[1] See further the third edition of Schrader's _Keilinschr. u. das
Alte Test._ pp. 225, 483.
[2] But four in xvii. 13 sqq., and seven in 1 Chron. ii. 13-15.
[3] An armour-bearer was not a full warrior but a sort of page or
apprentice-in-arms, whose most warlike function is to kill outright
those whom his master has struck down--an office which among the
Arabs was often performed by women.
[4] See SAMUEL. The older history repeatedly indicates that David's
kingship was predicted by a divine oracle, but would hardly lead us
to place the prediction so early (1 Sam. xxv. 30; 2 Sam. iii. 9, v.
2).
[5] The LXX omits xviii. 1-6 (to "Philistine"), the first and last
clauses of 8, 10-11, the reason given for Saul's fear in 12, 17-19,
the second half of 21. It also modifies 28, and omits the second half
of 29 and the whole of 30.
[6] 1 Sam. xix. 9. The parallel narrative, xviii. 10 sqq., is wanting
in the Greek, and in the light of subsequent events is improbable.
Its aim is to paint Saul's character as black as possible.
[7] The close of ver. 10 in the Hebrew is corrupt, and the words
"(and it came to pass) that night" seem to belong to the next verse
(so the Greek). H. P. Smith suggests that the passage originally
followed upon xviii. 27.
[8] Wellhausen cites a closely parallel case from Sprenger's _Leben
Muhammad_, vol. ii. p. 543.
[9] On the meaning of this difficult passage, see the discussions by
W. R. Smith, _Religion of the Semites_(^2), p. 455 sqq., and Schwally
_Semit. Kriegsalterthumer_, p. 60 sqq.
[10] Interesting parallels in Barhebraeus _Chron._, ed. Brun and
Kirsch, p. 222, and Ewald, _Hist. Israel_, iii. p. 84.
[11] The cave of Adullam has been traditionally placed (since the
12th century) at Khareitun, two hours' journey south of Bethlehem.
But the town of Adullam, which has not been identified with any
certainty, lay in the low country of Judah (Josh. xv. 35). The "cave"
is also spoken of as a "hold" or fortress, and this is everywhere the
true reading. The name has been identified with '_Id-el-ma_ (or
-_miye_) about 12 m. S.W. of Bethlehem.
[12] According to a late Rabbinical story, David, like Bruce of
Scotland, was once saved by a spider which spun its web over the cave
wherein he was concealed.
[13] The law of the distribution of booty after war enacted by David
(xxx. 24 sqq.) is given as a Mosaic precedent in the post-exilic
priestly legislation (Num. xxxi. 27). On the importance of this
explicit statement, see W. R. Smith, _Old Test. in Jewish Church_(^2),
386 sq.
[14] Bethel (ver. 27) is probably the Bethuel near Ziklag (1 Chron.
iv. 30). David's friendly relations with the Philistines find a
parallel in Isaac's covenant with Abimelech (q.v.). In Ps. xxxiv. the
latter name actually appears in place of Achish.
[15] _Fundamente Israel. u. jud. Gesch._ (1896), pp. 23 sqq.; see
also Winckler, _Gesch. Isr._ i. 24; _Keilinschr. u. d. Alte
Test._(^3), p. 228 sqq.
[16] 1 Chron. xviii. 1 reads "Gath and her dependent villages"; the
original reading is a matter for conjecture.
[17] Cf. the idea in 1 Kings xxii. 19-23; Ezek. xiv. 9; contrast 1
Chron. xxi. 1.
[18] This un-Hebraic name, which is not unlike _aron_, "ark," should
possibly be corrected to Adonijah (Cheyne, _Ency. Bib. s.v._).
[19] David destroyed two-thirds of the Moabites--presumably of their
fighting men (2 Sam. viii. 2); Mesha destroys the inhabitants of the
captured cities in honour of his god Chemosh.
[20] It finds a parallel in the fate of the heralds of Orchomenus
(Frazer, _Pausan_. v. 135) and in an Arabian story (Ibn Athir, viii.
360; Noldeke in Budde, _Hand-Commentar, ad loc._); cf. also Ewald,
iii. 152.
[21] On the questions raised see the commentaries upon 2 Sam. viii.
and x. and the _Ency. Biblica, s.vv._ "David," "Merom," "Zobah." The
main problem is whether the account of David's rule has been
exaggerated, or whether the attempt has been made to throw back to
the time of the first king of all Israel later political conditions.
[22] Viz. the present position of 2 Sam. ix.-xx. after the
miscellaneous collection of details in v.-viii. See, on the other
hand, the view of 1 Kings v. 3, 4.
[23] The present position of this incident, immediately after
Absalom's rebellion was quelled, is almost inconceivable (Winckler,
H. P. Smith, B. Luther, Ed. Meyer). See next page.
[24] He was five years of age at the battle of Gilboa (iv. 4), and is
now grown up and with a young child (ix. 12). But the narrative loses
its point unless David's kindness "for Jonathan's sake" comes at an
early date soon after he became king, and although the youth is found
at Lo-debar (east of the Jordan) under the protection of Machir, the
independent fragment in ii. 8 sqq. implies that the Israelites had
recovered the position they had lost at the battle of Gilboa.
[25] There is an unmistakable reference to the occurrence in the
episode of Shimei, who hovers in the background of Absalom's revolt
with a large body of men at his command (xvi. 7 sqq.).
[26] If Ewald's brilliant interpretation of an obscure word in 2 Sam.
xiii. 32 be correct.
[27] "Israelite" (2 Sam. xvii. 25) is a very unnecessary designation;
1 Chron. ii. 17 would make him an Ishmaelite.
[28] See HEBREW RELIGION, MESSIAH, PROPHET.
[29] Kuenen, "The Critical Method," _Modern Review_, 1880, p. 701
(_Gesammelte Abhandlungen_, Germ. ed. by Budde, p. 33).
[30] His charges to Solomon in 1 Kings ii. 5-9 do not arise
necessarily from motives of revenge; a young and untried sovereign
could not afford to continue the clemency which his father was strong
enough to extend to dangerous enemies. Apart from this, it is
possible that the words have been written to shift from Solomon's
shoulders the bloodshed incurred in establishing his throne.