A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on 2 Samuel · Chapter 8
2 Samuel, CHAP. VIII.
THIS Chapter is a Narrative of the Acts of David in time of War and of Peace: thoſe Acts are reducible to two Heads, Firſt, Polemical, and then Political.
Remarks upon his Polemical Acts touching his Wars,
The Firſt is General, Active David would not be out of action; if he muſt not Build God an Houſe, he will, at the leaſt, make all preparations he could for the doing of it. In order hereunto, he ſubdues all the Enemies of Iſrael round about, which work had a double tendency towards the Temple work; for firſt, thereby he procured a Sublime Peace (the Daughter of War) that his Son Solomon might have no avocation by any Wars while he was building the Temple; and
Secondly, David hereby provided abundance of materials out of the Spoils of thoſe Nations he ſubdued.
N. B. 'Tis very obſervable no Nation he War'd againſt could ſtand before him, after God had crown'd his Kingdom with the Promiſe of Chriſt in the former Chapter; after this to rebel againſt David, was to rebel againſt Chriſt himſelf, Pſal. 2.6, 7, &c. God had ſworn to him, Eccleſ. 8.2, &c.
The Second Remark is in Particular, his War againſt the Philiſtines, v. 1. which was his third War againſt them after he was Crowned King of Iſrael, only with this difference. In the two former they were the firſt Agreſſors upon David, Chap. 5.17, 22. but in this David aſſaults them as the inveterate and implacable Enemies of Iſrael, and takes from them Metheg-Ammah, that is, Gath with her praecincts, 1 Chron. 18.1. their Principal City, that only had a King over it, when their other four famous Cities had only Lords over them, and it was thus call'd, becauſe it was the Bridle of that Corner of their Country (as the Hebrew ſignifies) or Bridge of Bondage in General Notes, having always a Garriſon in it to keep the Iſraelites from invading them, but now David takes this Bridle out of Iſrael's mouth, and puts it into their own mouths.
N. B. So our Spiritual David Removes the dominion of ſin from us, Rom. 6.14.
The Third Remark is, He killeth Moab to a third part, v. 12. marking them out with a Line, who ſhould be ſlain, and who ſhould live, as the Carpenter doth what he means to cut off, Iſa. 34.11. & 44.13.
Some do marvel at this ſeverity of David, Partly becauſe Moab had been kind to his Father and Mother, 1 Sam. 22.3, 4. and partly becauſe God forbad Iſrael to moleſt Moab, Deut. 2.9.
N. B. Note well. The former of theſe two Objections the Rabbins Anſwer, ſaying, they treacherouſly murthered his Parents after his departure thence, for which bloody fact David was thus ſevere upon them, but this is to be wiſe above what is written: Sacred Writ tells us, tho' Moab had not moleſted Iſrael in their coming out of Egypt, Deut. 2.9. yet afterwards they proved malicious Enemies to Iſrael in the Wilderneſs, Balak their King hiring Balaam to curſe them, &c. Numb. 22.5. and Eglon their King ſorely oppreſſed them, Judg. 3.12. and God Curſed them to the Tenth Generation for not meeting Iſrael (their near Kindred) with bread and water, Deut. 23.3, 4. therefore David had good cauſe for this ſeeming Cruelty, they ſtill perſiſting in their old malice, yet David diſpoſſeſs'd them not, but calls this juſt revenge the meaſuring of the Valley of Succoth, Pſal. 60.10.
The Fourth Remark is, David's Conqueſt over the Syrians, v. 3. to v. 8. wherein,
Mark Firſt, Hadadezer was an Ambitious and turbulent Prince, whoſe Father, Saul had war'd againſt, 1 Sam. 14.47. but he only vexed them: Now the Son was grown great, and had already ſubdued Damaſcus, and ſtill would be greater by enlarging his Territories towards Euphrates, which God had granted to Iſrael by promiſe, Deut. 1.7. & 11.24. Joſh. 1.4. therefore David takes him down in time, before he became over-formidable, and to Euphrates fell to Iſrael.
