Note that in A Hiram plans to build David a house, and in the parallel we have described the house that YHWH has built for David. In B David is established as king, and his kingdom is exalted on high, and in the parallel he behaves like a king of that day and has many wives and children.

14.1 ‘And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and masons, and carpenters, to build him a house.’

In practise this would have happened much later in David’s reign, for Hiram was king of Tyre in the last few years of David’s reign. But it is cited as making clear YHWH’s blessings on David. It was through YHWH’s doing that Hiram did what he did. For he sent to him all that was needed in order to build a palace; cedar wood, masons and carpenters. And the implication is that the palace was finally built. (Solomon’s palace took thirteen years in building - 1 Kings 7.1).

That David received gifts from a foreign king would have been seen as enhancing his reputation considerably (compare how Solomon received gifts from the Queen of Sheba (2 Chronicles 9). That the nations brought him gifts was the sign of a great monarch, and in Israel’s case a sign that God was with him.

14.2 ‘And David perceived that YHWH had established him as king over Israel; for his kingdom was exalted on high, for his people Israel’s sake.’

This too represents the later years of his reign when he had conquered all his enemies round about and ruled from Libo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. He was established as king over all Israel, Hiram of Tyre was his friend in a treaty relationship, Hamath and Aram were under his control, and the Pharaoh had given his daughter in marriage to Solomon. David thus perceived that his kingdom was exalted on high by YHWH over the whole region, and that for His people Israel’s sake.

An Abundance Of Sons (14.3-7).

Further blessing was revealed to be on David as a result of the abundance of his sons.

14.3 ‘And David took more wives at Jerusalem; and David begat more sons and daughters.’

That David took more wives at Jerusalem (on top of the six he had when at Hebron) must have been said somewhat reluctantly, for Deuteronomy had made clear that a king should not multiply wives to himself (Deuteronomy 17.17). But as it was the practise of ancient kings, it may not have been too greatly frowned on. It does, however, add a jarring note and would have been seen as blot on his reign. However, it was seemingly made up for by his producing many sons and daughters, something which was always seen as being a sign of God’s blessing.

14.4-7 And these are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua (Shimea), and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, and Ibhar, and Elishua (Elishama), and Elpelet (Eliphelet), and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, and Elishama, and Be-eliada (Eliada), and Eliphelet.’

David begat thirteen sons in Jerusalem. Their names, as they are found in 3.5-8, are shown in brackets where different. Names then were more flexible than they are today as they were seen as portraying the personality. The dual names would suggest that some died in infancy. Such an abundance of sons would be seen as indicating God’s approval of him.

In Jesus’ genealogy in Luke 3.31 Jesus is said to have been descended from Nathan. In Matthew 1.7 His descent is said to be from Solomon. This was probably because Matthew’s genealogy lists the successors to the throne in order to demonstrate Jesus’ kingship, with the lines of Solomon and Nathan at some stage converging due to a lack of direct heir. Luke’s is the direct blood line from Nathan. (Alternately some see Matthew 1 as Joseph’s genealogy, and Luke 3 as Mary’s).

As A Consequence Of YHWH’s Guidance David Twice Defeats The Philistines (14.8-17).

This now takes us back to the beginning of David’s reign in Jerusalem. When the Philistines heard that the one whom they saw as a vassal had been anointed as king over all Israel without their permission, they went in search of him to bring him into submission. But they were to learn that this was no Ishbosheth. He had nerves of steel, and knew that YHWH was on his side. This is the first mention in Chronicles of David going out to battle, and in contrast with the defeated Saul he would overcome the Philistines. God was with David as He had not been with Saul. David’s success brings out the importance of obedience towards what God requires. Despite his failures he knew how to repent, trust and obey, counts on which Saul failed completely.

Analysis.

• A And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David: and David heard of it, and went out against them (14.8).
• B Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim (14.9).
• C And David enquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will you deliver them into my hand?” And YHWH said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand” (14.10).
• D So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and David said, “God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters” (14.11a)
• D Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim. And they left their gods there, and David gave commandment, and they were burned with fire (14.11b-12).
• C And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley, and David enquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them, and come on them over against the mulberry-trees and it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then you will go out to battle. for God is gone out before you to smite the host of the Philistines.” (14.13-15).
• B And David did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer (14.16).
• A And the fame of David went out into all lands, and YHWH brought the fear of him on all nations (14.17).

In A the Philistines hear about David, and in the parallel all lands hear about David. In B the Philistines invade Israel, and in the parallel they are smitten and driven back. In C David enquires of God and is told what to do, and in the parallel he again enquires of God and is told what to do. In D Israel come up to Baal-perazim and David smites the Philistines, and in the parallel the name of the place is Baal-perazim and the Philistines leave their gods there (as they fly in panic).

David Defeats The Philistines (14.8-12).

14.8 ‘And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, and David heard of it, and went out against them.’

Learning that David had been anointed as king over all Israel the Philistines wasted no time. They saw Israel west of Jordan as under their control. So they went to seek him out to beat him into submission. But when David heard of it he went out against them. It would not be what they were expecting, for since Mount Gilboa they had been used to having their own way.

14.9 ‘Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim.’

The Philistines had made their foray in the Valley of Rephaim. This was a fertile valley to the south west of Jerusalem, between Jerusalem and Bethlehem

14.10 ‘And David enquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will you deliver them into my hand?” And YHWH said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.”

In contrast with his failure to do so with respect to the bringing up of the Ark to Jerusalem, David here enquires of YHWH before he acts. He asks YHWH whether, if he goes up against the Philistines, YHWH will deliver them into his hand. This questioning may have taken place by means of the Urim and Thummim in the High Priest’s breast pouch, the lots falling in order to demonstrate a positive response. But contrast with verses 14-15 may indicate a more positive method, possibly through a prophet. YHWH’s reply was positive. “Go up for I will deliver them into your hand.” When YHWH was consulted all went smoothly.

Notice the unexpected use of YHWH in a passage where the title of God is predominant as a consequence of the Chronicler’s selection. It appeared previously in verse 2, and will again in verse 17. It emphasises that it is YHWH Who is acting on his behalf. (There can be no suggestion of J and E narratives. It is copied from 2 Samuel 5 where YHWH is predominant, perhaps a warning to all about using names to define documents).

14.11 ‘So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and David said, “God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters.” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim.’

David and his men came up to Baal-perazim, which means ‘the Lord of breaking forth’. And there David smote them and declared, “God has broken my enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters.” In other words he saw ‘the Lord’ as having broken forth on them, like a dam breaks forth when it is breached, and as having given him the victory. The name used was clearly given to the place as a consequence of the victory (meaning ‘the Lord has broken forth’).

14.12 ‘And they left their gods there; and David gave commandment, and they were burned with fire.’

The panic with which the Philistines fled is brought out by the fact that they deserted their gods, leaving them in the hands of their enemy. This would only happen as a result of wholesale flight. It was apparent that YHWH had defeated not only the Philistines but also their gods. And David commanded that the gods be burned up. This would remove any defilement from the land. (In 2 Samuel 5.21 it says, ‘David and his men took them away’. But this was no doubt in order to burn them. The Chronicler makes it more clear in order to emphasise the need for preventing the defilement of the land by idolatry).

The Second Philistine Invasion (14.13-17).

This second Philistine invasion would no doubt be in greater force. They would want to avenge their defeat, and they now knew how strong David was. They would not be so easy to defeat this time, and so God puts forward a new strategy. They were not to simply go up against them, but were to circle round and approach them from the side, probably by surprise. Then at God’s signal they were to attack, and God would go out before them and smite the host of the Philistines. (Note how the YHWH of 2 Samuel 5 has here become ‘God’).

14.13 ‘And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley.’

The Philistines now raided again a second time, no doubt in greater numbers, and again took up their position in the valley of Rephaim.

14.14-15 ‘And David enquired again of God; and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them, and come on them over against the mulberry-trees. And it shall be, when you heart the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then you shall go out to battle, for God is gone out before you to smite the host of the Philistines.”

David once more enquired of God. Whilst this fact is taken from the original passage in 2 Samuel 5, its placement here between the two attempts to bring up the Ark suggests that the Chronicler is bringing out that the first failure to bring up the Ark was due to failing to enquire of God.

God now warns against a direct approach. Rather they are to turn away from them and come up on them over against the mulberry trees (which David could no doubt see plainly). Possibly these would hide them from the enemy. Then when they heard the stirring of the wind in the mulberry trees it would be an indication that God’s Spirit was about to act, and they must burst out on the enemy. For it would be a sign that God had gone out before them to smite the Philistine host.

14.16 ‘And David did as God commanded him, and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.’

Implicit obedience achieves the desired effect. David did as God commanded him and they won a great victory, driving the Philistines northward towards Gibeon and Geba, and then continuing to smite them from Gibeon to Gezer. The victory is seen to be all of God.

Gibeon was 9 kilometres (5 miles) north west of Jerusalem, and is now known as el-Jib. Gezer is found on the road from Jerusalem to Joppa on the most northern ridge of the Shephelah (the lower hill country). In the time of David it was controlled by the Philistines, possibly under Egyptian control. Certainly it was the Pharaoh who gave the city to his daughter on the occasion of her wedding to Solomon. Thus the battle raged as the Philistines fought a rearguard action until they had found refuge in Gezer.

2 Samuel 5.25 has Geba rather than Gibeon. Geba was 11 kilometres (6 miles) north of Jerusalem. Thus Geba and Gibeon were fairly close. As the phrase is not intended to be exact but only a general indication (the Philistines would be out in the countryside engaging in battle) both are correct. The Chronicler probably changed Geba to Gibeon because of Gibeon’s connection in his eyes with Saul (9.35-39). His point is that David’s success as he drove the Philistines back began near the very place from which Saul derived. David had now replaced Saul.

14.17 ‘And the fame of David went out into all lands, and YHWH brought the fear of him on all nations.’

As a consequence of these and other exploits David’s fame spread to many lands, with the result that he began to be feared, because ‘YHWH brought the fear of him on all nations’. This bringing of fear on nations in respect of Israel is a common Biblical emphasis. Compare Exodus 15.14-16; Deuteronomy 2.25; Joshua 2.9, 11; 9.24.

The Ark Of God Is Brought Into Jerusalem (15.1-29).

David’s might having now been established thoughts turn again to the bringing of the Ark into Jerusalem where David reigns in power. He wants Jerusalem to be the centre of YHWH worship.

The previous attempt to bring up the Ark of God into Jerusalem had resulted in the Ark ‘remaining with the family of Obed-edom’. That was because God was still unhoused, and taking up temporary residence, although in 14.1 preparing a house for David. Now reference is made once more to David being housed in Jerusalem. But now he prepares a place for the Ark of God by pitching a tent in Jerusalem, no doubt similar to the Tabernacle. Once again the contrast between God being unhoused and David being housed is emphasised. Thus David now prepares a house for YHWH in the form of a Tent which would no doubt have been like the Taberacle. So for now we have an emphasis on the pitching of a Tent for God to dwell in. The success of David’s reign did not require the presence of a Temple.

