1 Chronicles 19

HIS chapter also hath been so fully explained in 2 Sam. x. that there is no need of adding any thing. Unless I observe, that the country which there is called simply Maac’ah, is here called,’ ver. 6. Aram-Maachah. Which is the foundation of their opinion who think this was in Syria, as I there observed: but it is plain the Scripture makes Maa* chah a city of Canaan, (see Deut. iii. 14. Josh. xii;4;5. and other places.) But it lying beyond Jordan on the borders of Syria, it had the name of Aram added to it: because tho people were in their manners more Syrians than Canaanites, as Bochartus conjectures. In like manner, Aram-Bethrehob he thinks belonged to Canaan, in the north part of it, not far from Emath, that is, Epiphania. (See Numb. xiii. 41;) And Maachah was in the tribe of Manasseh, as Rchob in the tribe of Asher, (Josh. xiii. 11..xix. 28.) As for what is said here, that they hired thirtytwo thousand chariots, the meaning must be, so many men,:who fought in chariots, when they saw cause. For in the book of Samuel, it is said expressly that they hired twenty thousand footmen from Zoba, and twelve thousand men of Ish-tob: which make up the thirty-two thousand here mentioned. Which if it should be understood of such a number of chariots, there would have been no footmen in their whole army, which is incredible: as it is that they shbuld have so many chariots. (See 1 Sam. xiii. 5.)