(22) All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by or, trust. their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office. (23) So they and their children had the oversight of the in Jerusalem. the house of the tabernacle, by wards. (2) In four quarters were the porters, toward the east, west, north, and south. (25) And their brethren, which were in their villages, were to come after seven days from time to time with them. (26) For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. (27) And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them. (28) And certain of gates of the house of the LORD, namely, or, Storehouses. them had the charge of the ministering Shallum stood guard. 2 Chron. xxxi. 2 applies the same archaic nomenclature to the Temple in Hezekiah's reign, speaking of "the gates of the camps of Iahweh." (20) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past.-Or, of yore. Phinehas may have held this office of president (nagid, verse 11) of the warders before he became high priest, just as Eleazar had held a similar position during the lifetime of Aaron (Num. iii. 32). Nothing is said of it elsewhere. And the Lord was with him.-Rather, The Lord be with him! a pious ejaculation, such as the Jews of later times were wont to use in speaking of a departed worthy; and of interest to us as indicating a belief in continued existence after death. (Comp. chap. xxii. 11, 16.) (21) And.—Omit. The verse returns abruptly from the Mosaic to the Davidic age. Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah had charge of the north gate under David (chap. xxvi. 12). Was porter of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.-Was a doorkeeper of the tent of meeting. The verse seems to refer the functions of Zechariah to Mosaic antiquity; but comp. Note on verse 19. The relation of this company to those mentioned in verse 17 is indeterminate. (22) All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates (Heb., thresholds) were two hundred and twelve.-This seems to assign the number of warders at the epoch of which the chronicler, or, rather, his source, is writing. Neh. xi. 19 makes the total of the porters one hundred and seventy-two. According to Ezra ii. 42, one hundred and thirty-nine returned with Zerubbabel. Under David, the number of warders was ninety-three (chap. xxvi. 8—11). These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages.-Rather, these-in their villages was their registration. These. That is, their ancestors. Guilds and corporations do not die. Whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set office.-These David and Samuel had ordained in their office of trust, or, in permanence. No mention is made elsewhere of Samuel's part in arranging the Levitical service. He died before David's accession (1 Sam. xxv. 1). Tradi. tion doubtless associated him with David in the work of religious reform, and from what is known of his relation to the sovereigns of his day, the statement of the text may be held true in spirit, if not in the letter. (23) Namely, the house of the tabernacle.— For the Temple was not built in David's day. By wards.-For Watches. 66 (24) In four quarters were the porters.— 'To the four winds used the warders to stand " (to be), viz., on the four sides of the tent of meeting, and from the age of Solomon on the four sides of the square enclosure of the Temple. (25) And their brethren, which were in their villages. The families of the Temple warders, like those of the singers, lived on their farms in the villages round Jerusalem, and came up for their duties in weekly rotation (verse 16; Neh. xii. 29). After seven days.-Every seventh day; that is, on the Sabbath, when each class entered on its duties. (26) For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in their set office.-The Heb. says, or seems to say, "For in fixed position (or trust) were they, viz., the four heroes of the warders." (See verse 17, which apparently names four chief “porters.”) The temporary chiefs of the warder guilds abode in the Temple; the mass of their members was settled in the neighbouring villages, and occupied with pastoral pursuits. And were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.