The Priests And Levites Are Called On To Prepare Themselves For Bearing The Ark Into Jerusalem On Staves (15.1-15).

In what follows, presumably having enquired of God, David calls on the Priests and Levites to sanctify themselves in readiness for the bearing of the Ark into Jerusalem.

Analysis.

• A And David made for himself houses in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent (15.1).
• B Then David said, “None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for it is they whom YHWH has chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him for ever.” (15.2).
• C And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of YHWH to its place, which he had prepared for it (15.3).
• D And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites (15.4).
• E Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers a hundred and twenty; of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred and twenty; of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers a hundred and thirty (15.5-7)
• E Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred; of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty; of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers a hundred and twelve (15.8-10).
• D And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab (15.11).
• C And said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring up the ark of YHWH, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it, for because you did not bare it initially, YHWH our God made a breach on us, in that we did not seek him in accordance with the ordinance” (15.12-13).
• B So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of YHWH, the God of Israel (15.14).
• A And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with the staves on it, as Moses commanded in accordance with the word of YHWH (15.15).

Note that in A David prepared a place for the Ark, and in the parallel the priests and Levites prepared themselves to bring up the Ark. In B none ought to carry the Ark apart from the Levites, for it is they whom YHWH has chosen for the purpose, and in the parallel the priests and Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark. In C David assembled all Israel to bring up the Ark to the place which he had prepared for it, and in the parallel David tells the Levites to bring up the Ark to the place which he has prepared for it. In D David gathered the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and in the parallel he called for the priests and Levites. Centrally in E are listed the six clans of the Levites.

Having Enquired Of God David Makes Preparations For Bringing The Ark Up To Jerusalem (15.1-3).

As we consider this passage, we must not underestimate the significance of the coming of the Ark of YHWH to Jerusalem, both for David and the people. This would have been a day that most of them remembered for the remainder of their lives. It was as though the God of Sinai was visiting His people anew, and with the intention of being among them for ever. The excitement would have been immense. And no one would have been more excited than David. This was why, as we shall see, he made such careful preparations.

15.1 ‘And David made for himself houses in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent.’

This is a summary verse for the Tent had no doubt been pitched before the first attempt to bring up the Ark. Now it is emphasised again. And it is paralleled with David making for himself houses. The Tent would no doubt have been a splendid one, considered worthy of its expected Occupant (if anything on earth could be).

15.2 ‘Then David said, “None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them has YHWH chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him for ever.’

It is apparent now that David has been ‘enquiring of God’, for he has come up with the solution to the problem. Previously he had been remiss in not recognising God’s instructions about the conveying of the Ark. Now he recognises that only the Levites as selected by God ought to carry the Ark (Numbers 4.15), for it is they whom YHWH has chosen to bear the Ark, and ‘to minister to Him for ever’ (Deuteronomy 18.5; see also 10.8).

15.3 ‘And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of YHWH to its place, which he had prepared for it.’

So once again David assembles ‘all Israel’ at Jerusalem in order to bring the Ark of YHWH up to the place which he has prepared for it.

The Priest And Levites Are Gathered With A View To Bearing The Ark Of God (15.4-10).

Six Levitical families are called on to assist in bearing the Ark under the guidance of Zadok and Abiathar, the sons of Aaron, presumably in relays. The first three are from sub-tribes, the sons of Kohath, Merari and Gershom who were the direct sons of Levi. The next three are clans headed by Elizaphan, Hebron and Uzziel. Hebron and Uzziel were sons of Kohath (6.18). Elizaphan was a son of Uzziel (Exodus 6.16, 18, 22). Thus, along with Uriel ‘the son of Kohath’, Hebron, Uzziel and Elizaphan were all Kohathites, and strictly speaking it was their sub-tribe who had responsibility for bearing the Ark. It would appear that the sons of Gershom and Merari were to be allowed to do so by concession because there was no Tabernacle to carry. By the time of David these clans, having gradually developed, seemingly represented a large proportion of the Levites, and certainly of the Kohathites.

But why should the Chronicler go into such detail about the Levites? It was in order to establish that the worship in the Jerusalem Temple of his own day was the true worship, based on God-given precedents, and it was a call to the Levites to be true to their calling as they had been in the days of David. The prophecy of Malachi (2.1-9) brings out how much this message was needed.

The details of the Levites are represented as follows:

15.4-10 ‘And David gathered together the sons of Aaron, and the Levites:

• Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers a hundred and twenty.
• Of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred and twenty;
• Of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers a hundred and thirty;
• Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred;
• Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers, eighty;
• Of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers a hundred and twelve.’

So the chiefs of these clans who were under the guidance of Zadok and Abiathar, were Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. And each of them had with them brother Levites as shown in order to carry the Ark in relays. Strictly speaking it was the lot of the Kohathites to carry the Tabernacle furniture (Numbers 4.15), and four out of the six were Kohathites. But all were ‘sons’ of Levi. Amminadab is mentioned as a ‘son’ of Kohath in 6.22, but the genealogy had many gaps. However, Uriel (6.24), Asaiah (6.30), Joel (23.8), Shemaiah (9.14, 16), and Eliel (6.34) were all recognised Levitical names.

Attempts have been made to suggest that Amminadab is a corruption for Izhar, mainly on the grounds that, apart from in 6.22, Izhar is the second son of Kohath (6.2, 18, 38). But Amminadab is not said to be the second son of Kohath in 6.22. He may have been the grandson of Kohath, with Izhar being his father and Korah being Kohath’s great grandson, and therefore the son of Amminadab. Certainly Korah the ‘son’ of Izhar in Numbers 16.1 was not Izhar’s direct son (if Izhar was a direct son of Kohath) , for a longer gap is required between Kohath and Korah to cover the time Israel was in Egypt. Thus the suggestion must be viewed with grave suspicion, especially when it is used to suggest an error.

David Issues His Instructions To The Clan Leaders Of The Levites, Under Zadok and Abiathar The Priests, Instructions With Which They Comply (15.11-15).

This activity is dealt with very succintly in 2 Samuel 6.12-13, the main emphasis there being on the fact that David learned how God had blessed the house of Obed-edom, and was as a result encouraged to try again, although ensuring God’s pleasure by offering an ox and a fatling every six paces. There is no mention there of the Levites, but in view of what had happened we may see it as a certainty that David would turn to the Law of Moses and fulfil its requirements. He did not want another tragic episode. Thus what follows must have taken place.

15.11 ‘And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,’

David calls together the leading Levites as described above, under Zadok and Abiathar the Priests. These were the clan chiefs of Levi who had overall responsibility for arranging the bearing of the Ark. As we have seen previously clans would develop from certain people in a genealogy, whilst others would produce no clans but join with a clan of their brothers.

15.12 ‘And he said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring up the ark of YHWH, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.’

He reminded them that they were the heads of father’s houses (clan leaders) of the Levites, those set apart to bear the Ark on its staves. And he calls on them to ‘sanctify themselves’, along with their brothers, so that they can bear the Ark of YHWH to the place that has been prepared for it. Such sanctification would include dedication of themselves and washing their clothes (Exodus 19.10, 14) and possibly exclusion from sexual activity (1 Samuel 21.5).

15.13 ‘For because you did not bear it initially, YHWH our God made a breach upon us, in that we sought him not according to the ordinance.’

He explains that he had now discovered the reasons why the first attempt to bring the Ark up to Jerusalem had failed. It was because the Levites had not borne the Ark in the time honoured way. Thus God had punished them because they did not seek Him in accordance with the ordinances.

15.14 ‘So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of YHWH, the God of Israel.’

So the priests and Levites dedicated themselves, and washed their clothes, and possibly abstained from sexual activity (1 Samuel 21.5) in order to be fitted to ‘bring up’ (to Jerusalem) the Ark of YHWH the God of Israel. Notice the fuller name given to the Ark on this important occasion, as in verse 12. Previously it has been called ‘the Ark of God’ (15.1, 2, 15) and ‘the Ark of YHWH’ (15.3). But this was a very solemn moment and the aim was to bring all Israel into the reckoning. It therefore becomes ‘the Ark of YHWH the God of Israel’. In 15.28, 29 it will be called ‘the Ark of the covenant of YHWH’ in order to emphasise the covenant.

15.15 ‘And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with the staves on them, as Moses commanded according to the word of YHWH.’

Having sanctified themselves the Levites took hold of the staves which the priests would have slotted into the rings on the Ark (Numbers 4.11), and lifted them on their shoulders. By this means they would maintain a respectable distance between themselves and the Ark as they carried it. And it is stressed that this was done in accordance with the word of YHWH as commanded by Moses.

Singers And Instrumentalist Are Appointed By David To Make Music Before YHWH (15.16-24).

David wanted nothing to be lacking in the worship of YHWH, and appointed singers, instrumentalists and doorkeepers for the purpose:

Analysis.

• A And David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers the singers, with instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy (15.16).
• B So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, and with them their brothers of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers (15.17-18).
• B 19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, (were appointed) with cymbals of bronze to sound aloud, and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with harps set to Alamoth; and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with lyres set to the Sheminith, to lead, and Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful, and Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark (15.19-23).
• A And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark (15.24).

Note that in A we have details of those who sang and played instruments as the Ark move forward and in the parallel the names of those who blew trumpet before the Ark. In B singers and doorkeepers were appointed and named, and in the parallel details are given of those who were appointed and name and of the instruments that they used.

David Call On The Levites To Provide Celebratory Music And Singing As The Ark Moves Forward (15.16-18).

David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, was concerned that nothing be missing from the musical celebrations accompanying the transferring of the Ark. He thus now arranged with the chief of the Levites for singers and musicians to play their instruments loudly and lift up their voices with joy. He wanted the praise of God to ring out among all Israel. There is here an encouragement to us to make use of music and singing in our worship.

15.16 ‘And David spoke to the chief of the Levites (telling him) to appoint their brothers the singers, with instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah,’

In accordance with David’s request the Levites appointed their chief singers, Heman the son of Joel who was first vocal (compare 6.33), his brother Levite Asaph the son of Berechiah who was second vocal and stood at this right hand (6.39) and Ethan the son of Kushaiah (or Kishi) who was third vocal (6.44).

The harp was a stringed instrument played by hand. The lyre was a wooden instrument with eight to ten strings, also probably played by hand, although a plectrum might have been used.

15.18 ‘And with them their brothers of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.’

And along with them were appointed their brothers of the second degree. Fourteen of them are named as singers even though some were also ‘gatekeepers’ (security men). There was no reason why security men should not also have been singers (as they are also in verse 21). Whether this Obed-edom was the Obed-edom from Gath-hepher (13.13-14) is open to question. Without further indication there is no reason why he should have been. Obed-edom was a common Levite name (16.38).

The Division Of The Instruments Among The Singers (15.19-23).

