15 © And when the Syrians ſaw that they were {mitten before Iſrael, they gathered themſelves to- gether L. : : z Partly, to wipe out the ſtain of Cowardize which they had now contra&ed : partly, to prevent that Vengeance which they ſuppoſed David would execute upon them for their laſt atrempr : and partly, to ſhake off the Yoke that David had lately pur upon them. ; 16 Ard Hadarezer a ſent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river b: and they came to Helam ; and Shobach «© the captain of the hoſt of Hadarezer went before them. | a The ſame with Hadadezer, Chap. 8. 3» 6 Who having engaged themſelves in the former expedition, as was noted before, were now obliged to proceed in their own defence, being alſo perſwa- ded and hired to this ſecond Expedition, wv. 19. «c Or, Shophack, 1 Chron, 19. 16. 17. And when it was told David, he gathered all Iſrael 4 together, and pafled over Jordan, and came tro Helam : and the Syrians ſet themſelves in aray againſt David, and fought with him. d i. e. The Choſen and Valiant Men pick'd out of all 1/-ael: 18 And the Syrians fled before Iſrael, and David flew the men of ſeven hundred chariots e of the Syrians, and fourty thouſand horſemen f, and ſmore Shobach the captain of their hoſt, who died there. e Heb- Seven hunared chariots : is e, The Men belonging to them, that foughr in, or with them ; as plainly appears, 1. Becauſe the Men only, and not the Chariots were capable of being killed, as theſe are faid to have been. 2. Becauſe it is thus explained in the Book of Chronicles, which was written after this Book, for this end, to explain what was dark or doubtful, and ro ſupply what was omitted here ; where, inſtead of theſe Words, are ſeven thouſand men Which fought in Chariots, 1 Chron. 19. 18. And this is a very common Metonymy ; of which. See above Chap. 8. 4. and the Notes on 1 Sam. 13- 5. Although there might be 7000 Chariots in all, whereof 7500 were cheſen ones ; according to the diſtinftion made Exod. 14. 7. f Forwhich in 1 Chron. 190 18. is fourty thouſand Footmen. Which may be reconciled divers ways. 1. Both theſe ma be true, that he flew 40000 Horſemen, which being the ad conſiderable part and ſtrength of the Army, it might ſeem ſufficient ro name them, and every one could ealily underſtand, that the Footmen in that caſe were certainly cut off; and that he flew alſo 40000 Footmen, as is ſaid 1 Chron. where he mentions them only, becauſe they were omitted in 2 Sam. and the Horſemen being ex- preſſed here, it was needleſs to repeat them in 1 Chron, 2. The Horſemen may be here called Formen, in oppoſition to thoſe that fought in Chariots ; becauſe they ſometimes fought on Horſeback, and ſometimes came down from their Horſes, and fought on Foor, when the place of the Batte] was more commodious for Footmen than for Horſemen ; which it is not improbable was their Caſe here ; for David being a Soldier of great Prudence and Experience, and underſtanding the great Numbers of the Syrian Horſemen ; whereas the /raelites had but very few, Deus. 17. 16+ would doubtleſs endeavour to Chuſe a place as inconvenient for their Horſemen as he could. 3. Peradventure the Syrians deſigned to bring the War into David's Countrey, and therefore haftned their March and for that end put their Footmen on Horſeback, ( as hath been frequently done in like Caſes ) who, when they came to the place of Batrel, came down from their Horſes and fought on Foot. So there is no need of acknowledging an error of the Scribe in the Sacred Texr ; which, yer if it were granted in ſuch Hiſtorical Paſſages of no moment to the Do&rine of Faith and good Life, it would not thake the Foundation of our Faith in matters of great Impor- rance, Which it might reaſonably be preſumed the Providence of od would more watchſully preſerve from all depravation or corruption.
i9 And when all the kings that were ſervants to Hadarezer f ſaw that they were ſmitten before Iſrael, they made peace with Iſrael, and ſerved them : So
the Sy rians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
f To wit, for that time, or in that Expedition to which he hired
theme HAST AL Wilt Joab beſieged Rabbah David committeth Adultery with Bath-ſheba, 1 -——- 4+ Aud hearing that ſhe was big with Child he ſendeth for Uriah her Hi:sband out of the Camp, to cover his ſhame, He will not go to his own Houſe, weither ſober nor drunk, F, I3. David ſendeth him again into the Camp with @ Letter to Jeab to expoſe him to Death,
145 17. The news of which Joab ſendeth ro David : He marrieth Bathſheba, 18, == 27,
battel c that * David ſent Joab and his ſervants with him, and all Iſrael ; and they deſtroyed the children of Ammon, and beſieged Rabbah 4, but David tarried ſtill at Jeruſalem,
a When that Year ended, and the next begun, which was in the Spring-rime, Exod. 12. 2, 6 Which is, when the ground is fit for the March of Soldiers, and brings forth Proviſion for Man and Beaſt. c Theſe words are to be underſtood here, as Gen. 10. 11. and 14+ 8. & The Chicf and Royal City of the Ammonites, Deus. 6.83 | 2 4 And it came to paſs in anevening-tide, that David aroſe from off his bed e, and walked upon the roof f of the kings houſe : and from the roof he ſaw
a woman waſhing her ſelf g : and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
flight, and ſo might caſily rally rogether.
e Where he had lain, and ſlept{for ſome time zabcipg poſſibly _ poſc
Chap. XI,
A N D it came to paſs, that Þ after the year was + Heb.# expired #, at the time when kings go forth & to there
* ; Chrol
*Pſal. 5 title. tHeb- - ſte was {f rifjing nd mncleanne; KY) Gr »
: Lev. I 19. and 18, 19,
f Heb. 0) . the peace 0 C,
}Heb. vent out a ter them.s
F Chap. 29. 6,
SAY.
"Fchap. XL]