Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/221

Rh over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai: and over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite: and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's. Also Jonathan David's uncle was a counsellor, a man of understanding, and a scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king's sons: and Ahithophel was the king's counsellor: and Hushai the Archite was the

30. Obil] The name is a form of the Arabic word ābil, "one who feeds camels."

the Meronothite] Meronoth was perhaps near Gibeon and Mizpah; cp. Neh. iii. 7.

31. Hagrite] Cp. v. 10.

32—34 (cp. xviii. 15—17 = 2 Sam. viii. 16—18; cp. ib. xx. 23—26).

32. Jonathan David's uncle] The name Jonathan is common in Heb., but no uncle of David is elsewhere mentioned. A "Jonathan, son of Shimea," David's brother, is referred to in xx. 7 (= 2 Sam. xxi. 21), and many scholars in consequence prefer to follow the mg. and render Jonathan, David's brother's son. Curtis renders David's lover, taking the reference to be to Jonathan, Saul's son, who as the friend of David's youth might be spoken of as his first "counsellor." This view seems improbable but is not impossible, despite the phrase "and a scribe" which could not possibly be said of Saul's warrior son. There is some evidence that those words are a gloss, and it is true that the list is not one of living men only (cp. Ahithophel), whilst finally the Chronicler might well be tempted to drag in an allusion to a relationship so well-known and so creditable to David.

a scribe] Not the chief scribe; cp. xviii. 16, note.

with the king's sons] As tutor; cp. 2 Kin. x. 6.

33. Ahithophel] See 2 Sam. xv. 31; xvi. 20—xvii. 23.

Hushai] See 2 Sam. xv. 32—37, xvi. 16—19, xvii. 5—16.

Archite] The "border of the Archites" was near Bethel (Jos. xvi. 2). The word has no connection with the "Arkite" of i. 15.

king's friend] Cp. 2 Sam. xvi. 16. "Special titles served to signify the degree of rank the great men held with respect to the king [of Egypt]. In old times the most important were the friend and the well-beloved friend of the king" (Erman, Ancient Egypt, Eng. Tr. p. 72). The Greek kings of Syria granted similar titles to their chief dependents; cp. 1 Macc. ii. 18 (R.V. with marg.), "thou and thy house shall be in the number of the king's Friends."