. . . hast regarded me aooording to the estate first occunence of the word " servant" in of a man of high degree; i.e. thou bast the previous verse might not be similarly treated me, or dee.It with me, in this promise explained. The similarity of the characters na though I had been of high rank indeed. of the words in the Hebrew would render The parallel reading is very concise (2 Sam. easy the exchange of the one word for tho vii. 19), e.nd perhaps somewhat obscure, other. " And is this the manner [ or, • law ') of Ver. 21.-ln the parallel verse (2 Sam. me.n?" or, "And this is to be a law of vii. 23), our Authorized Version, following man," i.e. this continuity of a great while the Hebrew text (□=:,~), reads, "To do for you to oome. Elliptical as this reading may great things and terrible." The transition seem, there is no real difficulty in feeling is awkward, no way in harmony with the its essentiJLl harmony with the passage other short clauses of the passage, and it before us. David's unfeigned surprise and would be inexplicable except for the alter- joy in the "great while to come" nature of native open to us, of regarding it os a quo- the promises made to him and his house tation from Deut. iv. 34, brought in regard- overpower all else in his estimation. It is, less of the context into which it was indeed, a most opportune emphasis that he introduced. The difficulty does not meet lays upon this element of the full promise, us in our present passage, being obviated by and accords exceptionally well with our the other sentences of our compiler. Both later knowledge and brighter light. Our places, however, manifestly quote from tl1e Authorized Version rendering throws out Book of Deuteronomy, with the grand pas- sufficiently this surprise, and gives not in- sages and grand verbiage of which ,ve may adequately the drift of the passage. The well imagine David fBIIliliar. A Rimilar continuity and exaltedness of the promise, familiarity is also betokened in the follow- which was only fully realized in the greater ing verses, ea regard other Pento.teuchal Bon of David, the Christ, might well astonish passages. David. Ver. 22.-Didst thou make. This appears Ver. 18.-Thy servant. The Septuagint in Samuel, "Thou didst confinn." Version has not got these words on their Ver. 24.-The Hebrew text reads here first occurrence. 'I'hey may have found their naturally enough, And let be established BDd way in wrongfully out of the next clause. me.gni.fied for ever thy Name. The "os- They are not found in the parallel place. fablished " in the lo.et clause of the verse is If they remain, they can mean nothing else not the same word with that used here. than" How can David further acknowledge Ver. 27.-The marginal, It hath pleased the honour conferred on thy eervant,"-a thee, is the corrector rendering of the sense by no means far-fetched. Hebrew here, though the parallel pince ex- Ver. 19.-For thy aervant'a sake, The hibits the imperutive mood. That it may parallel place reads, "For thy word's sake." be before thee for ever. The fulfilment of This reading is superior, and well suib the these words can be found in the Messiah connection, suggesting lalso whether the alone (comp. r1. ii 6-12),
IIOMILETICS. Vers. 1-27.-The purport and the service of one individual life unfolded authorita- tively. The contents of this chapter afford general aspects of great interest and of great importance. It is not often that we can do more than surmise the real use and intent of the life of a fellow-creature, or indeed even of one's self. Certain it is that from the ben-inning none can see to the end, and the lip that presumes to prophesy of the child or of the young man, prophesies at least as often vainly as correctly. Nor in the midst of life, its heyday of joy and vigour, or its day of enforced reflection an~ calmer rctro8pect, i~ the power very materially added to that would enable to gnu&e the life at ~11 adequately, its genius, its measure of usefulness or success, or th~ place 1t shoul~ be Justly counted to win in the universal race. While, lastly, the b1ographe~e verd1ct-whatover tho increased and enlarged opportunity of his horoscope-is among those things_ ~hat aro notorious for the suspicion they arouse. But here we have very much of a D1vrne pro- nouncement on the work of a life. And that this should occur in the case of David, harmonizes well with what Paul remarked (Acts xiii. 36) respecting him: "For David, after he had served his own 11:eneration by the will of God, fell on sleep, nnd was laid to his fathers and saw corruption." His life is not yet closed, bis work not yet finished· but on ~ remarkable occasion a voice from heaven speaks of it, at the same time th;t it also speaks to it. David is tnught his place; it is his own fault if he is 272 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [oa. xvn. 1-27.