The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 12

both to be 'priests at this time." Raw- ii. 14), another brother of Da.vid, hut on linson, who adds that "the best exple.- very slender grounds], &nd the mighty men nation is th&t Abi11,the.r was the real high [or heroes. Gesen. "chiefs." Not the 600 priest," officiating in Zion, while Zadok men who formed David's ba.nd in his wan- acted e,s chief priest at the t11.bemacle at derings (1 Sam. xxv. 13; xxvii. 2) (Rawlin- Gibeon. (Bahr, by a strange oversight, son), but the 30 (or 37) to whorn this name assigns to Zadok the care of the e.rk on of Gibborim is expressly given, 2 Sa.m. xxiii. Mount Zion, whereas 1 Chron. xvi. 39, 8 ; 1 Chron. xi. 15, 25; xxix. 24. Comp. distinctly connects his ministry with the 2 Kings x. 25, Heb.J which belonged to tabernacle of witness at Gibeon.) But the David [same expression a.s in 2 Sam. xxiii. precedence (see on ver. 7) generally assigned 8] were not with Adoni,jah. to Zadok is hardly consistent with the idea Ver. 9.-And Adonlja.h slew [or sa.crifioed, that Abiathar was " the real high priest." LXX. i0v<1ia<1u•. It was a sacrificio.l feo.st, The fact is that a duality of high priests, like Absa.lom's, 2 Sam. xv. 12 (where see associated, apparently, on pretty equa.l Speaker's note). Religious festivity, i.e., terms, was not unknown in Jewish history. was the apparent object of their assembling: The cases of Eleazer and Ithamru-, Hophni religion was invoked, not merely to cloke 1111d Phinehas, Annas and Caiaphas, will their designs, but to cement them together] occur to 1111. 2 Kings xxv. 18, spe'!.ks of "the sheep and oxen and fat cattle by [Heb. chief priest " aud " the second priest; " wifh ; same expression, 2 Sam. xx. 8] the 2 Chron. xxxi. 10, of the " chief priest of stone of Zoheleth, [i.e., "the serpent" (Gesen.) the house of Zadok."' And a dual priest- "No satisfactory explanation has been given hood would be the more necessary in of this name" (Rawlinson). See Smith's Davi,rs days, because of the two sanctu- "Diet. Bible" sub voc., where the various aries, Zion and Gibeon. We find, however, interpretations are given. The stone, which from 1 Chron. xv. 11, that Zadok wo.s served as " a natural altar for the eacri.ficial already priest at the time of the bringing fee,st," the spring, which afforded "water up of the e.rk. And the true explanation, for the necessary ablutions," and the situa- no doubt, is that Zadok had succeeded some tion with respect to the adjoining city member of his family, in a.11 probability recommended this pla.ce as a rendezvous] Jehoiada, ca.lled in 1 Chron. xii. 27, "the which ls by En-Bogel [Josh. xv. 7; xviii. leader of Ae.ron" (Heb.), who had certainly 16 ; 2 Sam. xvii. 17. Perhaps " the spring been high priest in the time of Saul (1 Chron. of the spy." The Cha.Id., Axab., and Syr. xxvii. 5), and who would he.rdly be degraded render "the spring, of the faller "-the when, with 3700 followers, he joined David Orientals wash clothes, &c., by tuading at Hebron. On his decease, or cession of (rogel) them. Josephus says it was without office, Zadok, who had joined at the same the city, in the royal garden (iv /3acr,>..11«ji 1rapa- time with a le.rge coutingent, was associated oeicr'1')· The authorities a.re divided between with Abia.the.r in the priest's office. This the " Founts.in of the virgin" (Ain um ed- dual arrangement, conseqnently, was the Dera.j), and the" Well of Job" (Bir Eyub.) result of David's Laving ta.ken over a high See the arguments in Bonar's "Land of priest from Saul, together with the kingdom, Promise," App. 5; Thomson's "Land and when he had Abia.tha.r as priest a.lready,] Book," vol. ii. p. 528 ; and Mr. Grove's Axt. a.nd Benaia.h the SOD of Jehotada, [i.e., in Smith's "Diet. Bib." Porter (" Hand- Jehoiada the high priest (1 Chron. xxvii. 5). book of Pa.lcstine ") identifies En-Rogel with Benaiah was consequently a Levite, and of Bir Eyub without remark. There is muoh the family of Aaron; set, however, by to be said on either side. The pool of David, because of llis prowess (2 Sam. xxiii. Siloa.m ("Bib. Museum") ha.a nothing in its 20, 21 ; 1 Chron. xi. 22) over the body- favour] and called all his brethren the guard (2 Sam. viii. 18; 1 Chron. xviii. 17). king's sons [including, it would seem, even Probably he was a near relative of Zadok.], the elder sons of David and Be.thsheba, who a.nd Na.than the prophet [a Jewish tradi- would bring up the number to fifteen (1 tion makes Nathan the eighth son of Jesse. Chron. iii. 5). They too, if living, would He comes before us 2 Sam. vii. 2, 3, 17 ; naturally resent the preference of the xii. 1-12, 25] a.nd Shime1 [by Ewa.Id iden- youngest brother], and all the men of tified with Shammah (1 Sam. xvi. 9), or Judah, the king's servants [" all the Shimee.h, David's brother (2 Sam. xiii. 3 ; .Judeans who were serving at court, as xxi. 21). Others suppose him to be the being members of his own tribe" (Keil). Shimei of 1 Kings iv. 18. But see note on The fierce jealousy between Ephraim and chap. ii. 8. Josephus calls Shimei (not Judah would al.most compel the king to Bei, as Bii.hr states) o AavioovJi).01:J, and surround himself with soldiers and attend- Bei [this name occurs here o y. Ewald ants of the latter tribe. Some of the invited would identify him with Raddai (1 Chron. guests, no doubt, like Absa.lom's two hun- llll. I, 1-68.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 15