Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 12 – Chapter 14
CHAP. XII.
Verſ. 3. THe chief was Ahiezer, &c.] To wit, of the children of Benjamin that came to help David, as is ſaid in the foregoing verſe.
Verſ. 4. And Iſhmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty.] That is, among and over the thirty warriers of the tribe of Benjamin here mentioned, that came to David to Ziglag, whoſe colonell he was.
Verſ. 8. And of the Gadites there ſeparated themſelves unto David into the hold to the wilderneſſe, &c.] This may be meant of the hold at Ziklag, which was in the wilderneſſe of Judea, whither theſe Gadites came, men whoſe faces were like the faces of lions, that is, undaunted, fierce and terrible to their enemies.
Verſ. 14. One of the leaſt was over an hundred, and the greateſt over a thouſand.] That is, they were all captains of bands, (to wit, before they came to David, or after David began to reigne in Hebron) ſome of them over an hundred, ſome over a thouſand.
Verſ. 15. Theſe are they that went over Jordan in the first monethmonth, when it had over-flown all his banks.] Jordan did uſually in the firſt monethmonth overflow all his banks; ſee Joſh. 3.15. and 4.19. yet theſe Gadites (that muſt neceſſarily paſſe the river to come to the help of David, becauſe they dwelt in the land of Sihon and Og beyond Jordan) would not hereby be kept from the ſuccour of David, but made ſome ſhift to get over, either by ſwimming, or by boats, &c. and this is here noted, to ſhew how zealous they were in Davids cauſe: yet were there any enemies appointed to hinder their paſſage, happely this inundation of Jordan was an advantage to them, as making the enemy ſecure, when they thought becauſe of the floud there was no danger of their coming over, and to that end happely it is expreſſed.
And they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the eaſt, and toward the weſt.] This is either meant of ſuch of Sauls ſouldiers as were in theſe troubleſome times appointed to be in the valleys, that lay upon the banks of Jordan, to guard the foords and paſſages of Jordan, leſt any well-affected to David ſhould from thoſe parts come over to his aid, upon whom theſe Gadites came ſuddenly, and ſcattered them, ſome flying one way, and ſome another; or rather (as ſome conceive) it is meant of the Philiſtines and others, who prevailing in the laſt warre wherein Saul was ſlain, had ſeiſed upon certain towns and villages in the valleys, whence they were immediately driven by theſe war-like Gadites.
Verſ. 18. Then the ſpirit came upon Amaſai, who was chief of the captains, and he ſaid, Thine are we David, &c.] That is, God by his ſpirit moved him to anſwer with ſuch confidence, and deteſtation of all thoughts of treachery, as is afterward expreſſed, and that in the name of them all, that all jealouſies concerning thoſe of the tribe of Benjamin that were in their company, verſ. 16. might be removed.
Verſ. 21. And they helped David againſt the band of the rovers, &c.] To wit, the Amalekites that had burnt Ziklag, 1. Sam. 30.1, 2. whom David with his foure hundred men purſued, verſ. 10. taking theſe ſeven captains of Manaſſeh along with him that at that time were newly come to him for his help.
Verſ. 22. For at that time day by day, there came to David to help him, untill it was a great hoſt, like the hoſt of God.] That is, innumerable as the Angels; Dan. 7.10. A fiery ſtream iſſued, and came forth from before him: thouſand thouſands miniſtred unto him, and ten thouſand times ten thouſand ſtood before him: the judgement was ſet, and the books were opened. Beſides, the Hebrews ſay a thing is of God when it is excellent, as Cedars of God, &c.
Verſ. 24. The children of Judah that bare ſhield and ſpear, were ſix thouſand and eight hundred, &c.] In many of the other tribes there are many more, yet was the tribe of Judah the greateſt of all, and moſt zealous for David; but they had formerly anointed David to be their king, neither was it therefore neceſſary that they ſhould now approve their deſire of him, by coming in ſuch multitudes to be preſent at Hebron, at this ſolemnity of his being anointed king there over all Iſrael, as the other tribes did.
Verſ. 27. And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites.] The meaning of this is not, that Jehoiada was the high prieſt (for certainly Abiathar that came to David in his troubles, and brought the Ephod with him, 1. Sam. 23.6. was at this time high-prieſt) but the meaning is, that he was the chief of thoſe of Aarons family that came now with the tribes of Iſrael to Hebron, to ſubmit themſelves to Davids government, and to attend the ſolemnity of his inauguration there.
