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prophecy, and the command of God, and without depending on him as a security for the time to come, bade the high-priest foretell to him what was the will of God, and what would be the event of this battle. And when he foretold that he should gain the victory, and the dominion, he led out his army against the Philistines; and when the battle was joined, he came himself behind, and fell upon the enemy suddenly, and slew some of them, and put the rest to flight. And let no one suppose that it was a small army of the Philistines that came against the Hebrews: as guessing so from the suddenness of their defeat, and from their having performed no action that was worth recording, from the slowness of their march, and want of courage: but let him know, that all Syria and Phoenicia, with many other nations besides them, and those warlike nations also, came to their assistance; and had a share in this war. Which thing was the only cause why, when they had been so often conquered, and had lost so many ten thousands of their men, they still came upon the Hebrews with greater armies. Nay, indeed, when they had so often failed of their purpose in these battles, they came upon David with an army three times as numerous as before, and pitched their camp on the same spot of ground as before. The king of Israel therefore inquired of God again, concerning the event of the battle; and the high-priest prophesied to him, that he should keep his army in the groves, called the Groves of Weeping, which were not far from the enemies' camp: and that he should not move, nor begin to fight till the trees of the grove should be in motion without the winds blowing; but as soon as these trees moved, and the time foretold to him by God was come, he should, without delay, go out to gain what was already prepared, an evident victory. For the several ranks of the enemies' army did not sustain him, but retreated at the first onset, whom he closely followed, and slew them as he went along, and pursued them to the city Gaza, which is the limit of their country. After this, he spoiled their camp, in which he found great riches; and he also destroyed their gods.

When this had proved the event of the battle, David thought proper, upon a consultation with the elders, and rulers, and captains of thousands, to send for those that were in the flower of their age,

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out of all his countrymen, and out of the whole land; and withal for the priests and the Levites; in order to their going to Kirjathjearim, to bring up the ark of God out of that city, and to carry it to Jerusalem, and there to keep it; and offer before it those sacrifices, and those other honours, with which God used to be well pleased. For had they done thus in the reign of Saul, they had not undergone any great misfortunes at all. So when the whole body of the people were come together, as they had resolved to do, the king came to the ark, which the priests brought out of the house of Aminadab, and laid it upon a new cart, and permitted their brethren and children to draw it, together with the oxen. Before it went the king, and the whole multitude of the people with him, singing hymns to God, and making use of all sorts of songs usual among them; accompanied with the sounds of musical instruments, and with dancing and singing of psalms; as also with the sounds of trumpets and of cymbals: and so they brought the ark to Jerusalem. But as they came to the threshing-floor of *Chidon, a place so called, Uzzaht was slain by the anger of God. For as the oxen shook the ark, he stretched out his hand and would needs take hold of it. Now because he was not a priest, and yet touched the ark, God struck him dead. Hereupon both the king and the people were displeased at the death of Uzzah; and the place where he died is called the Breach of Uzzaht unto this day. So David was afraid, and supposing that if he received the ark to himself into the city, he might suffer in the like manner as Uzzah had suffered, who, upon his barely putting out his hand to the ark, died in the manner already mentioned: he did not receive it to himself into the city; but he took it aside unto a certain place belonging to a righteous man, whose name was Obededom, who was, by his family, a Levite, and deposited the ark with him. And it remained there three entire months. This augmented the house of Obededom, and conferred many blessings upon it: and when the king heard what had befallen Obededom; how he was become of a poor man, in a low estate, exceeding happy, and the object of envy to all those that saw or inquired after his house, he took courage; and, hoping that he should meet with no misfortune thereby, he transferred the ark to his own house;§ the priests carrying it, while seven companies of

penalty by that law, Numb. iv. 15, 20. See the like before, VI. 1. It is not improbable, that the putting this ark in a cart, when it ought to have been carried by the priests or Levites, as it was presently here in Josephus so carried from Obededom's house to David's, might be also an occasion of the anger of God

on that breach of the law. See Numb. iv. 15. 1 Chron. xv. 13. 2 Sam. vi. 8. 1 Chron. xv. 13.

§ It is supposed by some, that this bringing back of the ark

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singers, who were set in that order by the king, went before it; and while he himself played upon the harp, and joined in the music;* insomuch, that when his wife Michal, the daughter of Saul, saw him so doing, she laughed at him. But when they had brought in the ark, they placed it under the tabernacle which David had pitched for it; and he offered costly sacrifices, and peace-offerings; and treated the whole multitude, and dealt both to the women and the men, and the infants, a loaf of bread and a cake, and another cake baked in a pan, with a portion of the sacrifice. So when he had thus feasted the people, he sent them away, and returned to his own house.

But when Michal his wife, the daughter of Saul, came and stood by him, she wished him all other happiness; and entreated, that whatever he should farther desire, to the utmost possibility, might be given by God, and that he might be favourable to him. Yet did she blame him,† that so great a king as he was should dance after an unseemly manner; and, in his dancing, uncover himself among the servants and the handmaidens. But he replied, that he was not ashamed to do what was acceptable to God, who had preferred him

was appointed to be one of the great festivals; and the reason why David might summon so many of his principal ministers and officers to accompany him in the expedition might be, to possess the young people, who perhaps had heard little or nothing of the ark, by reason of its having been absent so long, with a mighty veneration for it when they saw the king, and so many of the chief nobility, waiting on it, with such a variety of music, and such public declarations of joy. Miller's History of the Church.

• Strabo tells us, that it was customary among the Greeks, as well as other nations, to use music and dancing in the processions before their gods, lib. 10. Callimachus mentions the chori, and dancings of the youth at the altar of Apollo; Plato observes, that among the Egyptians, all kinds of music, songs, and dances, were consecrated to their gods. De Legibus, 1. 3. And even Lucian (De Saltatione) expressly says, that among the ancients, no ceremonial of religion, no expiation, no atonement, was accounted rightly accomplished without dancing. So that David was far from being singular in his behaviour upon this occasion; nor was his behaviour, in this particular, any disparagement to his regal dignity. His dancing, i. e. his moving in certain serious and solemn measures, suited to music of the same character and tendency, was an exercise highly conducive to the purposes of piety, and his mixing with the public festivities of his people was a condescension, (as Tacitus relates of Augustus the Roman emperor,) not unbecoming the greatest monarch. Policy taught Augustus to put himself upon a level with his subjects in the public rejoicings; piety taught David, that all men are upon a level in the solemnities of religion. So that David was not singular in his behaviour upon this occasion. Patrick's Commentary, and The History of the Life of King David, vol. 2. B.

The words of Michal, wherein she upbraids David, are these: How glorious 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

before her father, and before all others; that he would play frequently, and dance, without any regard to what the handmaidens and she herself thought of it. So this Michal who was David's wife, had no children; however when she was afterward married to him to whom Saul her father had given her, (for at this time David had taken her away from him, and had her himself) she bare fivet children. But concerning those matters§ 1. shall discourse in a proper place.

Now when the king saw that his affairs grew better almost every day, by the will of God, he thought he should offend him, if, while he himself continued in houses made of cedar, such as were of great height, and had the most curious works of architecture in them, he should overlook the ark, while it was laid in a tabernacle; and he was desirous to build a temple to God, as Moses had predicted such a temple should be built. And when he had discoursed with Nathan the prophet about these things, and had been encouraged by him to do whatsoever he had a mind to do, as having God with him, and his helper in all things: he was thereupon the more ready to set about that building. But God appeared to Nathan that night, and