The different kinds of instrument were divided up among the singers:

• The three leading singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, carried bronze cymbals with which to make a loud noise as they sang.
• Zechariah, Aziel (Ja-aziel), Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah carried harps set to Alamoth (i.e. soprano).
• Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, played on lyres set to the Sheminith (i.e. bass).
• Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, controlled the singing.

It will be noted that the unusual ‘Ben’ in verse 18 has been replaced by Azaziah. All the other names are similar. Ben and Azaziah were thus probably the same person.

15.19 ‘So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed with cymbals of bronze to sound aloud.’

The three leading singers, Heman, Asaph and Ethan, (see verse 17), carried bronze cymbals which they could clash together as they sang. These would be about thirteen centimetres (five inches) across.

15.20 ‘And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with harps set to Alamoth.’

These musicians sang to harps (Ben has disappeared from the list) and were seemingly sopranos (alamoth = young woman). See Psalm 46.1; 48.15. Ja-aziel has become Aziel.

15.21 ‘And Mattithiah, and Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with lyres set to the Sheminith, to lead.’

These sang to lyres and led the singing in bass (sheminith). Compare Psalm 6.1; 12.1. It is possible that these sang the lead lines (they led), and the others (the sopranos) sang the responses. Alternately ‘to lead’ might indicate that they led processions (but see verse 24a). As mentioned previously Azaziah has replaced Ben.

15.22 ‘And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the song, he instructed about the song, because he was skilful.’

Chenaniah would appear to have been the musical director. He guided and directed the singing.

15.23 ‘And Berechiah and Elkanah were security men (gatekeepers) for the ark.’

The idea here would appear to be that Berechiah and Elkanah acted as security men so as to ensure that the above singers did not approach too near to the Ark.

The Trumpeters Who Led The Way Ahead Of The Ark (15.24).

The singers apparently followed the Ark, whilst the trumpeters marched in front of it playing their trumpets. The trumpeters were priests (Numbers 10.8, 10). Their names were not mentioned previously because they were not singers.

15.24a ‘And Shebaniah, and Joshaphat, and Nethanel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow the trumpets before the ark of God.’

Ahead of the Ark the priests blew on their trumpets. Their names are given here. They were not singers.

15.24b ‘And Obed-edom and Jehiah were security men for the ark.’

Between the Ark and the priests marched the two security men, Obed-edom and Hehiah. It was their responsibility to ensure that no one got too near to the Ark. If they are the same as Obed-edom and Jeiel above, they were also bass singers playing on their lyres (verse 21), but they may have been two different people. Obed-edom appears to have been a popular name, and the name of a sub-clan of Levi (16.38).

The Bringing Up Of The Ark Of The Covenant Of YHWH To Jerusalem And Its Placement In The Prepared Tent With Due Ceremony (15.25-16.6).

At last all was ready and the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH was brought into the city with great joy and celebration. Note the extended title for the Ark. Not only was YHWH’s throne being brought into Jerusalem, but also the covenant between YHWH and Israel. It was a renewal of the uniting of God with His people.

Analysis.

• A So David, and the elders of Israel, and the commanders over large military units, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of YHWH out of the house of Obed-edom with joy (15.25).
• B And it came about, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH, that they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams, and David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers, and David had on him an ephod of linen (15.26-27).
• C Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of YHWH with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with psalteries and harps (15.28).
• C And it came about, as the ark of the covenant of YHWH came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing (his instrument), and she despised him in her heart (15.29).
• B And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God, and when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of YHWH and he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a portion of flesh, and a cake of raisins (16.1--3).
• A And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of YHWH, and to celebrate and to thank and praise YHWH, the God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God (16.4-6).

It will be noted that this passage from 15.25-16.6 introduces a new phrase (for the Chronicler), the ‘Ark of the Covenant of YHWH/God’ (15.25, 26, 28, 29; 16.6) instead of ‘the Ark of YHWH/God’. Note that in A the Ark is to be brought up with joy, and in the parallel we have the singers and priests who are to reveal that joy continually. In B sacrifices and offerings were made and the same occurs in the parallel. Centrally in C all Israel shout and sin and play instruments, whilst in the parallel David does the same and in consequence is scorned by Michal, Saul’s daughter, who alone does not shout and sing.

The Musical Accompaniment Having Been Set In Place The Bringing Up Of The Ark To Jerusalem Commenced (15.25-28).

The bringing up of ‘the Ark of the covenant of YHWH to Jerusalem with joy is now described. Until we get to 15.29-16.3 (2 Samuel 6.16-19) this account is only loosely similar to 2 Samuel 6.12-15, although 15.29-16.3 make clear that 2 Samuel is before the writer.

15.25 ‘So David, and the elders of Israel, and the commanders over regiments (thousands), went to bring up the ark of the covenant of YHWH out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.’

2 Samuel 16.12 speaks only of David as doing this, but it can hardly be doubted that he was accompanied by a goodly number of people. Here they are described as the elders of Israel and commanders over large military units (regiments/thousands). And together they went to the house of Obed-edom in order to bring up (to Jerusalem) the Ark of the covenant of YHWH, something which they did with great joy. The linking of David with an important part of Israel is typical of the Chronicler. The expansion to ‘the Ark of the covenant of YHWH’ underlines the covenant aspect of what was being done. By the bringing in of the Ark the covenant was seen as being renewed.

15.26 ‘And it came about that when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH, they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams.’

We are not told in what way God helped the Levites who bore the Ark, but the probability is that it indicated that God allowed the procession to carry on unscathed. He ‘helped them’ because this time there was no unpleasant intervention. So in gratitude they offered to Him in sacrifice, seven bullocks and seven rams. This need not mean that the Levites actually offered the sacrifices. They would do it through Levitical priests who were with them (verse 14). A bullock was the offering required when all Israel had sinned (Leviticus 4.13), whilst a ram was required when someone sinned unwittingly in the holy things of YHWH (Leviticus 5.15). Thus seven bullocks and seven rams perfectly (seven times) covered both all Israel in regard to their having sinned, and protected all from any unwitting sin in the holy things of YHWH. There was clearly still a certain sense of trepidation as to whether they were fulfilling all that was required in the movement of the Ark. Their hope was that the offerings would counter any failure on their part.

15.27 ‘And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers, and David had on him an ephod of linen.’

2 Samuel 6.14 tells us merely that David wore a linen ephod (and that he danced before the Ark with all his might). Here we learn that he was both clothed in fine linen and wore a linen ephod. Being clothed with fine linen was seen as suitable for entering into the presence of a holy God. It was pure and unspotted. The linen ephod may well have indicated his priesthood after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110.4). It was not a sacrificing priesthood but an intercessory one. His dancing with all his might is replaced by the singing of the Levites. All the Levites, and the singers, and Chenaniah the choir leader, were involved in the singing in honour of YHWH, and they too were clothed in fine linen.

15.28 ‘Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of YHWH with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with harps and lyres.’

In this way did all Israel bring up the Ark of the covenant of YHWH, and they did it with joyous shouting, and with much music. The cornet has now been added to the trumpets, the cymbals, the harps and the lyres.

David Is Despised By Saul’s Daughter (15.29).

The Chronicler here brings in a brief mention of Saul’s daughter but omits the further detail. His aim is in order to bring out the unsuitability of the house of Saul, as a house more concerned with appearance than with genuine heartfelt expression.

15.29 ‘And it came about that, as the ark of the covenant of YHWH came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.’

The Chronicler cannot prevent himself from introducing briefly the attitudes of Saul’s daughter Michal. In contrast with the wholehearted worship of David, is the cynical disapproval of the house of Saul. For as David came into the city she looked out of the window, saw him dancing and playing his musical instrument before YHWH, and despised him in her heart. The Chronicler is reminding us that the sins of Saul had not been completely eradicated. They continued on in his children. But how great a contrast was the true and solid worship of David.

Then having revealed his disapproval of the house of Saul, the Chronicler quickly moves on to the positive side of what was happening.

The Forerunner Of The Messianic Feast. Joy At The Coming Of YHWH Among His People (16.1-6).

This is the second forerunner to the Messianic Feast in 1 Chronicles. The first was when David was made king over all Israel. Then all Israel had gathered in order to celebrate David’s kingship, and food had been imported from all over the land (12.39-40). But this time the king himself provides for the feast and it is because YHWH has been enthroned in the Jerusalem Tent. It is a sign of the good times coming, initially during the reign of David, but even more so, to the Chronicler, in the days of the Greater David promised by the prophets when men would feast at ‘David’s’ table (Isaiah 25.6). His great emphasis on David throughout Chronicles, and the awareness of how all came short of the ideal, could only, in the light of Israel’s beliefs, have the reason of preparing for the coming of the David Who would fulfil the promises.

16.1 ‘And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God.’

The cause for the celebration was the safe bringing of the Ark of God into the Tent which David had pitched for it where it was no doubt set up behind a veil. And there ‘they’ offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God. There was a sense of deep dedication, and of well-being. The peace-offerings, which sought well-being from YHWH as they entered into relationship with Him, would in themselves contribute to the feast, for part of the peace offerings would be eaten by the people as they ate together before God. It was a time of great celebration.

2 Samuel 6.17 brings it home more personally for its says, ‘David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before YHWH.’ But the Chronicler’s continued purpose is to demonstrate David’s oneness with his people. Furthermore David would not have offered them himself. He would have called on the priests of Israel to offer them. It was simply that he was the provider.

16.2 ‘And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of YHWH.’

Once the burnt offerings and peace offerings had been offered ‘by David’ (through the priests, compare 1 Kings 3.4 where Solomon himself could not possibly have offered so many sacrifices), he blessed the people in the Name of YHWH. This was his personal contribution. As priest after the order of Melchizedek his blessing would have been seen as potent.

16.3 ‘And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a portion of flesh, and a cake of raisins.’

Then to every one of Israel he provided a feast. To every man and woman he gave a loaf of bread, a portion of flesh (from the peace offerings) and a cake of raisins as a luxury item. All Israel ate and gave thanks with him, celebrating the fact that the Ark had come home, just as one day all would feast before the coming David Who would replace the Ark as the evidence of God’s presence.

16.4 ‘And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of YHWH, and to celebrate and to thank and praise YHWH, the God of Israel,’

At the same time he appointed certain of the Levites, who were to be named personally, for the purpose of ministering before the Ark of YHWH in the Tent which he had pitched, and to celebrate and thank and praise YHWH the God of Israel. The righteous king was ensuring the worship of the living and true God, one of the important features of the coming king. The Levites included priests, who were, of course, Levites.

16.5-6 ‘Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres, and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.’

Their names are now given. They were led by Asaph the singer, along with his loud cymbals, who was first, and then second to him came the chosen Levites who were a mixture of bass and soprano (15.20-21), all with harps and lyres. They included among them Obed-edom and Jeiel the security men (gatekeepers). This was not intended to be a repetition of the earlier lists. It was based on who was selected by David. They were accompanied by Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests who blew the trumpets continually before the Ark of the covenant of God. So was the permanent worship of the Jerusalem Tent established. Heman and Ethan were probably responsible for the worship at the Tabernacle in Gibeon (1 Kings 3.4).

