II. A SKILFUL ORGANIZATION, indica.ted by the mention of the chief officers of etat<>, ~•ho formed the king's council and acted a.s his confidential 11.dvisers, along with his ~ons (ver. 18), the prophets, 11.nd others (see for la.ter enumeration, eh. xx. 13-2G i 1 Chron. xxvii. 32-34). 1. Military. (1) The host (1 Chron. xxvii. 1-16), or uatfonal militia (undl'r Joab), consisting of all the males c&pable of bearing arms, and arranged in twelve bodies of twenty-four thousand each, whose turn of service came every month. (2) The body-guard (under Benaiah), Krethi and Plethi (lictore and couriers; Cretane or Carians, and Philistines), "formed at Ziklag, and afterwards recruited from foreigners (eh. xv. 18; xx. 23), having their quarters in Jernsalem, not far from the royal ca,.qtle" (1£wald). (3) 'l'he heroes (Gibborim), mighty men or veterans (under A.bi•hai); the old guard, who had gathered to David in his wanderings, constituting "the first standing army of which we have any special knowledge," the number six hundred being maintained, '' divided into three large bands of two hundred each, and email bands of twenty each; the small bands commanded by thirty officers, one for each band, who together formed 'the thirty,' and the three large bands by three officers, who togethllir formed 'the three'" (Stanley). 2. Oivil; pertaining to the registering and publie&tion of the royal edicts, the regulation of judicial, financial, and other matters, the management of the royal demesnes, etc. (1 Chron. xxvii. 25-31), from which the revenue was largely derived. "Each tribe had still its prince or ruler, and continued under a general superint.endence from the king to conduct its local affairs (1 Chron. :u:vii. 16-22). The supreme council of the nation continued to assemble on occasions of great national importance; and, though its influence could not have been so great as it was before the institution of royalty, it remained an integral part of the constitution. Without superseding the tribal governments, David greatly strengthened them by a system.a.tic distribnuon through the country of a large number of Levites (six thonsand) as officers and judges (1 Chron. x.x:vi. 20-32). It is extremely probable that this large and able body of Levites were not limited to strictly judicial duties, but that they performed important functions also in the education, the healing, and the general elevation of the people n (Blaikie). 3. Ecclesiastical; the Levites (1 Chron. xxiii.); the priests, in twenty-four classes, and their attendants (1 Chron. x.x:iv.); the choristers, in twenty-four courses (1 Chron. xxv.); the porters and officers (1 Chron. xxvL). "Order is Heaven's first law." It is an essential con- dition of peace, safety, and power. "The solemn transfer of the ark of the covenant, at which almost all the people were present, had made a deep impression on their minds, and had awakened them t.o a sincere adoration of Jehovah. These favourable disposi- tions David wished to strengthen by suitable regulations in the service of the priests and Levites, especially by the instructive and animating psalms, which were composed partly by himself, and partly by other poets and prophets. By such instructive means, David, without using any coercive measures, brought the whole nation to forget their idols, and to worship Jehovah alone" (Jahn, 'Heb. Com.'). IIL Ju. .ABLE EXECUTIVE. The beet organization avails little unless there be men of ability to carry it into practical effect. David's reign was singularly rich in such men. 1. WarriorB like Joab, Abi.sh.a.i, Benaiah, and other "heroes who had vied with him in valour and self-sacrifice for the community of Israel and the religion of Jehovah.,'' and" whose names lived on, linked for ever with his memory" (eh. xxiii. 8--39). 2. Minister, like Jehoshaphat, Sheva, Adoram, Ira the Jairite; counsellors like Ahithophel and HushaL 3. Priests like Zadok and A.biathar; "masters of the song" like Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun; prophets like Nathan and Gad. "All is now in full movement e.nd almost in its original life, while a.round the chief hero a crowd of other figures are woven into the mighty drama, and even these are illumined by the bright rays of his sun; nay, even what would be insignificant elsewhere aoquires importance here from the conspicuous eminence of Israel's greatest king" (Ewald). A wise ruJer discerns the ablest men, attaches them to him, and profits by their wisdom, appoints them to offices in which they can most effectually promote the common good, and upholds and encourages them in their faithful endeavours to that end. It has been said that "a ruler who appoints any man to an office when there is in his dominions another man better qualified for it, sin.s against God and against the state" (Kore.n). IV. A JiUGHTY NATION; united, prosperoUB, powerful, imbued with lofty principles 011, VIII, 1-18.) THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 237
1Lnd Rime, "!LB Rn e!Lglo muing her mighty youth and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midd11y be!Lm" (Milton). To this many influences contributed, one of which wao IL just, wise, and strong administration (Ps. lxxii.). "David's own moral exalt&- tion, 1Lnd still more the spirit of fearless justice in which he ruled, had its effect on the nation at large. 'l'he theocracy became real to them in a sense in which it had never been before. They s11w th11t Bn organized system, which was based upon religion and built up of justice, was more truly the embodiment of the Divine government than the fitful inspiration of the judges. Thus they won the might that comes from right: they felt that a war in defence of this new organization was most truly a holy war, and that if David was at the head of it, he was not only the king but the high priest of the people. .Animated by this feeling, they forgot all the old ' divisions and searchings of heart,' and flocked around the standard of their king in such numbers and with such a spirit that they crushed the greatest coalition that ever threatened to destroy their religion and their nation" (' The Psalms chronologically arranged'). "'l'he enlargement of territory, the amplification of power and state, leads to a corre- sponding enlargement of ideas, of imagery, of sympathies; and thus (humanly speaking) the magnificent forebodings of a wider dispensation in the prophetic writings first became possible through the colll't and empire of David" (Stanley).-D.