The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 273

Dadd how surely and faithfully he had Ver. 10.-This verse should read on con- shared the pilgrim lot and unsettledness of tinuously with the preceding, as far as ta his people. Whe.t most holy the tabernacle the word " enemies." 'fhe time here de- contained was herein a type of the bodily noted will stretch from the people's occupa- tabernacle of Jesus Christ in later times. tion of the land to the death of Saul, e.B the Ver. 6.-The judges of Israel. The sub- expression, "at the beginning," in ver. 9, stitution of the Hebrew character beth for pe, will point to the experience of Egyptian op- in the word "judges," would me.ke it pression. Will build thee au house ; i.e. "tribes," and bring it into harmony with will guarantee thee an unfailing line of the parallel place. But the succeeding descend,mts. clause, Whom I oommanded to feed my Ver. 11.-The promise is now, not to people, would rather suggest that the "David and his seed," but to David person- parallel plnce, which adds the same clause, ally. The verse contains, no doubt, the should be brought into harmony with this original of the Apostle Peter's quotation (see again ver. 10 of this chapter). Tho (Acts ii. 29, 30; see also Acts xiii. 34 ; Luke general meaning and the gracious spirit i. 32, 33). The last clause of this verse bas underlying it is evident enough. God had Solomon, for the abject of its pronouu never made a suggestion to tribe, or leader ''his." oftribe,nortojudge, who had been temporarily Vers. 12-14.-The reference of these raised up to lead, and so to feed, all his people promises was also to Solomon, and ta Ilim Israel, to build him an house. He had shared they were faithfully fulfilled. They were their lot, and had shared it unmurmuringly. early perceived to be prophecies also, and of He also "had not opened his mouth" (1 the highest significance and application (Ps. Kings viii. 12-16; eh. x:xviii. 3, 4; Ps. lxxxix. 26-37 ; Isa. ix. 7; Iv. 3, 4; Jcr. lx.xviii. 67-71). Note also the expression, xxiii. 5, 6; xxxiii. 17-21; Zech. vL 12, 13; "I chose no city out of all the tribes of Heb. i. 5; iii. 6). 'fhe alternative of the Israel" (1 Kings viii. 16). It is to be re- "son who commits iniquity" (2 Sam. vii. marked that we learn from eh. xxii. 8 and H) is omitted from the middle of our xxviii. 3 the fuller causes why David was thirteenth verse. The latter half of ver. not to be permitted to be the builder of the 13 manifestly purports to say, "I will not house. It is not apparent why those causes take my mercy away from Solomon, as I did are not recited here. The same remark take it away from Saul." The close of our applies to the parallel place. fourteenth verse is in the parallel place (2 Ver. 7.-I took thee. (So 1 Sam. xvi. 11, Snm. vii. 16) distinctly referred to David, 12; 2 Sam. vii. 8; Ps. lx.xviii. 80.) The with the use of the second person possessive eheepcote. The Hebrew ;'])? strictly signifies pronoun. a resting or place of resting. Hence the Vers. 16-27.-These verses contain habitation of men or of animals, and in Do.vid's response ta the gracious communi- particular the pasture in which flocks lie cation which had been made to him, and down and rest (Ps. xxiii. 2, plural con- thanksgivings for the promise made to him struction; Job v. 24; Hosea ix. 13; Jer. as regards his seed. His appreciation of xxiii 3; xlix. 20). The sheepcote was the contents of that promise is expressed sometimes a tower, with ronghly built high in a manner which would seem to indicate wall, exposed to the sky at the top, used for that he was not altogether untaught, even protection from wild beasts at night; f!Of"!1e- then, by the Spirit of some of the deeper times the sheepfold was a larger low bwldmg significance of the far-reaching promise. of di lferent shape, to which a fenced court- Ver. 16.-Sat before the Lord ; i.e. before yard was adjacent, where the peril of cold or the e.rk. It he.s surpl'ised many tho.t it of wild beast was less imminent. The word should be said that David sat before the of our present passage, however, cannot be Lord, in the act of prayer or devotion. But compared with these places; comp. rather this was not altogether unusual (1 Kings Exod. xv. 13; 2 Sam. xv. 25; Isa. xxxiii. xix. 4) in the first place; and then, secondly, 20; lxv. 10; Hosea ix. 13, as above. it is not quite clear that this is said. Pos- Ver. 8.-A.nd have made thee. This me.y sibly he sat awaiting first some such taken be rendered and will maT,e thee; in which as he might know how to construe into the case the promise to David commences with presence of Jehovah, and into his gracious this rather than the following clause, vouchsafing to give him audience, and there- Ver. 9.-All the verbs of this verse are in upon he may have altered his attitude. the same tense as those of the foregoing Confessedly, however, the other is ,the more verse, which are correctly translated. For natural reading. an expression similar to the last clause of Ver. 17.-David here makes a clear and the verse, Neither shall the ohildren of very just difference between all that had wickedneBB waste them any more, may be been done for him, and the very greo.t pros- found iu Ps. lxxxi.x. 22. pect now in addition put before him, Thou  c11. xvu. 1-27.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 271