The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 252

Solomon (1 Kings viii. 14) the king realized parallel places. But here the Septuagint far more closely the idea of the patern&l reads tipTov lva &.pT01<0,r11<~v 1<al .¼.,uoplT71v as relation to the people tba.u had ever been the whole account of the loaf, the good piece since the time of the patriarchs of the elder of flesh, and the flagon. days. Vers. 4-7.-'fhese verses contain a state- \· er. 3.-Each little clause of this verse is ment of the arrangement David made of & replete with interest. The royal giver, who more permauent nature, but to date from now delllt to every one of Israel, was, after this commencement, for the service of all, but a channel; yes, and only one thanksgiving by the Levites. channel, through which the fulness and the Ver. 4.-To minister; i.e. to officiate, os bounty of the royal Giver of every good and we should say, in the service before the perfect gift, of all good whatsoever, of llll ark. The verse seems to describe what things necessary to lite and godliness, are should be the essence of that service. It su pplicd to every one of his creature-sub- was threefold-to reoord, to thank, and to jects. But it is highest honour, as servant praise the Lord God of Israel. The word and instrument alone, to figure forth him here used for "record" is the Hiph. of in any way. The second little clause tells ,?\ (to remember), and ia rem&rked upon us either that women took a recognized place by Gesenius as a title strictly appropriate on occasion of this joyous festi..-al, or that the to the character of the two psalms xxxviii hospitality of such an occasion did not and lxx., on the head of which it st11.nds, as forget them and their homes. And the meaning, "to make others remember" (see following three little clauses require closer also such passages as Exod. xx. 24; 2 8nm. examin&tion. The word here translated viii. Hi; xviii. 18; xx. 24; Is&. xliii. 26; " loaf" in the expression loaf of bread is ,?~, Ixiii. 7). The minds of the people were to for which in this sense we may turn to be refreshed in this service and in their Exod. xnx. 23; Jud,g. viii. 5; 1 Sam. ii. 36; ve1·y psalm of praise (so note in this sense :x. 3; l'rov. vi. 26; Jer. xxxvii. 21. The vers. 8, 9, 12, 21, etc.), by being reminded corresponding word, however, in the pa- or told, so far as the youngest of them rallel place is n';,~ (for which see Exod. might be concerned, of God's marvellous xxix. 2, 23; Lev. ii. 4; vii. 12, 13; viii. 26; and merciful deeds for their forefathers of :xxiv. 5; Numb. vi. 15, 19; xv. 20). The many, many a generation. Then they were essential meaning of the former word is a. to give intelligent and hearty thanks. And, circle, hence applied to the cake because of lastly, they were to offer to approach that its shape, and of the latter word perforation, purest form of worship which consists in hence applied to the cake because it was adoring praise. One might imagine with perforated. A good piece of flesh, This is what zest they would have accepted, with the Authorized Version rendering of ip~~, what fervour they would have added lip and instrument of music to it-that one verse which occurs only in the parallel place ·and which needed the revolution yet of nearly here. The Vulga.te translates assatura bu- another three thousand years, that it might bulai carnis; the Septuagint, laxaph11. The flow from the devotion of Addison. imagined derivation of the word from ,~ (ox) and 1!:i~ (fire), or from ip~ (to bnm), •• When a.II thy mercies, 0 my God, seems to be what bas led to these transla- llly rising soul surveys, tions, helped, perhaps, by the apparent Transported with the view rm lost convenience of adapting meat from the In wonder, love, and praise." Ea.crifice to the bread. But Gesenius, Ver. 5.-0bed-edom. No colon should Rudiger, Keil, and others prefer the deri • follow this name. And the :first time of vatiou iDl!i (to measure), and they would the occurrence of the name Jeiel in this render" ~'measure" of wine. And a fia.gon. verse should probably have shown the This i.B the Authorized Version rendering Jaaziel of eh. xv. 18. The contents of this of the original ;Jtf'rlf!'I., found in the parallel verse put us, then, into possession of this place as well as here, and also in the only mnch, that Asaph presided (eh. !i. _39) at other places (two in number, and in the this musical service, and that }us mstru- plural) where it occurs (Cant. ii. 5; Hosea ment was the cymbals (eh. xv. 19), with iii. I). But there is no doubt, or but little, which time was kopt: t!Jat Zecharinh wos tha.t the rendering should rather be "drieu, next to him, and, with eight others formed pressed cakes of raisins or grapes." It is a band, who played on ps~lteries (or lutes) then to be derived from tl,e root !!it?~ (to and harps. If we may gullle ourselves by preBB). The substantive has both masculine vers. 20 21 of the preceding chapter, three aud feminine form in plural. The Vulgate of thes:-viz. l\fottithia, Joie!, Obed-edom translates similam frixam oleo, which means -performed on the harp, the other six on a " baked cake of flour and oil ; " and the the psaltery, or lute. E:ie1,tuagint, ~c/:yavov ci,,ro 'T'l')'t(vou in the Ver. 6.-Jahaziel Probably the Eliezcr1 on. xvi. 1-43.] TIIE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHilO:NICLES. 247