--- title: "Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah" author: "Adam Clarke" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 338 of 914 url: https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/338/ cite: "Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah, section 338. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/338/" --- # Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah *Adam Clarke* Clarke's learned notes on the Hebrew and Greek, verse by verse, from Genesis to Revelation: volume 1 of 2. ## 338. 2 Samuel · 23 of 24 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/338/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/338/#p-N ### Verse 24 [¶1] Asahel - was one of the thirty - Asahel was one of those officers, or troops, called the shalishim. This Asahel, brother of Joab, was the same that was killed by Abner, [2Sam 2:23]. ### Verse 25 [¶3] Shammah the Harodite - There are several varieties in the names of the following shalishim; which may be seen by comparing these verses with [1Chr 11:27]. ### Verse 39 [¶5] Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all - To these the author of [1Chr 11:41] adds Zabad son of Ahlai. [1Chr 11:42] - Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him. [1Chr 11:43] - Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, [1Chr 11:44] - Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite, [1Chr 11:45] - Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, [1Chr 11:46] - Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, [1Chr 11:47] - Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite. [¶6] The 4th and 5th verses are very obscure; L. De Dieu gives them a good meaning, if not the true one: - "The perpetuity of his kingdom David amplifies by a comparison to three natural things, which are very grateful to men, but not constant and stable. For the sun arises and goes down again; the morning may be clear, but clouds afterwards arise; and the tender grass springs up, but afterwards withers. Not so, said he, is my kingdom before God; it is flourishing like all these, but perpetual, for he has made an everlasting covenant with me, though some afflictions have befallen me; and he has not made all my salvation and desire to grow." [¶7] De Dieu repeats כ ke, the note of similitude, thrice; and the following is his version: - "The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake unto me, (or concerning me): The just man ruleth among men; he ruleth in the fear of God. And, as the sun ariseth with a shining light; as the morning is without clouds by reason of its splendor; as, from rain, the tender grass springeth out of the earth; truly so is not my house with God: because he hath made an everlasting covenant with me; disposed in all things, and well kept and preserved in that order. Although he doth not make all my deliverance and desire to grow, i.e., though some adversities happen to me and my family; yet, that always remains, which, in the covenant of God made with me, is in all things orderly, disposed, and preserved." [¶8] See Bishop Patrick on the place. [¶9] Once more I must beg the reader to refer to the First Dissertation of Dr. Kennicott, on the present state of the printed Hebrew text; in which there is not only great light cast on this subject, several corruptions in the Hebrew text being demonstrated, but also many valuable criticisms on different texts in the sacred writings. There are two Dissertations, 2 vols. 8 vo.; and both very valuable. ### Introduction [¶11] David is tempted by Satan to number Israel and Judah, [2Sam 24:1]. Joab remonstrates against it, but the king determines that it shall be done; and Joab and the captains accomplish the work, and bring the sum total to the king: viz.: eight hundred thousand warriors in Israel, and five hundred thousand in Judah, [2Sam 24:2-9]. David is convinced that he has done wrong; and the prophet Gad is sent to him, to give him his choice of three judgments, one of which God is determined to inflict upon the nation, [2Sam 24:10-13]. David humbles himself before God; and a pestilence is sent, which destroys seventy thousand men, [2Sam 24:14], [2Sam 24:15]. The angel of the Lord being about to destroy Jerusalem, David makes intercession, and the plague is stayed, [2Sam 24:16], [2Sam 24:17]. Gad directs him to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing-floor of Araunah, where the plague was stayed, [2Sam 24:18]. He purchases this place for the purpose, and offers burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, [2Sam 24:19-25]. ### Verse 1 [¶13] He moved David against them - God could not be angry with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it; but in the parallel place ([1Chr 21:1]) it is expressly said, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. David, in all probability, slackening in his piety and confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of his dominions without the Divine counsel or command, was naturally curious to know whether the number of fighting men in his empire was sufficient for the work which he had projected. See more on [2Sam 24:10] (note). He therefore orders Joab and the captains to take an exact account of all the effective men in Israel and Judah. God is justly displeased with this conduct, and determines that the props of his vain ambition shall be taken away, either by famine, war, or pestilence. ### Verse 3 [¶15] Joab said unto the king - This very bad man saw that the measure now recommended by the king was a wrong one, and might be ruinous to the people, and therefore he remonstrates against it in a very sensible speech; but the king was infatuated, and would hear no reason. ### Verse 5 [¶17] And pitched in Aroer - This was beyond Jordan, on the river Arnon, in the tribe of Gad: hence it appears, says Calmet, that they began their census with the most eastern parts of the country beyond Jordan. ### Verse 6 [¶19] Tahtim-hodshi - Where this place was is not exactly known: some think that the words refer to a newly conquered country, as our margin, the nether land newly inhabited; and if so, this was probably the country eastward of Gilead, which the Israelites, in the time of Saul, had conquered from the Hagarites, and dwelt in themselves. See [1Chr 5:10], where this transaction is recorded. [¶20] To Dan-jaan - Or, to Dan of the woods. This is the place so frequently mentioned, situated at the foot of Mount Libanus, near to the source of the Jordan, the most northern city of all the possessions of the Israelites in what was called the promised land, as Beer-sheba was the most southern: hence the common form of speech, From Dan to Beer-sheba, i.e., from north to south. ### Verse 7 [¶22] The strong hold of Tyre - This must have been the old city of Tyre, which was built on the main land: the new city was built on a rock in the sea. ### Verse 8 [¶24] Nine months and twenty days - This was a considerable time; but they had much work to do, nor did they complete the work, as appears from [1Chr 21:6]; [1Chr 27:24]. William the Conqueror made a survey of all England, particularizing "how many hides or carucates the land is taxed at; whose it was in the time of his predecessor Edward; who the present owners and sub-tenants; what and how much arable land, meadow, pasture, and wood there is, how much in demesne, i.e., held and cultivated by the landowners; how much in tenantcy, and what number of ploughs it will keep; what mills and fisheries; how many sockmen, freemen, co-liberti, cotarii, bordarii, radmanni, radchenisters, villains, maid-servants, and bondmen, there are; how many hogs the woods would support; how many churches, priests, or parsons; what customary rents, prestations, and services, are to be paid and rendered out of the lands; what has been added to the manor; what has been withheld from it, and by whom; what land is waste, and what the whole was let for in the time of King Edward; and what the nett rent, and whether it was too dear rented, and whether it might be improved." This survey was begun in the year 1080, and was finished in the year 1086, six years having been employed in the work. This most important document is still preserved; it is in the Chapter House, Westminster, in two volumes, one in folio, on three hundred and eighty-two leaves of vellum. the other in quarto, on four hundred and fifty leaves; and is in as good preservation as it was seven hundred years ago. This work was much more difficult than that which was performed by Joab and his fellows. The work itself is known by the name Domesday Book. ### Verse 9 [¶26] In Israel eight hundred thousand - the men of Judah were five hundred thousand - In the parallel place, [1Chr 21:5], the sums are widely different: in Israel one million one hundred thousand, in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand. Neither of these sums is too great, but they cannot be both correct; and which is the true number is difficult to say. The former seems the most likely; but more corruptions have taken place in the numbers of the historical books of the Old Testament, than in any other part of the sacred records. To attempt to reconcile them in every part is lost labor; better at once acknowledge what cannot be successfully denied, that although the original writers of the Old Testament wrote under the influence of the Divine Spirit, yet we are not told that the same influence descended on all copiers of their words, so as absolutely to prevent them from making mistakes. They might mistake, and they did mistake; but a careful collation of the different historical books serves to correct all essential errors of the scribes. See the Dissertations of Dr. Kennicott mentioned at the conclusion of the preceding chapter. ### Verse 10 [¶28] David said - I have sinned greatly - We know not exactly in what this sin consisted. I have already hinted, [2Sam 24:1], that probably David now began to covet an extension of empire, and purposed to unite some of the neighboring states with his own; and having, through the suggestions of Satan or some other adversary, (for so the word implies), given way to this covetous disposition, he could not well look to God for help, and therefore wished to know whether the thousands of Israel and Judah might be deemed equal to the conquests which he meditated. When God is offended and refuses assistance, vain is the help of man. ### Verse 11 [¶30] For when David was up - It is supposed that David's contrition arose from the reproof given by Gad, and that in the order of time the reproof came before the confession stated in the 10th verse. [¶31] David's seer - A holy man of God, under the Divine influence, whom David had as a domestic chaplain. ### Verse 13 [¶33] Shall seven years of famine - In [1Chr 21:12], the number is three, not seven; and here the Septuagint has three, the same as in Chronicles: this is no doubt the true reading, the letter ז zain, Seven, being mistaken for ג gimel, Three. A mistake of this kind might be easily made from the similarity of the letters. ### Verse 14 [¶35] I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord - David acted nobly in this business. Had he chosen war, his own personal safety was in no danger, because there was already an ordinance preventing him from going to battle. Had he chosen famine, his own wealth would have secured his and his own family's support. But he showed the greatness of his mind in choosing the pestilence, to the ravages of which himself and household were exposed equally with the meanest of his subjects. ### Verse 15 [¶37] From the morning - to the time appointed - That is, from the morning of the day after David had made his election till the third day, according to the condition which God had proposed, and he had accepted: but it seems that the plague was terminated before the conclusion of the third day, for Jerusalem might have been destroyed, but it was not. Throughout the land, independently of the city, seventy thousand persons were slain! This was a terrible mortality in the space of less than three days. ### Verse 16 [¶39] The angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem - By what means this destruction took place, we know not: it appears that an angel was employed in it, and that this minister of Divine justice actually appeared as an object. of sight; for it is said, [2Sam 24:17], When David saw the angel that smote the people, he said, etc.; and both Ornan and his four sons saw him and were affrighted, [1Chr 21:20]. [¶40] The threshing-place of Araunah - These threshing-places, we have already seen, were made in the open air. In the parallel place, [1Chr 21:15], [1Chr 21:20], etc., this person is called Ornan. The word that we render Araunah is written in this very chapter אורנה Auarnah, [2Sam 24:16], ארניה Araniah, [2Sam 24:18], ארונה Araunah or Araunah, [2Sam 24:20], and the following: but in every place in 1 Chronicles 21:1-30 where it occurs it is written ארנן Ornan. It is likely he had both names, Araunah and Ornan: but the varieties of spelling in 2 Samuel must arise from the blunders of transcribers. ### Verse 17 [¶42] But these sheep, what have they done? - It seems that in the order of Providence there is no way of punishing kings in their regal capacity, but by afflictions on their land, in which the people must necessarily suffer. If the king, therefore, by his own personal offenses, in which the people can have no part, bring down God's judgments upon his people, (though they suffer innocently), grievous will be the account that he must give to God. The people generally suffer for the miscarriages of their governors: this has been observed in every age. [¶43] Quicquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi. - "When doting monarchs urge [¶44] Unsound resolves, their subjects feel the scourge."