-This statement belongs to the following verse. The preceding account of the porters or warders seems to terminate with the words, "For in fixed position are they, the four stalwart warders; they are the Levites;" that is, the Levites par excellence. And they were over the cells and over the treasuries of the house of God (viz., the warders); and they used to pass the night (verse 27) in the places round the house of God, for upon them was the ward, and they were over the opening (key) every morning— a brief recapitulation of the main duty of the Levitical warders. Some have proposed to alter the text of verse 266, and to read, "And some of the Levites were over the cells," &c., thus constituting a new paragraph, although verse 27 obviously recurs to the warders. Probably the paragraph mark should be transferred to verse 28. From this point to verse 34 we have a review of the other special charges of the Levites. (28) The care of the sacred vessels of gold and silver. These were counted when brought out of the storerooms, and when replaced, to make sure that none was purloined. (Comp. Ezra viii. 20 et seq.) The Charge of I. CHRONICLES, IX. certain Levites. vessels, that they should 1bring them in 1 Heb, bring them ing in the chambers were free: for they and out by tale. (29) Some of them also in by tale, and were appointed to oversee the vessels, a a Ex. 30. 23 3 Or, trust. or, slices. 5 Heb., bread of were employed in that work day and night. (34) These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem. (35) And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, whose wife's name was 'Maachah: (36) and his firstborn son (31) And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, or, on flat plates. Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans. (32) And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the 5 shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath. (33) And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remain Tale." Reckoning," "number: "— "And every shepherd tells his tale 6 Heb., upon them. b ch. 8. 29. c ch. 8. 33. Literally, for by number they used to bring them in (to the sanctuary), and by number they used to take them out. (29) Care of the ordinary vessels; that is, all those which were used in the daily service of the sanctuary ("vessels. . . instruments: the same Hebrew term, kélim, vasa, σkeún); as also supervision of the stores of flour, wine, oil, incense, and spicery, which were adjuncts of meat offerings and libations, and the holy unguents (Exod. xxv. 6). (30) A parenthetic remark. The Levites had charge of the stores of spicery, but only the priests might law. fully prepare the holy ointment and oil wherewith the sacred tent, the ark, the table, &c., were anointed (Exod. xxx. 23-29). (31) The narrative returns to the functions of the Levites. "And Mattithiah, one of the Levites (he was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite), was (or is) in fixed charge over the making of the pancakes." Mattithiah . . firstborn of Shallum the Korahite.-The son of Shallum, or Meshelemiah, is called Zechariah (chap. xxvi. 2). If Zechariah was the chief branch of Shallum in the days of David, Mattithiah may have been so in the time of the chronicler or of his authority here. Had the set office.-In other words, the duty of baking the sacred cakes for the meat offerings was hereditary in this branch of the family of Shallum. Things that were made in the pans-i.e., "pancakes." The Hebrew term (habittim) occurs here only, but its meaning is fixed by the related word "baking-pan" (Ezek. iv. 3; mahabath). (32) Some of the sons of the Kohathites, some of their brethren." The Korahites, to which house Shallum and Mattithiah belonged, were a subdivision of the great clan of Kohath. The shewbread.-See Lev. xxiv. 5-9. Here it is called "Bread of the Pile;" another name was "Bread of the Presence." To prepare it every sabbath.-The Levites had to get it ready for the priests to lay it fresh on the golden table, after removing the old bread, every Sabbath. and Ner, and Nadab, (37) and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth. (38) And Mikloth begat Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, over against their brethren. (39) And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and (33, 34) A general subscription, or concluding statement, with reference to the preceding account of the Levites (verses 14-32). (33) Refers to the singers treated of in verses 14-16: And these (above mentioned) are the minstrels, heads of Levitical families; in the Temple cells (they lived), exempt from all other charge; for day and night they were over them in the work. The Hebrew is harsh, and perhaps corrupt, but the meaning seems to be clear. It is hardly meant that the service of song in the Temple was uninterrupted (comp. Rev. iv. 8), but only that the choristers were under obligation to perpetually recurring service. They were employed in that work.