lier shepherd days, David acknowledges that his past career had had its brighter as well as its darker side; nor had the goodness and mercy which were to follow him all the days of his life been ever really absent from him. Two more psalms, at least, must be referred to the period before David ascended the throne, Psalms xxxviii. and xxxix., which naturally associate themselves with the distressing scene at Ziklag after the inroad of the Amalekites."150

150 Dictionary of the Bible, vol. i. p. 956. Other Psalms referred by their traditional titles to this period are, Ps. Exiii. "When he won in the wilder

ness of Judah (or Idumæa, LXX.)," and Psalm cxlii., "A prayer when he was in the cave.”

Zeruiah (1 Chr. ii. 16).

PEDIGREE OF DAVID.-I. His Ancestry and Collaterais.

Abishai.

Joab.

Asahel.

Zebadiah

(2 Sam. xxi. 21; 1 Chr. xxvii. 32). (Nathan !!

Jer. Qu. Heb. on 1 Sam. xvi. 12.)

II. His Family.

Joel !! (Jerome, Qu. Heb.

on 1 Chr. xi. 38).

(II.) WIVES AT HEBRON.

(2 Sam. ili. 2-5; 1 Chr. iii, 1-4.) Maacah of Geshur Haggith = Abital

(III.) WIVES AT JERUSALEM.

(2 Sam. v. 13-16; 1 Chr. iii. 5-8, xiv. 4-7.)

Tamar.

=

1 Chr. ii. 15.)

Adonijah. Shephatiah. Ithream.

(C.) THE SCHOOLS OF THE PROPHETS.

books of the Maccabees (1. iv. 46, ix. 27, xiv. 41) and of Ecclesiasticus (xxxvi. 15) represent them as extinct. The sacerdotal order was originally The colleges appear to have consist the instrument by which the members ed of students differing in number. of the Jewish theocracy were taught Sometimes they were very numerous and governed in things spiritual. But (1 K. xviii. 4, xxii. 6; 2 K. ii. 16). during the time of the judges the One elderly, or leading prophet, prepriesthood sank into a state of degen- sided over them (1 Sam. xix. 20), calleracy, and the people were no longer ed their father (1 Sam. x. 12), or mas. affected by the acted lessons of the ter (2 K. ii. 3), who was apparently ceremonial service. They required admitted to his office by the ceremony less enigmatic warnings and exhorta- of anointing (1 K. xix. 16; Is. lxi. 1; tions. Under these circumstances a Ps. cv. 15). They were called his new moral power was evoked-the sons. Their chief subject of study Prophetic Order. Samuel was the in- was, no doubt, the law and its interstrument used at once for effecting a pretation; oral, as distinct from symreform in the sacerdotal order (1 Chr. bolical, teaching being henceforward ix. 22), and for giving to the prophets tacitly transferred from the priestly to a position of importance which they the prophetical order. Subsidiary subhad never before held. So important jects of instruction were music and was the work wrought by him that he sacred poetry, both of which had been is classed in Holy Scripture with Mo- connected with prophecy from the time ses (Jer. xv. 1; Ps. xcix. 6; Acts iii. of Moses (Ex. xv. 20) and the judges 24), Samuel being the great religious (Judg. iv. 4, v. 1). The prophets that reformer and organizer of the pro- meet Saul "came down from the high phetical order, as Moses was the great place with a psaltery, and a tabret, legislator and founder of the priestly and a pipe, and a harp before them' rule. (1 Sam. x. 5). Elijah calls a minSamuel took measures to make his strel to evoke the prophetic gift in him.work of restoration permanent as well self (2 K. iii. 15). David "separates to as effective for the moment. For this the service of the sons of Asaph and of purpose he instituted companies, or Heman and of Jeduthun, who should colleges of prophets. One we find in prophesy with harps and with psalter his lifetime at Ramah (1 Sam. xix. 19, ies and with cymbals.... All these 20); others afterward at Bethel (2 were under the hands of their father K. ii. 3), Jericho (2 K. ii. 5), Gilgal (2 for song in the house of the Lord with K. iv. 38), and elsewhere (2 K. vi. 1). cymbals, psalteries, and harps for the Their constitution and object were service of the house of God" (1 Chr. similar to those of theological colleges. xxv. 1-6). Hymns, or sacred songs, Into them were gathered promising are found in the Books of Jonah (ii. students, and here they were trained 2), Isaiah (xii. 1, xxvi. 1), Habakkuk for the office which they were after- (iii. 2). And it was probably the duty ward destined to fulfill. So success- of the prophetical students to compose ful were these institutions, that from the time of Samuel to the closing of the Canon of the Old Testament, there seems never to have been wanting a due supply of men to keep up the line ther still residing within their college, of official prophets. The apocryphal or having left its precincts, had the

verses to be sung in the Temple (see Lowth, Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews, Lect. xviii.). Having been themselves trained and taught, the prophets, whe

task of teaching others. From the ably that many of the warnings and question addressed to the Shunammite exhortations on morality aud spirby her husband, "Wherefore wilt thou go to him to-day? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath " (2 K. iv. 23), it appears that weekly and monthly religious meetings were held as an ordinary practice by the prophets. Thus we find that Elisha sat in his house, ," engaged in his official occupation (cf. Ezek. viii. 1, xiv. 1, xx. 1), “and the elders sat with him " (2 K. vi. 32), when the King of Israel sent to slay him. I was at these meetings prob- | Matt. iii. 4).

itual religion were addressed by the prophets to their countrymen. The general appearance and life of the prophet were very similar to those of the Eastern dervish at the present day. His dress was a hairy garment, girt with a leathern girdle (Is. xx. 2; Zech. xiii. 4; Matt. iii. 4). He was married or unmarried, as he chose, but his manner of life and diet were stern and austere (2 K. iv. 10, 38; 1 K. xix. 6;