Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXI.

Vers. 1. THen there was a famine in the dayes of David, three years, yeare af∣ter yeare, and David enquired of the Lord.] Though this story of the three years famine, be here related after that of Absaloms rebellion, and Sheba's insurrection against David, yet it is generally held that both this and the following story, chap. 24. happened long before, and indeed if Absaloms rebellion was in the the fourtieth yeare of his fathers reigne, who reigned in all but fourty years, chap. 5.4. as many gather from chap. 15.7. And it came to passe that after fourtie years, Absalom said unto the King, &c. this consequently must needs be before that, one∣ly because all these fore-mentioned troubles that befell David, befell him for his sinne with Bathsheba, therefore are they there inserted immediately after that, and these that concerned other matters are afterward related by themselves; the Scripture ra∣ther respecting the coherence of the matter and argument, then the consequence of the time, and so much methinks the very Text doth imply, giving no other note of

the time, but that it was in the dayes of David; though the sinne was long since committed, yet at length God began to punish the whole land for it by sending a fa∣mine amongst them, caused as it seems, vers. 10. by want of rain; and how ever at first David took it as a punishment laid upon them for the common sinnes of the land, yet when he saw that it continued three years together, he concluded there was some speciall thing wherewith God was offended, and for which he would be satis∣fied, and therefore then he enquired of the Lord.

And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloudy house, because he slew the Gibeonites.] That is, many of the Gibeonites: in the following verse it is in∣deed expressed, that he endeavoured to root them all out of the land; Saul sought to stay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah, to wit, as pretending that it was neither profitable, nor honourable, nor safe for Gods people to suffer any of those cursed nations to live amongst them, whom God hath commanded them utterly to destroy. Exod. 23.33. Deut. 7.2. but it seems he did not openly professe this which he had purposed with himself: (for this would have been too manifest an act of tryranny and injustice, and too palpable a violation of the oath which Joshua and the Elders of Israel had taken, that they should live peaceably amongst them, Josh. 9.15. and besides had he gone this way to work, the poore Gibeonites could never have escaped his fury) no, though his intentions were utterly to root them all out of the land, yet the way he took to effect it was by picking quarrells severally against them, some at one time, and some at another, that so he might cut them off by degrees, and that under a pretence of Justice, either by charging them with forged accusations, or by aggravating any smaller offence, and making it to them capitall, or some such other wayes of heavie oppression; and thus intending to proceed in this close politick way though he slew many of them as is here expressed, yet it seems he was some way taken off before he could accomplish what he had determined: however for this cruelty of Sauls against the Gibeonites, it was as the Lord here tells David that the famine had been so long upon the land. It is for Saul, and for his bloudy house, because he slew the Gibeonites: Indeed considering what an exe∣crable act of cruelty that of Sauls was, when he slew fourescore and five of the Priests, and utterly destroyed their citie with all that were therein, both men and women, children and sucklings, &c. It is strange that Sauls posterity were not cal∣led to an account for that cruelty of Sauls against the Priests of the Lord, as well as for this against the Gibeonites: but for this two reasons may be probably given; first that it was to let the Israelites see that God will be avenged for shedding the bloud of the meanest, such as the Gibeonites were, who were as bondmen and slaves to the Israelites, as well as for shedding the bloud of the greatest: secondly, that it was to let the Jewes see that those of other Nations, if they were of the faith of Is∣rael, and were once received to be his people, were as acceptable to God, and as pre∣cious in his sight as the Jewes were; and thirdly, that it was to discover how the Lord abhorres all falsifying of oaths and covenants, in that he proceeded with such severity against Sauls posterity, because he had done the Gibeonites conrary to what Joshua and the Israelites had covenanted and sworn many hundred years ago; so hatefull to God all persidiousnesse is, whatsoever pretences are put upon it.

Vers. 2. The Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites,

&c.] The Gibeonites were Hivites, Josh. 9.7. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us, &c. But both Hivites, and general∣ly all the inhabitants of Canaan, are usually in the Scripture called Amorites, Gen. 15.16. For the iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full. Ezek. 16.3. Thy Father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.

Vers. 3. Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you?] &c. It seems by this, that when David enquired of the Lord, he did not onely tell him wherefore this famine was sent, but also enjoined him to satisfie the Gibeonites for the wrong which had been done them: for why else should he allow them to pre∣scribe what should be done?

And wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may blesse the inheritance of the Lord?] That is, that ye may pray for the people of God, and the land which God hath given them for their inheritance: because the Lord had pleaded the cause of the Gibeonites by sending a famine upon the whole land of Israel, David looked upon them as men highly favoured of God, and therefore was the more desirous that they should pray for them.

