Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 14

Hiram. —Thus the Hebrew text of Chronicles spells the name, and the Septuagint and all the other ancient versions of both Samuel and Chronicles also render it this way. However, the Hebrew margin of Chronicles writes “Huram.”

Messengers. —Ambassadors.

Timber of cedars. —Felled from the Lebanon, and sea-borne to Joppa (2 Chronicles 16:0).

With masons and carpenters. —Literally, and craftsmen of walls, and craftsmen of timber. 2 Samuel 5:11 has craftsmen of wood, and craftsmen of stone of wall.

To build him a house. —Samuel has, and they built a house for David. (2 Samuel 5:11).

House. —Palace. Thus, the Temple was called “the house” (hab-bayith) as well as “the palace” (h ç k ç l; compare the Akkadian e-gal, “great house”). We may think of the numerous records of palace building which the Assyrian and Babylonian sovereigns have left us. The cedar of Lebanon (Labnânu) was a favourite material with them.

And David perceived ... —And David knew that Jehovah had appointed him. The willing alliance of the powerful sovereign of Phoenician Tyre was so understood by David. The favor of man is sometimes a sign of the approval of God—always, when it results from well-doing (Genesis 39:21; Luke 2:52).

For his kingdom was lifted up on high. —Samuel, and (he knew) that he had lifted up his kingdom. Perhaps our text should be rendered, namely, that his kingdom was lifted up on high.

Lifted up. —Aramaic form (nissêth).

Because of. —For the sake of.

On high. —A favorite intensive expression with the Chronicler (1 Chronicles 20:5; 1 Chronicles 21:17, and other passages).

Kingdom. —The Hebrew term (malkûth) is more modern than that in Samuel (mamlãkh ăh).

This verse helps us to understand how David was “a man after God’s own heart.” His innate humility recognizes at once the ground of his own exaltation as not personal, but national.

And David took more wives. —The verse is considerably abbreviated as compared with Samuel, which reads, “concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron.” The concubines are not omitted because of offence, for they are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:9.

His children. —Literally, the born. Samuel has a different word from the same root, and omits the relative pronoun and its verb. (For the names, compare 1 Chronicles 3:5–9, Notes, and 2 Samuel 5:14–16.) The list is repeated here because it occurred at this point in the document which the historian was copying, and perhaps also as an instance of David’s prosperity, which is the topic of the section.

Nathan. —And Nathan (Samuel) must be right. The conjunction occurs throughout the list. Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, traced his descent from this son of David (Luke 3:23–31).

II.—DAVID’S TWO VICTORIES OVER THE PHILISTINES
(1 Chronicles 14:8–16; 2 Samuel 5:17–25).

Although placed here after the account of the palace building, this invasion must have occurred earlier in the reign of David, and probably soon after the storming of Jerusalem, a proof of capacity, which would rouse the Philistines to combined action against the new sovereign of Israel. (Compare to 1 Samuel 13:0)

David was anointed. —Samuel, they had anointed David. The verb in each case is mashah, from which is derived Mashȋah = Messiah.

Over all Israel. —The word “all,” omitted in Samuel, contrasts David’s second election with his first as king of Judah only.

To seek David. —With hostile intent. The verb is so used in 1 Samuel 26:2.

Went out against them. —Literally, before them (1 Chronicles 12:17). Samuel has, went down to the stronghold. The term “stronghold” (měçûdâh) designates the “castle of Zion” (1 Chronicles 11:5; 1 Chronicles 11:7), and also David’s old refuge, the rock and cave of Adullam, in the valley of Elah. The latter is probably intended here.

As on former occasions, the Philistine forces were likely to choose the route through the valley of Elah (Compare to 1 Samuel 18:1–2), and David went down from Zion “to meet them” there.