The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 179

eignifted "the making for Da.vid of a houee." the sheepcote; Hebrew," the mea.<low" (see In its full eignllloanoe this meane that the Ps. lxxviii. 70). It wns in the mMrlowa, tribe of Judah and tho lineage of D11vid the Naioth, round Rama.h, that Ramuel ha,] were now chosen by God ae the 11,ncestors of gathered the young men of farn.el to study the Messiah. their ancient records, and raiae their country Ver. 6.-I have walked in a tent and in to a sense of its high calling. In those a to.bernaole ; litemlly, 1 have wal/,ed con- meadows David he.d been formerl for bis tinually; thnt is, I have ever been n "1'0.nderer, high vocation ; bnt be had returned from first, in the wildernees, nnd subsequently them to Bethlehem, to feed his father's nt Gilgnl, Shiloh, Nob, nod Gibeon. Io- sheep. And now, "from following the steCLd of a "to.bernnole," the Hebrew has ewee that gave suck," Jehovah takes him a" dwelling." This may refer to the houses to be" his servant," a word of high dignity, of Abinade,b and Obed-Edom, but the words applied to but few persons in the Old moro probably signify" a t.ent the.t was my Testament. It signifies the prime minister, dwelling." or vicegerent of Jehovah, as the theocratic Ver. 7.-In all the places wherein I have king, and ie the special title of Moses walked; Hebrew, in all wherein I continued among God's people, and, among the heathen, walking; tho.t is, in e.11 my we.I.king, in all of Nebuchadnezzar, as one summoned to do the whole time wherein I have been a a great work for God. But it is in the last wanderer. Instead of tri"bes, the Chronicler twenty-eeven chapters of Isaiah that the (I Chron. xvii. 6) reads "judges," the title reaches its full grandeur. For there, words in the Hebrew being almost identical. first of all, Israel is called J ehovah's eer- "Judges" is, of course, the more easy and vant, because it was lerael's office to be the natural reading, but "tribes" gives a fuller witness for the oneness of God amidst the eense, and is supported by all the versions. debasing polytheism of all the nations For in the troubled anarchy which . lasted round. And then, finally, the servant is until Saul's reign, fhst one tribe and then Messiah, as being the personal Representa- another was called to the front, and had tive of God upon earth. The title is now a temporary ascendancy; but neither did given to David as the type of Christ's kingly Jehovah give it any command to provide office, and also as the sweet singer, who a settled place for his worship, nor did any added a new service to the worship of God, one of the judges conceive the thought of and made it more spiritual, 11,nd more Ii.Ire making his tribe permanently the chief, the service of angels ronnd God's throne. by providing a fixed abode for the ark and Ver. 9.-I have made thee a great llAlD.e. for God's worship within its borders. To The widespread conquests of David, and feed my people Israel. The shepherd, in hie great empire, were not for the sake of biblical language, is the ruler, and to feed mere earthly dominion. It was, first of all, is to govern, yet in a kindly way, going in a type of Messiah's reign, to whom God ha3 front ae the shepherd before his flock, to promised the heathen for his in beritance, bear the brunt of danger, to clear the road, and that his gospel shall be carried to the and to guide into the safe pastures. So euds of the earth. But, secondly, if Messiah tribe after tl'ibe hnd been called to bear the was to be "David's Son," it was necessary brunt of war, and, after winning deliverance, that that king should hold a special place it became its duty to guide and lead the in the hearts of all Israelites. In the fables people. In I Kings viii. 16, 18, 25, and and tales of the Arabs, it is Solomon who etill more remnrkably in I Chron. xxii. 8, holds the foremost place. Just as our fore- 9, we find large additions made to the fathers showed the native qualities of the account here given. It follows that we race by making Arthur's court the abode have in this pince only 11, brief summary of of prowess and chivalrous bravery; so the the message brought by Nathu.n, but one Arabs made Solomon's court the representa- containing all the chief points. tive of that dazzling splendour and magni- Ver. 8.-I took thee from the sheepoote. ficence which thev so admired; and invested '.rhere is in Nathan's message a me.rked him with superhuman knowledge and advo.nce upon the words of 11,]l previous magical power, such as made jauns and prophecies. Hitherto God's promises had ifreets the humble slaves of his will. In been general, nod no tribe and much less the Old Testament no king is "Jebovo.h's any special person, had bee~ ohosen ae the servant" but David; no kiug is ever con- progenitor of the Messiah. The nonr~st nected with Messiah but David. The approach to the selection of a t1ibe had been religious fervour of the people may gather \h~ prediction of Ju~ah's supremacy until round a Hezekiah or a Josiah, and prophets Slnloh came (Gen. xhx. 10); but it was not may encourage them in their work: but even there expressly declared th11,t Shiloh no prophet sees iu either of tilem the should be or Jmla.h's l'llco. llut now Drwid 11ncestor of Christ. It is, however, in tila is clearly ohoseu. Jcho1·11il te1kes him from Ps11lms that we karu the full meo.uiug ot lM 'l'HE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL,