The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 117

Philistines hod deb~rred from the nee of became the virtual rulers of much of tho even the simplest tools (1 Sam. xiii. 19). country w:est of the Jordan, and prohnhly Possibly in Saul's time there w11s a faint even Da.v1d and Judah po.id them tribute. reetorntion of the o.rte of civilized life (eh. i. On its eastern bank, though Abner kept 24); but when we find Joo.b killing Absalom, them from molesting lshboeheth'e kingdom, not with d1uts, but with pointed st11kes yet the rule of Saul's house in Ephre.im and (eh. xviii. 14), the we11pons probably of Benjamin must have been nominal only, most of the foot-soldiers, we see the.t not and the Philistines would have seen him much had been done even then in metal- with pleasure wasting hie strength in civil lurgy ; e.nd here earlier in hie reign De.vid wa.r. After Ishboeheth's death they hs.d hos to eend to Tyre for men who could s11w tightened their grasp over the central di~- 11 plank or build o wall. When, then, we tricte of Palestine, though probably content ce.11 to mind the high ste.te of culture 11nd with exacting tribute. They must now have the me.gnificence of Solomon's reign, we con seen with displeasure the consolidation of form some ide11 of the vigour with which the tribes under one able ruler. Even in David raised hie subjects from a. st11te of their divided state, the natural strength semi-be.rbe.rism. of the country a.nd the bravery of the peopla Ver. 12.-And De.vid peroeived. We me.y he.d ma.de it e. task too great for the Philis- well :believe the.t De.vid he.d me.ny seasons tine power entirely to crush Israel's inde- of despondency and misgiving 11fter he be- pendence. But if they could destroy David came king. His subjects were bre.ve e.nd before he had he.d time to establish himself energetic, but turbulent, unwilling to obey, in hie kingdom, they would e.t lea.at prolong e.nd but he.If-civilized. His election he.d indefinitely that feebleness of Israel which put a.n end to civil wa.r a.t home, but only to ha.d made it so long subject to their arouse the hatred of the enemies who he.d dominion. Of this supremacy the Philis- long oppressed them. The tra.gica.l fate, too, tines have h11nded down e. token for ever in of Saul, who, after so many heroio struggles, giving to the whole country the name of ha.d seen the earlier glories of his reign fa.de Palestine, the Philistines' la.nd.. David ... e.w11y, and ha.d sought deliverance from hie went down to the hold. Many commen- misery by suicide; all this must have often tators identify the hold with the cave of depressed his spirits. But gradually his Adullam, a.nd certainly the account of the fee.re passed 11wa.y; 11nd when he had twice brave deed of three of David's heroes, in defeated the Philistines, a.nd been a.hie to breaking through the Philistine garrison establish his rule, and with it some degree of Bethlehem to bring him water thence, of orderly government throughout the twelve gives great probability to this view. For tribes, David sa.w in a.11 this, and iri the we read there that "the Philistines were embassies from foreign na.tions, the proof, encamped in the valley of Rephaim, and not of his own ability, but of Jehova.h's pur- that David was then in the hold" (eh. pose to exalt . hie kingdom for his people xxiii. la, 14, where note that the word "hold'' Israel's so.ke. In this De. vid wa.s still e. has the definite article). There are, how- ma.n after God's own heart, in the.t he felt ever, many difficulties connected with this himself to be only a.n instrument for the view; for the cave of Adullam was in the doing, not his own will, but the purpose of volley of Ela.h, on the road from Hebron to hie Divine 11'.Ia.ster. Philistia (1 Sam. =ii. 1), but the valley of Ver.13:-Da.vid took him more oonoubines. Rephaim is close to Jerusalem (Josh. xv. Thus with increa.se of power ea.me also the 8), abutting, in fact, upon the valley of increased gra.tifica.tion of David's wee.knees Ben-Hinnom. Be.al-Fem.rim a.I.do is in the cmd sin. Well for him would it have been some neighbourhood, being the rocky heighi if, like Saul, be he.d been content with one whioh forms the border of Ben-Hinnom, lilld wife. But this enlargement of his harem bounds the valley of Repho.im. on the north. we.s gradual, a.nd the list includes all the Still, the passage in ch 1 xxiii. 13, H: seems sons born at Jerusalem. Of these four, too precise to be lightly set aside, and we namely, Shammue.h, Shoba.b, Nathan, and must suppose, therefore, that the Philistines, Solomon, were his children by Ba.thsheba alarmed by the gathering of he.If a. million of (see 1 Chron. iii. 5, whe,e the names o.re men and women at Hebron; sent messengers differently spelt). Besides a vo.rfotion in throughout their country to assemble their the spelling, two sons are mentioned in wan-iors. It was the weakness of ancient Chronicles, N oguh and on eo.rlier Eliphelet, warfare that its vast hosts of people melted whoso names e.re not given here, perhaps away as rapidly as they had gathered. For because they died young. Fl'Om I Chron. provisions were soon spent, and the men iii. 9 we learn tho.t only tho nnmos of the had to return to their forms and their cattle. sons of wives are given in these tables. Thus David, having used some of that la.rg0 Vor. 17.-Eut when the Philistines heard. coucour8e of stron~ meu for the capture of Allor the bottle of Gilboa the Philistines Jerumlom, was left immediately uftcrwurJs  lHI THE SECOND BOOK 01<' SAMUEL, [on. v. 1-25.