after the taking of Jeruſalem and the rwo lirlt Fights with the Phi« liſtines, whereas here it is placed before the latter, and there is no mention here of the former. The matter may be thus conceived : There being now a great and general concourſe of all 1rael, and David being now Eſtabliſhed in his Throne with univerſal conſent and applauie,he begins with God, and his firſt Thoughts and Cares are about Religion and the Ark, then the great Inſtrument and. Ornament of it,and rakes the opportunity of this aſſembly to deſire their advice and concurrence with him in it, that the Ark might be brought either to Hebron, which then was the Royal City ; or to Feruſalem, which as probably he told them, he was reſolved ta Beſiege, and doubted not, by Gods Help, to take. After this was
ſembly was diſmiſſed, only ſome of them David reſerved to go wittx him againftFeruſalem,which accordingly he did,and ſucceeded in his Enterprize, as 1s related, 1 Sam: 5. But before this Reſolution could be executed,the Philiſtines came & fought twice with David, as IS related 1 Sam: 5: 17, &c. and here ch: 14: 8, &c. And after they were repulſed with great loſs and ſhame,Dav:d ſets upon the Exe« cution of that which before he had reſolved, and in order to if calls another General Aſſembly of the People. c 3. e. If this Tranſe lation of the Ark be pleaſing to God, which I purpoſe to enquire by the Urim after the manner, and to att accordingly. d Heb. lee 25 break out and ſend, 3. e. let us ſend Meſſengers ſpeedily and uni- verſally to the ſeveral Tribes, We are now in ſome fort pent up in a Corner of the Land in Hebron, bur let us bieak up the Affemb] and diſperſe our ſelves, and ſend far and near about this Work. Ic is a Mcraphor from the Sea or Rivers, which, when the Banks are Broken, do ſuddenly overflow the whole adjoyning Country. e By which word he minds them of the great Deſolations and DettruQt= ons which God for their fins had hitherto made among them ; and therefore adviſeth that Remnant whom God had ſo graciouſly ſaved in and from thoſe dreadful Ruines that they would more ſeriouſly {er themſelves to ſeek God than they had formerly done.
3 And let us + bring again the Ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it fin the days of Saul p.
f The Ark was then neglected ; and the generality of the People either lived in the groſs neglect of the ſolemn worſhip of God ; or contented themſelves with going to Gibeon and offering Sacrifices there, not caring, though the Ark, the Soul of the Tabernacle,was in another place. g So it was in the days of Sam wel ; bur it is ra« ther charged upon Saul than him : partly becauſe Samuel was ex« erciſed with continual Wars or expectation of Wars with the Phis liſtines all che time of his Regency, and therefore wanted the Ope portuntty to bring back the Ark,whici Sau! had, 8 neglected: part= ly becauſe S-7uel ropk care to ſtir up and maintain Religion among them by other Means and in an extraordinary manner; whereas rhis was bur one Branch of Sauls Impiety, and was joyned with a con= tempt of all Religion, as the Hiitory of his Life thews : ano partly becaule it was inore proper to excuſe himſelf and the pr: tent
Generation
Chap: XII, -
37 And on the other ſide of Jordan,of the Reubenite, and the Gadite, and of the half-tribe of Manaſſeh, with | all manner of Inſtruments of war for the battel, an
s. DI
38 All theſe men of war,that could keep rank, came with a perfe& heart to Hebron, to make David kinp over all Iſrael: and all the reſt alſo of 1frael ere of one
39 And there they were with David, three days, eating and drinking : for their brethren had prepared
40 Moreover,they that were nigh them «, even unto
|| Or,
viFugl of meal,
T Heb.lei
us break
{ 25g bi end. their cities and ſuburbs, that they may gather them-#Heb-ir
the cities
6 i. e. Unto all the People then aſſembled with him at Hebron, fhtir ub This Story is mentioned in another place in. 2 Sam: 5: & 6. even#% .
propoſed by the King and accepted by the People, this great Aſs
+ Heb, bring a bou!»
[That
4 place
reache,
1 b 4
eb,
Chap.
+ Heb.
waat the
Py ride.
f Heb, ſage.
| Called Nichin, 1$m.6.6.
"2Sim.5. lt, &+
* the Ark: and there he died before God.
:; iscalled || Perez-uzza, to this day.
anointed King over all Iſrael, all the Philiſtines went - up to ſeek David, and David heard of i, and went out
.oneration who were guilty of this negleQ, than to rake into the yy of their deceaſed pa Beto and lay his Charge againſt thoſe who were dead and gone ſome good while ſance-
And all the congregation ſaid that they would do ſo : for the thing was right in the eyes of all che peo-
le þ. FP þ Their Conſciences ſmiting them for their former negligence, and being fully convinced-of the Piety and Reaſonablenels of this Propoſition. ; 5 So * David gathered all Iſrael 3 together, from Shihor of Egypt &, even unto the entring of Hemath,
to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim. ;
7 5. e. Allthe choſen Men of Iſrael, as it is phraſed, 2 Sam. 6. T. their Elders and Repreſentatives. k Of which ſee Num 34 5. Joſ-13. 3- « Chron. 13+ 5»
N 7c & ns 6
13 And the Philiſtines yet again ſpread themſelves abroad in the || valley ||.
God ſaid unto him, Go not up after them, turn away from them, * and come upon them, over againſt che muiberry trees. |
15 And it ſhall be, when thou ſhalt hear a ſound of 20ing in the tops of the mulberry-trees, :hat then thou ſhalt go our to battel : for God is gone forth before thee, to ſmite the hoſt of the Philiſtines,
16 David therefore did as God had commanded him : and they ſmote the hoſt of che Philiſtines from Gibeon even to Gazer.
17 And the fame of David went out into alllands6,
6 And David went up, and all Iſrael to* Baalah, that js, to Kirjarh-jearim 7, which belonged ro Judah, to bring | up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth | between the cherubims, whoſe Name is called on zt m.