2 Samuel 8:18

_AND BENAIAH THE SON OF JEHOIADA WAS OVER BOTH THE CHERETHITES AND THE PELETHITES; AND DAVID'S SONS WERE CHIEF RULERS._ Cherethites - i:e., Philistines (Zephaniah 2:5). PELETHITES - from Pelet (1 Chronicles 12:3). They were the valiant men who, having accompanied David during his exile among the Philistines, were made his body-guard. AND DAVID'S SONS WERE CHIEF RULERS, х_ KOHªNIYM_ (H3548) _ HAAYUW_ (H1961)] - literally, priests (which they could not be); or, as Hebrew writers render it, princes, chiefs (1 Chronicles 18:17) - counselors of the crown, particula

15-18 David neither did wrong, nor denied or delayed right to any. This speaks his close application to business; also his readiness to admit all addresses and appeals made to him. He had no respect of persons in judgment. Herein he was a type of Christ. To Him let us submit, his friendship let us seek, his service let us count our pleasure, diligently attending to the work he assigns to each of us. David made his sons chief rulers; but all believers, Christ's spiritual seed, are better preferred, for they are made kings and priests to our God, Revelation 1:6....

Verse 2 Samuel 8:18. _BENAIAH_] The chief of the second class of David's worthies. We shall meet with him again. _THE CHERETHITES AND THE PELETHITES_] The former supposed to be those who accompanied David when he fled from Saul; the latter, those who came to him at Ziklag. But the Targum translates these two names thus, _the archers and the slingers_; and this is by far the most likely. It is not at all probable that David was without a company both of _archers_ and _slingers_. The _bow_ is celebrated in the funeral lamentation over Saul and Jonathan; and the _sling_ was renowned as the weapon of the Israelites, and how expert David was in the use of it we learn from the death of Goliath. I take for granted that the Chaldee paraphrast is correct. No weapons then known were equally powerful with these; the spears, swords, and javeli

For a similar account of the officers of Solomon’s kingdom, see 1 Kings 4:1, where Jehoshaphat is still the recorder, and Benaiah is advanced to be captain of the host in the room of Joab. The recorder seems to have been a high officer of state, a kind of chancellor, whose office was to keep a record of the events of the kingdom for the king’s information, and hence, he would naturally be the king’s adviser. See Esther 6:1; Isaiah 36:22; 2 Chronicles 34:8. Such an officer is found among the ancient Egyptians and Persians. AHIMELECH THE SON OF ABIATHAR - According to...

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 8:1 DAVID SMOTE THE PHILISTINES. In the previous chapter we have seen that the empire of David not only marked an era in the development of Israel nationally, but was also the reaching of a new stage in the preparation for the advent of the Messiah; and we saw that without this the development of prophecy would have been impossible, and the people have remained unfit for the high mission to which they were called as the witnesses to the unity of Cod. We have in this chapter a brief summary of the wars which raised Israel from the position of a struggling and oppressed race to the possession of widespread empire. With this narrative the first history of David ends, and in the subsequent narratives many of the events referred to here are more fully detailed, and given with additional incidents. David took Metheg-

AND BENAIAH THE SON OF JEHOIADA [WAS] OVER BOTH THE CHERETHITES AND PELETHITES,.... These, according to Josephus k, were the king's bodyguards, and this man is expressly said to be set over his guards, 2 Samuel 23:22; and which some think were of the nation of the Philistines, famous for archery, and slinging of stones; and so the Targum renders it, "was appointed over the archers and slingers;'' so "choriti" in Virgil l are quivers for arrows; the great use of which in fighting David had observed, and therefore got a select company of these men, partly to teach Israel, and partly to guard himself: but others are of opinion that David would never suffer such as were Heathens to be so near his person, and therefore take them to be Israelites; and so some Jewish writers say they were two families in Israel; which is much better than to interpret them as others do

5. THE EXTENSION OF HIS KINGDOM CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The Philistines and Moab smitten (2 Samuel 8:1)_ 2. Hadadezer overthrown (2 Samuel 8:3) 3. Further conquests and triumphs (2 Samuel 8:9) 4. David's reign and his associates (2 Samuel 8:15) Great conquests and victories follow. David arose from the presence of the Lord to go forth to conquer. With such a message he had heard, assuring him of the Lord's presence and power, of the success of his kingdom, he began to extend his kingdom over the different nations which surrounded the land. The Lord was with him and preserved him withersoever he went

2 SAMUEL 8. DAVID'S VICTORIES. HIS MINISTERS (D). A concluding summary, corresponding to the similar section on Saul (1 Samuel 14:47 ff.) and by the same hand. Apparently it formed the conclusion of an early edition of the Book of Samuel. It includes material and information from earlier sources. 2 SAMUEL 8:1. David subdues the Philistines, Moabites, and Syrians. 2 SAMUEL 8:1. THE BRIDLE OF THE MOTHER CITY: the text is hopelessly corrupt. 2 Samuel 8:2. Two-thirds were put to death. 2 Samuel 8:3. Appare

BENAIAH. Compare 2 Samuel 23:20. CHERETHITES... PELETHITES. David's body-guard. Here ends the _prosperous_ part of David's reign....

David's administration and officers A summary notice of the internal administration of the kingdom, with a list of David's chief officers of state, is appended to the account of his wars. Another list of these officers is given in ch. 2 Samuel 20:23-26: on the differences between them see notes there. A similar list of Solomon's officers is to be found in 1 Kings 4:1-6....