The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 15

high ofiloers had followed his lead. "Under Version rendering we.a adopted as the more the oapte.ins of the host (ver. 25), the ser- spirited and rhythmico.l. vants of the king (ver.10) a.re mcluded" Ver. 29,-And the king aware [eee on (Biihr). Bahr's BCcidenteJ. miscitation (ver. ver,l 51] a.nd said, As the Lord liveth [or 10 for ver. 9) he.s e.ppe.rently led his American "by the life of Jehovah." Cf. "by the tre.nsle.tor (p. 24) to the serious mistake of life of Pharaoh" (Gen. xlii.15). This we.a the identifying these II ce.pte.ins of the host "with common form of oath. See, e.g., eh. ii. 24; 11 the mighty men" (Gibborim) of ver. 10, Judgee viii. 19; Ruth iii. 13; 1 Sam. xiv. who, it is distinctly ea.id, '' were not with 39 ; xix. 6; xx. 21 ; xxix. 6; e.nd especially Adonije.h] a.nd Abla.tha.r the priest, a.nd Jer. iv. 2; v. 2; Hos. iv. 15. It is cha-· behold, they ea.t a.nd drink before him [con- re.cteristic of Do.vid to introduce into the v-ivia apta conjurationibus. Grotius] a.nd say, formula. some euch clauee as the following] , God save king Adon.lJah. [Heb. 11 let the that hath redeemed my soul [i.e., life] out king (not "king," e.s me.rg.) ·Adonije.h live," of all distress. Sa.me expression as in or better, "live the king," &c. (comp. 2 Sam. iv. 9. Similar expressions are found the vivat rex, e.nd the vives and vivas of in Pee.. xxv. 22, andxxxiv. 22. The repeated le.ter days.) This we.s the customary e.c- delivers.nee out of straits a.nd danger-" out clamation wherewith the Jews greeted their of the hand of all his enemies, e.nd out of kings (cf. ver. 39; 1 Se.m. x. 24; 2 Se.m. the he.nd of Saul "-was one of the most xvi. 16 : 2 Kings xi. 12 ; 2 Chron. xxi.ii. remarkable fee.tures of David's life, and it 11). is no wonder the.t he repeatedly co=emo. Ver. 26.-Bu.t me, even me rneb. I] thy rates it, converting evecy adjuration into serva.nt [to Ne.than this omissiot>. we.s most an act of thanksgiving. Similarly, Jacob significe.nt. He seems to se.y the.t he had (Gen. xlviii. 16.) not been called because he he.d been con- Ver. 30.-Even as I aware unto thee by cerned in the appointment of e. successor the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly 2 Sam. vii. 13] a.nd Za.dok the priest, a.nd [Heh. ':al tkat, often prefixed to the oratio BenaJa.h the son of Jehoiada, a.nd thy ser- directa; not lending any emphasis ( =immo), va.nt Solomon [Bahr thinks that II we ha.ve as Keil says the first and third •::i of this in the order of these names a climax, in verse do, but in English simply redundant. which Solomon, as the highest persone.ge, is See on vers. 13, 17] Solomon thy son shall ne.med le.st "] hath he not called. reign after me, a.nd he shall sit upon my Ver. 27.-Isthis thing done [Cl~=an, or throne [same words as in vers. 13, 17, 24. perhaps,num, "!sit then thece.sethat," &o.J These close repetitions a.re the habit of the by [lit., from with] my lord the king [i.e., East] 1n my stead, even so [Heh. that so] with his privity and by his appointment], will I (certainly [not in Heh.] do this da.y. a.nd thouhastnotshewedit unto thyserva.nt Ver. 31.-Then Bathsheba. bowed with [Heb. "me.de thy servant know." Ne.than her face to the earth, a.nd did reverence submits the.t he has a strong claim (2 Sam. to the king [see on vers. rn, 23], and xii. 25) to be informed, should there be any ea.id, Let my lord king David live for change in the king's plans], who should sit ever. [This hyperbolical expression is here upon the throne of my lord the king a.tter only used of a Hebrew monarch. It was him? [Se.me expression as in ver. 20. The constantly addressed to the Babylonian and repetition we.s well calculated to impress Persian kings. See Dan. ii. 4 ; iii. 9 ; , . 10; upon the king the importa.nce of nominating vi. 21 ; Nehem. ii. 3. a successor at once. Ver. 32.-And king David said [this Ver. 2R.-Then king David [see on ver. l] prompt and vigorous e.ction shows that a.nsweredand ea.id, Call me Ba.thsheba [she David's force of chare.cter und mental power evidently left the chamber when Ne.than were unimpa.ired], Call me Zadok the priest, entered it. " This was done, not to a.void a.nd Na.tha.n the prophet, and Bena.lab the the appearance of a mutual arrangement son of Jehoiada.. [" the order of the names (Cler., Then. al.), but for reasons of pro- marks the position of the persons 'I ith priety, ine.smuch as in 11udiences granted respect to the me.tter in hand." Rawli.usou]. by the king to his wife or one oI his coun- And they came before the king. sellors, no third person ought to be present Ver. 33.-The king also said [Heh. unless the king required his e.ssiste.nce." "And the king said," which is everyway Keil. J And she ea.me into the king's presence, preferable. The "also" is somewhat con- and stood before the king. [Here, as in fusing], TILke with you the serva.nts [i.e., numberless other instances, our translators the Cherethites e.nd Pelethites, ver. 38] of he.ve disregarded literalness in fe.vour of your lord, [Heh. lords ; probably o. pluralis euphony. The Hebrew he.s here an exe.ct majestatis (cf Gen. xx.x.ix. 2 ; xlii. 30 ; repetition, " came before the king, and 2 Kings ii. 3, 5, 16), suggested to David by 11tood before the king." . 'l'ho .Authorized the imis W!l11e11«i of the court. This eii:-  8 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [ CH. I. 1-58.