David Celebrates The Safe Arrival Of The Ark Of YHWH In The Tent He Had Erected (16.7-36).

David now purposed to express thanksgiving to YHWH through the singers. This resulted in the singing of a Psalm which would become the basis for many Psalms.

16.7 ‘Then on that day David first ordained to give thanks to YHWH, by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.’

It was on the very day of the arrival of the Ark that David first ordained the giving of thanks to YHWH for that arrival, by means of the praise, worship and thanksgiving of the singers and musicians, Asaph and his brothers. The first act of worship in a worship ‘building’ is always special, and this was no exception. But it was only to be the beginning of their expression of gratitude. From then on it was to be a continual feature of their worship. It was an encouragement to the returnees from Exile to ensure they also partook in full-hearted worship. It is a reminder to us that we should never forget to show our gratitude to God, and that it is not something that should be delayed.

The words of thanksgiving now offered would become the basis of a number of Psalms. Verses 8-22 were used in Psalm 105.1-15; verses 23-33 were used in Psalm 96. Verses 34-36 were used in Psalm 106. 47-48.

So Asaph and his brothers sang to YHWH on the day of the return of the Ark of YHWH to Jerusalem, as follows:

A Psalm Of Thanksgiving Sung In Praise Of YHWH By The Singers (16.8-36).

Comparison with Psalm 105.1-15 demonstrates that the first part of this Psalm is the same, almost word for word, although with one or two relatively unimportant changes. The main change is that Psalm 105.6 reads, ‘O you seed of Abraham His servant’ whilst here it refers to ‘Israel His servant’ (verse 13). Differing versions may well have been in use. But the difference certainly emphasises the close connection of the words with all Israel.

However, the subsequent verses in Psalm 105 do not naturally flow on from what precedes them as they move from the general to the particular, and it may well be therefore that the Psalmist in Psalm 105 borrowed these words up to verse 22 and then added on his own additional ideas, turning it into a Psalm of the Exodus.

The Psalm here is an expression of the new found confidence that has come through the presence of the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH (15.25, 28) in Jerusalem. It calls for men to give thanks and praise to YHWH, and to seek Him continually, remembering all that He has done. It then refers to the covenant that He made with Abraham, which was also applied to Israel, which guaranteed to Israel the land of Canaan as their possession even though they were few in number. It then stresses how this has partly been fulfilled, by the watch that He had kept on His people in foreign lands (in Canaan and in Egypt), and how He had declared them to be His ‘anointed ones’ and His ‘prophets’. This would especially speak to the returnees from Exile who had experienced His protection. We will now consider the words in detail.

16.8-9

The call is, in the light of His new presence among them in the Ark, to give thanks to YHWH and call on His Name, making His doings known among the peoples. It had always been God’s intention that His people would be a witness to the nations. Thus they are to sing praises to Him, and talk of all His marvellous works, works of which the Ark was a reminder, so that the world might know the truth about Him.

16.10-11

Central to their worship is to be their personal experience, especially as His living presence is now among them as depicted by the Ark. They are to glory in His holy Name, that is, glory in Him for what He is. And as they seek Him they are assured that they will find joy and will rejoice. Thus they must take advantage of the new opportunity presented by the presence of the Ark among them, and seek Him and His strength continually, never flagging.

16.12-13

And because they are the seed of Jacob/Israel, God’s servant and chosen one, they have in the past experienced His marvellous works, and wonders, and words, something of which the Ark is a reminder They are thus to remember them, recognising that God does not change, and that they can therefore continually rely on Him.

16.14-19

They are to remember that He is YHWH their God, the One Who said “I will be what I will be” because He controls all things, and acts throughout the world bringing about His will and exercising His judgment.

And because He will not forget His covenant, they are to remember it for ever, for it was made with Abraham and confirmed by an oath to Isaac, and then to Jacob. It is an everlasting and unfailing covenant, and in it He promised the land of Canaan to His people. Thus they can look on it as their inheritance. Moreover He did it when they were but few in number, and were merely sojourners in the land.

Thus the returnees from Exile, themselves few in number, and now sojourners in the land, could gain confidence that God would fulfil His covenant on their behalf if they were faithful to His will. Whilst they might be living in the land among others, they could be sure that one day it would be theirs. And so it would prove to be when later High Priests would rule over the whole area.

For us the writer to the Hebrews tells us that that land promised to Abraham has now become the better land which men attain to at the resurrection, the new Canaan in the new earth (Hebrews 11.10-14), the land which Abraham sought in his spirit. Thus earthly Palestine is no longer ‘the promised land’. It has been replaced by the heavenly land in which the promises to Abraham will be fulfilled to him in person, and to all his true seed (true believers).

Note the fact that His word was declared to ‘a thousand generations’. When the word ‘a thousand (generations/years)’ is used it is never to be taken literally. It refers to a long stretch of time as here

16.20

The picture is of Israel passing from one nation (Egypt) to another nation (Canaan) from one kingdom to another people (Psalm 105 in fact turns it around the other way). But the returnees would be able to interpret it of Babylon, for there they too had been in a foreign country. We can interpret it of wherever we are, for we are ‘strangers and pilgrims in the earth’, awaiting the promised heavenly land.

16.21-22

This section of the Psalm ends with the reminder that God had looked after His people, allowing no one to wrong them, reproving kings for their sake, and warning all about touching His ‘anointed ones’, His witnesses. This had been especially true when they left Egypt, for YHWH rebuked Pharaoh, and then He rebuked other kings as Israel travelled towards, and entered in, to the land of Canaan. And all the time they were travelling, apart from the initial journey to Sinai, the Ark of His covenant was among them. But the aim here is to make the Psalm general rather than specific. All who are God’s anointed ones can be sure of His protection, and that included the returnees from Babylon, and it includes us.

All The Earth Is To Acknowledge YHWH And Recognise Him For What He Is, Their Lord And King, For One Day He Will Come To Judge The Earth On The Basis Of Their Response To Him (16.23-33).

YHWH having promised the protection of His people, the Psalm goes on to call on men to sing to YHWH and show forth His glory. These words are also found in Psalm 96. In this regard we could argue that it would be natural to take the words of Asaph and make them into Psalms, for his Psalm divides into three, and Psalm 96 is an expansion on the middle part, occasionally altering the order of the lines. Indeed, Psalm 96 could be said to ‘smooth out the wrinkles’ in the Psalm. Here it is rough hewn. There all is smooth.

16.23-24

Here Asaph renews the call for men to sing to YHWH (verse 9) and to show forth His deliverances (verse 9), declaring His glory among the nations (verse 8b) and revealing to them His marvellous works (verse 12). Such repetition was a common feature of Psalms. It is a double reminder of the need to give thanks and praise for all that God has done, and the need to bear witness of it among the nations.

16.25-27

And the reason for doing so is that YHWH is great and greatly to be praised. Indeed He is to be feared above all gods, for the gods of the peoples are merely idols, whilst YHWH in contrast is the One Who made the Heavens. The contrast is stark. Idols are man made, YHWH made everything. Furthermore, honour and majesty are, as it were, His attendants standing before Him, as great men would stand before a king, because they essentially reveal what He is. Furthermore strength and gladness are in His ‘place’ (maqom). The use of maqom to signify God’s dwelling place comes regularly in Deuteronomy, and is therefore early. Psalm 96 replaces it by Tabernacle.

16.28-29

Asaph then calls on all peoples to ascribe to YHWH glory and strength, the glory and strength which are due to Him because of what He is. They are to recognise His splendour and His power. They should therefore bring their offerings to Him, and worship Him, not only in splendid clothing, but in the array of holiness. For only what is pure and holy is acceptable to Him. To the people of Israel the presence among them again of the Ark of the Covenant presented a new reason why the nations should seek YHWH. And as we have seen, Hiram had already done so (14.1-2), and so would the Queen of Sheba under Solomon (2 Chronicles 9.1-9).

16.30-33

The world of men are called on to tremble before YHWH, now that He is once more dwelling on His throne among His people. They are to tremble because they become aware of His glory and are afraid. In contrast the world of nature does not tremble. Rather it is established and cannot be moved, and can consequently be glad and rejoice. For it has been set there by the hand of its Creator Who is sovereign over all. It is only man who is unstable and does not accept His sovereignty.

Thus the heavens are to be glad and the earth are to rejoice, because they are aware that YHWH reigns. This is true both of the heavens and earth of nature, and the heavens and earth of living beings. ‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handywork, day to day utters speech, and the night to night adds knowledge’ (Psalm 19.1-2). ‘And every created thing which is in the heavens and on the earth --- and all things that are in them, I heard saying, “To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, and the honour, and the glory and the dominion for ever and ever” (Revelation 5.13).

So all creation is to declare His praise. And that includes the earth of men which trembles before Him. They too are to be so glad that all of them tell it out among the nations.

This fact that ‘YHWH reigns’ links up closely with the arrival of the Ark, the throne of the invisible God. Aware of its presence it had made the people realise in a new way that God was enthroned among them, reigning through His chosen king, and extending His rule throughout the world. And it was that that made them rejoice and sing. Now, knowing that His throne was there, they saw Him as once more reigning among His people. No longer was He ousted by Saul. The present king reigns under Him.

And because He reigns they know He will come to judge, for the exaction of justice is one of the main planks of kingship. So whilst this might make men tremble, it is good news for Creation. The sea roars, the field exults, the trees of the wood sing for joy before YHWH, because He is coming to judge the earth. All nature rejoices at it. For they long for a settled and peaceful world. And whilst the trees of the wood are singing for joy, so are Asaph and his singers, for in the Ark He has come among them and true justice will therefore be established under His chosen king.

The People Are To Give Thanks To God For His Faithfulness And For His Enduring Covenant Love, As They Look To Him For Deliverance And Bless His Name For Ever (16.34-36).

This section relates to Psalms 107.1; 118.1, 29; 136.1 and also Psalm 106.47-48 which are probably all drawn from it. It calls on the people to give thanks to God for His goodness and covenant faithfulness, and to look to Him for deliverance, so that they might triumph in His praise.

16.34-35

Asaph expresses his gratitude for God’s goodness as revealed in His faithfulness to His covenant love, a love which would endure for ever. This was something of which the returnees from Exile were very much aware. Had He not been faithful to them too?

Asaph then goes on to urge Israel to seek salvation through Him. God was their delivering God, and they should call on Him to make them as one, and deliver them from the nations. Note the thought of ‘all Israel’ in their being ‘gathered together’. Unity would produce strength. That too was what the returnees from Exile needed to do. United they would stand, divided they would fall.

And the consequence of deliverance would be that they would give thanks to Him as they had discovered Him to be (i.e. ‘to His holy Name’) and triumph through praising Him.