himself! 2 Sam. vi. 20. At first reading, they seem to intimate, that David, in his dancing, had exposed his naked body, and acted some way or other immodestly. But these words, we are to consider, were spoken in a fit of passion, and when Michal was minded to aggravate matters; for it is not to be doubted, but that David kept himself within the bounds of modesty, how joyous soever he might be. It was a command which God gave the Israelites, that they should rejoice in their feasts, Deut. xii. 7; but then their joy was not to be lascivious or petulant, but pious and moderate. In the case before us, David was in the more immediate presence of God, and about a very sacred business; and therefore it is incongruous to think that he would commit any thing immodest. And, that he could not expose his nakedness (as his wife would insinuate,) is evident from his having not only an ephod on, but being clothed with a robe of fine linen, besides his usual under garments, 1 Chron. xv. 27, and therefore, though his putting off his regal robes might give some occasion to Michal's expression of his uncovering himself, yet it must be owned, that this opprobrious term proceeded from nothing but the overflowing spleen of a proud passionate woman. Calmer's and Patrick's Commentaries. B.

Hence correct our other copies. 2 Sam. vi. 23.
This is now wanting.

Josephus here informs us that, according to his understanding of the sense of his copy of the Pentateuch, Moses had himself foretold the building of the temple: which yet is nowhere that I know of in our present copies. And that this is not a mistake, set down by him unwarily, appears by what he observed before, IV. 8, how Moses foretold, that upon the Jews' future disobedience, their temple should be burnt and rebuilt; and that not once only, but several times afterwards. See also Josephus's mention of God's former commands to build such a temple presently; chap. xiv. contrary to our other copies; or at least to our translation of the Hebrew, 2 Sam. vii, 6, 7. 1 Chron. xvii. 5, 6.

CHAP. V.

OF DAVID'S SUCCESSES AGAINST THE PHILISTINES AND THE MOASITES, AND THE KINGS OF SOPHENE AND OF DAMASCUS, THE SYRIANS, AND THE IDUMEANS; OF HIS LEAGUE WITH THE KING OF HAMATH; AND HIS GRATITUDE FOR THE FRIENDSHIP OF JONATHAN.

commanded him to say to David, that he took his purposes and his desires kindly, since nobody had before now thought of building him a temple; although upon his having such a notion, he would not permit him to build him that temple, because he had made many wars, and was defiled with the slaughter of his enemies; that, however, after his death, in his old age, and when he had lived a long · life, there should be a temple built by a son of his, who should take the kingdom after him, and should be called Solomon, whom he promised to provide for, as a father provides for his son, by preserving the kingdom for his son's posterity, and delivering it to them; but that, if he sinned, he would still punish him, with diseases and barrenness of land. When David understood this from the prophet, and was overjoyed at this knowledge of the sure continuance of the dominion to his posterity, and that his house should be splendid, and very famous, he came to the ark, and fell down on his face, and began to adore God, and to return thanks to him for all his benefits; as well for those that he had already bestowed upon him, in raising him from a low state, and from the employment of a shepherd, to so great dignity of dominion and glory; as for those also which he had promised to his posterity, and besides for that providence which he had exercised over the Hebrews, in procuring them the liberty they enjoyed. And when he had said thus, and had sung a hymn of praise to God, he went his way.

* Josephus seems in this place, with our modern interpreters, to confound the two distinct predictions which God made to David, and to Nathan, concerning the building him a temple, by one of David's posterity; the one belonging to Solomon, the other to the Messiah: the distinction between which is of the greatest consequence to the Christian religion: and of which I have largely treated in my Boyle's Lectures, from p. 247-272. To which discourse I must here refer the inquisitive reader. See also Antiq. VII. 13. and chap. xiv.

About An. 1081.

