Besides the natural abhorrence of David for the treacherous manner in which Abner had been assassinated, as well as for the foul, bloody act itself, sound policy exhorted him to wash from himself all suspicion that Abner was murdered with his secret connivance. These motives, as well as the insult offered to himself by Joab, in killing a man with whom he had just then entered into a friendly alliance, and from whom he hoped the attainment of his dearest wishes, naturally prompted David to manifest publicly his mortification, sorrow, and rage. Consequently he hastened to declare, "before Jehovah," himself guiltless of the blood which had been shed, and invoked the full measure of that blood on Joab and his house. By his order a solemn mourning was publicly held, in which he himself took a prominent part; and at the funeral he followed the bier, on which the body of Abner rested, to the grave; where, while weeping, he lamented in elegiac verse the loss of the prince, the eminent man, whom the hands of wicked men had brought to an untimely end. With what propriety David thus acted is shown by these words: "And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; for all the people, and all Israel understood that day, that it was not by the order of the king that Abner, the son of Ner, was slain."*

At the news of Abner's death Ishbosheth felt that the mighty pillar, which had hitherto solely supported his throne, was broken; and that the iron grasp which had so long held his kingdom together, was loosened. Others felt it too. None had any confidence any longer in the stability of

fatal necessity of slaying his pursuer; for if the man-slayer is known, the avenger is not bound to make any distinction as to the circumstances under which his relative is slain: and at the present day, the one who slays another in battle is pursued by the avenger equally with the murderer. The extent to which the law of Moses interfered with this custom, only provided for the safety of the man-slayer while in a city of refuge. Hebron was a city of refuge, and if Joab had slain Abner within that city, the law would have allowed David to treat him as a murderer. This Joab knew; and hence his meeting Abner at the gate, and drawing him aside before he entered the city. These details are necessary to show that those who suffered from the death of Abner, and abhorred the manner in which it was inflicted, knew that this offence was not punishable by the king or by the law; and hence, that it was not merely the rank and influence of Joab which prevented David from calling him to account for his barbarous deed. Perhaps he could not have punished Joab in any case; but it is important to know that in the present case, the law, custom, and public opinion did not require or permit him to do so."-Kitto's Palestine, vol. 1. book iv. ch. 2.

But there is one circumstance which seems to indicate that we have not been made acquainted with all the details of this tragedy. I mean the evident unsuspecting carelessness with which Abner followed Joab, when he drew him aside from the gate. It would seem that a man who knew that he followed his mortal enemy, would have taken care not to permit him to approach too near. Besides, there is an indication,-2 Sam. ch. iii. v. 30,— which is also confirmed by Josephus, that both Joab and Abishai, his brother, slew Abner, which strengthens the suspicion that we are not made acquainted with all the circumstances that accompanied this foul deed.

* The common English version gives the last words thus; that “it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner."

Ishbosheth's reign. All eyes were directed towards Hebron. Two Benjaminites, brothers of high rank, took the criminal resolution to anticipate the course which events were likely to take, by assassinating Ishbosheth, their master, in hope by this act to receive high rewards and honors from David. Accordingly they stole into the chamber, while, according to the universal custom of the East, Ishbosheth was at sleep during the mid-day heat. They pierced the king while asleep, and then cut off his head, with which they escaped unperceived, as at that time of the day most people were at rest. The assassinators hastened to Hebron, and laid the head of their king at the feet of David, with the words, "Behold the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul thine enemy, who sought thy life. Jehovah hath this day avenged my lord, the king, of Saul and of his seed." But David, too sagacious to reward such a deed and such a gift, and well aware what would promote his interests, indignantly replied, thundering as the voice of death in the ears of the assassinators, "As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of every distress, if, when one told me, saying, Bebold Saul is dead, thinking that he brought good tidings, I took hold of him and slew him at Ziklag, when he expected that I should have given him a reward for his tidings, how much more, when wicked men have slain a just person in his own house, upon his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hand, and destroy you from the earth?" Saying this, he commanded his young men to remove them to an ignominious death. The head of Ishbosheth he caused to be deposited in the sepulchre of Abner.

