Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/140

76 them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the, because of the word of the, which he kept not; and also for that he asked counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire thereby, and inquired not of the : therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto

to Jabesh] Samuel adds "and burned them there." The Chronicler omits this statement perhaps because he inferred that the bones were not destroyed by this burning; cp. 2 Sam. xxi. 12—14 (the bones of Saul and Jonathan brought from Jabesh in David's reign and re-interred in the family sepulchre) or more probably because burning was not a usual funeral rite among the Jews (cp. 2 Chr. xvi. 14, note), and indeed was regarded with abhorrence (cp. Am. ii. 1).

under the oak] mg., terebinth. Large trees, being rare in Palestine, frequently serve as landmarks; cp. Judg. iv. 5; 1 Sam. xxii. 6 ("tamarisk tree" R.V.).

fasted seven days] Fasting involved abstinence from food during daylight. David fasted "till the evening" in mourning for Saul (2 Sam. i. 12) and for Abner (ib. iii. 35). The fast of Jabesh was a sevenfold fast.

13, 14 (peculiar to Chron.).&emsp;

Such reflexions as these are characteristic of the Chronicler; cp. 2 Chr. xii. 2 (note), xxii. 7, xxiv. 24, xxv. 27. They are not so frequent in Sam. and Kings.

13. his trespass] cp. 2 Chr. xxvi. 16. The reference is to Saul's sacrifice (1 Sam. xiii. 13, 14), and disobedience (ib. xv. 23).

asked counsel spirit] i.e. of the witch of Endor, 1 Sam. xxviii. 7 ff.

14. and inquired not of the ] Cp. xiii. 3. The Chronicler presumably does not count inquiries made too late; cp. 1 Sam. xxviii. 6 (Saul inquires of the Lord, but receives no answer).

XI. 1—3 (= 2 Sam. v. 1—3).&emsp;

The remaining chapters of the first book of Chronicles are occupied with the reign of David, who is represented as a king fulfilling the Chronicler's highest ideals of piety and prosperity. For some general remarks on the difference between the picture thus given and the David of Sam. see the note on xxviii. 1.

1. Then] Render And.

all Israel] Chron. has nothing here corresponding to 2 Sam. i.—iv.,