John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 15:18

John Gill Commentary

2 Samuel 15:18

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

2 Samuel 15:18

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king." — 2 Samuel 15:18 (ASV)

And all his servants passed on beside him
Or at his hand or side; his household servants walking perhaps some on one side of him, and some on the other, see (2 Samuel 16:6) ;

and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites ;
which were his bodyguards, see (2 Samuel 8:18) ;

and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath ;
which either came with him from Gath, when he conquered that city, and took it out of the hands of the Philistines, (2 Samuel 8:1) ; compared with (1 Chronicles 18:1) ; and who might become proselytes, and be incorporated into the commonwealth of Israel, and into David's army, a troop of men, of which Ittai, after mentioned, was captain, (2 Samuel 15:22) ; Or else these were Israelites, so called, because with David they sojourned in Gath a while, when he fled from Saul; and so Josephus F12 says, they were companions of him in his first flight, when Saul was living; and this number is just the number of the men that were with him at Gath, (1 Samuel 27:2 1 Samuel 27:3) ; and it may be David kept a troop of men always of the same number, to whom he gave this name in memory of them, having been a set of trusty and faithful men to him:

These, with the Cherethites and Pelethites, passed on before the king :
in this form and manner David and his men marched in their flight.


FOOTNOTES:

  • F12: Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9.) sect. 2.