And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jair, a Beth-lehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him. These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the ⚫ hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. And after this David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

Capture of Jerusalem (2 Sam. v. 6-13). And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying: "Thou shalt not come in hither, but the blind and the lame shall turn thee away." Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion.1 And David said on that day: "Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and as for the lame and the blind that are hated of David's soul "2 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David.1 And David built round about from Millo and inward. And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house. And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake. And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

1 Zion was the eastern of the two ridges upon which modern Jerusalem is built. The city' of David is here simply its citadel. At a later time Zion' became the poetic name for Jerusalem itself. The meaning and location of Millo are unknown.

2 The text here is hopelessly mutilated. In the received version, it includes what must have been a later note, connecting with this incident the law (Lev. xxi. 18) excluding the blind and the lame from the temple. 1 Chron. xi. 6 has "Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.' So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief."

The Ark brought to Jerusalem (2 Sam. vi.). Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale-Judah,' to bring up from thence the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubim. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And Uzzah walked beside the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, even with songs, and harps, and psalteries, and timbrels, and castanets, and cymbals.

2

And when they came to Nachon's threshing-floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said: "How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?" So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

3

And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his household. And it was told king David, saying: "The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the 1 Baale-Judah is another name for Kirjath-jearim.

Harp and psaltery in the English Old Testament render inaccurately kinnōr and nebel, of which the first was a lyre-like instrument, probably struck with a plectrum, while the second was a large, portable harp. The timbrel or tabret was a small hand-drum. Castanet here means a jingling instrument consisting of metal disks, through which were passed rods, tipped with loose metal rings. 8 Perez-uzzah. Breach of Uzzah.'

Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a cake of raisins.

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said: "How glorious was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!" And David said unto Michal: "It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in thine eyes and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor." Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

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David's Dynasty Assured (2 Sam. vii. 1-20). And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies, that the king said unto Nathan the prophet: "See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains." And Nathan said to the king: "Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee." And it came to pass that night, that the word of God came unto Nathan, saying:

"Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have

walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: and I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, even from the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will cause them to rest from all their enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. But I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said: "Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant."

David's Court and Chief Warriors (2 Sam. viii. 15-18; xxiii. 8-12, 18-23). And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; and Abiathar the son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, and Zadok were the priests; and Seraiah

was the scribe; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.1

These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: Ishbaal the Hachmonite, chief among the Three: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was with David at Pas-dammim, when the Philistines were there gathered together to battle. And the men of Israel were gone away but he arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together at Lehi, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Thirty. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had a name like that of the Three. Behold, he was more honorable than the Thirty, and became their captain, but unto the Three did he not attain.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, was a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty acts; he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: and he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name like that of the Three. He was more honorable than the Thirty, but he attained not to the first Three. And David set him over his guard.

Execution of Saul's Sons (2 Sam. xxi. 1–14). Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year;

1 The recorder was the "king's remembrancer," who kept him informed of the course of state business. The scribe probably had the drafting and custody of documents, and may have served as court annalist. The Cherethites and Pelethites were a royal bodyguard of foreign mercenaries, probably Philistines (see note, p. 191). Chap. xx. 24 adds to this list Adoram (or Adoniram) who had charge of the corvée or forced labor.