The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 143

men. His grandsons would be in the prime preforred to use places with solid floors or of lifo. pavements, which lasted for ma.ny genera- Ver. -1.-Aooompanying (Hebrew, with) tions, and ofton became well-known Rpots the ark. 'fhe verse is eviclently corrupt, and (Gen. I. 10). Even if" Nacbon" be a proper wo ho.vo no aid from the parallel place in n~me, this would be a. permanent floor, paved Ohronioles, except the fact that it is omitted with stones, the approaches to which would there. The most probable explano.tiou is be worn and made rough by the tracks of tho.t the first half of the verse has been the carts bringing the corn. Here the oxell. repeated from ver. 3 by the error of some shook it; Hebrew, stumhled, and so the copyist, and that the original words were Revised Version. Nothing is sai,l of the "Uzzo.h and Ahio drove the new cart with ark being in danger. Uzzab's act was one the ark of God, and Ahio went before the of precaution. The ground was rough, the o.rk." While Uzze.h wo.lked at the side, Ahio oxen stumbled, a.nd he put forth his hand went before the oxen to guide and manage to hold the ark till the cart had reached them, as the Basques may be seen at the level ground. If the threshing-floor was present day doing in the south of Franco, formed in the natural rock, those who have Ver. 5.-Played. The word does not mean been in Spain, and seen how the tracks iu "played on a musical instrument," but the Pyrenees are worn by the native carts "danced and rejoiced." On all manner ... of into deep ruts in the solid stone, can well fir wood. The Hebrew literally is, with all understand tba.t the neighbourhood of this cypress-woods. In 1 Chron. xiii. 8 we find much-frequented spot would need very care• " with all their might, even with songs," etc. ful driving. Gesenius, in his 'History of the Hebrew Ver. 7.-Error. The word so translated Language,' describes this as a mere guess at is one quite unknown, a.ad Ewald renders it a misunderstood text, and Maurer ridicules "unexpectedly." The Revised Version puts it as a stupid emendation. More sensibly "rashness" in the margin. But all three Thenius regards it as the right reo.ding, alike are mere guesses, of which "elTor" and the words here as a corruption of it, is that approved by Keil and others. The caused by some scribe misspelling the words, Syriac he.a the same reading here as that which are nearly identical. In our version found in 1 Chron. xiii. 10, namely," because the ambiguous meaning of the word "played" he put his hand to the ark." This would makes the passage less startling. For " they require the insertion of four or five letters de.need with all cypress-woods" is unintelli- in the Hebrew. By the ark. The word gible. The musical instruments mentioned translated "a.ccompanying the ark" in here are the harp, Hebrew chinnor, a guitar; ver. 4. the psaltery, Hebrew nebel, a kind of harp Ver. 8.-David was displeased ; Hebrew, of a triangular shape, with the point down- David was angry. Neither David nor his wards ; the timbrel, Hebrew tof, a tambour- people had intended any disrespect, and so ine or small drum ; the oornet, Hebrew severe a punishment for what we.a a.t most mena'na', a bar on which were a number of a thoughtless act seemed to him unjust. loose metal rings, which were shaken in time Uzza.h's dea.th was probably caused by apo- to the music, but others think tho.t "casta- plexy, and the sudden effort of stretching nets" are meant, which are pieces of wood forth bis hand and seizing the ark bad been beaten in time. The Revised Version adopts its immediate cause. So tragic an event this rendering. And finally cymbals. For spoiled the happiness of the day, filled all "cornets " we find in the parallel place present with disappointment, made them "trumpets," whence the translators of the break off in haste from the gra.nd ceremooial, Authorized Version took their rendering; a.nd pla.ced David before his subjects in the but the Hebrew word means "things to position of a malefactor. He bad prepared shake." a great religious festival, and Jehovah bad Ver. 6.-Naohon's threshing-11.oor. In the broken in upon them as an enemy. In his parallel pla.ce (1 Cbron. :xiii. 9) we find first burst of displeasure be called the place "the threshing-11.oor of Chidon," e.nd "Chi- Perez-U zzab, the word "Perez," or" Breach," don " is proved to be. ve been a proper name by conveying to the Hebrews the idea of a the feebleness of the attempts m!\de to find great calamity (Judg xxi 15) or of a sudden for it o. meaning. We therefore gather that attack upon a foe (eh. v. 20). The historian "Nachon" is also o. proper no.me, but other- a.dds tha.t the place bore this name unto wise we should certo.inly ho.ve translated it his da.y; but we cannot tell whether these " a fixed threshing-floor." The people did are the words of the origina.l compiler of the indeed thresh or tra.mplo out their corn often Book of Sa.muel, or, as is more probably the on summer threshing-floors ( Da.n. ii. 35), tha.t case, those of some subsequent editor or is, on fitting spots in the fields themselves. scribe. Many such remarks are supposed But as a large quo.ntity of earth wn11 sure in to ba.ve been inserted by Ezra a.nd the me!l this co.se to be mixed with tho corn, they of the gre11,t synagogue. II. SAMUEL, 1.  146 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [cH, vr. 1-23.