David's psalm of thanksgiving Before CHRIST 1018. + Heb. to him. + Heb. before his eyes. Ps. 18. 26. II. SAMUEL. for God's powerful deliverance. ing to the cleanness of my hands | and wounded them, that they could hath he recompensed me. not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his judgments were before me and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24 I was also upright + before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. 25 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness +in his eye sight. 26 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. 27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward Or, wrestle. thou wilt || shew thyself unsavoury. 28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. Before CHRIST 1018. 40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou + subdued under + Heb. caused me. 41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. 43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad. 44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me. to bow. of the || Or, yield feigned 45 Strangers shall submit + Heb. Sons themselves unto me: as soon as they stranger. hear, they shall be obedient unto me. 46 Strangers shall fade away, and obedience. they shall be afraid out of their close places. 47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. 48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me, 49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. b + Heb. lie. gireth avenge Heb. ment for me. 50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the b Rom. 15. 9. heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. 51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his e Chap. 7. 13. seed for evermore. 4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. 6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: 7 But the man that shall touch + Heb. filled. them must be + fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. [ Or, Joshebbussebet the Tachmonite, head of the three. 8These be the names of the mighty men whom David had : || The death; or the last words which he spake by the inspiration of God. Dr. Wells, Poole. How glorious a conclusion of so noble an office is this; to recollect God's signal mercies and blessings bestowed upon him, his exaltation to royalty from a low estate, and his gifts of prophecy, poetry, and harmony; his special command to him as a king, and his eternal covenant with him and his seed; the continuance of his temporal kingdom, but with no increase of grandeur, in his posterity; their sure salvation and protection while they continued in the covenant made with their father; the final reprobation and destruction of the wicked; and, above all, that blessed and permanent assurance to the faithful, that "the Spirit of the Lord spake by him, and his word was in his tongue;" thus sealing the truth and certainty of his Divine inspiration, and, in consequence of that, the sacred authority of his writings to endless generations. Dr. Delaney. the sweet psalmist of Israel,] This title seems most eminently to belong to David, as he was the person who had brought to perfection the musick of the Jewish service, having not only composed the Psalms, but the musick also, and having prescribed to the performers their several parts, &c. Dr. Gray. 2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, &c.] That is, it was by the Divine inspiration that I composed my various psalms, and now speak this. Dr. Wells. 3. He that ruleth &c.] Or, as in the margin, Be thou ruler over &c. which the Chaldee expounds of the Messiah in this manner: The faithful God spake, I will constitute to me a king, He is the Messiah, who shall arise and reign in the fear of the Lord: but this relates His mighty men. Before CHRIST 1018. Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: || he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom 11.11. he slew at one time. See 1 Chron. + Heb. slain. 12. 9 And after him was a Eleazar the a 1 Chron. 11. son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. first to David, the type of Christ, who was taught to rule justly, and in the fear of God. Bp. Patrick. Or, retaining the present translation, the words are an illustrious assertion of that kingdom and government, which Christ the righteous even then administered over men. Bp. Beveridge. 5. Although my house be not so &c.] My house or kingdom is not so with God; that is, is by God's appointment destined to excel the forementioned comparisons taken from natural things: for they are none of them stable and constant; whereas He, namely, God, hath made with me an everlasting covenant, (a covenant of an everlasting as well as blessed and glorious kingdom,) ordered in all things aright and sure: which is to be chiefly understood, and is fully true, of the kingdom of Christ. For this kingdom of Christ that is to descend from me, is that wherein is founded all my salvation, and all my desire. Dr. Wells. Otherwise the sense may be, Although I have not in every point been answerable to that which God hath required of me, and foretold concerning me, yet in his great mercy He hath made an everlasting covenant with me. Bp. Hall. 8. These be the names] Here follows a catalogue of those valiant men, who helped to raise David to his dignity, and to preserve him in it, being continually with him in his wars. The Tachmonite] Called Jashobeam at 1 Chron. xi. 11: he sat in the seat, probably in the council of war. 13. And three of the thirty chief] Rather, as in the margin, three captains over the thirty. Bp. Patrick. the cave of Adullam:] A place where he had A catalogue of Before CHRIST 1018. c 1 Chron. 11. 20. II. SAMUEL. 14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! 16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. c 18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his + Heb. slain. spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three. + Heb. great Heb. lions of acts. of God. + Heb. a man of countenance, or, sight: called, 1 Chron. 11. 23, a man of great stature. || Or, honourable among the thirty. 