Mark Secondly, David took from this Potent King Twenty Thouſand Men, and a Thouſand Chariots, and Seven Thouſand Horſemen that attended them, there being ſeven Horſemen to attend every Chariot, he ſpoiled them all but an hundred Chariots, and reſerving ſeven hundred Horeſemen for them.
N. B. Joſephus ſaith, David ſlew five thouſand Horſemen, and twenty thouſand Footmen, but the Scripture ſaith better, 22000 Men, v. 5.
Mark Thirdly, David houghed the Horſes (as Joſhua had done before, Joſh. 11.6.) to make them unſerviceable for War, reſerving only an hundred as before for his own uſe, for he was not to multipily them, Deut. 17.16. Joſephus makes no mention of David's houghing thoſe Horſes, looking upon it (as it ſeemeth) to have been unwiſely done of David.
N. B. Therefore Joſephus muſt be read with much diſcretion, for he writing his Antiquities of his own Countreymen, to be communicated to other Nations, he deſcribed them as ſtately as he could; and when he thought the ſimplicity of the Scripture did not ſufficiently ſet off with applauſe the actions of the Hebrews, he taketh the boldneſs either to add unto or to detract from the Holy Hiſtory.
Mark Fourthly, God preſerved David every where, v. 6. yea and proſpered him alſo according to his Promiſe Chap. 7. giving him Victory over Moab in the Eaſt, the Philiſtines in the Weſt, Syrians in the North, and Edom in the South of Judea, v. 14. Conquering his Enemies Countries upon all quarters round about: And then David compoſed the 60th. and 108th. Pſalms, &c.
The Fifth Remark is, David's Conqueſt over Hadadezer: This occaſion'd Toi (King of Hamath now Antioch) to Congratulate the Conqueror, to whom he ſent moſt rich Preſents by his Son Joram, for freeing him from ſo troubleſome a Neighbour, who was evermore picking quarrels with him, v. 9, 10. Compare this with 1 Chron. 18.9, 10. where the Names differ.
The Sixth Remark is, David ſought not himſelf, nor the enriching of his own Perſonal Eſtate, when he fought againſt all thoſe Nations, but laid all thoſe prodigious Spoils taken from them (together with Toi's Precious Preſents) up in the Treaſury of the Lord's Tabernacle, v. 11, 12, 13. yea, and the Spoils of Edom alſo, whom he ſubdued next, for Aſſiſting the Syrians in their Recruits againſt him, v. 14. all thoſe Treaſures David provided for the Building and Beautifying of the Temple, though he might not build it himſelf, and David's ſubduing of Edom was the fulfilling of Iſaac's Prophecy, [The Elder ſhall ſerve the Younger] Gen. 27.43. which continued until the Reign of Joram; then the Yoke was caſt off, 2 King. 8.22.
The Second Part is Political, v. 15, 16, 17, 18. wherein,
Mark Firſt, As David made Tributaries to him thoſe Nations abroad above-mentioned, ſo he gave Juſt Laws to his own People at home, v. 15. that his Throne might be eſtabliſhed in righteouſneſs, Prov. 14.34.
Mark Secondly, He made Joab his General according to his promiſe, for his Conquering the Jebuſites Fort of Sion, 1 Chron. 11.6. and Jeho ophat the Chancellor of the Kingdom in the Office of Peace, as the other was of War, v. 16.
Mark Thirdly, David took care for the Church as well as State, v. 17. where Zadok and Ahimelech (alias Abiathar) be Officers of the Church.
N. B. Not as if there were two High Prieſts (as in corrupt times Annas and Caiaphas were) but theſe were the heads of the two Lines, Eleazer and Ithamar; Abiathar of the latter Line was the only High Priest, 'till Solomon thruſt him out for ſiding with Adonijah, and put Zadock in his place, 1 King. 2.25, 27.
Mark Fourthly, David for his own ſecurity made Benaiah the Captain of his Guard, and his own Sons Rulers, v. 18. Which Honour being heap'd upon them, likely put Abſolom and Adonijah upon ill deſigns, an over-kind Father kill'd them with his over-much kindneſs, &c.