A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS vili. Thus all things conspiring to his happy restoration, Among the many others who came to meet David upon Another remarkable person that came to wait upon с a What David did for Chimham is uncertain; but as he had b The reason why Shimei came with so large a retinue, was e The words in the text are, that he had neither dressed his When David was passed the Jordan, he was willing to e since no one, who neglected himself to this degree, could be suppos à Josephus brings in Mephibosheth pleading his excuse to David e In the text, Sheba is called a man of Belial.' The expres lawlest A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. to order him to get together a sufficient body of forces, | besiegers from off the walls, and desired to speak with as fast as he could, to pursue after Sheba. a Amasa, their general. When Joab was come within hearing, however, found more difficulty in executing this order the woman addressed herself to him in a very handsome than was expected; which when David understood, he manner, and told him, "that e by a long prescription of sent Abishai with his guards, for he was resolved not to time, it had always been a custom, founded on the law employ his brother Joab any more, in quest of Sheba, of God, whenever the Hebrews came before any city, to until Amasa, with the rest of the army, could join him. offer peace in the first place, even though the inhabitants Exasperated at this, Joab, without any order went along were of another nation; much more then ought this to with his brother; and when Amasa came up with them, have been done to a people, that were all of the same which was at Gibeon, and was going to take upon him blood, and the greatest part of them loyal subjects to the command of the whole army, he advanced, with all the king." To which Joab replied, " that he had no ill seeming friendliness to salute him; but when he came design against the people of the city, only as they harwithin reach, he took him by the beard, and stabbed him boured a rebel and a traitor, whom he demanded of to the heart; and so, leaving him to wallow in his blood, them :" whereupon the woman persuaded the inhabitproclaimed himself general in chief, and taking the army ants to cut off Sheba's head, and throw it over the wall, with him, pursued after Sheba, e leaving orders for the which when they had done, Joab raised the siege, and forces that were coming up, to follow after. withdrew with his army to Jerusalem; where his services, upon this occasion, were thought to be such that the king found himself obliged to restore him to his post of captain-general. Sheba had gone about all the tribes of Israel to see if he could prevail with them to take up arms against | David; but finding very few, that, upon second thoughts, were willing to engage in his measures, he was forced Not long after this, there happened a sore famine in at last, with the few forces he had got together, to the land, and the long continuance of it, which was for shut himself up in Abel, a fortified town in the tribe of three years, made David suspect that it did not proceed Naphtali, in the northern part of Judea. But Joab was from any common cause, but was inflicted by the imsoon at his heels, and having besieged the town, and mediate hand of God; and when he consulted the divine battered the walls, was making preparations for an as-oracle to know the occasion of it, he was given to unsault, when d a woman of great prudence called to the a The people having been harassed in the late civil war, were not perhaps so forward as to engage in another. Some of them might not like to serve under a man who had lately headed a rebellious army against the king, and others might have conceived so high an opinion of Joab, as not easily to be brought to serve under any other general. Any of these things might very well retard Amasa's recruits, and yet he might be loath to make such a report to the king, for fear that it might diminish his authority, and make him appear not so well qualified for the office wherein he had placed him.—Patrick's Commentary. derstand, that Saul's cruelty to the Gibeonites, in slaying so many, contrary to the treaty then depending between him and them, was the cause of it. Hereupon David sent to the Gibeonites, to know what satisfaction they desired; and when he was told, that they expected seven of Saul's posterity to be delivered to them, he complied with their demand, and sent two sons of Rizpah, Saul's concubine, and 5 five of Merab, his eldest daughter, but 1 Deut. xx. 10. e In the beginning of this woman's speech to Joab, there is something that seems both abrupt and obscure. They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They should surely ask counsel at Abel, and so they ended the matter,' (2 Sam. xx. 18.) according to this translation, the sense of the words is, "This city, which thou art about to destroy, is no mean and contemptible one, but so honourable and considerable for its wisdom, and the wise people in it, that when any difference did arise among any of the neighbouring places, they used proverbially to say, We will ask the opinion and advice of the men of Abel about it, and we will stand to their arbitration; and so all parties were satisfied, and disputes ended." So that her words, according to this sense, are an high commendation of the city of Abel, for its being a 6 It was an ancient custom among the Grecians, to take the person, to whom they had any address to make, by the chin, or beard: it was the custom of the ancient