at all difficult to suggest some very passable Ver. 32.-Kad understanding of the times explanations of these phenomena,. •rhisdoubt (2 Chron. ii. 12; Esth. i. 13; Job xxiv. is not lessened by the total, which,according I). Compare Tacitus, "gnarus temporum" to this list, must make a, figure between three (' Agricola,' § 6). 'l'his verse does not tell the hundred and forty thousand and three hun- number of the "children," but only of the dred aud fifty thousand men. To the host "hends" of lssaohar. It is possible that have to be added, as we a,re expressly told, the number has slipped out. The descrip- the "nsses, camels, mules, a,nd oxen," which tion of the characteristics of Issacho.r here carried the " bread, mea,t, meal, cakes of figs seems an advance upon that of Gen. xlix. nnd buncl1es of r&isins, a,nd wine, and oil, 14, 15. and oxen, and sheep in abundance," for the Ver. 33.-Not of double heart. This c.onsnmption of the host during their" three phraso should be connectecl closely with the ditys' "stay "with Dand," and their journeys preceding clo.use, of which it is the termi- to a,nd fro. In the presence of such num- nation, the sense being that they were the bers, and the celebration of such an occasion, men to face battle with no doubtful heart. Hebron must indeed bave beheld the reflec- Vera. 34-36.-Naphtali, Dan, o.nd Asher tion of its own probable meaning, of the all show to advantage, in number at all "fellowship" or "community" of society. events. To turn the kingdom of Saul to him (so eh. Ver. 37.-The eo.stof Jordan group muster x. 14). The phrase is not a common one. a high number, and of well-equipped men. According to the word of the Lord ( so eh. Ver. 39.-The supplies for eating and xi. 3; 1 Sa,m xvi. l, 12, 13). drinking were no doubt found chiefly in Vers. 24, 25.-David had already found kind. •ro sum the number of the men here friends and adherents in these two southern described, we should rcq uire to allow for tribes of Judah and Simeon. those of Issachar and of the Aaronites and Ver. 27.---lehoiada. He was probably the Zadokites added to the Levites (vers. 2!.i- father of Benaiah (see eh. xi. 22; xviii. 17; 28). That grand total will not amount to xxvii. 5; 2 Sam. viii. 18). The Aaronites. the six hundred thousand of Exod. xii. 37. This is, of course, equivalent to saying "the Ver. 40.-Moreover, they that were nigh priests," i.e. the priestly troops, of whorn them. The meaning is that not only the Jehoiada was leader. "brethren" of Judah and of the nearer neigh- Ver. 28.-Za.dok. This is the first men- bourhood of Hebron joined to entertain and tion of Zadok. He was, no doubt, the chief to show hospitality to the immense throngs priest, son of Ahitub, of 2 Sam. viii. 17; of visitors, but that others did so in ever- 1 Kings i. 8; eh. xxiv. 3; xxix. 22. He is widening circles, even as far as the remoter leader of the Lemte8. lssachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali. For there Ver. 29.-Rad kept the ward ; rather, had was joy in Israel. The joy must have been kept on the side of; the Hebrew, n:;,9t1i;i c•-:u?iii; largely enhanced by the national conscious- Vulgate, adhuc sequebatur. The proposed ness of divided rule coming to an end, and translation of M~J',)11 by "still" (' Speaker's of the cloud and frown of the Divine coun- Commentary,' in -ioc.) is very doubtful. tenance having cleared mercifully away. All The for hitherto of this verse explains the now could join to show loyalty and to feel reason of tbe comparatively small number it towards ono king, of whom they had of the Benjamites. reason to believe that he was the chosen of Yer.31.-WutMa.nas~Ah iehAre treated of. God as of themselves,
HOMILETICS. Ver. 17.-The suspicion that has power to propitiate favour. There is very great distinction to be drawn between suspicion and suspiciousness. '!'ho latter describes the character, expresses a characteristic, and reveals a tendency or bias that can find no admirer, unless it be a man of taste the most vitiated and unlovely. 'l'he former may be easily enough the necessity of accident or circumstance. It may possibly mark out the person who on occasion manifests it as deserving and plaintively claiming sympathy and help. The fact of its being betrayed rather than stilled, and the manner in which it expresses itself when it does so, may set up additional pleas for kindly interpretation, and :.;o some way further than merely to extenuate it. Habitual suspiciousness, then, must be either the result of the badness of inborn quality-into the mysteiics of which suggestion this is not the place to enter-or the outgrowth of a life and of circum- stanct i.n nothing more unhappily placed than in producing this as their natural fruit. While of the suspicion that may avail even to ingratiate a ruan with the best of his cu. xu. 1-40.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 177