6 Then they came to Gilead m, and to the || land of Tahtim-hodſhin ; and they came to Dan-Jaan os, and about to Zidon
m To Mouat G'lead, which lay Northward from Anon. n A place ſo called. Or, the lew-land lately gained; i. e nor given by Joſhuz, but taken lately from the Hagarens by Saul; which was near Gilead, 1 Ehron:; 5' io. 0 4; e; Probably, the famous City of Dan, acit is called, Jyb: 19:47: Juag: 18; 7. for this was in the Northern Bor- der of the Land, and in the way from Gilead ro Zidon. p i:e: To the City and Territory of Zidon ; but not into it, becauſe it was not in the Power and Poſſeſhon of the 1/raelites ; and the like is to be thought concerning Tyre, and the Cities which the Hrivites and Canaanttes yet poſletſed inthe Neighbourhood of Tyre and S:idon.
7 And came to the ſtrong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivices, and of the Canaanites : and they went out to the ſouth of Judah, ever to Beer- {heba. | :
8 So when they had gone through ail the land, they
came to Jeruſalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. Wh
9 And Joab gave up the ſum of the number of the people unto the king: znd there were in Irael eight hundred thouſand q valiant men that drew the ſword ; and the men of Judah 2w:re five hundred thouſand r men.
q Obj-#. In 1 Chron. 21. 5- They are numbred 1100 thouſand. Anſw. The ſum here expretled, is only of ſuch as were nor in the ordinaty and ſettled Militia waiting upon theKing, which being 24000 tor every Month, as 1s largely related, 1 Chron. 27. amounts to 288 thouſand, which either wr h their ſeveral Commanders, or with the Soldiers placed in 1everal Garitons, might very well make up 3oo Thouſand. Or, 288 Thouſand may pals in ſuch accounts for 300 Thouſand ; it being frequent in ſuch great Sums ro negle&t a ſmaller number, Bur 'n the Book of the Chron:cles, which was to gather up the Fragments omitred in the former Books both forts are put together, and fo they amount to 1:00 Thouland. r In 1 Chren. 21. 5. but 470 Thoutand. 4vf. Either, 1. they were ex- at'y no more bur are called 5oo Thouſand in 3 round ſum, as 1s uſualin Scripture and other Authors, Or, 2. the Gariſon-Soldierss and ſuch as were imployed in other Services about the King are here included, which are there excluded. Or, 3. They were 500 Thouſand when Joab gaveup the Numberrtothe King ; though pre- ſently after that they were bur 479 i houiand, 3-000 being tlain by rhe Plague, in the Tribe of ſudah ; which being David's &wn Tribe, it was bur juſt and fitir thould ſuffer more than the reft for, this Sin. And though it be rrue, that Joab gave up the Sum before the Plague begun, yet the tacred Pen-man of the Book cf Chronicles thought fit to inake a defalcation of them who had been ſwepr away by the Plague, thartthe Judgment of God therein might be obſerved. Or, 4. There are included herethe 300co which belonged ro rhe 3o Colonels mentioned Chap. 23. who are excluded 1 Chron. 21. alrhough ic be queſtionavic, of j uaah.
io 4 And Davids heart ſmote s him after that he had numbred the people : and David ſaid unto the LORD, I have ſinned greatly in char I have done : and now I beſeech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy ervant ; for t I have done very fooliſhly. |
s His Conſcience diſcerned his Sin, and he was heartily ſorry for it» And the occaſion of hisRepentance was, God's Metlage by the Prophet Gad, as it here follows, wer. 11+ Fir when, &Cc. as formerly. God's Meilage by Nathan had the ſame efledt, 2 Sam. 12. Both which Paſſages are noted, to ſhew how neceſſary the further and rpeated ſupplies of God's Grace, are even to the beſt of Men, to raiſe them when they fall into Sin. 7 Becauſe I am ſenſible of my- Sin and Folly, as it is more fully exprefſed, P/al. 51. 5S, 6. Or, alchxigh, as this Particle is ofr utcd.
11 For when David wasup in the morning, the
2 E 4 word
————
Chap.
XXIV.
Joab g, and againſt tiie captains of the hoſt : and Joab *
|| Or,
Vane).
!! Or, Netherland newly in- }
hatited.
wheth cr thoſe were all of the Tribe-
:
ap. XXIV.
»
word of the LOR D cate unto the prophet Gad,,
2 Chron. Davids * ſeer x, ſaying,
[ 19+ 25s
LOr,9%y. hand of man.
Tyr Sam. 15; 11;
2I:
# So called, becauſe he was a Prophet ( for ſuch were called Seers, 1 $am. 9.9. ) now and at other times employed by God to reveal his Mind and Will to David. See 1 Sam. 22. 5+ 1 Ghron. 29. 29.
12 Go, and ſay unto David, Thus faith the LORD, I offer thee three things ; chooſe thee one of them, that I inay do #t unto thee. : :
12 So Gad came to David, and told him, and faid | unto him, Shall ſeven years of famine x 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,
x Obje# In 1 Chron. 21. 12. it is only three years of famine. Anſw. 1. Some conceive. that here was an Error in the Tranſcriber, and that the true Reading is, three years, as the LXX read it in this place, being ſuppoſed to have found it ſo in their Copies, and thar otherwiſe they durſt never have preſumed to make ſo great a change in the Text. 2. In Chron. he ſpeaks exatly of thole years of Fa- mine only which came for David's Sin : but here he ſpeaks more confuſedly and comprehenſively, including thoſe Three Years of Famine ſent for Saul,s Sin, Chap. 21» And this Sin of David's was committed in the Year nexr after them, which was in a manner a Year of Famine; either, becauſe it was the Sabbarical Year, wherein they might not Sow. nor Reap ; or rather, becauſe not being able to Sow in the Third Year, becauſe of the exceflive Drought, they were not capable of Reaping this Fourth Year. And Fhree Years more being added to theie Four, make up the Seven heie mentioned. So the meaning of the Words is this, As thou haſt already had Four Years of Famine, ſhall Three Yeats more come? And that- it is ſaid ofjtheſe Seven Years, that they ſba#come, it isa Synecdochica! Expreſſion frequent in Scripture, becauſe part of the Years were yet to come. Even as it is ſaid of the Iſraelites, that they ſhould wander in the Wilderneſs fourty Years, Numb. 14. 33. when part of thar time was already ſpent. ; :
14 And David faid unto Gad, I am in a great ſtrair, let us fall now into the hand of the LO R*D y ( for
his mercies «re || great z ) and let me not fall into the