Greeks, in their prayers, to touch the chin, says Pliny, (b. 11. c. 45.) and even to this day, the Turks, in their salutations, do very frequently take one another by the beard, (See Thevenot's Travels, c. 22.) The Arabians have a great regard to the beard: the wives kiss their husbands, and the children their father's beard, when they come to salute them; and, when two friends meet together, their custom is, in the course of their compliments, to interchange kisses in this manner, (See Darvieux on the Customs of the Arabs, c. 7.) as the like custom is still preserved among the eastern people, the Indians, who take one another by the chin, when they would give an hearty salute, and say, bobba, that is, father, or bii, bro-place time out of mind, very eminent for the wisdom and pruther, as the author of the voyage to the East Indies relates.-See Peter de Valles's Travels. So insolent was Joab become, upon the presumption that David durst not punish him, that as he ventured upon this bloody fact, so he imagined, that though the sight of Amasa's dead body might stop the march of those that came by it, yet upon its being given out that he was again become their general, their love for him was such, that they would not scruple to follow him.-Patrick's Commentary. dIt seems not unlikely, that this woman was a governess in this city; for though that office was most commonly occupied by men, yet there want not instances of women, as in the case of Deborah, (Judg. iv. 4.) and queen Athaliah, (2 Kings xi.) who have been employed in the administration of civil affairs. If she was invested with any such authority, she was the properest person to desire a parley with the general; and reason good she had to desire it, because she knew the present temper and fear of the citizens and soldiers, namely, that considering the imminent danger they were in, they were generally desirous of peace, and restrained from it only by Sheba's power and authority. -Poole's Annotations. dence of its inhabitants. But there is another translation in the margin of our Bibles, which seems to be more natural, and makes the woman speak in this manner. "When the people saw thee lay siege to the city, they said, Surely he will ask, if we will have peace; for the law prescribes, that he should offer peace to strangers, much more then to Israelitish cities; and if he would once do this, we should soon bring things to an amicable agreement; for we are peaceable people, and faithful to our prince." So that, according to this interpretation, the woman both modestly reproved Joab for the neglect of his duty, and artfully engaged him in the performance of it.-Patrick's Commentary, and Poole's Annotations. f This may seem strange, unless we suppose, as Josephus does, that when David consulted God, he told him, not only for what crime it was that he sent this punishment, but that he should take such a revenge for it as the Gibeonites should desire: and there was this farther reason for humouring the Gibeonites herein, because they had been modest under their sufierings, and never made any complaint to David of the injuries that had been done them.—Patrick's Commentary. 9 Michal is put in the text indeed, (2 Sam. xxi, 8.) but not by A. M. 2581. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan for the love which he had for his father when alive. These seven the Gibeonites took, and hung upon gibbets; and there they intended them to hang," until God should send rain upon the earth, for the want of this occasioned the famine. But Rizpah, being informed of this, had a tent made of sackcloth pitched near the place, for her to live in, that so, by the help of her servants, she might & keep watch day and night, to fright away the birds and beasts from doing any hurt to the dead bodies. It was not long, however, before God sent plentiful showers of rain, so that Rizpah had the liberty to take down the bodies. And, when David was informed of this her pious care, he was moved thereby to take up the bones of Saul, and Jonathan his son, who, for five and thirty years before, had been buried under a tree at Jabesh-Gilead, and | together with these seven sufferers of the same family, gave them an honourable interment in the tomb of Kish, the father of Saul, at Zelah, in the country of Benjamin. David, in the beginning of his reign, had so humbled the Philistines, that they were not able to bring any great numbers into the field; but still, as long as they had men among them of a gigantic stature, and such as were fit to be their champions, they did not cease to disturb the peace of Israel, insomuch that David, in the latter end of his reign, had four engagements with them. In the first of which, himself had like to have been slain by one of these monstrous large men, had not Abishai come timely in to his aid, and killed the Philistine; upon which occasion, it was unanimously agreed in the army, mistake, as some will have it; for though Michal was not the wife of Adriel, but Merab; yet those children which Merab had by Adriel, Michal brought up; and the Jews observe, upon this occasion, that whoever brings up a pupil in his house, is in Scripture said to have begotten him. Nor is it in Scripture only, that this form of expression takes place, but in heathen authors likewise. For Agamemnon and Menelaus are called sons of Atreus, because Plisthenes, who was their father, being dead, he took care to bring them up.