-Rather, They were over them in the work. They-that is, the leaders for the time being-lived, like the chief warders, in the Temple cells, presiding continually over the guilds of singers. ... (34) These chief generations.-Literally, These are the heads of the Levitical houses, according to their birth-rolls, heads. (Comp. chap. viii. 28 for the meaning.) These dwelt in Jerusalem.-A final remark concerning all the Levites of verses 14-32. The proper names are regarded as chiefs, under whom their numerous clansmen are subsumed. (35-44) A duplicate of chap. viii. 29-38. The genealogy of Saul seems to be repeated, according to the chronicler's habit (comp. chap. vi. 4 et seq. with chap. vi. 50 et seq.; chap. vii. 6 et seq. with chap. viii. 1 et seq.), as a transition or introduction to something else, viz., the account of that king's final ruin in chap. x. The present list is identical with the former, so far as it extends (chap. viii. 39-48 is wanting here), but is, on the whole, in better preservation, supplying, as we have seen, several omissions in the other copy. Only the name of Ahaz has fallen out (verse 41). The corre spondence of the two lists appears to be too exact to justify an assumption of different original sources; but the chronicler may have found the repetition already existing in the principal document from which he drew his materials. (36) Zur.-"Rock," a Divine title. (Comp. Pedahzur, "the Rock hath ransomed;" Zurishaddai, "the Rock is the Lofty One;" if we may connect the difficult a a ch. 8. 35. b 1 Sam. 31. 1, 2 Esh-baal. (40) And the son of Jonathan 2 Or, Ishui, 1 Sam. Saul's overthrow. CHAPTER X. (1) Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down 'slain in mount Gilboa. (2) And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and 2Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. (3) And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit names are these, Azrikam, Bocheru, and 3 Heb, shooters him, and he was wounded of the Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan: these were the sons of Azel. 66 Shaddai with the Assyrian term sadu, "mountain." But it seems better to explain it from the root shādāh, 'to pour out," which is found in Aramaic and Arabic; so that Shaddai would signify "giver of rain." (Comp. Joel ii. 23.) Baal has been compounded with Nadab, to form a single name, Baal-nadab, Baal is prince." (Comp. Baal-gad, Baal is Gad; " Baal-hanan, "Baal is bounteous," chap. i. 49.) In that case Ner is out of place. (43) Rephaiah appears in the contracted form Rapha in chap. viii. (44) With the omission of the sons of Eshek and Ulam here, comp. the similar abridgment of the list in chap. vi. 4-15, when repeated in the same chap. at verses 50-53. This suggests that the present omission is not due to inadvertence, but either to the design of the chronicler or to a like omission in his source. Chaps. x.-xxix.-The history of King David, who made Jerusalem the political and religious centre of Israel, organised the Levitical ministry in its permanent shape, and amassed great stores of wealth and material for the Temple, which his son and successor was to build. X. A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF THE OVERTHROW AND DEATH OF SAUL, BY WAY OF PRELUDE TO THE REIGN OF DAVID. Verses 1-12 are parallel to 1 Sam. xxxi. 1-13. The general coincidence of the two texts is so exact as to preclude the supposition of independence. We know that the chronicler has drawn much in his earlier chapters from the Pentateuch; and as he must have been acquainted with the Books of Samuel, it is à priori likely that he made a similar use of them. At the same time, a number of small variations-on an average, three at least in each verse-some of which can neither be referred to the freaks or mistakes of copyists nor to the supposed caprice of the compiler, may be taken to indicate the use of an additional source, or perhaps of a text of Samuel differing in some respects from that which we possess. (See Introduction.) (1) Now the Philistines fought against Israel.