d. But the more peculiar of David's iostitatifiu were those directly bearing on religion. Two {sepb- ets appear as the king's constant advisers. Of th« Gad, who seems to have been the elder, had been P** vid's companion in exile, and, from his being ciBa' " the seer," belongs probably to the earliest fioni d the prophetic schools. Nathan, who appean4brtbe first time after the establishment of the Idngdos ^ Jerusalem (2 Sam. vii, 2), is disUnguished botb l?l" title of ' * prophet," and by the nature of tbe pwfilwde* which he utters (2 Sam. vii, 5-17 ; xii, 1-14), ai rf4« purest type of prophetic dispensation, and sf tiie M» of the new generation, which he supports in tiwpMS* of Solomon (1 Kings i). Two high-priests— reffeMol* atives of the two rival houses of Aaron (1 ChroD.xxTi 8)— here again, as in the case of the two propheti,^ appear : one, Abiathar, who attended hhn at Jerasi' lem, companion of his exile, and oonnected vitk th old tune of the judges (1 Chron. xxvii, 34). jNVBf him after the death of Saul, and becoming aflorwdi
DAVID
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DAVID
support of his son ; the other Zadok, who minitter- it Gibeon (1 Chron. xvi, 89), and who was made the d of the Aaronic fiimily (xxvii, 17). Besides these r great religious functionaries, there were two cLiss- [>f subordinates — prophets, specially instructed in ^n^ and music, under Asaph, Heman, the grand- of Samiiel, and Jeduthun (1 Chron. xxv, 1-31); ritos, or attendants on the sanctuary, who again re subdivided into the guardians of the gates and irdians of the treasures (1 Chron. tolvi ; i, 28) which I been accumulated, since the re-establishment of nation, by Samuel, Saul, Abner, Joab, and David iself (1 Chron. xxvi, 26-28). Fhe collection of those various ministers and repre- itatiVes of worship round the capital must have giv- a new aspect to the history in David^s time, such as tiad not borne under the disconnected period of the iges. But the main peculiarity of the whole must ve been that it so well harmonized with the charac- ' of him who was its centre. As his early martial 3 still placed him at the head of the military organ- ition which had sprung up around him, so his early acation and his natural disposition placed him at the ad of his own religious institutions. Himself a ophet, a psalmist, he was one in heart with those lose advice he sought and whose arts he fostered, liat was still more remaiiuible, though not himself a lest, he yet assumed almost all the functions usually scribed to the priestly office. He wore, as we have en, the priestly dress, offerod the sacrifices, gave the •iestly benediction (2 Sam. vi, 14, 17, 18); and, as if > include his whole court within the same sacerdotal inctity, Benaiah, the captain of his guard, was a priest y descent (1 Chron. xzvii, 5), and joined in the sa- red music (1 Chron. xvi, 6) ; David himself and "the iptains of the host*' arranged the prophetical duties L Chron. xxv, 1); and his sons aro actually called 'priests'* (2 Sam. viii, 18; 1 Chron. xviii, 17, trans- ited "chiei^" and abXapxaty "chief rulers"), as well 8 Ira, of Manasseh (2 Sam. xx, 26, translated "chief uler," but iepivQ), Such a union was never seen be- ore or since in Uie Jevrish history. Even Solomon ell below it in some important points.
e. From the internal state of David's kingdom we Mss to its external relations. David's further victo- ies are narrated in the following order — Philistines, lloab, Zobah, Edom, Northern League stirred up by ;he Ammonites, Ammon (see Hase, De regtd David, et Sahm. descriptio geogr. hist., Korimb. 1789, 1764). 1. The short and d^ notice concerning the Philistines just gives us to understand that this is the era of their iecisive, though not final subjugation. Their towns were despoiled of their wealth (2 Sam. viii, xii), and doubtless all their arms and munitions of war passed over into the service of the conqueror. 2. The Moab- ites were a pastoral people, whose general relations with Israel appear to have been peaceful. The slight notice of Saul's hostilities with them (1 Sam. xiv, 47) is the only breach recorded since the time of Eglon and Ehud. In the book of Ruth we see them as friendly neighbors, and much more recendy (1 Sam. xxii, 8, 4) David committed his parents to the care of the king of Moab. We know no cause, except David's strength, which now drew his arms upon them. A people long accustomed to peace, in conflict with a vet- eran army, was struck down at once, but the fierceness of K» triumph may surprise us. Two thirds of the population (if we rightly interpret the words, 2 Sam. viii, 9) were put to the sword ; the rest became trib- utary. 3. Who are m^sant by the Syrians of Zobah is BtiU a problem. See Zobah. We here follow the |>elief that it was a power of northern Syria, then aim- ing at extensive empire, which had not only defeated and humbled the king of Hamath, but had obtained ^»«m*g« beyond the Euphrates. The trans-Jordanic tribes in the time of Saul had (bunded a little empire for themselves by conquering thefar eastern neighbors.