-Howell's History, in the notes; and Patrick's Commentary. a It was a positive law to the Israelites, (Deut. xxi. 22, 23.) that if any man was hanged, he should be buried before night; but the Gibeonites being not of that nation, thought themselves not obliged by that law. They are remarked indeed to have been a remnant of the Amorites, (2 Sam. xxi. 2.) and among them, as some have imagined, it was a barbarous custom in those days, as it certainly prevailed in after ages, to hang up men, in order to appease the anger of the gods in time of famine.-Patrick's and Calmet's Commentaries. b It is an obvious remark from hence, that crosses and gibbets, whereon malefactors were executed, did not stand high from the ground, since the dead bodies of such were in danger of being torn by carnivorous creatures; and what we may farther observe is, that it was an ancient custom for the relations of such as were thus executed, to watch their dead bodies. Thus Homer (Iliad, 23.) mentions Venus, as taking care of Hector's body; and the story of the Ephesian matron every one can tell.-Calmet's Commentary. e This is not a solitary instance. Taverner informs us, that the eldest son of the emperor of Java, who reigned in 1648, had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot. And Maupertius, in his seventeenth letter says, that he met with two families near Berlin, where sedigitism was equally transmitted on both sides of father and mother. I once saw a young girl, in the county of Londonderry in Ireland, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, but her stature had nothing gigantic in it. The daughters of Caius Horatius, of patrician dignity, were called sedigita, because they had six fingers on each hand. Volcatius a poet, was called sedigitus for the same reason. See Pliny's Natural History, b. xi. c. 43; Dr A. Clarke.-ED. that the king should never more go into the battle, lest d life so precious should be lost. a In the other three engagements, nothing remarkable happened, but the death of four of these huge men, by the hands of some of David's chief officers; except we may mention here another valiant act, which might | probably be done at this time. е The Philistines' army lay in the valley of Rephaim, between David's camp and Bethlehem, where they had likewise a garrison. But notwithstanding this, upon David's intimating a desire to have some of the water of Bethlehem, three of his chief captains broke through the enemies' camp, and having drawn some water out of the well, brought it to David; but he, understanding at what price it had been purchased, even at the hazard of all their lives, would not drink it, but offered it to the Lord. About two years before David's death, whatever might be the occasion of it, so it was, that he was desirous to know the number of his people, and accordingly gave his chief officers orders to go through the whole kingdom, and bring him an account of all the people. Joab endeavoured to remonstrate against it, in a manner more modest than was customary with him; but the king's orders were positive; and therefore Joab, with other officers to assist him, beginning on the east side of Jor d The expression is very beautiful, and significant in the text, Thou shalt no more go out with us to battle, that thou quench in Scripture justly called the light of the people, (1 Kings xi, 30. not the light of Israel,' (2 Sam. xxi. 17.) For good kings are and Ps. cxxxii. 17.) because the beauty and glory, the conduct and direction, the comfort, and safety, and welfare of a people. depend upon them, and are derived from them.-Poole's An tations. e It is commonly observed, by the Jewish commentators, that though David expressed a desire for some of the water of Bethlehem, because it was the place of his nativity, and the water not improbably very excellent in its kind, yet he did not do this with any intent, that any should venture their lives to fetch him it. In this action, however, they have remarked three wonderful things, namely, That three men could break through the whole host of the Philistines; and when they had so done, durst stay to draw water out of the well, and then carry it with away an high hand, through the same host to David. But they might have added a fourth remark, namely, That they attempted this at the gate of Bethlehem, where a garrison of the Philistines kept a strong guard.-Patrick's Commentary. Now f The words in the text are, And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah, (2 Sam. xxiv. 1) But in the original there is no nominative case at all. We find it however supplied in 1 Chron. xxi. 1. where it is said, that Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.' But then, by the word Satan, there is no necessity why we should understand the devil properly so called, because aay evil minister, or counsellor, that advised David to number the people, will answer the signification of the word as well. And that there was some such counsellor, who prompted David to this action, seems to be implied in these words of Joab. the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundred fold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? (2 Sam. xxiv. 3.) Whereby it seems plain, that the matter had been debated in the king's council before, and that, though Jond was one who opposed it, David was more influenced by the per suasion of some other.-Le Clerc's Commentary.-Dr Boothroyd translates this passage as follows, "And the anger of Jehovah was again kindled against Israel, because an adversary stood up against Israel, and moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah." This translation represents the meaning of the original as compared with the parallel place, 1 Chron. xxi. L and gets rid of the difficulty involved in the received text.