16.36

The Psalm closes with praise to YHWH. He had come among them on the Mercy Seat on the Ark, as the God of Israel, and Asaph thus sought that He be blessed (truly praised and honoured and content) from ages past to ages yet to come. And all the people confirmed their agreement by saying ‘Amen’ (let it be sure) and by themselves praising YHWH.

David’s Provisions For The Continual Worship Of YHWH (16.37-42).

Asaph and his Levitical brothers are now given responsibility for conducting the worship in the Jerusalem Tent, with the priestly functions probably in the hands of Abiathar the Priest. It would seem likely that David would keep the man who had been faithful to him as Priest, as the Priest of his own Sanctuary. Heman and Jeduthun and their levitical brothers are given responsibility for the worship in the Tabernacle at Gibeon where the bronze altar was (1 Kings 3.4), with the priestly functions in the hands of Zadok the Priest, who may well have served under Saul. Due to the conflict between David’s house and Saul’s there were at this stage two Priests, Abiathar and Zadok.

Analysis.

• A So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of YHWH, Asaph and his brothers, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required (16.37).
• B And Obed-edom with their brothers, sixty eight; Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers (16.38).
• C And Zadok the priest, and his brothers the priests, before the tabernacle of YHWH in the high place which was at Gibeon (16.39).
• D To offer burnt-offerings to YHWH on the altar of burnt-offering continually morning and evening (16.40a).
• D Even according to all that is written in the law of YHWH, which he commanded to Israel (16.40b).
• C And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks toYHWH, because his covenant love (endures) for ever (16.41).
• B And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate (16.42).
• A And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house (16.43).

16.37 ‘So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of YHWH, Asaph and his brothers, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required, and Obed-edom with their brothers, sixty eight.’

So David left Asaph and his fellow-Levites to have responsibility for the ministry before the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH in the Tent in Jerusalem on a continual basis, operating as every day required, no doubt on a shift system but with Asaph on call. In view of the mention of Obed-edom and his sixty eight fellow-Levites, who are seemingly to share the work with them, it would appear that his fellow-Levites (‘brothers’) are those mentioned in verse 5 as singers, and that their ministry will mainly be music. It may be that the Obed-edom mentioned had responsibility for the non-singers among the Levites, in which case he may be a different one from the one in verse 5, i.e. he may be Obed-edom the son of Jeduthun, although it is quite feasible that a singer who was also a security man could have such a responsibility.

16.38a ‘Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers.’

Two doorkeepers were appointed for the Jerusalem Tent, neither of whom have been previously mentioned unless this Obed-edom is the one mentioned in verse 5, or indeed the one mentioned in 16.5. But there would certainly appear to be two Obed-edoms, and the naming of a different companion, together with the statement saying that he was the son of Jeduthun in order to identify him, seems to suggest that he was different from the ones previously mentioned. Obed-edom appears to have been a popular name among the doorkeepers. Once again we must be wary of seeing doorkeepers as lower level Levites. Among other things doorkeeping involved keeping out all who were not qualified to enter, a very important and delicate exercise requiring great authority, and they also had their part in looking after the treasury.

16.39-40 ‘And Zadok the priest, and his brothers the priests, before the tabernacle of YHWH in the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt-offerings to YHWH on the altar of burnt-offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of YHWH, which he commanded to Israel.’

This makes clear that the Tabernacle was at this stage at Gibeon (it is not at this stage mentioned as being anywhere else). The argument that had it been there it would have been mentioned before fails on the fact that no place is mentioned other than Gibeon as the place where the Tabernacle rested. (It being previously at Nob was only mentioned because David went there). Thus the matter of where the Tabernacle was, was clearly not seen as of great importance for what the writers wanted to say. It is only mentioned when a rival site is set up so as to explain what happened to the other singers, and to Zadok.

Gibeon was a priestly Benjamite city, and would thus have been a good choice to replace Nob, and even if Saul had not actively set up the Sanctuary at a new site after his destruction of the one at Nob, the probability is that the priests would have. It is, however, nowhere even hinted at that Saul destroyed the Sanctuary or its furniture. He was probably too superstitious to do so. Indeed it would have made him many enemies.

It may be that the Chronicler gained the idea from 1 Kings 3.4 (where incidentally God is seen to approve of Solomon’s way of worship), but it is equally possible that he found it in his other sources.

16 41-42 ‘And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to YHWH, because his covenant love endures for ever, and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate.’

With Zadok and his brother priests, who looked after the Sanctuary in Gibeon and offered the sacrifices, were the Levite singers under Heman and Jeduthun (sometimes Jedithun, e.g. Psalm 39.1 kethib). The son of the latter was the doorkeeper of the Jerusalem Tent. It may be that Jeduthun has replaced Ethan the son of Kashaiah as one of the three leading singers, or more likely that Ethan has taken a new name on his appointment. As we are never told the name of Jeduthun’s father or Ethan’s sons we can never be sure whether they are one and the same person (as a play on words Jed-uthun (Jed-ithun) could be ’Ethan with the Jed replacing the aleph).

Heman and Jeduthun had as assistants a group of men who were ‘chosen, mentioned by name’ (in other words a select group). And their purpose was the same as that of Asaph, to lead the singing by ‘giving thanks to YHWH’ Whose ‘covenant love endures for ever’ (compare 16.34). The presence of the Ark had brought a new assurance of the permanence of the covenant, and of God’s love for His people. This group had trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for those whose duty it was to sing aloud the songs of God. Meanwhile the door of the Tabernacle was constantly guarded by the sons of Jeduthun in order to prevent unauthorised access.

The Celebrations, To Do With The Arrival in Jerusalem Of The Ark Of YHWH, Being Over, The People Return To Their Homes And David Returns To Bless His House (16.43).

16.43 ‘And all the people departed every man to his house, and David returned to bless his house.’

The excitement of the day was over. The Ark of the Covenant of YHWH was safely set in its place in the Jerusalem Tent. Worship was continually going on around it. And God was present among His people in a new way. The people were thrilled. Filled with deep satisfaction and gratitude every man among them departed for his home. And David too returned home to bless his house. In other words he was so filled with reverence and praise that on arrival home he called down God’s blessing on his household, filled with joy because God was among them in a new way.

God’s Ways Are Not David’s Ways (17.1-27).

The Ark being successfully given its home in the Jerusalem Tent, David’s thoughts now turned towards something which in his eyes, was even more splendid. He had seen the Temples of the gods of the nations round about, and he visualised an even more splendid Temple as becoming the home of the Ark. At last it could find permanent rest in a house of cedar in Jerusalem. It will be noted that he did not ‘enquire of YHWH’. He assumed that his own notions must be right. For how could such a proposition be displeasing to Him? And thus an idea was planted in his mind that in spite of God’s strictures he could not shake off. God would have His house of cedar (whether He wanted it or not).

David Purposes To Build YHWH A house Of Cedar And YHWH Rejects The Idea (17.1-6).

The Ark being in Jerusalem David was concerned that while he dwelt in a house of cedar, YHWH had only a tent of curtains to dwell in. It did not seem quite right. And even the prophet Nathan was deceived for a time. But YHWH then revealed to him through his prophet that He required no such house. Rather He preferred it to be seen, by dwelling in a movable tent, that He was not bound to one place. There was also the further implication that no dwellingplace built on earth could be good enough or grand enough to contain Him. Thus rather than a house of cedar glorifying Him, it would diminish Him.

Analysis.

• A And it came about, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Lo, I dwell in a HOUSE OF CEDAR, but the ark of the covenant of YHWH (dwells) under curtains” (17.1).
• B And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.” And it came about the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell David my servant, “Thus says YHWH, “You SHALL NOT BUILD ME A HOUSE TO DWELL IN.” (17.2-4).
• B For I HAVE NOT DWELT IN A HOUSE since the day that I brought up Israel, to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from (one) tabernacle (to another).” (17.5).
• A “In all places wherein I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, Why have you not built me a HOUSE OF CEDAR?” (17.6)

Note in A David’s suggestion of a house of cedar and in the parallel God’s rejection of a house of cedar. In B YHWH commands him not to build Him a house to dwell in, and in the parallel He explains that He has never dwelt in a house.

David Was Concerned Because Whilst He Lived In A Splendid Palace, The Ark Of The Covenant Of YHWH Dwelt In A Tent Formed Of Curtains (17.1-2)

That what is now described follows the bringing of the Ark into Jerusalem must be seen as significant. Whilst they did not necessarily occur in close proximity, the point is being made by the Chronicler that David’s concern to please God and worship Him, even though misplaced, truly had resulted in his receiving the covenant from YHWH, the covenant that YHWH would establish his dynasty for ever.

The return of the Ark of YHWH to Jerusalem was marred for David by only one thing, that whilst he dwelt in a splendid palace, the Ark dwelt in a Tent. It did not seem right to him. Being a man he could not understand the rightfulness of the situation. He wanted to honour God fully in the only way he knew how. ‘Build Him a more splendid house’. And so he called Nathan the prophet, in order to discuss the matter with him.

But as David was to learn. God was not concerned about having to dwell in a Tent. Indeed He had no need to be. The Heaven of Heavens could not contain Him, and the whole of creation was His dwelling place. Indeed, the very reason that He ‘dwelt’ in a Tent was because no building could be large enough or imposing enough to do Him justice. And the danger was that in an imposing building men might have their thoughts fixed on its splendour, rather than on the splendour of the living God, so that it might even limit men’s conception of God. They might see Him as imprisoned in it, and judge Him by it.

And yet God did want a house to be built, for, as we shall see, the house that God wanted to build was a house of living kings which would result finally in the coming of a righteous king who would rule for ever. He wanted David to know that He would be more glorified by the righteous rule of a righteous king than by any building that man could build. It would express more fully what He was.

17.1 ‘And it came about that, when David dwelt in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Lo, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of YHWH dwells under curtains.”

Nothing could bring out more what the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH meant to David. He did not see it as just a religious symbol, to be sheltered as they wished. Rather it represented in a unique way the very presence of the living God continually present among His people. And it did not seem right to him that he should live in a cedar palace, whilst the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH dwelt under mere curtains, however splendid they might be. He wanted something permanent.

17.2 ‘And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.’

Here Nathan spoke, not as an inspired prophet of God, but as a religious adviser weighing up things in his mind. And it is important to notice that he got it wrong. It is a reminder that even the most spiritual of advisers can lead us astray if they speak simply in accordance with their own ideas. It seemed a good idea to Nathan, and so he approved of it, and even suggested that God was in it. It is sad to think that such a godly prophet could have such earthbound ideas. But he was after all, except when inspired, a man of his time. However, he was soon to learn differently, that God’s ways were not man’s ways, and that what seemed like a good idea to men was not a good idea to God. It would not be the last time that someone imposed his own ideas on God.

YHWH Forbids David From Building Him A House (17.3-6).

17.3 ‘And it came about the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,’

Because Nathan was a true prophet God soon set him right. For that same night He came to Nathan and spoke to him and brought him ‘the word of God’.

17.4 “Go and tell David my servant, Thus says YHWH, ‘You shall not build me a house to dwell in, for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel, to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another’.”

He told him to tell David not to build Him a house for Him to dwell in, because He was content with His Ark being lodged in a Tent patterned in accordance with His own ideas. Indeed, He pointed out, from the day when He had brought up His people out of Egypt His earthly dwellingplace had always been a Tent. First the Tent of Meeting prior to Sinai, then the Tabernacle as made at Sinai, and then its continued replacement as the original had worn out, and now in the Tent at Jerusalem.

Notice the very emphatic, “Thus says YHWH”. It was a pronouncement, not just a word of advice. And it should be noted that it was unequivocal. David was not to build a house for Him to dwell in. And the reason for that at this stage was not because David was a man of blood, but BECAUSE GOD DID NOT REQUIRE IT.

17.6 “In all places in which I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”

He reminded David that never once in all the places in which He had walked with Israel had He asked them to build Him a house of cedar. Nor had He called on the Judges of Israel, Whom He had appointed as shepherds of His people, to build Him such a house.

The force with which these words were spoken suggests that a house of Cedar was not what YHWH wanted. It suggests that in His eyes the Temple, whilst he would later accept it because he saw the love that was in David’s heart, would not be what He had really wanted. What He wanted to do was to build a house for David, that is, a dynasty of righteous kings Who would represent and present Him in a way in which no building could. That was what truly mattered. And He wanted that to be the thing that David and Solomon concentrated on.

The same has always been true of the true Christian church. Often a persecuted church, it did not in the early days go in for splendid buildings, but rather sought to be a living body pleasing to God. The splendid buildings tended to come from those whose spirituality was lacking, and produced the wrong kind of leadership. Giving buildings to God replaced the giving to Him of absolute obedience.

YHWH Explains To David How He Will Establish Him And His People, And How He Intends To Establish His Dynasty Permanently With A View To The Coming Of One Who Will Rule For Ever (17.7-15).

YHWH now explained that rather than David building Him a house, He would build a house for David, and that in the form of a continuing dynasty from which would come the everlasting king. This is the focus of what follows:

Analysis.

• A “Now therefore thus shall you say to my servant David,” (17.7a).
• B “Thus says YHWH of hosts, I took you from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel (17.7b).
• C “And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make you a name, like to the name of the great ones who are in the earth.” (17.8).
• D “And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more, nor will the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first, and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel” (17.9-10a).
• E “And I will subdue all your enemies.” (17.10b).
• E “Moreover I tell you that YHWH will build you a HOUSE” (17.10c).
• D And it will come about, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who shall come forth from your sons, (literally ‘shall become from (chayah min) your sons’) and I will establish his kingdom.” (17.11).
• C “He will build me a HOUSE, and I will establish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he will be my son, and I will not take my covenant love away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.” (17.12-13).
• B “But I will settle him in MY HOUSE and in my kingdom for ever, and his throne will be established for ever.” (17.14).
• A ‘According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David (17.15).

Note that in A Nathan was told to speak to David and in the parallel he had spoken to him. In B God had taken David to make him prince over Israel, and in the parallel the throne of his seed will be established for ever. In C God promises to make His name like the name of the great ones on the earth, and in the parallel his seed will build a permanent dynasty under God. In D Israel is to be established, and in the parallel the kingdom of David’s seed is to be established. Centrally in E YHWH will subdue all his enemies, and in the parallel He guarantees to build him a secure house.

YHWH Assures David Of His Presence With Him And Promises Him Future Success (17.7-10b).

17.7 “Now therefore thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says YHWH of hosts, I took you from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all our enemies from before you,”

YHWH now tells Nathan to say to David, that it was He Who had taken David from following the sheep, in order to make him Nagid (anointed prince/war-leader) over His people Israel. And that He had been with him wherever he had gone, and had ‘cut off all OUR enemies (both YHWH’s and his) from before you’. The ‘our’ suggests that it was the foreign enemies that were in mind, not Saul. Saul may have been disobedient but he was never classed as God’s enemy. David had become great because YHWH had made him great, and he had succeeded because God had made him succeed. And he had been able to cut off all his enemies because YHWH had done it on his behalf. For David’s enemies were YHWH’s enemies. Thus the blood he had shed had been on YHWH’s behalf.

We have already seen something of this success given to David in chapter 14. We will be introduced to a lot more examples in chapter 18.

17.8b-10a “And I will make you a name, like to the name of the great ones which are in the earth, and I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more, nor will the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first, and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel.”

YHWH now turns to the future and declares also what He intends to do. David may be on his way to greatness, but it is YHWH Who will make him supreme, ‘like one of the great ones on the earth’. He will make the mention of his name ring out through the nations.

And He will fully establish His people, and plant them so that they may dwell in their own place and not be moved any more. Previously His people have been subject to the activities of other nations and peoples. ‘The children of wickedness’ may include the Egyptians, but they are more likely the Amalekites, who were the first to attack Israel in the wilderness, and then the other invaders who gave Israel such a hard time in the period of the Judges, the Judges who had received their commands from God. And it had continued on in the time of Saul. The Philistines had given them no rest. They had been constantly on the move. But all that was to be over. His people would dwell in peace and not be moved on by enemies.

That this happened in the later days of David and during the early reign of Solomon is undoubted. The people of Israel were united and unmoved. None could make them afraid. But it was not to last. Its complete fulfilment awaited a far off time.

17.10b “And I will subdue all your enemies.”

For David the future was guaranteed. YHWH would subdue all his enemies. None would prove to be more than a pinprick against his great might. They would all fall before him. That was why under him Israel reached the furthest extent of its power. And whilst all this was partly due to the fact that David was a man after God’s own heart, it was even more because it was part of God’s sovereign will, a concept very strong in Samuel.

It Is YHWH Who Will Build David A House, That Is To Say, A Dynasty (17.10c-14).

The words that follow are somewhat enigmatic. Their main emphasis is on the ‘house’ and the kingdom that God will build for David, and the basic idea of ‘the house’ is the dynasty of David (verses 10c, 14), for he already had sufficient physical houses (14.1; 15.1; 17.1). This meaning of ‘house’ is carried all the way through. This confirms that the house in verse 14 also has in mind David’s dynastic house.

17.10c “Moreover I tell you that YHWH will build you a house.”

‘YHWH will build you a house.’ Of course, David already had a house (14.1a; 15.1a; 17.1a). This has been emphasised. So the words are clearly intended metaphorically. What is being made clear is that the house that YHWH will build for David is a dynastic house. It will be composed of his seed who will be born of his sons (verse 11, the fact that this seed will be ‘become from his sons’ excludes it as referring to Solomon). This makes crystal clear that verse 12 refers to the dynastic house of David. The house that Solomon was to build for YHWH, which would establish his kingdom for ever, was to be made up of his sons, and their sons, for it would establish his throne for ever.

17.11 “And it will come about, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will come forth from (hayah min = literally ‘become from’) your sons, and I will establish his (or ‘their’, the singular reflecting the noun ‘seed’) kingdom.”

YHWH promises David that on his death He, YHWH, will set up his seed after him, the seed who will come forth from his sons. And He will establish his kingdom (or ‘their kingdom’ if ‘seed’ is taken as a composite noun). This seed would ‘come forth from his sons’ and can therefore not specifically be Solomon. The thought is either of the continuing dynasty, or of the final coming King.

For hayah min compare Ecclesiastes 3.20, ‘all come forth from the dust’. Had it meant simply ‘from your sons’, meaning Solomon, the hayah would have been redundant.

17.12 “He will build me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.”

The point here is that David’s sons’ seed will build YHWH a house, a house far better than a house of cedar. It will result in his throne being everlasting. In the light of the context this means a dynastic house (verses 10, 16) or a house of living people among whom YHWH can dwell. Such a house was necessary if his throne was to be established for ever. This is not a reference to the Temple. Compare ‘YHWH will build you a house’ (17.10c) with ‘he will build Me a house’. Both are metaphorical. For the thought of the whole passage is not that of building a Temple, but of building a dynasty and a people. It is only because Solomon did build a Temple that anyone thinks differently. On the other hand it is very possible that both David, in his enthusiasm, and Solomon himself, misinterpreted these words as expressed in 2 Samuel, taking them out of context, and using them, as expressed in 2 Samuel, to spur them on to build the Temple. The Chronicler has, however, countered this error by his presentation of the words as, ‘your seed after you, who will come forth FROM your sons’. He rightly saw the words in terms of the coming king.

17.13 “I will be his father, and he will be my son, and I will not take my covenant love away from him, as I took it from him who was before you,”

Indeed, YHWH now promises that the relationship between Him and the son of David’s sons will be that of father and son. He will adopt the son as His son. This idea is exemplified in Psalm 2.7 where God says to the king, ‘You are My son, today I have ‘begotten’ (by adoption) you’. And His further promise is that He will not take His covenant love away from this son as He did from Saul. Whatever the son does, YHWH will be faithful to him under the covenant.

It will be noted that the Chronicler omits the words suggesting that this son might go astray. This confirms that he has in mind the coming King of righteousness who will not go astray. He wants to point to this son as the ideal Prince of peace (Isaiah 9.5).

17.14 “But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom for ever, and his throne will be established for ever.”

YHWH then assures David that this son will be settled ‘in His house’ and in His kingdom for ever. This is clearly not referring to the Temple. ‘MY house’ is the house that YHWH has promised to David, the house that He would build for him (verse 10c). It is the house of his dynasty. Thus the promise is that the dynasty will be made secure until the king comes Whose right it is to rule over God’s kingdom, who will be settled in that chosen dynasty, or alternately refers to the coming King Himself. He will be settled in the place that YHWH has destined for Him. It is in Him that his throne will be established for ever.

And through all the vicissitudes of the kings who followed Solomon, they are regularly thought of in terms of David (even by the Chronicler. He may exalt Solomon, but it is with David that all comparisons are made). For it was in the final Son of David that all hopes would be fulfilled and the everlasting kingdom be set up. If the throne was to be established for ever, there had to be an everlasting kingdom.

It will be noted that in 2 Samuel 7.16 this was spoken to David as ‘you’, rather than being put in the third person as referring to the coming son, although phrased a little differently. For in 2 Samuel 7.16 YHWH says, ‘and your house and your kingdom will be made sure for ever before you. Your throne will be established for ever.’ It is, of course, possible that God said a combination of both. We probably do not have all His words. But even if He did not, the one thought necessarily results in the other. If David’s house and kingdom were to be made sure, then the same had to happen for his son’s seed.

17.15 ‘In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.’