There is no small obscurity in the words of the text, which are these: He smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even in two lines measured he to put to death, and with one line to keep alive. Which words seem to allude to a custom among the kings of the east, when they were thoroughly incensed against any nation, viz. to make the captives all come together in one place, and prostrate themselves upon the ground; that, being divided into two parts, as it were with a line, their conqueror might appoint which part he pleased either for death or life, which was sometimes determined by casting of lots. Some are of opinion, that David made three lots or parts of these Moabites, two of which he ordered to be slain, and one part only to be kept alive. The reason of this severity against this miserable people, the Rabbins assure us, was, because they had slain his parents and brethren, whom he had committed to the custody of the king of Moab during his exile. But of the reality of this motive there is no manner of appearance; and since this execution which David inflicted may relate either to the whole nation, or the army only, to clear David from the imputation of too much

A LITTLE While after this David considered, that he ought to make war against the Philistines, and not see any indolence permitted in his management; that so it might prove as God had foretold to him, that when he had overthrown his enemies, he should leave his posterity to reign in peace. So he called together his army, and charged them to be ready and prepared for war; and when he thought that all things were in a good state, he removed from Jerusalem, and came against the Philistines; and when he had overcome them in battle, and had cut off a great part of their country, and united it to the country of the Hebrews, he transferred the war to the Moabites. And when he had overcome two parts of their army in battle, he took the remaining part captive; and imposed tribute upon them to be paid annually.§ He then made war against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob,|| king of Sophene; and when he had joined battle with him, at the river Euphrates, he destroyed twenty thousand of his footmen, and about seven thousand of his horsemen. He also took a thousand of his chariots, and destroyed the greatest part of them; and ordered that no more than one hundred should be kept.

Now when** Hadad, king of Damascus, and of

cruelty, we should rather conceive it of the third, or half part at most, of the army. Le Clerc's and Calmet's Commentaries. B. 2 Sam. viii. 2.

Whether Syria Zobah, 2 Sam. iii. 8. 1 Chron. xviii. 3—9, be Sophene, as Josephus here supposes; which yet Ptolomy places beyond Euphrates, as Dr. Hudson observes here; whereas Zobah was on this side; or whether Josephus was not here guilty of a mistake in his geography, I cannot certainly determine.

¶ David's reserving only 100 chariots for himself, out of 1000 he had taken from Hadadezer, was most probably done in compliance with the law of Moses, which forbade the king of Israel to multiply horses to himself, Deut. xvii. 16. One of the prin cipal uses of horses in Judea at that time being for drawing their chariots: see Joseph. Antiq. V. 1. and Bp. Sherlock's dis course on that subject.

** It deserves here to be remarked, that this Hadad, being a very great king, was conquered by David; whose posterity yet for several generations were called Benhadad, or the son of Hadad, till the days of Hazael; whose son Adar or Ader is also in our Hebrew copy, 2 Kings xiii. 24, written Benhadad; but in Josephus Adad or Adar. And strange it is, that the son of Hazael, said to be such in the same text, and in Josephus, IX. 8, should still be called the son of Hadad. I would therefore here correct our Hebrew copy from Josephus's; which seems to have the true reading. Nor does the testimony of Nicolaus of Damascus produced in this place by Josephus, seem to be faultless; when it says, that he was the third of the Hadads, or second of the Benhadads, who besieged Samaria, in

AN. 1080.1

ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS.

Syria, heard that David fought against Hadade- || their proper places hereafter. Now as for the king zer, who was his friend, he came to his assistance, of the Hebrews, he was assisted by God, who with a powerful army, in hopes to rescue him; but gave him great success in his wars; and he made when he had joined battle with David, at the river an expedition against the best cities of HadadeEuphrates, he failed of his purpose, and lost a zer, Betah, and Machon. So he took them by great number of his soldiers; for there were slain force, and laid them waste. Therein was found a of the army of Hadad twenty thousand, and all very great quantity of gold and silver, besides that the rest fled. Nicolaus also, of Damascus, makes sort of brass which is said to be more valuable mention of the king, in the fourth book of his his- than gold. Of which brass Solomon made that tories, where he speaks thus: "A great while large vessel which was called the brazen sea; and after these things had happened, there was one of those most curious lavers, when he built the temthat country whose name was Hadad, who was ple of God. become very potent. He reigned over Damascus, and the other parts of Syria, excepting Phonicia. He made war against David, king of Judea; and tried his fortune in many battles, and particularly in the last battle at Euphrates, wherein he was beaten. He seems to have been the most excellent of all their kings, in strength and manhood." Besides this, he says of his posterity, that after his death they succeeded one another in his kingdom, and in his name: where he thus speaks. "When Hadad was dead, his posterity reigned for ten generations, each of his successors receiving from his father his dominion and his name; as did the Ptolemies in Egypt. But the third was the most powerful of them all; and was willing to avenge the defeat his forefather had received; so he made an expedition against the Jews, and laid waste the city which is now called Samaria." Nor did he err from the truth. For this is that Hadad who made the expedition against Samaria, in the reign of Ahab, king of Israel; concerning whom we shall speak in due place hereafter.