-E. A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS viii. or before the time of evening prayer, there appeared an angel over Jerusalem brandishing a flaming sword in his hand, as if he were going to destroy it; whereupon David implored God's mercy for the people, what ven dan, came round by the north parts of Canaan, and returned to Jerusalem, at the end of nine months and twenty days, with an estimate, that in Israel there were eight hundred thousand men fit to bear arms, and a five hundred thousand in Judah; but of the men that be-geance soever might light upon him, who was chiefly longed to the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, there was no list given in. b guilty: but as he was expecting some heavy stroke, the angel sent Gad to him, with orders to go immediately, and build an altar in the thrashing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite, which accordingly he did, and having purchased the place, and some oxen for sacrifice, 1 for e fifty shekels of silver, he offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, whereof the Lord declared his acceptance by fire from heaven; and so the plague ceased. 1 David had no sooner received the account, but his heart misgave him, that he had done wrong; and it was not long, before the prophet Gad was sent to bring his sin to remembrance, and to offer him the choice of three punishments, famine, pestilence, or war, which he liked best. Where every punishment was so destructive, it was hard to tell which to prefer; but David at last made choice of the pestilence; which accordingly was sent, and, in a very short time, destroyed no less than seventy thousand men. The plague began in the extreme parts of the kingdom, but every moment made advances nearer and nearer to Jerusalem; which when the king and inhabitants of the city heard, they clothed themselves in sack-mount of Moriah likewise, at the price of six hundred cloth, and, with all humility, cried unto God for mercy. A little before the offering up of the evening sacrifice, a If we compare this account with what we meet with in 1 Chron. xxi. 5. we shall find a great difference; for there the men of Israel are said to be three hundred thousand more than they are here, and, on the other hand, the men of Judah are said to be thirty thousand less. But as for the former difference it is but supposing, that in this account recorded in Samuel, the standing legions, which amounted in all to two hundred and eighty-eight thousand, that is, twenty-four thousand with their officers, upon guard every month, are not here mentioned, though they be in Chronicles: and as to the latter difference, it is but adding twenty-four thousand legionary soldiers to the tribe of Judah, and the difficulty is removed. Though some are apt to think, that in this case, there is no need of this supposition, because it is a common thing in Scripture to mention a round sum, either of men or years, though upon a strict computation, there may be some wanting.-Patrick's Commentary. There is another difference in this account, and what we meet with in the book of Chronicles. There the famine is said to be for three years only, but here it is said to be for seven. The Septuagint indeed make it no more than three; and for this reason some have imagined, that the seven is an error crept into the text, especially considering that three years of famine agree better with three days' pestilence, and three months' flight before an enemy. But there is no reason to suppose any error in the text; it is but saying, that in Chronicles, the author speaks of those years of famine which were to come for David's sin only, but in Samuel, of those three years of famine likewise, which were sent for Saul's sin, (2 Sam. xxi.) Now, within one year after the famine that was sent for Saul's sin, was David's sin in numbering the people; the intermediate year then was either the sabbatical year, wherein the people were not allowed to sow nor reap, or a year of such excessive drought, that the crop came to little or nothing. Upon either of these accounts we may properly enough say, that there were four years of famine before, and three more being now added to them, make up the seven that are here mentioned.-Poole's Annotations. It is not improbable, that God at this time revealed to David the exact frame and fashion of the temple; that from the acceptableness of his sacrifices, he perceived that this thrashing-floor was the place which God had designed for the situation of his temple; that therefore he not only purchased that, but the whole top of the 3 shekels of gold,' for the ground-plot of this temple; and that all the remainder of his time was employed in providing whatever was necessary for the purpose of building it; in settling the number of the officers, and the manner of the daily service of those that were to attend it; next to this, in settling his civil affairs, and appointing judges, magistrates, and all inferior officers, whose business it was to punish offenders, and to keep all others to their duty, then in settling his military matters, particularly the twelve captains, for every month, with their legions, to attend on the king in their turns; then the princes of the twelve tribes, and afterwards several other officers. But while he was contriving these things in the best manner, he seems to have been taken, either with a dead palsy, or some other distemper, which chilled his blood, so that he could not be warm in his bed. His physicians therefore advised, that to supply him with ♬ a natural 12 Sam. xxiv. 24. 