The passage ends by confirming that all these words, which gave a vision of what YHWH would do in the future, were spoke by the prophet Nathan to David. Sadly the words were misunderstood and David interpreted them as meaning that Solomon should build the Temple, even though God had made clear that He wanted nothing more than a Tent. So just as the nation had asked YHWH for a king and YHWH had reluctantly given them one, going along with the idea for their sake, something which ended in tragedy, so now David determined that his son should build a Temple and God reluctantly allowed it, even though it would end in tragedy (as the Temple always has), because David was so set on the idea. He went along with the idea for David’s sake, but the consequences would be disastrous. For it resulted in the false belief that because YHWH’s Temple was there Jerusalem would not be destroyed, and also resulted in the introduction of many false idols which finally destroyed the Temple. And this was true even though God had gone along with the idea out of love for David, and approved of it in the building of the second Temple because it had become so much a part of His people’s thinking. For the building of the Temple was intended to boost their hopes of a return to the days of David which they expected to be fulfilled in a greater David, a Prince of Peace. In the end the Temple was finally necessarily destroyed, having lost its meaning and significance. It failed to prepare for the coming King. Thus it was replaced by Jesus Christ, the King Who had come, Whose body was the true Temple (John 2.19-21) into which all true believers were incorporated (1 Corinthians 12.12-27; 2 Corinthians 6.16-20; Ephesians 2.20-22). This was how David’s house and kingdom were established.

The Prayer Of David (17.16-27).

Thrilled because YHWH had guaranteed the continuation of his dynasty, David ‘went in and sat before YHWH’, presumably in the court of the Tent in Jerusalem. And there he prayed this prayer of gratitude and praise. We have no reason to doubt that it contains the gist of what he prayed. It may well have been recorded in writing and placed in the book of the kings of Israel.

Analysis.

• A Then David the king went in, and sat before YHWH, and he said, “Who am I, O YHWH God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” (17.16).
• B And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God, but you have spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O YHWH God (17.17).
• C What can David say yet more to you concerning the honour which is done to your servant? For you know your servant (17.18).
• D O YHWH, for your servant’s sake, and in accordance with your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things. O YHWH, there is none like you, nor is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears (17.19-20).
• E And what one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before your people, whom you have redeemed out of Egypt? (17.21).
• E For you made your people Israel your own people for ever, and you, YHWH, became their God (17.22).
• D And now, O YHWH, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as you have spoken, and let your name be established and magnified for ever, saying, YHWH of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and the house of David your servant is established before you (17.23-24).
• C For you, O my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house, therefore has your servant found in his heart to pray before you (17.25).
• B And now, O YHWH, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant (17.26). >li> A And now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever before you, for you, O YHWH, have blessed, and it is blessed for ever (17.27).

Note that in A YHWH has ‘brought him thus far’, and in the parallel YHWH will continue to bless into the future. In B YHWH has promised has treated David as a man deserving of high honour, and in the parallel has promised high honour to his seed. In C David speaks of the honour done to him because He knows him, and in the parallel that honour is spoken of in the terms of the building of his dynasty. In D the greatness of YHWH is brought out because of what He has said, and in the parallel He is to let His Name be established and magnified for ever because He has done what He has spoken. Centrally in E He has redeemed Israel, and in the parallel He has made them His people for ever.

17.16 ‘Then David the king went in, and sat before YHWH, and he said, “Who am I, O YHWH God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”

Sitting in God’s presence, David admits his unworthiness of the privilege that has been given to him, and of the goodness that God has shown to him in the past. He first asks YHWH to explain to him why he should be worthy of the guidance and protection that God has revealed towards him in the past. It is beyond his comprehension. And yet he is grateful that God has brought him ‘thus far’.

17.17 “And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God, but you have spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me by the measure of (according to) the estate of a man of high status (literally ‘a man of going up’), O YHWH God.”

He then declares that he recognises that the benefits which he has enjoyed from YHWH in the past are as nothing compared with the great promise that he has now been given by YHWH concerning his house ‘for a great while to come’. And even more is he overwhelmed by the thought that God is treating him on a parallel with the position of a man of high status (of a man of going up). David was humble enough not to see himself as the greatest man alive. Powerful around Palestine he might be, but he had no thoughts of conquering Egypt, or the lands beyond the River Euphrates.

17.18 “What can David say yet more to you concerning the honour which is done to your servant? For you know your servant.”

He admits that the honour that has been done to him as God’s servant has left him without words to express the wonder of it. But he recognises that there is no need to say more, because God knows him so thoroughly. It is always the test of a true man of God that he is filled with wonder as to why God has chosen him.

17.19 “O YHWH, for your servant’s sake, and in accordance with your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness, to make known all (these) great things.”

Moved with a sense of God’s great goodness towards him, David speaks of what YHWH has done ‘for His servant’s sake’ and ‘in accordance with His own heart’. In other words YHWH has been good to His servant and has done it out of the love that He has for him. And what has He done? He has purposed a great and marvellous future, in which He will do great things for David’s house, and will bring about (make known publicly) all the great things that He has promised.

17.20 “O YHWH, there is none like you, nor is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

David now stresses the uniqueness of YHWH. There is none like Him. He is the only God. And it is this that gives him the certainty that what has been promised will be fulfilled. And this truth is in accordance with all that they have heard. They have heard nothing that puts it in doubt.

17.21 “And what one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed out of Egypt?”

Nor is there any nation like Israel. For it is this great God Who has chosen them, and has redeemed them, and Who has delivered them from Egypt, and on whose behalf He has done mighty wonders in driving out of Canaan the nations who sought to prevent their presence there.

17.22 “For you made your people Israel your own people for ever, and you, YHWH, became their God.”

And this was because YHWH had made Israel His own people ‘for ever’, and He Himself had become their God. But if this was so, how then could God through Hosea (1.9) speak of them as ‘not My people’? The answer lies in the nature of Israel. For as the prophets will make clear, ‘Israel’ only refers to those who respond to and are faithful to the covenant, in the final analysis the faithful remnant. As God would say to Elijah, ‘I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal’. They were the true Israel. In Zerubbabel’s day and the Chronicler’s day it referred to those who truly worshipped YHWH, and excluded those who were syncretistic. In Jesus’ day it referred to those who believed in their Messiah, and were part of the true Vine (John 15.1-6) and excluded those who rejected Him (Matthew 21.43; John 15.1-6). To Paul the true Israel was the Israel within Israel (Romans 9.6), those who were part of the olive tree in contrast with those who had been cast off (Roman 11.12-24). In his eyes all who truly believe in Jesus Christ are grafted into Israel, so that the true Israel today, who are God’s own people forever, consists of all true believers in Christ.

Brief note on Israel.

There are a number of myths concerning Israel. One such myth is the idea that Israel consists only of all the true born sons of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. But when we read Genesis we discover that already ‘Israel’ included foreign servants and slaves born in Abraham’s large household. He had 318 men ‘born in his house’. They far outnumbered his sons. And yet they were all included in the tribes which became Israel and went into Egypt with the sons of Jacob, as part of the households of the ‘seventy patriarchs’.

When they came out of Egypt a mixed multitude (Exodus 12.38) came with them and at Sinai were incorporated into Israel, and were later circumcised because of it. Indeed, it was always God’s purpose that, with rare exceptions, anyone who would submit to the worship of YHWH and be circumcised should become a part of Israel (Exodus 12.48; Deuteronomy 23.1 ff). Many Gentiles chose to become proselytes, and therefore one with Israel. Thus Israel were a conglomerate people. In the 200 years before Christ both the Edomites in southern Judah, and the Gentiles in ‘Galilee of the Gentiles’, were forced at sword point to become Israelites. And many would have been the number in the past who had done the same. And yet they all looked back to the sons of Jacob as their ‘forefathers’, seeing themselves as adopted into the tribes, but there were comparatively few who could trace their ancestry back more than five generations.

Thus when Jesus formed the true Israel from all who believed in Him as Messiah, and Gentiles became believers and were adopted into Israel as ‘the congregation’ (the church), they too formed the true Israel in the purposes of God. Unbelieving Israel were specifically cast off (Romans 9-11). True Israel continued on in His ‘congregation’ (ekklesia), as the branches of the True Vine (John 15.1-6)

End of note.

17.23 “And now, O YHWH, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as you have spoken.”

So David humbly prays that YHWH will do what He has promised. He asks that what YHWH has spoken concerning him, and concerning his dynasty, will be established for ever. That YHWH will do what He has said.

17.24 “And let your name be established and magnified for ever, saying, ‘YHWH of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel’, and the house of David your servant be established before you.”

But his aim was not selfish. His purpose was that YHWH’s Name be established and magnified for ever (through the house of David and his kingdom being established for ever) as a consequence of men saying, ‘YHWH of Hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel’ (the idea was that Israel would be so great that it would bring such glory to God). This was David’s hope and prayer. At first the reign of Solomon appeared to indicate the approach of its fulfilment. But it all fell apart, and it was to be a long time before, in the coming of Jesus Christ, it became a reality, and especially so after His resurrection (Acts 2.36; Matthew 28.18-19).

17.25 “For you, O my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house, therefore has your servant found in his heart to pray before you.”

And the reason why he felt able to pray before YHWH like this was that YHWH had revealed to David that He would build him a house, that is, a dynasty. With the guarantee of YHWH he knew that it could not fail (although man would do his best to make it fail).

17.26 “And now, O YHWH, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant.”

David now repeats his confidence that YHWH is God, and has promised all these good things to His servant. He is confirming his assurance that God will do what He has said.

The extended half repetitions of these final verses reveal how David did not quite know how to finish off his prayer, with the result that he constantly repeated himself. This was not the careful construction of the writer, but the rambling of a man at prayer who did not know quite how to finish off in view of the wonder of the contents.

17.27 “And now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever before you, for you, O YHWH, have blessed, and it is blessed for ever.”

But at last he does finish off his prayer with his final affirmation that he knows that YHWH has been pleased to bless the dynasty of His servant, and that therefore his dynasty will continue for ever before Him. For this he knows, that because YHWH has blessed it, it will be blessed for ever.

It will be noted that at this stage there is no thought of the building of a Temple. It would only be later that David would wrongly interpret it as supporting his idea about building a Temple. This confirms the genuineness of the prayer.

The First Stages In The Establishment Of David’s Dynasty (18.1-13).

What follows comes immediately after the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH into Jerusalem, and YHWH’s making of a covenant with David. This brings out that David’s successes, which will now be described, were due to the presence of the living God in Jerusalem, and to the covenant that YHWH had made with the house of David. In accordance with YHWH’s promise, David’s dynasty was being established, and God was subduing all his enemies. This would have been seen as proof by the men of his day, and by the Chronicler, of the fact that God was with him. Much of what is described here has been extracted from 2 Samuel 8.

It may seem harsh to us that God’s love is seen as expressed in such activities. We are so used to a world where the boundaries of countries are fixed and permanent, and where peoples as a whole tend to respect those boundaries, that we have no conception of a world where such boundaries did not exist, and where nations felt justified, when they were strong, in constantly invading other lands in order to extend their territory and gain booty. Before the time of David Israel had suffered under such activities for centuries. The Old Testament is not full of wars and fighting because God loved wars and fighting. It is full of wars and fighting because of what man is (compare James 4.1-2). But that was how men thought in those days. The sin of Adam had resulted in a world at constant war with itself. For David it was thus a case of ‘defeat the enemy or they will defeat you’. Before the rise of David Israel had been under the heel of the Philistines. And Moab, and Zobah had only to see a weakness in Israel and they would also have invaded without a twinge of conscience (indeed, as we see below Zobah was already busy extending its territory - verse 10). All three saw Israel in weakness as fair game. Thus the only way to ensure peace was to exercise the iron hand. That does not justify all that David did. David was a sinful man like we are. But it does serve to explain why God helped him against his enemies.

Analysis.

• A And after this it came about that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines (18.1).
• B And he smote Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute (18.2).
• C And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah to Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. (18.3).
• D And David took from him a large unit of (thousand) chariots, and seven large units of (thousand) horsemen, and twenty large units of (thousand) footmen, and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a small unit of (hundred) chariots (18.4).
• E And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians twenty two large units of (thousand) men (18.5).
• E Then David put (garrisons) in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went (18.6).
• D And David took the shields of gold which were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem, and from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much bronze, with which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of bronze. (18.7-8).
• C And when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah, he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had wars with Tou;) and he had with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass these also did king David dedicate to YHWH, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations, from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek (18.9-11).
• B Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt eighteen large military units (thousand), and he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went (18.12-13).
• A And David reigned over all Israel, and he executed justice and righteousness to all his people (18.14).

Note that in A the Philistines, who had had supremacy over Israel, were defeated and in the parallel David reigns over all Israel. In B the Moabites are smitten, and in the parallel the Edomites are smitten. These were the two nations who hindered Israel’s approach to Canaan prior to the Conquest. In C Hadarezer is smitten, and in the parallel the smiting of Hadarezer is the cause of Tou’s submission. In D David took Hadarezer’s weaponry and forces, and in the parallel he took his gold shields and bronze. Centrally in E the Syrians are defeated and in the parallel Syria is garrisoned and they become David’s servants. Note also the two parallel statements ‘the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute, and YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went (18.6), and ‘all the Edomites became servants to David, and YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went’ (18.13), the kind of parallel statements which, as we saw there. were a feature of chiasmi in the Pentateuch.

David’s Conquests (18.1-6).

18.1 ‘And after this it came about that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.’

The words ‘after this’ make clear the connection of what is now being described with the previous chapter. Thus David’s smiting of the Philistines, and his subduing them and taking from them Gath and its related cities , and all that follows, are seen as the consequence of God’s covenant with David. The constant harassers of Israel were now themselves harassed. Israel would no longer be under the domination of the Philistines, that warlike people who themselves had taken the fertile coastal plains of Palestine from the Canaanites..

18.2 ‘And he smote Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.’

He also smote Moab, a country which constantly harried Israel from the east (Judges 3.12-30; 11.1-33, for Ammon were confederate with Moab, and compare the Moabite stone which describes Mesha of Moab’s later attacks on Israel). And the Moabites came under David’s rule and had to pay him tribute.

18.3 ‘And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates.’

David now turned his attention to the king of Zobah, who was himself seeking to extend his territory to the north, and had powerful allies as we see later, and would later no doubt have turned his attention on Israel. David thus attacked him so as to protect Israel’s borders.

18.4 ‘And David took from him a large unit (thousand) of chariots, and seven large units (thousand) of horsemen, and twenty large units (thousand) of footmen, and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved from them enough for a small unit (hundred) of chariots.’

The strength and might of Zobah is brought out by the size of the force seized by David. He seized a large unit of chariots, that most dangerous of weapons; seven large units of horsemen, and twenty large units of footmen. And once he had taken them he rendered their chariot horses incapable of pulling chariots, although keeping enough whole in order to service a small unit of chariots for himself. (The alternative to hocking the horses would have been to slaughter them. They could not be left in the hands of the enemy).

In 2 Samuel 8.4 the numbers were ‘one large unit, and seven smaller units of horsemen, and twenty large units of footmen’. But as in Samuel chariots are mentioned in the clause which follows, ‘chariots’ is probably to be understood after the ‘one large unit’. The only difference then is in the size of the units of horsemen. And the assessment of what could be counted as a large unit of horsemen may well have varied over the centuries. It is noticeable that the Chronicler often speaks of ‘large units’ (thousands) when earlier writers speak of ‘small units’ (hundreds).

18.5 ‘And when Aram (the Syrians) of Damascus came to succour Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of Aram (the Syrians) twenty two military units (thousand) of men.’

Learning that Hadarezer was being defeated by David, the people of Aram, which was the area surrounding Damsascus (i.e. Syria), sent their army to his aid with the result that David destroyed twenty two military units of their men and took possession of Aram (Syria).

18.6 ‘Then David put (garrisons) in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went.’

Having defeated Aram (Syria) David then put garrisons throughout the land (the word ‘garrisons’ is read in from verse 13), and the Syrians became subject to him, and from then on paid him tribute. Their intervention had cost them dear. This intervention by Syria demonstrates that David was not just attacking everyone around. Until Syria had attacked him he had left them alone. It is clear therefore that his reason for attacking Zobah was his fear that they had in mind possession of Israel once they had consolidated their other conquests.

David’s Spoils Of War (18.7-11).

Zobah was clearly a growing and expanding empire which had become very wealthy as a consequence of its depredations on nations round about. As a result David was able to seize much of its wealth, quite apart from the spoils seized by his soldiers.

18.7 ‘And David took the shields of gold which were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.’

As became conquerors Hadarezer’s leading men bore ceremonial shields of gold (this was apparently common practise - 1 Kings 14.26; 2 Chronicles 12.9), and these David seized and bore off to Jerusalem. They were trophies of conquest, but their presence in Jerusalem was an evidence of the enforced submission of the shield bearers.

18.8 ‘And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much bronze, with which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of bronze.’

He also seized large amounts of bronze from the cities of Zobah, and this would later be used to make the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the bronze vessels for use in Solomon’s Temple. This is, however, the only mention of the Temple in this context, and it is therefore not correct to suggest that the Chronicler has in mind in this section the accumulation of treasure for the building of the Temple. Rather it depicts the amassing of treasure in the Name of YHWH which made David and Israel rich as a consequence of YHWH’s favour.

Tibhath may be the Tubihi spoken of in the Tell el-Amarna Letters, and the Dibhu mentioned in the Karnak lists. It may also be the Tubihi mentioned with Kadesh on the Orontes in the "Travels of an Egyptian" in the reign of Rameses II. 2 Samuel 8 names the cities as Betah and Berothai. In those days cities had a number of names depending on whose viewpoint they were considered from (note that btch is a variant of tbcht).

18.9-10 ‘And when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah, he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him (for Hadarezer had wars with Tou) and he had with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and bronze.’

The news of what David had done to the aggressive Hadarezer and his equally aggressive country of Zobah reached the ears of Tou, king of Hamath, whose country had suffered as a result of Zobah’s aggression. He accordingly sent his son to David, with munificent gifts, to salute him for what he had done, and in order to express his gratitude. We can compare how Hiram of Tyre had done the same (14.1-2). By doing this they both entered into a treaty relationship, bordering on tributary, with David. Further gifts would no doubt follow. The present ones consisted of all manner of vessels of gold, silver and bronze, no doubt intended for the king’s palace.

18.11 ‘These also did king David dedicate to YHWH, with the silver and the gold which he carried away from all the nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.’

David dedicated all the gifts he received to YHWH, putting them into the king’s treasury. And along with these gifts was much gold and silver obtained from defeated nations. These included Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Amalek.

The Defeat Of Edom (18.12-14).

Meanwhile Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, smote eighteen military units of Edomites in the Valley of Salt and garrisoned Edom. Note the similarity with verses 5-6. Both deal with establishing garrisons, and both end with the phrase ‘and YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went’.

18.12 ‘Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt eighteen large military units (thousands).’

Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, was one of the mighty men mentioned in 11.20-21. He regularly commanded part of David’s armies (2 Samuel 10.10; 18.2). And here he smote eighteen large military units of Edomites. The Valley of Salt was probably in the Arabah south of the Dead sea, and overlooked by a rocky mount (2 Chronicles 25.11). It may be the plain SSW of the Dead Sea overlooked by Jebel Usdum, or it could refer to the valley through which flowed the Wadi el-Milh (salt) overlooked by the Tel el-Milh. It was a regular battleground. Compare 2 Kings 14.7; 2 Chronicles 23.11.

18.13 ‘And he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went.’

Compare verses 5-6. As he had with Syria, David put garrisons throughout Edom and the Edomites became his servants, and YHWH gave victory to David wherever he went.

David Reigns Over All Israel (18.14-15).

18.14 ‘And David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and righteousness to all his people.’

The section ends with David reigning over all the people of Israel (and over the nations whom he had subjected), and administering justice and righteousness to all his people. The limitation to ‘all Israel’ when we have just learned of the subjugation of many peoples suggests that this verse has a special significance in both 2 Samuel and Chronicles. He is being pictured as the ideal king of Israel. It was this that YHWH had in mind for his future dynasty, and He especially had in mind the One Whom He had promised Who would arrive to establish the everlasting kingdom.

Thos who assisted him in his rule are now listed:

• ‘And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host.
• And Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
• And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests.
• And Shavsha was scribe.
• And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites.
• And the sons of David were in the first rank about the king.’ (18.15).

It will be noted that David had a recorder and a scribe, the one to maintain the country’s records, the other to deal with official correspondence. Israel had now moved into the level of sophisticated nations. Nothing is known about either of them, but it was at this point that the official history of the kings of Israel began. Up until that time it had been in the hands of prophets.

We note that Joab was over the host as commander-in-chief of the armies of Israel, and that Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the king’s bodyguard. The Cherethites and Pelethites were probably Cretan mercenaries who were loyal to David (they disappear on his death). The Cherethites had settled alongside the Philistines in the south of Canaan (1 Samuel 30.14). Their loyalty to David might date from his time in Ziklag, and especially from the releasing of some of their number who had been captured by the Amalekites and released by David (1 Samuel 30.18 with 14). The Pelethites may well have been Philistine mercenaries with the S elided to make their name harmonious with the Cherethites.

In 2 Samuel 8 the sons of David were called ‘priests’, being priests for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110.4). David had limited it to an intercessory priesthood, but such an idea was clearly inimical to the Chronicler. Thus he alters their status to ‘first’ about the king.

The omission by the Chronicler at this point of any reference to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9) suggests a deliberate policy, already noted (even though he mentions him and lists his seed in 8.34-40; 9.40-44) to omit any positive reference to the house of Saul after the death of Saul and his sons at Mount Gilboa. And this even though it cast a good light on David’s kingship. He may well have wished to quell stirrings among the Benjamites who had returned from Exile who might quite reasonably have been inimical to the kingship of the house of David which had let Israel down so badly.

IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE BIBLE THAT PUZZLES YOU?