The kingdom of Israel was thus deprived even of the shadow of a king -such as after Abner's death had been at the head of its affairs; and there was left no remaining member of the house of Saul, whom even those who still cherished the memory of that monarch, could with any reasonable hope of success attempt to set up in opposition to David. The only living sons of Saul were those by a concubine, but they appear to have lived in such obscurity that even their existence was perhaps not known to the people in general. There was also a son of Jonathan, but he was a mere boy,* being but five years old when his brave father fell in the battle of Gilboa; and was lame from an accident he met with when his nurse fled with him on receiving the sad news of the loss of that battle and the death of Jonathan.

David appears to have reigned between seven and eight years in Hebron, when, after the assassination of Abner and Ishbosheth, the kingdom. of Israel became united under his sway. It was probably, as some writers have presumed, the result of a decision in the great council of the eleven tribes, that ambassadors were sent to Hebron to invite David to assume

His name was Mephibosheth.

the general government of the nation. David, as was to be expected, had no objection to accept what he so long had desired, and acceded to the conditions on which the crown of Israel was offered to him. Then the princes and chief men of the eleven tribes, at the head of large bodies of men "that could keep rank," as chosen delegatest of the several tribes, repaired to Hebron, to be present at the great national act of David's inauguration as king of United Israel.

With those numerous representatives of the Hebrew nation, "David made a league before Jehovah," which means undoubtedly that he bound himself by oath to observe the conditions on which he was acknowledged king of United Israel; but which conditions have not come down to us. Then David was anointed king, and received the homage of those present; and the whole was terminated by a feast to the assembled multitude, supplies for which were liberally furnished by all the neighboring tribes, "on asses, on camels, on mules, and on oxen," and consisted of meat, meal, figs, raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep in great abundance; "for there was joy in Israel."

* 1 Chron. xii. 38.

t "The number amounted to no less than 340,000, and the enumeration in the book of Chronicles (1 Chron. xii.) is accompanied with several remarks, which the scantiness of our information concerning the distinctive character of the tribes makes interesting. It appears that many members of the tribe of Judah had adhered to the house of Saul, and abode within its dominions; for, on the present occasion, 6,800 men of that tribe, armed with shield and spear, came with the others to submit to David. There were 7,100 Simonites of valor. The Levites sent 4,600; and there were 3,700 priests, headed by Jehoiada, the son of Benajah; besides whom came Zadok, at the head of twenty-two chiefs of his father's house. This Zadok, of the old pontifical line of Eleazer, is the same who was long after made sole high-priest by Solomon, to the final exclusion of the house of Eli; but on the present occasion, he is particularly noticed as a young man, mighty in valor, which showsas, indeed, appears in the history-that the pursuits of the Levites, and even of the Aaronites, were not exclusively of an ecclesiastical and civil nature. From Benjamin came 3000 men, but the greater part of this tribe held back, still cherishing and lingering a futile attachment to the house of Saul, the rule of which had given to the tribe a flattering preeminence, which it was unwilling to relinquish. The half tribe of Manasseh on this side of the Jordon sent 18,000 men, and the proud tribe of Ephraim testified its concurrence by sending 28,000 men. From Issachar came only 200 men; but these were the chief persons in the tribe, the whole of which was at their beck, and would have been in attendance if required. To them is given the marked character of being men of political sagacity, who knew better than most men how Israel ought to act under present and other circumstances, and whose support was, therefore, of great value to David. From Zebulon came not fewer than 50,000 men, skilled in the use of warlike weapons, and "not double hearted" with respect to the object for which they came. Naphtali furnished 1000 captains, and with them 37,000 men, armed with shield and spear. Dan supplied 28,600 able warriors, and Asher 40,000. The tribes beyond Jordan, Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, sent collectively, 120,000 warlike men. One obvious remark, arising from the survey of these numbers, is the comparative largeness of the proportions furnished by the remoter tribes, to the north and beyond Jordan. This is, perhaps, explained by the absence in those tribes of any pretensions for themselves, and of any strong attachment to the house of Saul, which could interfere with the heartiness of their recognition of the claims of David."-Kitto's Palestine, vol 1. book iv. ch. 2.

LETTER XI.

THE REIGN OF DAVID OVER UNITED ISRAEL, ABOUT 1047 B. C.

THE young monarch of Israel began now to display the ambition and the energy of his character by divers warlike undertakings. The neighbors of the Israelites soon experienced that since the time of Joshua there had been among that people no warrior so terrible to them.