19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain howbeit he attained not unto the first three. 20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of KabZeel, who had done many acts, he slew two + lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21 And he slew an Egyptian, † a goodly man and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the Or, council. first three. And David set him over command. his guard. + Heb. at his David's mighty men. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Before CHRIST 1018. d Chap. 2. 18. 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son el Chron. of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the || brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ith 11. 27. I Or, valleys. had exposed such worthy persons to the hazard of their lives, "poured it out unto the Lord." What a mass of sin and misery would he have escaped, if he could have so denied himself in the matter of Uriah! Bp. Sanderson. 17.is not this the blood &c.] He considers the water brought at such hazard, as blood, which by command of God was to be poured on the ground. 39. — thirty and seven in all.] Only thirty-six are named; therefore Joab, who was the head of them all, should be included, to complete the number. Bp. Patrick. David forceth Joab Before CHRIST 1017. Satan. 21. 1. Before AND again the anger of the LORD prevailed against Joab, and against CHRIST was kindled against Israel, and || he moved David against them to See 1 Chron. say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, || Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. || Or, Compass. 3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding the king's word Chap. XXIV. ver. 1.—was kindled against Israel, Probably for the general luxury, pride, and unthoughtfulness, which in a time of peace and plenty overspread the kingdom. Pyle. and he moved David against them] Rather, as the Hebrew will admit, 'David was moved against them" namely, by Satan, as is expressly said at 1 Chron. xxi. 1. Bp. Patrick. If our translators had rendered it "David was moved," they would better have expressed the true meaning. Bp. Kidder. By comparing this passage with 1 Chron. xxi. 1, it evidently appears, that God's moving David, or Satan's provoking him, or his own distrustful heart tempting him, to number the people, are all phrases having one and the same meaning. Dr. S. Clarke. Nothing is more common with the sacred writers than to represent God as doing that which, in the course of his providence, and for the purposes either of mercy or judgment, He permits to be done by the instrumentality of second causes, animate or inanimate, corporeal or spiritual. Thus the meaning of these different expressions, when put together, is, according to a fair explanation, that God, for good and sufficient reasons known to Himself, permitted Satan to tempt, and David to yield to the temptation, in the present instance. Bp. Horne. | the captains of the host. And Joab 1017. 5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the || river of Gad, and toward || Or, valley. Jazer: land newly 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the || land of Tahtim-hodshi; and Or, nether they came to Dan-jaan, and about to inhabited. Zidon. 7 And came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. very reprehensible step even by Joab, who remonstrated against it, being apprehensive of the bad consequences which would ensue. Dr. Chandler. The numbering of the people was one of the last and most reprehensible acts of David, about two years before his death. From the expressions used at 2 Sam. xxiv. 1, and 1 Chron. xxi. 1, we may collect, that God permitted Satan to tempt David to the commission of a crime, which would draw down punishment on himself and his people, as He afterwards permitted the same evil and lying spirit to seduce the Prophets of Ahab, 1 Kings xxii. 22, and the disciple of Christ, Luke xxii. 3. The ruling passion by which the tempter assailed David was the pride of life, which, though checked and mortified by the wholesome restraints of adversity, broke out again in the sunshine of prosperity. David's offence seems chiefly to have consisted in his persisting to require a muster of all his subjects able to bear arms without the Divine command, without necessity, in a time of profound peace, to indulge an idle vanity and presumption, as if he put his trust more in the number of his subjects than in the Divine protection; and the offence of his people may have been similar, always elated, as they were, in prosperity, and provoking the anger of the Lord by their forgetfulness of Him. Dr. Hales. Moses numbered the people by God's authority, to shew that they were all his subjects: David seems to have numbered them to shew that they were his own people, and to display his own sovereignty; which provoked God. Bp. Wilson. 3. And Joab said &c.] Though pride is so imperceptible often to ourselves, it is commonly obvious to others. Even Joab saw it in David: a wicked man discerned it in a saint. Wogan. 5. And they passed over Jordan, &c.] The course, which the officers took, was this. Setting out from Jerusalem, they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the river Arnon, or "the river of Gad;" this place is called "in the midst of the river," probably because it was, in whole or in part, situated on a spot of ground surrounded by the river: they thence went 2.