EXPOSITION. Otherwise the former of these expressions CHAPTER XXVIII. may be of an entirely generic kind, and The contents of thie chapter may be said apply to all that succeeds. There arc, to form one scene with those of tho next up secondly, the princes of the twelve military oompaniea , , . by oourse of the months to ver. 25. They represent D,lvid in the (eh. xxvii, 1-15). Thirdly, there are the presence of a magnificent company of wit- prinoea of thousands and hundreds (Deut. i. nesses, the flower of the Church, the military 15; I Sam. viii. 12; xvii. 18; xv iii. 13; and the civil elements of hie kingdon1, xxiii. 7; eh. xii. 14; xxvii, 1). There devolving upon hie son both the building follow, fourthly, the prinoes of all the snb- Btanoe and oattle of the king, and (o.s seems of the temple and the throne itself. to be added here) of his sons, There can bo Ver. 1.-0ne Hebrew word (''.!~) stands no doubt that the Hebrew text does 61\Y for the princes (twice), captaina (three this, and does not merely register the foct times), and stewards (once) of thie verse. of the attench\nce and presence of the sons The classification of the verse speaks for of the king, as also it does not specinlizo it~elf. There are the prinoea of Israel; i.q. the attendance of Solomon himself, though iho prinoes of the tribes (eh. :uvii. 16, 22). it is ccrte1iu thBt be was present. Othcrwiijo 416 '!'HE FIRST BOOK OF 'l'HE CHRONICLES. [CH. xxvm. 1-21.
it may be doubtful, oonsidering the facts of time and method of Dnvid's receiving the the occe.sion, and comparing eh. xxix. 24, identification of Solomon as the son to whether the original document is not mis- succeed him, is uowhere given. The throne represented here. Next, fifthly, mention is of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. made of the offi.oers (c't;,''")Q), the Hebrew This expression, not found in its entirety for which word generally means "eunuch," elsewhere, is an emphatic statement here of Rnd such use of it must lrn.ve become much the true theocro.cy, which should have ever more familiar during and after the Captivity, prevailed among the people of Israel, and and, therefore, of course, at the time of the which is now paralleled by the kingship of compilation of this work; but it does not the Lord in his own Church (eh. xvii. 14; necessarily mean it. Eunuchs are never xxix. 23). The solemn and most distinct mentioned elsewhere in David's reign. proviso, If he be constant to do my com- There is no reason to suppose the word mandments and my judgments, as at this means " eunuch," for instance, in Gen. day, reminds us of Ps. cxxxii. 12. This xxxvii. 36; xxxix. 1 ; l Sam. viii. 15 ; proviso is emphatically presented again to l Kings xxii. 9; 2 Kings xxiv. 12; xxv. the attention of Solomon, when the time 19; J er. xxxiv. 19. Under any circum- comes for the direct appeal of God to him stances, it would seem unnecessary that (1 Kings iii. 14; viii. 61; ix. 4). such officers of a royal establishment as Vars. 8-10.-The double charge of these eunuchs should be summoned under that verses, first to the people and then to description to an assembly of this kind. Solomon, is full of force and majesty. Sixthly, the mighty men (eh. xi. 10-25) Translate, Now therefore in the sight of were called to the assembly. And perhaps all Israel-the congregation of the Lord, a seventh dh-ision may be made of all the and in the hearing of our God (" Hear me,'' >'alia.nt men (eh. xi. :!6-40), who belonged ver. 2), keep ye and study to do all the to other places, or who were at this time commandments of the Lord your God (Deut. more especially in Jerusalem, as residents. iv. 21, 26; xxx. 19; Lev. xxv. 46; Jer. iii. Ver. 2.-Tbe expression, David the king 18). The expression, Know thou the God of stood up upon his feet, probably means to thy father, for a praatical knowledge and emphasize the fact that hitherto, having fear of God, is analogous with the expression, been in a sitting or recumbent position, " Hear thou," for the matter of practical owing to his age and infirmity, he now with obedience; e.g. "If they hear not Moses effort forced himself to stand in the presence and the prophets" (Luke xvi. 32). Although of the unusual congregation and in con- there are not very many instances of this sideration of wliat he felt was due to the use of the word "know," its antiquity and occasion. He had not lost the man and the classical character may be considered gua- brother in his official and exalted rank, and, ranteed by such passages as Job xviii. 21; following ancient precedents (Gen. xxix. 4; I Sam. ii. 12; Prov. iii. 6; Ps. xxxvi. 10; Judg. xix. 23; 2 Sam. xix. 12), be addresses J er. ix. 2; Hos. v. 4; vi. 3. The expression, tlie congregation as my brethren, and my "the God of tby father,'' evidently in- people. David says he had it in bis heart tended to be touching, is more fully given to build a house of rest, i.e. nn abiding in ver. 20, "God, even my God, will be with house (Ps. cxx:xii. 8, 14) for the ark of the thee,'' which in its turn reminds us of Paul's covenant, instead of the moving one, and for lauguage, " But my God shall supply all the footstool of our God. By this he means your ntied" (Phil. iv. 19). The urgent en- the mercy-seat, to which especial allusion is treaty on the part of David Lreatlle8 in made ver. ll (nib:,;, n:>). God ia often every sentence of it, tliought, and a mode of spok~n of as " dwelli;;g between the cheru- presentation of it, feeling, and deptll of oon- Lim," and sometimes (l'e. xcix. 1) CLB" sitting viction, wit.h which we are familiar in his between the cherubim," wliich were over the psalms. Ho speaks from his own vnried, lid of tile ark, called the mercy-seat. remarkable,and rich experience of the Di vino Ver. 3.-The conteuts of this verse are care and jealous love, and from much per- stated, as already seen, even more forcibly in sonal experience of the deceitfulness of the eh. xx.ii. 8 ; while far Iese forcibly in 2 Sam. heart, to Solomon,into whom, were it possilile, vii. 5; 1 Kings v. 5. he would pour the 11dvantage of all he hnd Vere. 4-7.-David mentions himself as learned, and from whom he would hide the elect of God among all the members nothing of his intense and anxious solici• of his father's family, and from thence is tu.de. To the same strain he returns in ver. led to trace the call from the first, by the 20, but there with more exclusive reference following steps :-The tribe of Judah (Gen. to the undert11king of the building of "the xlix. 8; eh. v. 2); tile house of Jesse (l Sam. house of the Lord,'' or the house for the xvi. 1); thirdly, of himself (1 8am. xvi. 13); sanctuary. One thing only fails, perhaps, to and laijtly of Solomon (eh. xxii. 9, 10; xvii. be made quite CLppareut from tho lnngunge ll-H; 2 Sam. vii. 12-16). 'l'he e,;act of D11-vid, viz. w4y be «.lcowed it necessary OH. xxvm.1-21.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRO:NICLES. 41i