—For a similarly abrupt beginning, comp. Isa. ii. 1. The battle was fought in the plain of Jezreel, or Esdraelon, the scene of so many of the struggles of ancient history. (Comp. Hosea ii. 10: "I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.") The men of Israel.-Heb., man—a collective expression, which gives a more vivid image of the rout. They fled as one man, or in a body. Samuel has the plural. Fell down slain in mount Gilboa.-The Jebel Faku'a rises out of the plain of Jezreel to a height of one thousand seven hundred feet. The defeated army of Saul fell back upon this mountain, which had been their first position (1 Sam. xxviii. 4), but were pursued thither. Slain" is right, as in verse 8. (2) The Philistines followed hard after Saul. -Literally, clave to Saul, that is, hotly pursued him. (Comp. 1 Kings 22, 31.) The destruction of the king and his sons would make their triumph complete. The sons of Saul.-Omit the. Eshbaal, Saul's fourth son, was not in the battle (2 Sam. ii. 8. Comp. chap. viii. 33). Like Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, Saul may have witnessed the death of his sons (2 Kings xxv. 7). Jonathan, at least, would not be far from him in the last struggle. "In their deaths they were not divided." (3) The battle went sore against Saul.-Literally, was heavy upon (Samuel, unto") him, like a burden weighing him to the earth. 66 And the archers hit him.-Literally, And they that shoot with the bow came upon him; and he shuddered (Sam., “greatly ") before the shooters. 'He shuddered or trembled" (Deut. ii. 25). The verb is properly to writhe, travail (Isa. xxiii. 4). Saul's deadly terror was natural. He believed himself forsaken of God, and stood now, after a lost battle, beset by murderous foes, whom he could not reach. There was no chance of a fair hand to hand encounter. The Heb. word for "archers" is the same in both places in Sam. (mûrîm); here a rarer form (yôrím, 2 Chron. xxxv. 23) fills the second place. The Philistines were from Egypt, and the bow was a favourite Egyptian arm. The hieroglyph for "soldier" (menfat) is a man with bow and quiver. (4) And Saul said.-So Abimelech (Judges ix. 54). Lest these uncircumcised come. - Sam. adds "and thrust me through." An inadvertent repetition there, or omission here, is possible. Or, we might say, Saul preferred death by a friendly stroke to the thrusts of insulting foemen. And abuse me.-The Hebrew means, strictly, "to make a toy of," "sport with." "How I have made a toy of Egypt" (Exod. x. 2); and is used (Jer. xxxviii. 19) of insulting a fallen foe, as here. Took a sword.-Literally, the sword-i.e., his sword. Death of Saul. me. I. CHRONICLES, X. these uncircumcised come and 1abuse (8) And it came to pass on the morrow, (5) He fell likewise on the sword. - Sam., “his sword,” i.e., the sword of the armour-bearer. And died.-Samuel adds" with him," which seems to be omitted here for brevity, which may be the reason of other similar omissions. Loyalty to his chief, and perhaps dread of the foe, were the armour-bearer's motives. (6) And all his house died together.-Instead of this Samuel reads "and his armour-bearer; also all his men on that day together." The LXX. adds "on that day" here, while in Samuel it omits "all his men," thus minimising the differences of text. It is mere pedantry to press the phrases "all his men," "all his house." The strength of these expressions indicates the completeness of the overthrow. The chronicler was fully aware that some of Saul's house were not engaged in this battle (chap. ix. 35). And in any case, the chief warriors of his household, and immediate followers, died with the king. (7) That were in the valley.-Rather, the plain, in which the main battle was fought that of Jezreel. Samuel has "that were on the other side of the plain, and on the other side of the Jordan." The curt phrase "who (dwelt) in the plain," may be compared with chap. ix. 2. The people of the surrounding districts are meant; who, when they "saw that they (viz., Saul's army," the men of Israel," Samuel) "fled," or had been routed, deserted "their (Samuel, 'the,' perhaps a transposition of letters) cities" which were then occupied by the Philistines. Dwelt in them. The pronoun here is masculine, in Samuel, feminine, which is correct. (8) His sons.-Samuel, "his three sons." Otherwise the two verses are word for word the same. (9) And when they had stripped him.-Better, and they stripped him, and carried off his head, &c. Samuel, "and they cut off his head, and stripped his armour off." With the phrase "carried off his head," comp. Gen. xl. 19, “ Pharaoh will lift thy head from off thee," where the same Hebrew verb is used (yissa). 