- that I may know the number &c.] David's prosperity had at this time too much elated him; and, being advised by some rash and imprudent courtiers to take the number of his people, that he might the better know his strength, his vanity got the better of his duty, on which God was pleased to check the rising presumption of his heart, by letting him see how vain his dependence on his forces was, and to punish him and them for their violation of a law, which he had ordered to be observed under the severest penalty. For it had been expressly commanded, Exod. xxx. 12, When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul," &c. David, either not thinking of this command, or deeming himself, as king of Israel, exempt from it, ordered the people to be num-northward to Jazer, to Tahtim-hodshi, or the netherland bered, without exacting the ransom from each of them. This was one of the highest stretches of authority; an assumption of a prerogative which God reserved to Himself, and a violation of a standing law of the kingdom, which was specially ordained as a memorial of God being their supreme Governour and King. It appears that this action of David was looked upon as a newly inhabited, a marshy tract on the river Jordan; and to Dan-jaan, the same as Dan, lying at the head of Jordan: from Dan-jaan they went to the cities or countries of Tyre and Zidon, on the north-west of Canaan; thence, turning southward, they came to Beer-sheba, the most southerly city of Canaan, and thence back to Jerusalem. Dr. Wells. David chooseth the Before CHRIST 1017. Before 1017. 8 So when they had gone through | unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, CHRIST all the land, they came to Jerusalem saying, at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10 ¶ And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came 9.-in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men &c.] On comparing this account with 1 Chron. xxi. 5, we find an important difference; for there the men of Israel are said to be 300,000 more than they are here, and the men of Judah 30,000 less. As to the former difference, we may account for it by supposing, that, in the sum given in this book of Samuel, the standing legions (which amounted in all to 288,000 men) are not included, though they are in Chronicles: and, as to the latter difference, we may add 24,000 legionary soldiers to the tribe of Judah, and the difficulty is removed; unless in this latter case it be deemed sufficient to say, that the computation is made in very round numbers, without strict attention to accuracy. Bp. Patrick. 10. - David's heart smote him] He was now sensible that he had numbered the people out of fleshly vanity and pride, and as one who relied on his own strength and the number of his forces for the support of his kingdom, rather than on God, who can save by few as well as by many. Dr. Wells. Here needed no Nathan to bring David to a sight and knowledge of his sin. The heart of the penitent supplied the place of the Prophet. No other tongue could smite so deep as his own thoughts. Bp. Hall. I have sinned greatly in that I have done:] This last offence of David is still more astonishing and alarming than the first. This was an offence committed immediately against God. It is almost inconceivable, and altogether frightful, to consider, how "the light of Israel," an inspired Prophet the most highly gifted, favoured with such abundance of revelations concerning the Messiah, and his future dispensation of grace to mankind, could be so exalted above measure by the inborn pride and naughtiness of his heart, (1 Sam. xvii. 28,) as to forget, not merely for a moment, but for nine months and twenty days, (the time employed in making the return,) the Lord his strength and his redeemer, unmoved by the representations and remonstrances of his most faithful friends, who forewarned him of the Divine displeasure. Most strongly indeed does his fall on this occasion urge the necessity of vigilance and prayer, to correct the deceitfulness of the human heart, and to counteract the subtlety of the devil working against us; while his rising again furnishes an abundant source of consolation to all return 12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. 14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not || Or, many、 fall into the hand of man. 15 So the LORD sent a pestilence ing penitents, never to despair of the riches of Divine mercy, from a sense of their own unworthiness and manifold demerits. Dr. Hales. 13. Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land?] There is a difference between the account given here, and that in the book of Chronicles, where the famine is said to be for three years, not for seven, 1 Chron. xxi. 12. Some have imagined that seven is in this place an errour which has crept into the text. But the difference may be explained in another manner; by supposing that the author of Chronicles speaks of those years of famine, which were to come for David's sin only, while the author of the book of Samuel speaks also of those years which were sent for Saul's sin, 2 Sam. xxi. David's sin in numbering the people took place within one year after the famine sent for Saul's sin; the intermediate year was perhaps the sabbatical year, in which the people neither sowed nor reaped, or a year of such excessive drought that the crops came to nothing. Upon either of these accounts, it might properly enough be said that there would be seven years of famine, three being added to four which had preceded. Stackhouse. According to this explanation, the Pro"Wilt thou have three phet's words may be the same as additional years of famine?" which removes all apparent contradiction. Bp. Horne. There is not another instance recorded in Scripture of any man's being left to the choice of his own punishment. "The man after God's own heart" is the only one to whom this singular favour is shewn: and the Divine condescension towards him was not lost or abused. David, in the choice which he made, directed himself probably to that which he thought would, under the hand of a just God, fall with less severity on his people, and with heavier on himself, as the principal and sole offender. How humble, how generous and benevolent a choice was this; and, therefore, how pious and wise! It disarmed the destroying angel, brought the Lord Himself "to repent" and to stay his hand. When we meekly submit ourselves to the Divine correction, not only mercy, but justice itself, will say, "It is enough.' Wogan. 14.- let us fall now into the hand of the Lord;] Of the three punishments offered, David chose the plague, probably from recollecting that this was the very punish |