX here. In the parallel place in the book of Chronicles, and He kept however one hundred; probably in the version of the LXX, the number of as a sort of baggage or forage wagons. horsemen is 7,000, instead of 700, as we Gesen. Piel, to hamstring, to hough, read here in the Hebrew text. I am much in- e. g., a horse, i.e., to cut the sinews of the clined to think that the true reading in both hind feet, by which the animal is rendered places is thus, "seven hundred chariots and wholly useless and unable to stand, Josh. a thousand horsemen." If these horsemen xi. 6, 9; 2 Sam. viii. 4; 1 Chron. xviii. 4; were, as I vehemently suspect, men riding of a bullock, Gen. xlix. 6. Sept., vevpoastride on the horses that drew the cars, if KOTTEIV. This was often and is still done in each car was drawn by a pair of horses, the war by the victors, when unable to carry off number of horsemen, if all were taken, with them the horses captured.—Arab. ́ ́ should be double the number of the cars. See 1 Sam. xiii. 5. But of 1,400 such id.

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