The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 319

harmony with the necessities of government, often impede our path in the historical we know not, but certain it is, he was boob of the Old Testament. At the r.me tempted to make the unhappiest use of his that kings go out. It was no doubt the case "tarrying at Jerusalem." that, even in Palestine, the winter we.a often a period of enforced inactivity. Rabbe.h. Ver. 1.-The fifteenth verse of the pre- The punishment of Ammon for the treat- vious chapter stated that the discomfited ment of David's well-intended embassy of Ammonites " fled . . . and entered into the condolence is now a.bout to be completed. city,'' i.e. into Rabbah. Hither we now learn The familiar root of Rabbah signifies multi- that, by the command of David (2 Sam. xi. 1), tudinous nu!Dber, and, resulting thence, tho Joab,at the" return of the year," i.e. probably greatness of importance. It was the chief at the return of spring (Exod. xxiii. 16; eity of the Ammonites, if not their only xx.xiv. 22), brings the power of the army, city of importance enough for mention. In and, after ravaging the country ~urrounding five passages its connection with Ammon is it sits down to besiege Rabbah itself. The coupled with its no.me (Deut. iii. 11; 2 Sam. s~ries of feasts, beginning in spring and end- xii. 26; xvii. 27; Jer. xlix. 2; Ezek. xxi. 20), ing in autumn, regulated the year. The sa~red "Re.bbah of the children of Ammon." It year began with the new moon that became has been conjectured to be the Ham of the full next after the spring equinox; but the Zuzim, or the Ashteroth Karnaim of the ~it,i! year at the sev:enth new moo;11, This Rephaim (Gen. xiv. 5 ), of which latter one verse illustrates 1n four several rnsta.nces theory there is some interesting eviilenco of at fewest the advantage of having two ver- a oorrobore.ting tendency e.t all events (seo sions of the same events, even though in this Smith's 'Bible Dictionary,' ii. 985). Habbah case in comparatively immaterial respects. is the proper spelling of the word, except I. We here read that Joa.b wasted the when in e. constructive state, as in the nborn oountry of the ohildren of Ammon . . , and phrase. The relations of l\loab a.nu Ammon besieged Rabbah, in place of the less con- with Israel Me full of interest. After the sisteut reading of 2 Sam. xi. 1, '.' destroyed overthrow of Og, King of Ilashan (Numb. the children of Ammon, and besieged Rab- xxi. 33), "Moab and Ammon still remained ba.h." 2. We have here in the Hebrew the independent allies south and east of tho right word for "kings" (c•:;i~J:/;:i), instead lsrnelite settlements. Both fell before David of the word for "angels " (□•:;,117\!);:,), as in -Moab, evideutly the weaker, first; Ammon the parallel place. 3. While we read here not without a long resistance, which mude that J' oab 11mote Rabba.h, and deetroyei! 1t, the siege and fall of its capitol, Rubbah- the parallel place, now shirted to 2 Sam. xii. e.mmon, the crowning net of Do.vid's con- 27-29, tells of Joa.b's generosity (if it were quests. The ruins which now utl.orn the this and not fear or possibly sc111ewhat • royal city' ore of CL Inter Roman dote; but tartl'y obedience to strict comm1mds giv~n the commanding position of the citutlel on his commission), in his message to DaVId, remains; and the unlll3unl sight of CL living to repnir to the spot immediately a.ud share stream a.bounding in fish (2 Snm. xii. 27 ; the glory of the reduction of the city, or be Isa.. xvi. 2) marks the signific11nce of Joab's its nominnl cnptor. 4. A.nd, once more, song of victory, 'I ho.ve fought ugamst while we rend here that Joab smote Rabbah, Re.bbnh, nnd hnve to.ken tbe city of wnters'" and deatf'oyed it, and yet read in the pnra.llel (Stnnley's • Sinai o.ncl Pnlestine,' 323, eclit. pince of the delay and the visit of David l8GG). (with which the very first clause of our Ver. 2.-P'ound it to weigh a to.lent of ver. 2, "A.nd David took," eto., is in gold, Two difficulties present (he~selves perfect accord) and of Dnvid's nominal in this verse, viz. the reported weight of tnking of the city, we find probably the this crown, and the uncertainty o.s to wlmt just nnd in~rtificial explnnntion of nil this heucl it wo.s from which Dnvid took it. in 2 Sam. x.11. 26-29. There we read more Whatever we.a its weight, if Do.vid's heo.d particularly that Joa.b sent word be natl was able to sustain it for o. minute or two, ta.ken the "city of waters," i.e. tl.e lower the hend of the King of the Ammonites port of the city (where CL streaw had its might also occasionnlly h11ve borue it. Yet source and no doubt supplied ilie city with it would scarcoly ho likely that the King wnter), which we.a very likely the ~ey of the of the Ammonites woulcl h,we so pondorous whole position and called upon David to come a crown (ce.lcullltetl. o.t o. weight of CL hundred up and" enc~p against the ~ity nnd tnke it," and fourteen pounds Troy, or e. little more or less than one hundredweight)e.s one of ortli- i.e. the oity, or citadel, which stoo~ upon nnrywee.r,or thnt hewoultl. hove ono of extm- the heights north of the stream: Glimpses ordinary wear on his head precisely at such of this kind may suffice to convrnce us how a juncture. Both of thcso difficulties will rapidly a text, renlly oorreot, w_ould melt o.wny for us I\ very lnrge proportion of !ho remove if we suppose thnt the IloLrow o~So, whole number of tho lesser ou~to.cles which iuijtenu of mcnuing their king, is the 1111wo 318 THE FIRST DOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. OH, XX, 1-8.