66 And sent (Saul's head and armour) to carry tidings unto their idols.-The verb basser is used of good and bad tidings, especially of the former, as in 2 Sam. xviii. 19, 20. Unto their idols.-Samuel, “house of their idols.” But the LXX. reading there is the same as here, Tois eidúλois. The expression of Samuel looks original, though it may have been copied by mistake from verse 10. Note the strictly local conception of deities implied in this act of the Philistines; as if their idols could The Philistine's Triumph. when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa. (9) And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people. (1) And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. (11) And when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, (12) they arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to neither see nor hear beyond their own temples. (Comp. 1 Kings xx. 23, 28; Ps. xciv. 9.) (10) In the house of their gods.-Or god, as LXX. Samuel, "house of Ashtaroth," which the chronicler or his source paraphrases, perhaps from a repugnance to mentioning the idol's name. Ashtoreth had a great temple at Ascalon, as Heavenly Aphrodite" (Herod., Hist. i. 108). The "Queen of Heaven" (Jer. vii. 18) was worshipped by the Semitic races generally. Under the name of Ishtar, she was a chief goddess of the Assyrians, and had famous temples at Nineveh and Arbela. The Sabeans worshipped her as Athtar; and the name Ashtar is coupled with Chemosh on the Moabite Stone. Fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.Literally, and his skull (gulgoleth-comp. Golgotha, Matt. xxvii. 33) they fastened in the house of Dagon. Instead of this, we read in Samuel, "and his corpse they fastened to the wall of Beth-shan." It is hardly likely that the one reading is a corruption of the other. The chronicler has omitted the statement about Saul's corpse, which is not mentioned in verse 9, and supplied one respecting his head, which has been already spoken of in that verse. He found the fact in his additional source, if the clause in question has not dropt out of the text of Samuel. The Accadians worshipped Dagon, as we learn from the cuneiform inscriptions: comp. the name IsmiDagan (Dagon hears). (12) All the valiant men.- Literally, every man of valour. Samuel adds," and marched all the night." Took away.- Carried off. Samuel has "took," (ceperunt). The body.-A common Aramaic word, gûfah, only read here in the Old Testament, for which Samuel has the pure Hebrew synonym g'wiyah. Samuel adds, from the wall of Beth-shan." 66 And brought them. Samuel, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there." To burn a corpse was a further degradation of executed criminals (Josh. vii. 25; Lev. xx. 14, xxi. 9), and as the Jews did not ordinarily practise cremation, it is supposed that the phrase "burnt them," in 1 Sam. xxxi. means "made a burning for them" of costly spices, as was done at the funerals of kings (Jer. xxxiv. 5; 2 Chron. xvi. 14, xxi. 19). But perhaps the bodies were burnt in this exceptional case because they had been mutilated by the enemy. Buried their bones.-Samuel, "took and buried." The phrase "their bones," contrasted with their 1 Heb., trans- a 1 Sam. 15. 23. 2 Heb., Isai. A Gathering of Israel. CHAPTER XI.-(1) Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. (2) And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be (13) So Saul died for his transgression which he 1committed against the LORD, aeven against the word or the LORD, 1 Sam. 28. 7. which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, 'to enquire of it; (14) and enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and Heb., both yes ruler over my people Israel. (3) Thereturned the kingdom unto David the son of 2 Jesse. c 2 Sam. 5. 1. terday and the 4 Or, rule. "corpses," certainly seems to imply that the latter had been burnt. The oak.-Heb., terebinth, or turpentine tree. Samuel, "tamarisk." The difference points to another source used by Chronicles. And fasted seven days.