Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 13

And David consulted. — This consultation took place some time after the coronation at Hebron (compare 2 Samuel 6:1). And David gathered together again every chosen man in Israel, thirty thousand. This is all that Samuel has corresponding to our 1 Chronicles 13:1–5. It is by no means necessary to assume that, "according to the context, we are still at Hebron in the assemblage of 350,000 warriors" (Reuss). Samuel implies the contrary.

Captains of thousands. — The thousands (compare 1 Chronicles 12:20).

And the hundreds. — Compare Numbers 31:14. The hundreds were the smaller military divisions of the tribe, representing, perhaps, the warlike strength of the houses, as the thousands represented that of the clans or sub-tribes.

And with every leader. — Rather, namely, with every prince (nagîd) or chief. These chiefs constituted the Great Council of the nation.

All the congregation of Israel. —As represented by the Council of Chiefs, who, according to the passage in Samuel, were 30,000 in number.

And that it be. —Rather, and if it be. The clause is not dependent. David says: “If before you (the thing is) good, and if (the motion comes) from Jehovah.” The former phrase recurs in Nehemiah 2:5, 7, and is late Hebrew; the latter is illustrated by Genesis 24:50.

Let us send abroad. —Literally, break we forth, send we, i.e., let us send with all dispatch.

Everywhere. —Not in the Hebrew.

Land. —Hebrew, lands or territories, i.e., of the various tribes. Compare to Genesis 26:3-4, where the same plural implies the partition of Canaan into many smaller national domains.

In their cities and Suburbs. — In the cities of their pastures. The Levites appear to have occupied themselves with pastoral pursuits when not engaged in the services of religion (compare to 1 Chronicles 6:57 and following).

That they may gather themselves to us. —The result would be a great addition to an already large gathering. However, it does not follow that every one to whom the summons came would be willing or able to obey it. The invitation was, in fact, a kind of formal proclamation to the entire people of a solemn act of national importance.

Let us bring again. — Bring we round: transfer it from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem, as the throne was transferred (same verb) from Saul to David (1 Chronicles 10:14; 1 Chronicles 12:23).

The Ark of our God to us. —The Ark was at Kirjath-jearim, a city of Judah, David’s own tribe. But the ting wished to establish it as the centre of the national worship in his new capital and royal residence, Jerusalem.

For we enquired not at it. —Rather, we sought it not, that is, neglected it, cared nothing about it. The Ark had been left in the house of Abinadab at Kirjath-jearim, for twenty years, after the Philistines sent it back (1 Samuel 7:2). There may be a reference to Saul’s despairing neglect of consulting the Lord (1 Chronicles 10:13); and, perhaps, we should translate, “we sought Him not,” referring the suffix to God (comp. 1 Chronicles 15:13; Isaiah 9:12). There is no clear evidence that the Ark itself was ever used as an oracle (comp. Exodus 25:10–22; 1 Kings 8:9).

All the assembly said, So should we do (compare to 1 Chronicles 5:5; 1 Chronicles 9:25 for the construction). The thing, the proposal.

So David gathered all Israel. — Assembled; a different word in 1 Chronicles 13:2.

Shihor of Egypt. — The boundary between Egypt and Canaan is elsewhere called Nahal Micrayim (Authorized Version, River of Egypt; Isaiah 27:12; 2 Chronicles 7:8). It is the modern Wady el Arish. Joshua 13:3 also calls this winter torrent the Shihor (Blackwater); but, in Isaiah 23:3, Shihor means the Nile.

The entering of Hemath. — Hamath. — This was the usual designation of the north boundary of Palestine, as the “torrent of Egypt” was that of the south (1 Kings 8:65). Hamath was the seat of an ancient kingdom, independent of, but friendly to David. The prophet Amos (eighth century B.C.) calls it Hamath Rabbah, Great Hamath (Amos 6:2). A revived interest attaches to Hamath in our day, owing to the discovery of five curious inscriptions at Hâmah, written in a peculiar hieroglyphic character, which has been pronounced to be Hittite, but still awaits decipherment.