mh_parser/vol_split/13 - 1Chronicles/Chapter 20.xml

<div2 id="iCh.xxi" n="xxi" next="iCh.xxii" prev="iCh.xx" progress="77.20%" title="Chapter XX">
<h2 id="iCh.xxi-p0.1">F I R S T   C H R O N I C L E
S</h2>
<h3 id="iCh.xxi-p0.2">CHAP. XX.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="iCh.xxi-p1">Here is a repetition of the story of David's wars,
I. With the Ammonites, and the taking of Rabbah, <scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.1-1Chr.20.3" parsed="|1Chr|20|1|20|3" passage="1Ch 20:1-3">ver. 1-3</scripRef>. II. With the giants of the
Philistines, <scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.4-1Chr.20.8" parsed="|1Chr|20|4|20|8" passage="1Ch 20:4-8">ver.
4-8</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="iCh.xxi-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20" parsed="|1Chr|20|0|0|0" passage="1Ch 20" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="iCh.xxi-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.1-1Chr.20.3" parsed="|1Chr|20|1|20|3" passage="1Ch 20:1-3" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:1Chr.20.1-1Chr.20.3">
<h4 id="iCh.xxi-p1.5">The Defeat of the Ammonites. (<span class="smallcaps" id="iCh.xxi-p1.6">b. c.</span> 1306.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="iCh.xxi-p2">1 And it came to pass, that after the year was
expired, at the time that kings go out <i>to battle,</i> Joab led
forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children
of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at
Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.   2 And
David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it
to weigh a talent of gold, and <i>there were</i> precious stones in
it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding
much spoil out of the city.   3 And he brought out the people
that <i>were</i> in it, and cut <i>them</i> with saws, and with
harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the
cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people
returned to Jerusalem.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.xxi-p3">How the army of the Ammonites and their
allies was routed in the field we read in the foregoing chapters.
Here we have the destruction of Rabbah, the metropolis of their
kingdom (<scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.1" parsed="|1Chr|20|1|0|0" passage="1Ch 20:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>), the
putting of their king's crown upon David's head (<scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.2" parsed="|1Chr|20|2|0|0" passage="1Ch 20:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>), and the great severity that was
used towards the people, <scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.3" parsed="|1Chr|20|3|0|0" passage="1Ch 20:3"><i>v.</i>
3</scripRef>. Of this we had a more full account in <scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:2Sam.11.1-2Sam.12.31" parsed="|2Sam|11|1|12|31" passage="2Sa 11:1-12:31">2 Sam. xi., xii.</scripRef>, and cannot
but remember it by this sad token, that while Joab was besieging
Rabbah David fell into that great sin in the matter of Uriah. But
it is observable that, though the rest of the story is repeated,
that is not: a hint only is given of it, in those words which lie
here in a parenthesis—<i>But David tarried at Jerusalem.</i> If he
had been abroad with his army, he would have been out of the way of
that temptation; but, indulging his ease, he fell into uncleanness.
Now, as the relating of the sin David fell into is an instance of
the impartiality and fidelity of the sacred writers, so the
avoiding of the repetition of it here, when there was a fair
occasion given to speak of it again, is designed to teach us that,
though there may be a just occasion to speak of the faults and
miscarriages of others, yet we should not take delight in the
repetition of them. That should always be looked upon as an
unpleasing subject which, though sometimes one cannot help falling
upon, yet one would not choose to dwell upon, any more than we
should love to rake in a dunghill. The persons, or actions, we can
say no good of, we had best say nothing of.</p>
</div><scripCom id="iCh.xxi-p0.3" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.4-1Chr.20.8" parsed="|1Chr|20|4|20|8" passage="1Ch 20:4-8" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:1Chr.20.4-1Chr.20.8">
<p class="passage" id="iCh.xxi-p4">4 And it came to pass after this, that there
arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai
the Hushathite slew Sippai, <i>that was</i> of the children of the
giant: and they were subdued.   5 And there was war again with
the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother
of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff <i>was</i> like a
weaver's beam.   6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where
was a man of <i>great</i> stature, whose fingers and toes
<i>were</i> four and twenty, six <i>on each hand,</i> and six <i>on
each foot:</i> and he also was the son of the giant.   7 But
when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother
slew him.   8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they
fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iCh.xxi-p5">The Philistines were nearly subdued
(<scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.18.1" parsed="|1Chr|18|1|0|0" passage="1Ch 18:1"><i>ch.</i> xviii. 1</scripRef>); but,
as in the destruction of the Canaanites by Joshua the sons of Anak
were last subdued (<scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.11.21" parsed="|Josh|11|21|0|0" passage="Jos 11:21">Josh. xi.
21</scripRef>), so here in the conquest of the Philistines the
giants of Gath were last brought down. In the conflicts between
grace and corruption there are some sins which, like these giants,
keep their ground a great while and are not mastered without much
difficulty and a long struggle: but judgment will be brought forth
unto victory at last. Observe, 1. We never read of giants among the
Israelites as we do of the giants among the Philistines-giants of
Gath, but not giants of Jerusalem. The growth of God's plants is in
usefulness, not in bulk. Those who covet to have <i>cubits added to
their stature</i> do not consider that it will but make then more
unwieldy. In the balance of the sanctuary David far outweighs
Goliath. 2. The servants of David, though men of ordinary stature,
were too hard for the giants of Gath in every encounter, because
they had God on their side, who takes pleasure in abasing lofty
looks, and mortifying the giants that are in the earth, as he did
of old by the deluge, though they were men of renown. Never let the
church's friends be disheartened by the power and pride of the
church's enemies. We need not fear great men against us while we
have the great God for us. What will a finger more on each hand do,
or a toe more on each foot, in contest with Omnipotence? 3. These
giants <i>defied Israel</i> (<scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:1Chr.20.7" parsed="|1Chr|20|7|0|0" passage="1Ch 20:7"><i>v.</i>
7</scripRef>) and were thus made to pay for their insolence. None
are more visibly marked for ruin that those who reproach God and
his Israel. God will do great things rather than suffer the enemy
to <i>behave themselves proudly,</i> <scripRef id="iCh.xxi-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:Deut.32.27" parsed="|Deut|32|27|0|0" passage="De 32:27">Deut. xxxii. 27</scripRef>. The victories of the Son of
David, like those of David himself, are gradual. <i>We see not yet
all things put under him;</i> but it will be seen shortly: and
death itself, the last enemy, like these giants, will be triumphed
over.</p>
</div></div2>