The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 116

o.t.taok. Probably it stood e.t 11, oomer, or ten yo1us after he becn1ne king of nll whence the phrase, " round about from Israel. Now, we are told by Josopbna ,the Millo and inwaro," or e.s it is (' Contr. A pion,' i. 18), on the authority of expreBl!ed in l Chron. xi. s,' "from the Mene.nder of Ephesus, that Hiram reill'ned ,Millo in.rd," that is, etarting from in. all thirty years. But in 1 Kings ix. 10- the. M~lo. the walls enclosed the space 13 we have an e.coount of e. transaction with !~hmd n. In the parallel pl800 (l Chron. Hire.m in Solomon's twentieth year. In x1. 8) we find an interesting addition to the another place·(• Ant.,' viii. 3. l)Josephustells narrative, namely, that "Joab rape.ired the us that Hiram he.d been King of Tyre eleven ,rest of the oity." It appeare from this that yoe.rs when Solomon, in tho fourth yeo.r of 1 the Jebueites had occupied a good dee.I of his reign, began the building of the temple. the ground with their habitations, though He would thus have been e. oontempornry probably the number of the tribe we.s not of David for only the 111.St seven or eight ,great ; or possibly there remained old years of his reign. Dut the history of this buildingii which were the remains of the ernbe.eey is given as a proof of David's Hittite city, and which, being of mll.SSive establishment in his kingdom, and co.nnot ccmetruction, were eaeily m11dc fit once again tl,.ercfore be referred to so late a period in for hume.n habitation. We see also proof his lifetime, when it would have lost its of J0&b's great ability in peace as well e.s in interest. The improbability of two succes- 'Wal'. He it was who had ce.ptured the sive kingii having the same ntl.Ille is not, after stronghold, and it was now his office to all, so very great. especially e.s we do not arrange the streets and plan of the city, know what the word Hiram, or Haram, ond to assign dwellings to David's mighty exactly means. Nor is Mene.nder's state- men. Tb.is would be a work sure t<l cauee ment conclusive age.inst it, .where he says jealousy and heart-burnings, and no one that Hiram's father was named Abibal- but Joab, their old commander, could have " Be.al is my fe.ther." This would probably u.tisfied them. We find that he assigned 'be e.n official name, borne by Hiram e.s the to one of them, Uriah the Hittite, a space defender of the national religion, or e.e a of ground for a dwelling close to the rQyal priest-king. There is, therefore, no real palace. We may suppose, then, that David reason for rejecting the statement in 2 Chron. was now fully reconciled to the " hard sons ii. 13 that Hiram, or as he is there called of Zeruiah " (eh. iii S9), an.d in the stern Hnram, David's friend, we.s the father of wars which followed David's election, he the Hw:a,m who we.s Solomon's ally. Cede.r needed and had the foll benefit of their trees. Cedar wood we.s greatly valued both vigour and ability. for its fragrance e.nd durability, owing to Ver. 10.-David went on, and grew great. the resin which it contains preserving it This is the Hebrew phrase for " David grew from the attacks of insects. Its colour also greater and greater.'' In this and the six is soft and pleasing to the eye, as me.y be following verses (10-16) we have a mm- seen in the Jerusalem Chamber in West- mary of David's reign, telling us how he minster Abbey, the panels of which are increased in prosperity because of the bless- of cedar. It did not grow in the Antilibe.nus, ing of" Jehovah God of hosts." The birth or eastern part of Lebanon, which belonged of Solomon even ia recorded in it, though to Israel, but only in the western part, which it:took piaoe long afterwards. The inser- belonged to Tyre. Cedar from the time tion in this 6llillDl&l'J of Hire.m's acknow- of David beee.me the favourite me.terie.l e.t ledgment of David proves that this event Jeruee.lem for the interior of houeee (Jer. me.de a great imprilllllion upon the minds xxii. 14), and Isaiah charges the pQople of of the people. Se.me.rie. with pride for not being content Ver. 11.-llin.m ][ing of Tyre. At first with the native sycomores which had satis- Bight it seems e.s if the Hiram who so fied their fathers, but substituting for it greatly aided Solomon in the building of this costly foreign timber (lea. ix. 10). the temple we.a the ea.me person e.s David's Carpenter, and masons. The necessity of friend (I J.qngs v. 10; 2 Chron. ii 3), but importing "workers of wood, e.nd workers this identification is disproved by the ex- of stone for walls," e.s the words literally press statement in 2 Chron. ii. 13, e.nd by mean, proves how miserable we.s the social the chronoloiw. For granting that this state of Israel in David's time, Though accouut of Hin.m's embassy occurs in o they had been slaves in Egypt, yet e.t the general li1llillD&J'Y, yet David would not long Exodue the Israelites he.d men capable of defer the erection of a pa.lace, and in the working in the precious mete.ls and jewellery, history of Bathaheba we find, e.s a matter in w--aving and embroidery, in wood-carving, of fe.ct, that it wu then already built (eh. and even in the cutting of gems (Exod. :d. 2). Bnt IMI Solomon we.a ~wn to I11J1,n-. xxxv. 30-35). During the long anarchy J.10od at his fother's death, David's sin must of the judges they he.d degenerated into a have been ool!IDldWld not more than nine nee of agricultural dzudgee, whom the Ott, v, 1-2/i.J TllE StCOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 117