21 Chron. xxi. 25. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. xxvi. 29 to the end. Ibid. xxix. 1—20. d 2 Sam. xxiv. 18. A thrashing-floor among the ancient Jews, was only, as it is to this day in the east, a round level plot of ground in the open air, where the corn was trodden out by oxen. Thus Gideon's floor (Judges vi. 37.) appears to have been in the open air; as was likewise this of Araunah the Jebusite; else it would not have been a proper place for erecting an altar and offering sacrifice. In Hosea xiii, 3, we read of the chaff which is driven by the whirlwind from the floor.—Shaw's Travels, p. 139, second edition.-ED. e There is again another difference in the account which we have in the Chronicles, and this in Samuel. In the Chronicles it is said, that David bought the thrashing-floor, &c., for six hundred shekels of gold; but in Samuel it is said, for fifty shekels of silver. Now a shekel of gold being of twelve times more value than a shekel of silver, it makes the disparity very large; and therefore, to account for this, it is generally supposed, that in the whole David made two purchases: first he bought the thrashing-floor and oxen, for which he gave fifty shekels of silver; but that afterwards all the ground about it, out of which the courts of the temple were made, cost him six hundred shekels of gold.-Patrick's Commentary. The words in the text are: So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel; from the morning, even to the time appointed.' The time appointed was the space of three days; and therefore some are of opinion, that the plague lasted so long: but then others urge, that this does not agree with what follows, namely, that God repented him of the evil, and commanded the angel, who smote the people, to stay his hand. They therefore conclude, that as the word Moed properly signifies an assembly, the "time f It is the observation of Galen, in his fifth book "Of the Moed" must be, when the people met together at the time of the power of simple medicines," that nothing so effectually procures evening sacrifice, that is, about the ninth hour of the day; and con-heat and health as the application of any thing young to the sequently, that the plague continued from the morning to this time, which is about nine hours, or the eighth part of three days; God, in his mercy, having been pleased to mitigate the rigour of his judgment, upon the sincere repentance of his people.-Patrick's Commentary, and Poole's Annotations. stomach: the advice of David's physicians therefore was not amiss; but it had been sinful advice, and such as he could not have followed, had not this young woman, whom he took to bed to him, been his concubinary wife. In those days such wives were allowable; and that she served him in this capacity, is very A. M. 2981. A. C. 1023; OR, ACCORDING TO HALFS, A. M. 4375. A. C. 1036. 2 SAM. xix-1 KINGS, iii. mon his successor, and thereupon commanded Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the captain of his guards, with the other officers and ministers of state, to mount him on the mule that he himself used to ride, and having in this manner conducted him to Gihon, there to let Zadok and Nathan anoint him, and then, by sound of trumpet, to proclaim him king of Israel. All this was accordingly done, and the people of Jerusalem, by their loud shouts and acclamations of joy, gave testimony of their approbation of David's choice. heat, a virgin should lie in the same bed with him; for | she had said; so that David immediately declared Solowhich purpose Abishag of Shunem, in the tribe of Issachar, was brought to him, and made concubinary wife, though he had never any carnal knowledge of her. Adonijah, who, next after Absalom, was David's eldest son, taking the advantage of his father's age and infirmity, began to entertain thoughts of making himself king, presuming that his father either could not, or would not obstruct him. He was indeed a prince of exquisite beauty, admired by all, and so indulged by his father, that he never contradicted him in any thing; but as he had a great deal of Absalom in his complexion, he failed not to imitate him in his equipage, attendants, and splen-ny, when, being just upon the point of proclaiming hin did manner of life. But how thunderstruck was Adonijah and his compa king, they heard the sound of the trumpet, and the shouts of the people attending Solomon! As soon as they were informed of the occasion, each man thought proper to shift for himself; but, as for Adonijah, he fled to the altar for sanctuary, till, having obtained of Solomon a promise of life, upon condition that he would never attempt any thing for the future against his government, he was conducted into the king's presence, where he By some means, however, he had gained Joab the general of the forces, and Abiathar the high priest, over to his party; and by their advice it was, that he invited all the king's sons, except Solomon, and all the great men of Judah, except Nathan the prophet, Benaiah captain of the guards, and the officers of the army, (who, with Zadok the other high priest, were not for him,) to a sumptuous entertainment at En-rogel, where the purpose d All the rest of David's sons were wont to ride upon mules, of the meeting was, as soon as the company had well when they went abroad, (2 Sam. xiii. 29,) but David had a mie feasted, to proclaim him king in the room of his father. peculiar to himself, and the mounting Solomon upon it was a Nathan, who knew God's designation, David's choice, sufficient declaration in his favour. For, as it was capital, acand the people's interest in the matter, having got intelli-cording to Maimonides, to ride upon the king's mule, or sit on his throne, or handle his sceptre without his order; so, on the gence of this, went and acquainted Bathsheba with it, contrary, to have the honour to ride upon the king's horse, by and advised her by all means to go and press the king c his appointment, was accounted the highest dignity among the to declare Solomon his successor, since things were now Persians, as appears by the story of Mordecai, in the book of Esther.