1 Chronicles 19

The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 18; the text below is that joint comment.

Notes on the verses

1 David subdueth the Philistines and the Moabites. 3 He smiteth Hadarezer and the Syrians. 9 Thou sendeth Hadoram with ued to bless David. 11 The presents and the spoil David dedicateth to God. He putteth garrisons in Edom. 14 David’s office.

1 Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. 2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. 3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them a hundred chariots.

5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that honoured me as if I had been descended from the most ancient and honourable race of kings. It is proper, however, to remark, that some very learned and excellent writers give widely different sense, both to this and to the parallel passage in 2 Samuel vii. 19. (Revelation 5)Mr. Peters, in the preface to his “Critical Dissertation on Job,” renders the passage before us thus; “Thou hast regarded me according to the law of the future Adam—or Adam from above.”

Compare (1 Corinthians 15:45-48), and the parallel passage in Samuel, “And this is the law of the Adam, (or the man,) O Lord God: Heb. Adonai. Jehovah.” Dr. Kennicott, in his remarks on the Old Testament, argues largely in defence of this sense of passage, and explains “the law of the Adam,” to refer to the original promise of the Messiah, ‘the seed of the woman—him that was to come—the Lord from heaven.” This sense has been also adopted by some very learned and respectable critics still living; Dr. A. Clarke in his Commentary, and Dr. J. Pye Smith in his Scripture Testimony to the Messiah. Bishop Horsley explains these passages in a manner very similar.

Ver. 18. For the honour of thy servant.—“For the honour (conferred on) thy servant.”—Dr. Boothroyd.

1 Jos. 6.19. Nahash, are villainously m Abshai. 1 David’s messengers, sent to comfort Hanun the son of Nahash. 6 The Ammonites strengthened by the Syrians, are overcome by Joab and Abishai. 16 Shophach, making a new supply of the Syrians, is slain by David. Ge. 18.19. Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

2 Sa. 8.17. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? 4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst, hard by their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 Then there went certain, and told David.

The game for substance with the 8th of (1 Chronicles 17)—This chapter is also the 2d Book of Samuel: the principal variations were pointed out in the notes subjoined to that chapter, particularly ver. 1 to 6.

Horses.—[The words to say here David etch col Ver. 4. Houghed the chariot “and David disjointed all the chariots;” which chariots should be rendered, is nearly the rendering of the LXX. To have houghed the horses would have been both unreasonable and inhuman; for, as he had gained so complete a victory, there was no danger of their falling into the hands of the enemy; and if he did not choose to keep them, which indeed the law would not permit, he might have killed them outright.]—Bagster.

Ver. 6. Garrisons.—This word, though marked in Italics, is in all the ancient versions, and at least one MS.—De Rossi.

Ver. 2. Abishai.—In Samuel, this victory is attributed to David, whose general Abishai was…

and Abimelech.—Both high priests, one at Gibeon, the other at Mount Sion. See note on (1 Chronicles 16)

(1 Chronicles 19)—This chapter equally corresponds with the 10th of the 2d Book of Samuel.

Ver. 7. Thirty and two thousand.—Thirty-two thousand soldiers, exclusive of the thousand sent by the king of Maachah, are mentioned in the parallel passage, ((2 Samuel 10:6).); but of chariots or cavalry there is no mention; and the number of chariots stated here is prodigious and beyond all credibility. But, as the word raichev denotes not only a chariot, but a rider, (see (Isaiah 21:7).) it ought most probably to be rendered here, in a collective sense, cavalry; and then the number of troops will exactly agree with the passage of Samuel.

Ver. 18. Seven thousand.—[In the parallel passage “the men of seven hundred chariots;” which difference probably arose from mistaking noon Final, which stands for 700, for zayin, with a dot above, which denotes 7000, or vice versa: the great similarity of these letters might easily cause the one to be supposed, a kind of dismounted cavalry, the terms footmen and horsemen might be indifferently applied to them.]—Bagster.

(1 Chronicles 19)—This chapter goes on with the narrative in the 11th and 12th chapters of the 2d Book of Samuel, only it is remarkable, that the important episode of David’s sin in the matter of Uriah, his reproof, and his repentance, are entirely omitted: and this Book of Chronicles passes immediately from the 1st verse of the 11th to the 26th of the 12th chapter.

It omits also the crimes of Amnon and Absalom, David’s sons, and passes to the 18th verse of the 21st chapter of the 2d Book of Samuel, the last five verses of which, with some variations, conclude this chapter.

Ver. 2, 3. David took the crown, So Todas fe oe five of Kennicott.

Ver. 6. Fingers and toes.—[This is not a solitary instance; the daughters of Caius Horatius, of patrician dignity, were called sedigit; because they had six fingers on each hand; and Voleatius, a poet, was called sedigitus, for the same reason, (See Pliny.) Maupertius, in his seventh letter, says he met with two families near Berlin, where sexdigitism was transmitted on both sides.]—Bagster. See note on (2 Samuel 21)

19, 20. people, which is nearly a repetition (enlarged in some parts, and abridged in others) of the last chapter of the 2d Book of Samuel.

Ver. 1. And Satan stood.—“Satan” means an adversary. See the exposition of the chapter just referred to.