Now when David had made an expedition against Damascus, and the other parts of Syria, and had brought it all into subjection, and had placed garrisons in the country, and appointed that they should pay tribute, he returned home. He also dedicated to God at Jerusalem the golden quivers, and the entire armour which the guards of Hadad used to wear; which Shishak the king of Egypt took away when he fought with David's grandson Rehoboam; with a great deal of other wealth which he carried out of Jerusalem. However, these things will come to be explained in

the days of Ahab. He must rather have been the seventh or eighth, if there were ten in all of that name, as we are assured there were. For testimony makes all the Hadads or Benhadad's of the same line; and to have immediately succeeded one another. Whereas Hazael was not of that line, nor is he called Hadad or Benhadad, in any copy. And note that from this Hadad, in the days of David, to the beginning of Hazael, were near 200 years, according to the most exact chronology of Josephus.

* 1 Chron. xviii. 9, 10.

But when the king of Hamath was informed of the ill success of Hadadezer, and had heard of the ruin of his army, he was afraid on his own account, and resolved to make a league of friendship with David, before he should come against him. So he sent to him his son Joram, and professed that he owed him thanks for fighting against Hadadezer, who was his enemy; and made a league with him of mutual assistance and friendship. He also sent him presents, vessels of ancient workmanship, both of gold, silver, and brass. So when David had made this league of mutual assistance with Toi, (for that was the name of the king of Hamath,) and had received the presents he sent him, he dismissed his son with that respect which was due on both sides. But then David brought those presents that were sent by him; as also the rest of the gold and silver which he had taken of the cities of the nations, whom he had conquered, and dedicated them to God. Nor did God give victory and success to him only, when he went to the battle himself, and led his own army; but he gave victory to Abishai, the brother of Joab, general of his forces,† over the Idumeans; and by him to David, when he sent him with an army into Idumea. For Abishai destroyed eighteen thousand of them in the battle. Whereupon the king of Israel placed garrisons through all Idumea, and received the tribute of the country, and of every head among them. Now David was in his nature just, and made his determination with regard to truth. He had for the general of his whole army Joab; and he made Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, recorder. He also appointed Zadok, of the family of Phineas,

By this great victory over the Idumeans or Edomites, the posterity of Esau, and by the consequent tribute paid by that nation to the Jews, were the prophecies delivered to Rebecca before Jacob and Esau were born; and by old Isaac before his death, that the elder, Esau, or the Edomites, should serve the younger, Jacob, or the Israelites; and Jacob, or the Israelites, should be Esau's, or the Edomites', lord, remarkably fulfilled. See VIII. 7, Gen. xxv. 23, and xxvii. 29, 37, and the Notes on I. 18,

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to be high-priest, together with Abiathar; for he was his friend. He also made Seisan the scribe, and committed the command over the guards of his body to Benaiah,* the son of Jehoiada. His elder sons were near his body, and had the care of it also.

called for Ziba, and told him, that he had given the youth his father's house, and all Saul's estate. He also ordered that Ziba should cultivate his land, and take care of it, and bring him the profits of all to Jerusalem. Accordingly David brought him to his table every day; and bestowed upon the youth, Ziba, and his sons, who were in number fifteen, and his servants, who were in number twenty. When the king had made these appointments, and Ziba had worshipped him, and promised to do all that he had bidden him, he went his way. So that this son of Jonathan dwelt at Jerusalem, and dieted at the king's table, and had the same care that a son could claim taken of him. He also had himself a son,† whom he named Micha.