Vers. 4. We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house, neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel.] That is, save onely of his family that did op∣presse us.

Vers. 6. Let seaven men of his sonnes be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord, &c.] That is, to satisfie his justice, and appease his wrath, and that others by this example may learn to keep covenant, and not to oppresse the stranger that is taken under Gods protection: See the note Numb. 25.4.

Vers. 8. But the King tooke the two sonnes of Rizpah, &c. and the five sonnes of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel, &c.] It is cer∣tain that not Michal but Merab her elder sister, was married to this Adriel the son of Barzillai, called the Meholathite, because he was of Abel-meholah in the Tribe of Benjamin, Judg. 7.22. and to distinguish him from Barzillai the Gileadite, chap. 19.31. 1. Sam. 18.19. When Merab Sauls daughter should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife; and that Michal had no children to her dying day, 2. Sam. 6.22. Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death; and therefore doubtlesse these five sonnes of Adriel were the children of Merab Michals sister, and were onely brought up by Michal as her own (she having no children) and therefore called her sonnes, but are said to be brought up for Adriel her sisters husband.

Vers. 9. And they hanged them in the hil before the Lord.] That is, in a hill in Gi∣beah of Saul, vers. 6. that they might be a spectacle of Gods indignation against Saul for that sinne of his in slaying the Gibeonites, and thus did the Lord, punish that cruelty of Saul toward the Gibeonites, and withall did provide for the setling of the Kingdome upon David and his seed, by cutting off the posterity of Saul, lest they should be still plotting and practising against them.

Vers. 10. And Rizpah the daughter of Ajah took sackcloth and spread it for her upon the rock, &c.] Rizpah Sauls concubine the mother of two of those that were hanged, knowing it seems that the bodies of her sonnes were to hang up till God should testifie that he was appeased by giving them rain again (wherein doubtlesse

David had speciall direction from the Lord, for otherwise it had been against the expresse letter of the Law, Deut. 21.23. His body shall not all night remain upon the tree, but thou shalt bury him that day.) That she might defend their bodies both from birds and beasts, she resolved to watch them, and to that end she took sackcloth and spread it for her upon the rock; that is, she spread therewith a Tent in the rock next adjoyning, the better to defend her from the heat, and withall perhaps to testifie her sad and mournfull condition, in regard of this shamefull death of her children, and so continued watching them, untill water dropped upon them out of Heaven; till God sent rain upon the land as was desired; she that had been Sauls concubine it is likely had servants to have done this; but such was the strength of her affection, that she could not be satisfied, unlesse she did it, or saw it done her self.

Vers. 12. And David went, and took the bones of Saul, &c] Hearing as it is said in the foregoing verse, what affection Rizaph had shown to her sonnes that were hanged, and how carefull she had been to keep their dead bodies from being torn and mangled, that they might be decently interred, partly as being stirred up by the example of Rizpah, to shew the like respect to the dead bodies of Saul and his fami∣ly, and partly that this honourable buriall of her sonnes, might be some comfort to that poore sad woman, he went himself and fetched the bones of Saul and Jonathan, and buried them together with the bones of those, that were lately hanged in the Se∣pulchre of Kish the father of Saul.

Vers. 13. And they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.] That is, after their bodies had been buried for some time; or else we must say, that the bodies hanged so long ere rain came, that the greatest part, at least of the flesh, was con∣sumed.

Vers. 15. And David waxed faint.] To wit, as being then grown old, and therefore not so well able to hold out in the fight, as formerly he had been.

Vers. 17. Thou shalt go no more out with us to battel, that thou quench not the light of Israel.] That is, for fear thou shouldest be slain, in whom consists the conduct, joy, and life of thy people: kings are called in the Scripture the light of their peo∣ple, 1. Kings 15.4. The Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his sonne after him: Psal. 132.17. I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed: partly, because by their wisdome the people are governed, partly because they are to shine as lights by good example; but principally, because they are the means of so much joy and comfort to a people, and thence it is that the people here tell David, that by his death the light of Israel would be quenched.

Vers. 18. And it came to passe after this, that there was again a battel with the Philistines at Gob.] This Gob it seems was near unto Gezer, and therefore, 1. Chron. 20 4. it is said that the battel was in Gezer.

Then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph.] Or Sippai, 1. Chron. 20.4. This Sibbechai was one of Davids worthies, as was also Elhanan, mentioned in the fol∣lowing verse see 1. Chron. 11.26.••9.

Vers. 22. These foure were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, And by the hand of his servants.] Though David did not kill them himself, yet their death is ascr••bed to David as well as to his captains, and that be•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they fought in his quarrel; and under his command.