The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 178

EXPOSITION. Ne.than rashly approves. The king's pur- CHAPTER VD pose seems so pious that he does uot doubt Ver. l .-When the king eat in hill honae. its accepta.noe by God. · Tbe order is not ohronologi11&l ; for the words, Ver. 4.-The word of Jehovah oe.me unto Jehovah had given him rut from all hi.I Nathan. Not every word of a prophet was onemieo rou.nd about (so the Revised Ver- inspired, and only e. very few of the prophets, sion, rightly), imply the suooessful termina- and those only upon great and solemn tion, not of o.11 wars neoess&rily, but certainly occasions, spake under the direct i.ulluence of something more than that with the of the Spirit of God. In his usual relations Philistine invaders in the Rephsim valley. with the king, Nathan wo.s simply o. wise, A general summary of e.11 David's wars is thoughtful, and God-fearing man. In giving given in eh. viii., and it we.s probably after his approval he probably meant no more he had subdued the Philistines and Moob, than the.ta permanent dwelling for Jehovah and his throne was now fully established. we.s whe.t all pious men were hoping for. tbe.t in some time of peace, possibly before But from the de.ye of Samuel to those of He.nun forced him into wars whioh won Ezra, there we.s never wo.ntiug one or even for hi&:1 an empire, David sent for Ne.tho.n, more holy men who were, on fit occasions, and told him his fnll desire. Its position commissioned to bee.r a message from God here immediately after the =unt of the to me.n ; e.nd o.s these generally belonged to bringing of the ark to Zion hu e. higher the prophetic order, men too often now unity than that of chronology. It shows confound prophecy with 'prediction. So that David had always a larger purpose inveterate is this confusion the.t even in the than the mere placing of the ark in its tent; Revised Version Amos is made to se.y, "I and, as soon e.s a period of tranquillity was no prophet, neither was I e. prophet's arrived, he confided his thoughts to the son," whereas the Hebrew distinctly is, "I prophet. ThDB, with only one step taken am no prophet, nor a prophet's son [that is, l<lwe.rds his whole plan, David exercised one trained in the prophetic schools], but a wise moderation in leaving the service at I am a herdsman" (Amos vii. 16). But Gibeon UDmolested. AB regards the word though not e. prophet by profession, yet "rest," we have to distinguish between the Amos was discharging e. prophet's higher first series of wars, which established David duty in testifying against wickeduess o.nd firmly on his throne, e.nd the second series, impiety, and was acting under e. special which gave him widespread dominion. Divine call. Still, he did not belong to the Ver. 2.-.4. house of cedar; Hebrew, prophetio order, nor wear the garment of cedars. A.s these trees were sent by Hiram, hie.ck camel's he.ir, which was their pro- end as tbe house was built, and David now fessional dress. On the present occasion, settled in it, some considerable time mDBt Ne.tbe.n, in approving, he.d spoken as e. me.n, have elapsed since his accession. Moreover, but now a. Divine message comes to him. the league with Hi.ram would be the result How we know not, but in ver. 17 it is called of David's successes recorded in eh. viii 1; a. "vision ; " and it is e.lso so.id tho.t it ea.me for the bond of union between the two was "that night." , their mutual fee.r of the Philistines. A.s we Ver. 5.-Shalt thou, etc.? The question have seen before, the e.lliance with Tyre implies an answer in the negative; but thtire had a very civilizing effect upon the He- is no disapproval of David's purpose as such, brews, who were fe.r inferior to the Tyrie.ns but only the deferring of its full execution in the meche.nical o.rts; e.nd David's house unto the days of his son. Thero is more of hewn cedar logs we.s marvellous in the the.n this. 'fhe idea. which runs through eyes of a people who still dwelt chiefly in the Divine message is the.t the dwelling of t.ents. David purposed to build even e. more J ehove.h in e. tent was a. fitting symbol of sumptuous palace for JeLove.b, and advised Israel's unquiet possession of the land, It with Natbau as his chief counsellor, and ihe w11s David's mission to give them tranquil- person to whom snbseqnently the education lity and security in the region which they of Solomon we.s con.tided. Within curtains ; had conquered long ago, but wherein they Hebrew, the curtain; that is, the teni. The had never hitherto been e.ble to mainta,in 1.aberno.cle prepared by Moses for the e.rk their liberty unimpaired. 'fhen, upon tho we.s formed of t.en curtains (Exod. xxvi. 1), e.ccomplishmeut of David's special duty, his but the significance lay, not in their number, son, Shelomo, i.e. the peaceful, we.s to build 1,nt in the dwellir,g of Jehove.h still being the solid temple, e.s the proof the.t Jehovo.h 11. ruc,re temporary lodging, though his people had now taken permanent posses8ion of Lo.d r<:ceived from him a settled land. the land. We find e.leo e. further thought, \' c:r. C:.-Oo, do all that is in thine heart. 1Jawely, that the building of tho temple ctt. -v1t. 1-20.J 'rHE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEt. 183