Verſ. 28. And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, &c.] That is, he was another chief man, and leader amongſt theſe ſonnes of Aaron, in bringing them in to ſubmit themſelves to Davids government. And the rather, as I conceive, is he and the two and twenty captains of his fathers houſe here particularly mentioned, becauſe he was afterward the high prieſt in the dayes of Solomon; 1. Kings 2.35, Zadok the prieſt did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
Verſ. 29. For hitherto the greateſt part of them had kept the ward of the houſe of Saul.] That is, unto this time the greateſt part of this tribe of Benjamin, had ſought to keep the kingdome in Sauls family, and ſo could not yet be from their hearts contented with ſettling David in the throne, and therefore there came but a few (in compariſon) of this tribe to David.
Verſ. 31. And of the half tribe of Manaſſeh, eighteen thouſand, &c.] That is, of that half of Manaſſeh which was ſeated within Jordan (for the other half are ſpoken of afterward verſ. 37.) there were eighteen thouſand which were expreſſed by name, that is, which were choſen by name to be imployed in this ſervice.
Verſ. 32. And of the children of Iſſachar, which were men that had underſtanding of the times, to know what Iſrael ought to do, &c.] Some referre this to their knowledge in Aſtrologie, by which they might be able to foreſee the aire and ſeaſons, a matter of great conſequence in many affairs; and this they judge the more probable, becauſe the children of Iſſachar were for the moſt part much exerciſed in husbandry, as is noted upon Gen. 49.14. and Deut. 33.18. and ſuch men in old time were very skilfull in the knowledge of the ſtarres, &c. But I rather think it is meant of men that were ſingularly prudent, and able to give advice for the doing of every thing that was to be undertaken, in the fitteſt time and ſeaſon; and that, firſt, becauſe we find the like phraſe uſed concerning Ahaſuerus his counſellours, Eſth. 1.13. to wit, that they were wiſe men which knew the times; and ſecondly, becauſe it is ſaid in the next words, that all their brethren were at their commandment, that is, that out of the high eſteem they had of theſe mens wiſedome and ſingular prudence, they were ſtill willing to be directed and ordered by them.
Verſ. 38. All theſe men of warre, that could keep rank, &c.] To wit, all thoſe before mentioned, which are in all three hundred twenty two thouſand two hundred twenty two.
Verſ. 39. And there they were with David three dayes, eating and drinkinge for their brethren had prepared for them.] That is, the reſt of the Iſraelites.
CHAP. XIII.
Verſ. 1. ANd David conſulted with the captains of thouſands, &c.] See 2. Sam. 6.1.
Verſ. 2. And David ſaid unto all the congregation of Iſrael, If it ſeem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, &c.] That is, if it ſhall appear to you that this counſell which I give is of the Lord our God; or if you like of it, and God ſhall alſo approve of it by bleſſing and aſſiſting us therein, and that he doth not by any oracle or rub laid in our way croſſe us herein, let us ſend for the people from all places (it is in the text, our brethren every where that are left in all the land of Iſrael, to wit, becauſe the Philiſtines had lately ſlain and driven away many of them,) that we may remove the ark to Jeruſalem; for thither they were now removed from Hebron, and had vanquiſhed the Jebuſites there, as is noted before, chap. 11.4.
Verſ. 3. And let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we enquired not at it in the dayes of Saul.] That is, from the dayes of Saul hitherto, we have ſuffered the ark to continue in a private houſe, no man regarding it, and have contented our ſelves to worſhip God in the Tabernacle at Gibeah, though the ark, the teſtimony of Gods preſence were not in it. But why doth he not alſo ſay in the dayes of Samuel, ſince ever ſince his dayes the ark had been in the houſe of Abinadab? Surely, firſt, becauſe he deſired to accuſe themſelves that were then living, rather then their forefathers: And ſecondly, becauſe in the dayes of Samuel by reaſon of the continuall warres they had with the Philiſtines, they had not ſo good opportunity to remove the ark, as they had afterward.
Verſ. 6. And David went up, and all Iſrael to Baalah, &c.] The ſeverall paſſages that need any light of explication concerning this removall of the ark; ſee in the 1. Sam. from verſ. 2. to verſ. 10.
CHAP. XIIII.
Verſ. 1. NOw Hiram king of Tyre ſent meſſengers to David, &c.] See the notes of this chapter in 2. Sam. 5.11, 12. &c.