After this event, the king, contrasting his cedar pal- ace with the curtains of the tabernacle, was desirous of building a temple for the ark ; such a step, more- over, was likely to prevent any future change of its abode. This design, when imparted to the prophet Nathan, was received by him with warm encourage- ment He had to learn, however, that the seemingly obvious fitness of a public measuro did not excuse a prophet from the obligation of consulting the Lord be- fore he ventured to utter an authoritative opinion ; for the next day he had to return to the king with an in- timation that he must abandon the intention of execu- ting this great undertaking. The design is indeed commended; yet as he had been a warrior from his youtli, and had shed much human blood, he was pro- nounced unfit for this sacred work, which was thero- foro to be reserved for the peacefal roign of his suc- cessor. Encouraged by the divine approbation, and V the high promises which wero on this occasion
given to him, David heneelbrtli made ft one of ^ great objects of his reign to gather msaiis an als for this important undertaking the cr*fitrf«ie he is fairly entitied to divide with his eon, by vkki was actually executed. See SoiXMiov.
Great as might appear the adranta^e of ertshMu^ the same city as the religious and civil main effect was, in one respect, most anforCunate; &€fi»] ed the powerful and central tribe of Efihraia. I» had been accustomed to regard ShBah as the ii^| abode of the aik. Against Kiijath-jearnB m o? was folt, especially wfaUe the ark and its pri in obscurity; but when so mncfa honor atttaM'J when it became a peculiar glory to Jndah asd B^ min— tribes already too much favoired ; wiicB t nificent edifice was erected to rooeiT« it, ^ wero sown of tliat disaff'ection whwh ended in t ing of the tribes apart. Nor was Uie arignmeati sonable that a more central spot was needed ir to assemble at year by year.
2. FoundaHtm qfthe Ckmrt €md JSimpin ^Jtrm^ Sam. viii to xii).— -The erection of the new c^jj Jerusalem introduces us to a new era in DsTifiM and in the history of the monarchy. Up to tHe ts^ he had been a king, such as SanI had been betoK ks^ or as the kings of the neighboring tribes, each i^ over his territory, unconcerned with any tara^ rai tions except so far as was necessary to defoad Us ea nation. But David, and through him tibs IsmN monarchy, now took a wider range. He beoai i king on the scale of the great Ori^tal soiwags ^ Egypt and Persia, with a regular administratisi nl organization of court and camp; and ha alsetasa^ an imperial dominion which for the first time rofia^ the prophetic description of the boonds of the ck»fl people (Oen. xv, 18-21). The internal oigMiBia* now established lasted till the final ovesthniw dU monarchy. The empire was of mnGh aboiiterh» tion, continuing only throu^ tiie reigns of DtridoJ his successor Solomon. But, for the period of it! ci istence, it lent a peculiar character to the msni)*^ tory. For once, the kings of Israel were on s 1ml with the great potentates of the world. Daviiv' an imperial conqueror, if not of the same w^^ak yet of the same kind as Rameses or Cyms. '^I k^ made thee a great name like nnto the nmm cf ^ great men that are in the earth** (2 Sam. va ^^ **Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and faait ai^ great wars" (1 Chron. xxii, 8). And as, oo tfac ^ hand, the external relations of life, and tin gnstac- dents of war and conquest receive an ekvstin K their contact with the religions htstofy; so fte r^- ious history swells hito larger and broiler diuuuis— i¥om its contact with the course of the oats w^ The enlargement of territory, tlie amphiBcatiaa cf pe^ er and state, leads to a corresponding enlargesMit*' amplification of ideas, of imagery, oi synkptHats, oi thus (humanly speaking) tiie magnificent fbrwht*^ ings of a wider dispensation in the prophetie vxitap first became possible through the conrt and tmpat d David.
a. In the internal organiwtSon of the haBgdoe tk first new element that has to be considered is the i^ al family, the dynasty, of which David was ^ fn*^ er, a position which entitied him to the name of*?^ triareh'* (Acts 11,29) and (uhimatdy) of the sscei^ of the Messiah. Once settled in Jemsakat, Dif^ proceeded to increase the number of his wiTsi, p^ haps in part from the same political motive thst scti- ates other Oriental monarchs, vis. in order to tib ko8tage» ttom the chieftains round in the least oAsb" mode. This explanation will not apply to the csat^ bines. We know notiiing forther concerning Dsnf * family relations than the names of eleven sons bos ^ Jerusalem (2 Sam. v, 14, 16), of whom four were e^ dren of Bathsheba (1 Chron. iii, 6), and thereftamsa^ younger than the elder sous.
DAVID
693
DAVID
(L) Wioea of the Wanderinffg. (18>m.ncTli,a{ lClmm.UI,l.)
•rj«md. f. AblffdlofCttrnd.
Anaon or OdiMt
C J«roaM, <^. Bab.
on 1 Chnuuspril, SS.)
CbOwb or DanUl
(IChroiulli,];
JoMph.^itf.TU,l,4).
QfOMhor. I
I
K.B< — Tlitr* w««, bMtdes, 10 eonenblnM (9 Sua. t. 18: XT, 16), whoM childru (1 Chron. U, I) m Dot aaiMd (bai