The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 521

For by thoo do I run upon " troop; Ver11. 35--!17.~ In my God I leap over " wall. "He teacheth my ho.ode to we.r; God-hie wav is perfect: And mine arms ~n bend n bow nf bronze. The wc,rd or Jeho~,h is pnri6ed. And thou hast given me thy sn.ving shield; He is " Shield to all that trust in him." And thy hearing of me he.th made me great. Lamp. The lRmp buruing in the house is Thou he.et enle.rged my steps under me• the proof or life and activity present there; And my feet have not slipped." ' and thus_ the extinguishing of the lamp means rum and desolation (Job xxi. 17). Bo\\' of bronze. In Job xx: 24 we nlso reo.a So Da'!'id is ca.lled "the lamp of Israel" of bows m~e of this metal, or compound of (eh. x:u. 17), because the active life of the mete.ls, which was e. far more Rncient material nation centred in him. In a still higher for weapons than steel. The bending <if ~ense the life and being of his people centres such e. bow w&e proof of great strength and rn God, and without him the soul is waste the last arti_Bce of Penelope, to eave h~rsel! and void, like the universe before God so.id, from the suitors, was to promise her ho.nd •• Let there be light." I r11Il. To the war- to the m~n who could bend UlyssPe' bow. rior in old time speed was as important as Thy hearing of me; iu Ps. xviii. 85, and strength, and thus Hnmer constantly calls Authorized Yersion and Revised Version Achilles "fleet of foot." It was his fleetness here,•• thy gentleness." The words in the which gave Asabel a high place among the Heb~ew ar~ very nearly alike, but the Sep- mig~ties (oh. ii. 18), and to this quality tuagrnt notices the difference, and translo:tes David now refers. The troop· signifies o. '.'hearing" in this place, but" chastisement" Ji!d1t-armed band of marauders, whom with m the psalm, '.I!he Vulgate has" gentleness•• God's aid David could overto.ke, and stop in or" mildness" here, and" discipline" in the their couree of rapine. 'The wall means for- psalm, The Syriac alone. has "discipline" }i;i tifications like those of Jerusalem (eh. v. 7). both places. My feet; btere.lly, anl,le-bonea Sieges were tedious affa.irs in old time, but the wee.L.-ness of which causes men to totter: David he.d captured that city with e. rapidity Vere, 38-40.- so great that the metaphor in the text is most ." I hav~ pursued my enemies and destroy~ appropriate. Purified; or, refi11ed. This does them; not mean that it is proved by experience Neither did I tum again until I .he.d con: and found true, but that it is e.beolutely eumed them. • good and perfect like renned gold (see Ps. • And I he.ve consumed them, and smilteri xiL 6). th_em through, and they arose not: ''.-' Vere. 32-34.- Yea, they fell under my feet. • l<'or thou he.et girded me with .strength .. For who is God, eave Jehovah? unto the battle; And who is e. rock, eave our God? Thou hast me.de them that rose against me God is my strong Fortress, to bow under me." • And he guideth the perfect in his way. In the Psalms, for destroyed we find "over• He me.keth my feet like the hi.Ii.dB, taken," and the second " I have consume,l And upon my high places he doth set them" is omitted, This exulte.tion of David me." at the result of his wars is in accordance with the harsh treatment inflicted by him upon God; Hebrew, El; the Mighty One, need the vanquished. His enemies were God'il severe.I times in this pee.Im. In the second enemies, whom he muet consume. • The clause the word is Elol,im, the ordinary "_new commandment''. of ·<;Jhristianity for- 11ame of God. The p&1l111ist's question is e. bids and condemns thIS delight in conquest, strong e.esertion that J ehove.h alone is God, Vere. 41---43.- and that he alone is a Rock of safety for his people. Ee guideth, etc. In Pe. xviii. 32 " And mine enemies thou he.et me.de to tum .. He me.keth my way perfect,'' like his own. upon me their back, The phre.ae here id probably that which Even those that hate me; and I have utterly De.vid wrote, as being Jess usual, and it sig- destroyed them. nifies the.t God will direct the upright man They looked, but there WILi! none to save, in his good way. Hinds. David's feet e.re Even to Jehovah, but he answered ,them swift a.. binds, e.n animal fa.moue for its not, speed e.nd sureness of foot. My high plaCBI, And I ,beat the)]! ,small ae the dust of the The tops of the mountains a.re the favourite earth; . . " resort of the e.ntelope ( eh. i. 18) ; and so All the mire of the streets I stamped upon with De.vid, the possession of such rocky them, I trade them down." • citadels e.s Bozez and 8eneh (I Sam. xiv. ♦) Thote that hate me. 'l'ho ,entence ,ii to .be wade him 11111,11ter of the whole country. completed f.rom the previoUB ole.11ee1 '' my OJI, xxn. 1-!il.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL.