Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Chronicles · Chapter 16 – Chapter 21
CHAP. XVI.
Verſ. 1. SO they brought the ark of God, and ſet it in the middeſt of the tent, &c.] See 2. Sam. 6.17.
Verſ. 5. Aſaph the chief, &c.] Heman is named in the firſt place as chief of the three principall ſingers, chap. 6.33. but Aſaph it ſeems was the chief of thoſe that were deputed to this ſervice in the houſe of David, where the ark was now placed; the reſt being imployed at preſent in the Tabernacle at Gibeon, verſ. 39, 40. And Zadok the prieſt, and his brethren the prieſts, before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord, upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the Lord which he commanded Iſrael:
Verſ. 7. Then on that day David delivered firſt this Pſalme to thank the Lord &c.] That is, this was the firſt Pſalme he delivered them to ſing, the ſeverall parts whereof were afterward much enlarged by David, and reduced into ſeverall Pſalmes, as we may ſee Pſal. 105. and Pſal. 96.
Verſ. 8. Give thanks unto the Lord, &c.] From hence to the end of the two and twentieth verſe is the beginning of the hundred and fifth Pſalme, and the ſumme of it is, to praiſe God for the publick benefits afforded to his Church and people, the children of Iſrael; in regard whereof in times of any great joy Gods people uſed to ſing this Pſalme, as may be probably gathered from that which we reade, Iſa. 12.4. And in that day ſhall ye ſay, Praiſe the Lord, call upon his name, &c.
Verſ. 11. Seek the Lord and his ſtrength, ſeek his face continually.] That is, ſeek to know and to aſſure unto your ſelves the Lord and his ſtrength, (by which you can onelyonly hope to be ſtrengthened, defended, and delivered in times of trouble) and his favourable preſence; and that by reſorting to the ark, which is the outward ſigne of his preſence amongſt you, to counſell and inſtruct you (and therefore from thence he uſed to give his oracles, Exod. 25.22.) and to be your ſtrong fortreſſe and defence; in regard whereof the ark is elſewhere called, the ſtrength of God, Pſal. 78.61. And he delivered his ſtrength into captivity; and the ark of his ſtrength, Pſal. 132.8. Ariſe O Lord into thy rest, thou and the ark of thy ſtrength; yea, and this muſt be done with perſeverance, and therefore is the word continually added, ſeek his face continually.
Verſ. 12. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth.] That is, his law and ſtatutes given on mount Sinai, or rather, the judgements which he executed upon the adverſaries of his people, called the judgements of his mouth, becauſe they came by his decree and appointment, and becauſe of many of them he ſpake beforehand to Moſes, and Moſes as Gods herald threatened Pharaoh and his people, Exod. 7.1.
Verſ. 13. O ye ſeed of Iſrael his ſervant, &c.] Pſalm. 105.6. it is O ye ſeed of Abraham, and then, O ye children of Jacob his choſen ones, that is, his adopted and peculiar people, and that merely of Gods free grace and election.
Verſ. 15. Be ye mindfull alwayes of his covenant.] Pſal. 105.8. it is, He hath remembred his covenant for ever.
The word which he commanded to a thouſand generations.] That is, the conditions of the covenant, which on Iſraels part was the law of faith and obedience, & on Gods part the promiſes, which for the greater certainty may be alſo ſaid to be commanded, Pſal. 133.3. There the Lord commanded the bleſſing, even life for evermore.
Verſ. 19. When ye were but few even a few, &c.] Pſal. 105.12. it is, when they were but few: & this is expreſſed, firſt, to imply the freedome of Gods grace in chooſing them to be his people, Deut. 7.7. ſecondly, to magnifie the more the Lords protecting them.
Verſ. 20. And when they went from nation to nation, &c.] To wit, when they went up and down in the land of Canaan, where were ſeven mighty nations, Deut. 7.1. and ſometimes removed thence to other kingdomes, as to Egypt, Gen. 12.10. and Gerar, Gen. 20.1. for under this clauſe all the travels of the Patriarchies are comprehended.
Verſ. 21. Yea, he reproved kings for their ſakes.] As Pharaoh, Gen. 12.17. and Abimelech, Gen. 20.3.
Verſ. 22. Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.] That is, wrong not thoſe whom I have conſecrated to my ſelf by the anointing of my holy ſpirit (my Chriſtians) according to that 1. John 2.20. But ye have an unction from the holy one, &c. and verſ. 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, &c. to whom therefore I do familiarly reveal my will, that they may teach & inſtruct others, Gen. 20.7. Reſtore therefore to the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he ſhall pray for thee, and thou ſhalt live, &c. and thus the Prophet implies that the Lord did thus defend them, not onelyonly becauſe they were poore helpleſſe miſerable men, unjuſtly oppreſſed; but alſo becauſe by ſpeciall covenant God had taken them into his protection.
Verſ. 23. Sing unto the Lord all the earth, &c.] From hence to the 34. verſe is the ninety ſixth Pſalme, and the chief drift of it is to ſtirre up all nations to praiſe the Lord, and conſequently it includes a propheſie of Chriſt, and of the gathering of all nations into the Church by the preaching of the Goſpel: and therefore Pſal. 96.1. to expreſſe the ſtrange and unlooked for change that ſhould be then in the Church, theſe words, a new ſong, are added, and ſing unto the Lord a new ſong.
Verſ. 27. Glory & honour are in his preſence, ſtrength & gladneſſe are in his place.] That is, God is a king of infinite majeſty, glory, and honour, moſt ſtrong and mighty, and the fountain of all ſtrength and gladneſſe to his people; ſuch his people find him in his ſanctuary where he reveals himſelf unto them, and ſuch therefore with glad hearts they acknowledge him to be, Pſal. 96.6. Honour and majestie are before him, ſtrength and beauty are in his Sanctuary.
Verſ. 29. Bring an offering and come before him, worſhip the Lord in the beauty of holineſſe.] Thus the Prophet ſpeaks of the worſhip of God in the dayes of the Goſpel, under theſe figurative expreſſions of the Legall worſhip; for his meaning is onelyonly this, that in thoſe dayes the Gentiles, ſhould have as free acceſſe to the worſhip of God as the Jews, as being then one people with them, fellow citizens of the Saints, and of the houſhold of God: and ſo equally admitted with them to offer unto God in the aſſemblies of his people (the beauty of holineſſe) thoſe Evangelicall ſacrifices which ſhould be acceptable to God, as were theſe legall offerings under the Law.
Verſ. 30. Fear before him all the earth.] To wit, eſpecially when you preſent your ſelves before him in the aſſembly of his Saints.
The world alſo ſhall be ſtable that it be not moved.] That is, this is the benefit that ſhall follow upon mens ſubjecting of themſelves to the government of God in Chriſt, that whereas by rebellion againſt God, the whole world tends to confuſion and ruine, by ſubmitting themſelves to Gods Sceptre all ſhall be eſtabliſhed, and the ſtate of the Church ſhall be unmoveable and eternall.
Verſ. 31. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoyce?] So bleſſed and happie ſhall thoſe times be, and ſhall yield ſuch abundant matter of exceeding great joy, that if the very ſenſeleſſe creatures could ſhout and rejoyce it were well: for this is an hyperbolicall expreſſion of the bliſſe and joy of theſe times.
And let men ſay among the nations, the Lord reigneth.] That is, the happineſſe of thoſe times ſhall be that men ſhall ſtoop to Gods Sceptre: which therfore it is fit men ſhould confeſſe to Gods glory; yea, and by publiſhing it to ſeek the drawing in of others, and ſo to enlarge the kingdome of God.
Verſ. 35. And ſay yee, Save us, O God of our ſalvation, and gather us together, &c.] This may have reſpect, firſt, to the firm knitting together of the people that had been divided, ſome favouring Sauls poſterity, and ſome Davids: ſecondly, to the reducing of the captived Iſraelites to their own land, if at any time carried away (and ſo it is prophetically ſpoken) or thirdly, to the gathering of Gods elect out of all nations to be his people in the dayes of the Goſpel; and then the reaſon of this requeſt is added in the following words, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praiſe, that is, in thy praiſe-worthy-works, or in our praiſing of thee: for indeed the faithfull ſervants of God do count it their happineſſe that they may praiſe God, and do therefore glory in it.
Verſ. 41. And with them Heman, and Jeduthun, &c.] See the note before verſ. 5.
To give thanks to the Lord, becauſe his mercy endureth for ever.] This laſt clauſe (becauſe his mercy endureth for ever) is therefore added, becauſe in many of their Pſalmes of praiſe, this was ſtill the foot of the ſong, as is evident, 2. Chron. 5.13. and 7.3. Ezra 3.11. Jer. 33.11. and in many other places.
Verſ. 42. And with muſicall instruments of God.] That is, with holy muſicall inſtruments, ſuch as were ſet apart for the ſervice of God.
Verſ. 43. And David returned to bleſſe his houſe.] See 2.6.20:
CHAP. XVII.
Verſ. 1: NOw it came to paſſe, as David ſate in his houſe, that David ſaid to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an houſe of cedars, &c.] See the notes upon theſe foure firſt verſes in the 2. Sam. 7.1. &c.
Verſ. 5. For I have not dwelt in an houſe ſince the day that I brought up Iſrael, unto this day.] That is, I have never cauſed a houſe to be built to my dwelling place: ſo that though the ark, the ſigne of God preſence had been a while in the houſe of Obed-Edom, chap. 13.13. that doth not imply any contradiction to this which God here ſaith, ſee other things noted concerning this, 2. Sam. 7.6.
But have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.] That is, in a tent removed too and fro, and ſo it is expreſſed, 2. Sam. 7.6. Even to this day I have walked in a tent, and in a tabernacle: yet withall theſe words may imply the removing of the ark to ſeverall tents, at leaſt the laſt removall of it, to that new tent or tabernacle which David had prepared for it.