CHAP. VI.

OF THE WAR WAGED AGAINST THE AMMONITES, AND ITS HAPPY
CONCLUSION.

ABOUT this time died Nahash, king of the Am

He also called to mind the covenants and the oaths he had made with Jonathan, the son of Saul; and the friendship and affection Jonathan had for him. For besides all the rest of his excellent qualities, with which he was endowed, he was also exceeding mindful of such as had at other times bestowed benefits upon him. He therefore gave order that inquiry should be made, whether any of Jonathan's lineage were living, to whom he might make return of that familiar acquaintance which Jonathan had had with him; and for which he was still debtor. And when one of Saul's freedmen was brought to him, who was acquainted with those of his family that were still living, he asked him, whether he could tell him of any one belonging to Jonathan that was now alive, and capable of a requital of the benefits he had received from Jona-monites, who was a friend of David's. And when than? the man replied that a son of his was remaining, whose name was Mephibosheth; but that he was lame of his feet, for that when his nurse heard that the father and grandfather of the child were fallen in the battle, she snatched him up, and fled away, and let him fall from her shoulders, and his feet were lamed. So when he had learned where, and by whom he was brought up, he sent messengers to Machir, to the city Lodebar; for with him was the son of Jonathan brought up, and sent for him to come to him. So when Mephibosheth came to the king, he fell on his face, and worshipped him. But David encouraged him, and bid him be of good cheer, and expect better times. So he gave him his father's house, and all the estate which his grandfather Saul was in possession of, and bade him come and diet with him, at his own table, and never to be absent one day. And when the youth had worshipped him, on account of his words, and gifts given to him; he

his son had succeeded his father in the kingdom, David sent ambassadors to him to comfort him; and exhorted him to take his father's death patiently, and to expect that he would continue the same kindness to himself, which he had showed to his father. But the princes of the Ammonites took this message in evil part, and not as David's kind disposition gave reason to take it, and they excited the king to take it; and said that David had sent men to spy out the country, and what strength it had, under the pretence of humanity and kindness. They further advised him not to give heed to David's words; lest he should be deluded by him, and so fall into an inconsolable calamity. Accordingly Nahash's son, the king of the Ammonites, thought these princes spake what was more probable than the truth would admit; and so abused the ambassadors that were sent, after a very harsh manner. For he shaved the one half of their beards,|| and cut off one half of their gar

* The word in our translation, is recorder, which, in the of the Jews say, that he fled to him, when he durst stay no marginal note, is remembrancer, or writer of chronicles; an longer with Achish king of the Philistines, and that he received Employment of no mean estimation in the eastern world, him very kindly; others, that he entertained his relations, when where it was customary with the kings to keep daily registers the king of Moab, to whom he had committed them, slew some of all the transactions of their reign; and a trust, which however of them but the most likely opinion is, that as he was a bitter discharged to purpose, must be let into the true springs and enemy to Saul, who had given him a great overthrow, he, for secrets of action, and consequently must be received into the that very reason, became a friend to David, when he perceived inmost confidence. For whether the office of a Lord Chan-how Saul persecuted him, and thereupon might send him relief cellor was consistent with the constitution of the Jewish state, a modern author seems to doubt. History of the Life of King David, vol. 2 B.

+1 Chron. viii. 34. About An. 1078 B. C. What the particular benefits which David had received from Nahash we are nowhere told in Scripture; but some

were.

and assistance, and perhaps offer him protection in his kingdom. Patrick's Commentary. B.

This was one of the greatest indignities that the malice of man could invent, in those countries where all people thought their hair so great an ornament, that some would rather have submitted to die than part with it. What a foul disgrace and

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