-In token of mourning. (Comp. the friends of Job, Job ii. 11-13; and Ezekiel among the exiles at Tel-abib, Ezek. iii. 15.) For the behaviour of the men of Jabesh, comp. 1 Sam. xi. (13, 14) A concluding reflection from the mind of the chronicler himself. He sums up his extract concerning the ruin of Saul by assigning the moral ground of it, viz., Saul's "unfaithfulness whereby he showed himself unfaithful to Jehovah." The same charge was made against the Transjordan tribes in chap. v. 25, and against the people of Judah in chap. ix. Î. (13) Even against the word of the Lord.-Saul's unfaithfulness was twofold: (1) he did not observe the prophetic word of Jehovah (comp. 1 Sam. xiii. 13, xv. 11); and (2) he consulted a necromancer, to the neglect of consulting Jehovah (1 Sam. xxviii.). And also for asking counsel.-And also by consulting the necromancer in order to get a response. "Turn ye not to the necromancers (Lev. xix. 31). (See also Isa. viii. 19.) Saul broke the general law of his people, as well as special commands addressed to himself. No allusion is made to his cruel slaughter of the priests (1 Sam. xxii. 18), nor to his implacable hatred of David. (14) And enquired not of the Lord.—Saul had, in fact, enquired of Jehovah before resorting to the witch of En-dor," but the Lord answered him not, neither by the dreams, nor by the Urim, nor by the prophets (1 Sam. xxviii. 6). We shall not be reading a meaning of our own into the text if we say that Saul's natural impatience (1 Sam. xiii. 13) on this occasion betrayed him again; he at once despaired of help from his God, instead of seeking it with self-humiliation and penitence. His character is consistently drawn throughout the history. The sin that ruined the first king was essentially that which led to the final ruin of the nation, viz., unfaithfulness to the covenant-God. The same word characterises both. (Comp. verse 13 with chaps. v. 25, ix. 1.) Therefore he slew him.-God acts through the instrumentality of His creatures. In this case He employed the Philistines, and the suicidal hand of Saul himself; just as He employed the Assyrian conquerors of a later age to be the scourge of guilty peoples (Isa. x. 5-15), and raised up Cyrus to be His servant, who should fulfil all His pleasure (Isa. xliv. 28, xlv. 1-13). fore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a Turned the kingdom unto David.-By means of the warriors of Israel (chap. xii. 23). This sentence shows that chap. x. is transitional to the history of David as king. XI. The chapter contains (1) the election of David in Hebron, and his conquest of Jerusalem (verses 1-9); (2) a list of David's chief warriors, with short notices of their famous deeds (verses 10-47). (1-9) Parallel to 2 Sam. v. 1-10. (1) Then all Israel gathered themselves.— Literally, and. "Then " is too definite a mark of time. The chronicler passes over the subsequent history of the house of Saul, and its decline under the feeble Ishbosheth, who reigned at Mahanaim as a puppet-king in the hands of Abner his powerful kinsman and general (2 Sam. ii.-iv.). All Israel. This proves that the allusion is not to David's election by Judah (2 Sam. ii. 4). Hebron, the burial-place of the patriarchs, was the capital of Judah, the tribe of David. Thy bone and thy flesh.- A proverb first of physical, then of moral unity (Gen. ii. 23; Judges ix. 2). It was not as if David were some valiant foreigner, like certain of his own heroes. Moreover, the affection and sympathy of the tribes were with him, whose life of struggle and success had marked him out as their divinely chosen leader. (2) In time past.-Yesterday, or three days since. A very indefinite phrase, used in Gen. xxxi. 2 of a time fourteen years since, and 2 Kings xiii. 5 of more than forty years ago. Leddest out.-To battle. Broughtest in.-Of the homeward march. David had thus already discharged kingly functions. (Comp. 1 Sam. viii. 20, xviii. 6, 13, 27; 2 Sam. iii. 18.) The Lord thy God said unto thee.-1 Sam. xvi. 13. Thou shalt feed my people.-Literally, shepherd or tend them. The same term is used of the Lord Himself (Isa. xl. 11; Ps. lxxx. 1). The king then is God's representative, and as such his right is really Divine (Rom. xiii. 1). The cuneiform documents reveal the interesting fact that the term "shepherd," as applied to sovereigns, is as old as the pre-Semitic stage of Babylonian civilisation (the second millennium B.C.). (3) Therefore came all the elders of Israel.— The assembly of elders, the Senate of Israel, make a contract with David concerning his prerogative and the rights of his people, thus formally determining "the manner of the kingdom." (Comp. 1 Sam. viii. 9 seq., x. 25.) Representative institutions appear to have been |