Verſ. 7. Thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts, I took thee from the ſheep cote, &c.] See 2. Sam. 7.8. where alſo we ſhall find all other paſſages in this chapter explained, that need any explanation.
CHAP. XVIII.
Verſ. 1. NOw after this, it came to paſſe, that David ſmote the Philistines, &c.] What is to be noted in this chapter we may find in the notes upon the 2. Sam. 8.1. &c.
CHAP. XIX.
Verſ. 2. I Will ſhew kindneſſe unto Hanun the ſonne of Nahaſh, becauſe his father ſhewed kindneſſe to me, &c.] See the notes for this chapter, in 2, Sam. 10
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. ANd it came to paſſe, that after the yeare was expired. &c.] See 2. Sam. 11.1.
But David tarried at Jeruſalem.] And then he comitted adultery with Bathſheba, which with other paſſages thereto belonging, are largely related in the 11. and 12. chapters of the ſecond book of Samuel.
And Joab ſmote Rabbah, and destroyed it.] See 2. Sam. 12.26. &c.
Verſ. 2. And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, &c.] Concerning this crown of the king of the Ammonites, and the ſeveritie which David uſed in puniſhing the people. See 2. Sam. 12.30.31.
Verſ. 4. And it came to paſſe after this, that there aroſe warre at Gezer with the Philiſtines, &c.] In the 2. Sam. 21.15. there is mention made of another battel with the Philiſtines together with theſe three here expreſſed, wherein Abiſhai ſlew Iſhbybenob a gyant that was likely to have ſlain David: but that is here omitted, and that happely, becauſe onelyonly in theſe three there was ſomething to be added, which was not there expreſſed.
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 1. ANd Sathan ſtood up against Iſrael, and provoked David to number Iſrael.] He provoked David to this ſinne, whereby wrath came upon all Iſrael. See alſo 2. Sam. 24.1.
Verſ. 2. And David ſaid to Joab, and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Iſrael, &c.] See 2. Sam: 24.1.
Verſ. 3. But my lord the king, Are they not all my lords ſervants?] That is, there is no need therefore to make enquiry how many are thy people, and how many are not, ſince they are all my lords ſervants, and ready alwayes to be employed in thy ſervice.
Verſ. 4. Joab departed, and went throughout all Iſrael, and came to Jeruſalem.] To wit, after nine moneths and twenty dayes, 2. Sam. 24.8.
Verſ. 5. And all they of Iſrael were a thouſand thouſand, and an hundred thouſand, &c.] See 2. Sam. 24.9.
Verſ. 6. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the kings word was abominable to Joab.] That is, becauſe what Joab did in this buſineſſe, he did it altogether againſt his mind and in a manner was forced to do it: therefore theſe two tribes he left unnumbred, emboldened herein by the pretences he might make for it: as for Levi, that the enquiry being onelyonly to know the numbers of thoſe that were fit for warre, there was no need of taking the number of that tribe: and for Benjamin, Jeruſalem being the chief citie of that tribe, the number of them might be taken there, and that afterward at more leaſure; as likewiſe becauſe the plague was begun, c. 27.24.
Verſ. 7. And God was diſpleaſed with this thing, therefore he ſmote Iſrael.] Concerning theſe following paſſages unto the 18. verſe, ſee the notes 2. Sam. 24.10. &c.
Verſ. 18. Set up an altar unto the Lord, in the threſhing floore of Ornan the Jebuſite.] See 2. Sam. 24.17. and thus the Lord did both begin the diſcovery of his purpoſe to David, that this was the place wherein he would have the Temple built, ſee chap. 22.1. and alſo brought the people to make the more precious account, and the more reverently to eſteem of that place, by cauſing that ſacrifice to be offered there whereby this grievous plague was ſtayed, in which ſo many thouſands in ſo ſhort a time had been taken away: yea, happely at this very time the Lord made known to David by Gad, that in that place the Temple ſhould be built; which ſeems the more probable, becauſe David would needs purchaſe the threſhing floore of Ornan, which he needed not have done, if he had not intended to ſet it apart for Gods ſervice in future times alſo.
Verſ. 25. So David gave to Ornan for the place, ſix hundred ſhekels of gold by weight.] See 2. Sam. 24.24.
Verſ. 26. And he anſwered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering.] A ſigne both of Gods accepting of his ſacrifice, and granting his deſire for the ſtaying of the plague, and likewiſe of his purpoſe to have that place ſet apart for the building of the Temple.
Verſ. 30. But David could not go before it to enquire of God, &c.] This is added, to ſhew the reaſon both why David did not of himſelf go preſently to Gibeon, when he ſaw the Angel of the Lord ſtand with a drawn ſword threatning Jeruſalem, that there he might offer up ſacrifices to appeaſe his wrath, but onelyonly fell down and praied unto him; and alſo why the Lord did not ſend him to Gibeon to ſacrifice, when he meant to accept a ſacrifice for the ſtaying of the plague. Concerning which ſee the notes 1. Sam. 24.18.