-Calmet's Commentary. come to that extremity, that without her doing this, all their lives must certainly be in danger. Bathsheba pursued her instructions; went to the king, and, having acquainted him with Adonijah's conspiracy, desired him to name her son his successor, according to the oath that he had formerly made to her. While she was thus talking with the king, Nathan came in, and confirmed what manifest from the account we have of her in Scripture, for whereas it is said, that the king knew her not,' this certainly implies, that he might have had carnal knowledge of her without sin or scandal; whereas it is said, that she lay in his bosom,' this phrase everywhere in Scripture denotes what was the sole privilege of a wife, concubine, (Gen. xvi. 5. Deut. xiii. 6.) Nor can we imagine why Adonijah's desiring her in marriage had been so heinous a crime in Solomon's account, had she not been the king's wife, and he, by this means, had designed to revive his pretensions to the crown.-Poole's Annotations. a It is remarked of David, that one of his great faults, and what had led him into many premunires, was his extraordinary indulgence to his children, of whom he was so fond, that he seems to have overlooked their errors, and not reproved them, though he was bound to do it, by a plain law, (Lev. xix. 17.) and could not but know, that the high priest Eli was severely punished for this neglect.-Poole's Annotations. b In 2 Sam. vii. 12. God had promised David by Nathan, that ne would set upon his throne a son that should proceed from him, which plainly signified, that none of his sons already born were to be the person; and in 1 Chron. xxii. 9, &c., he declared by the same prophet, that after his father, Solomon should reign, and build him an house. This Adonijah could not but know; and therefore his setting himself against the decree of heaven made his sin the greater.-Patrick's Commentary. e This power of naming a successor was here assumed by David, and for some time afterwards, as it appears by the story of his grandson Rehoboam, was continued in the Jewish state. It was a privilege that, in after ages, was granted to several good princes; but among the Israelites it did not prevail long, because the constitution of other nations, to which the Israelites affected to conform themselves, was different.-Poole's Annotations, and Patrick's Commentary. with the fountain of Siloam; but this is a gross mistake, since e Some commentators are of opinion, that Gihon was the same Gihon was manifestly to the west, and Siloam to the east of Jerusalem. There is little or no certainty likewise in the notions of some rabbins, who pretend that, in ancient times, kings were always anointed by the side of a fountain, by way of good omen, or that the perpetual running of the stream might be an emblem of the perpetuity of the king's reign. In the history of Saul, who was their first king, and of David, who was three times anointed, we find no mention made of any spring or fountain. As these fountains, however, were places of great concourse, for there were not many in Jerusalem, the chief reason, we may imagine, why David ordered Solomon to be anointed at one of these, was, that the thing might be done as publicly, and in the presence of as many spectators as possible.-Patrick's Com mentary. ƒ There is no precept in the law to make the altar a privileged place: but, in conformity to the customs of other nations, the Jews seem to have done it. Other nations had certainly this custom, as appears from that passage in Virgil, "In such words he prayed, grasping the altars." (Eneid 6.) And it seems not unlikely, that as the people, when they came into the land of Canaan, had cities appointed by God, whereunto the manslayer might fly; so while they continued in the wilderness, the camp of the Levites might serve for the same purpose. Nay, from the words in Exodus xxi. 14, where God orders the wilful murderer 'to be taken from his altar, that he may die,' it seems unques tionably true, that, even in the land of Canaan, the altar continued a sanctuary for those who fled unto it; but then the question is, to what altar Adonijah fled ? Whether to the brazen cne which Moses made, and which was now at Gibeon, or that which his father had lately erected in the thrashing-floor of Araunah? It is expressly said, (1 Kings i. 50,) that he caught hold of the horns of the altar; but we can hardly suppose, say some, that the altar in the thrashing-floor, which was run up in such haste with stones and turf, was made in that figure. But what should hinder us from supposing, that as David had built a place for the reception of the ark of the covenant on mount Sion, he had like wise built there an altar for the oblation of the daily sacrifices, in the exact form of the original one that was then at Gibeon, and that it was to this altar, and neither of the others, that Adonijah betook himself for refuge.-Le Clerc's, Patrick's, and Calmet's Commentaries. |