The first warlike enterprise which David now undertook, was the reduction of the fortress of Jebus, on Mount Zion, which had remained in the hands of the natives ever since the days of Joshua, and which Josephus tells us had, in consequence of its situation and fortifications, been hitherto deemed impregnable. The Jebusites there viewed the attempt as ridiculous, and seem to have placed the lame and blind on the walls, in derision, as fully competent to defend their stronghold.* But from the lower city, which was already in possession of the Israelites, there was "a gutter," or subterraneous communication, with the fortress, by which David introduced a party of men, who, headed as it would seem by Joab, took "the stronghold of Zion." The abilities and bravery Joab had displayed during the siege and the capture of this fortress, were rewarded with the same chief command of the armies of Israel which he had previously held over the troops of the separate kingdom of Judah.

David now resolved to take up his residence on Mount Zion,† and

The fact, that it was most likely, that, under all circumstances, he would find his own tribe of Judah most zealous in his support, is suppsed to have made David disinclined to remove far from its borders, and that he therefore determined to make his new conquest the metropolis of his empire. A more central situation with respect to all the tribes, would have placed him in the hands of the Ephraimites, whose cordiality towards a king, leaning by family connection to the tribe of Judah, might well be suspected, and consequently in whom little confidence could be placed, should any seditiors movements, directed against the king, take place. Similar considerations have dictated the choice of a very inconveniently situated capital to the reigning dynasty of Persia. But, although better sites for a metropolitan city might have been found in the largest extent of Palestine, there were no better within the limits to which, for the reasons indicated, the choice of David was confined. "That the site is overlooked from the Mount of Olives, although a great disadvantage in the eyes of modern military engineers, was of little consequence under the ancient systems of warfare, and could not counteract the peculiar advantages which it offered in being enclosed on three sides by a natural fosse of ravines and deep valleys, and terminating in an eminence which, while strong in its defence from without, commanded the town within, and was capable of being strongly fortified. The united influence of these

caused accordingly a palace and other buildings to be erected there-and hence this place was called "the City of David."

It would appear that not long after this event, David was attacked by the Philistines, but after conquering them in two battles he compelled them to sue for peace.*

Having now a respite from war David turned his thoughts to affairs no less congenial to his genius and his taste. His first act was to remove to his new capital the ark of the covenant, which had so long remained in Kirjath-Jearim, and which, since its capture by the Philistines, seems to have been regarded not with the same reverence as before. This was no wonder, because it was not easy for the priests to make the people believe that the abode of an Almighty God could become the spoil of his enemies. Perhaps this event, more than anything else, promoted a more worthy conception of the Deity among the Hebrews. Indeed it was not the best means of advancing the cause of true religion, to drag forth from its obscurity the abode of Jehovah, or rather of the symbol of the Divine presence, which Moses, but for the "golden calf," perhaps would never have introduced into his religious system. Still it would be wrong to blame David for restoring to the ark its ancient sanctity, as this was perhaps then the only means of preventing the Israelites from abandoning themselves, without reserve, to idolatry. It was far better that they should believe that the Deity dwelt between the Cherubims, than that they should adore, as their god, an image made by their own hands.

considerations appear to have determined the preference of David for a site which was open to the serious objection, among others, of being so remote from the northern tribes, as to render the legal obligation of resort to it three times every year a more burthensome matter to them than it need have been, had a more centrical situation been chosen."-Kitto's Palestine, v. 1. book iv. ch. 2.

*See vol. i. pp. 444 and 445 of this work. There have been some writers who take it for granted, from what is related (1 Chron. xi. 15-18) of David's taking refuge in the cave of Adullam, that he was at first so suddenly attacked by the Philistines. that he was obliged to seek for safety in that place, as he had done in the time of Saul; but it seems to me that this opinion is not well founded, because, on a close examination of the passage alluded to in the Book of Chronicles, it will be found that the daring adventure which Joab, Jashobeam and Eleazer are said to have undertaken, probably took place while David was hidden in the cave of Adullam, in the time of Saul. If the Philistines then, as it would seem, had taken possession of Bethlehem, the cause is also evident why David's parents sought refuge with him in the cave. However this may be, the adventure alluded to was this: While David was in the cave of Adullam, he happened to express a longing for a drink of water from that well of his native town, at which he often had, when a child, allayed his thirst. Hearing this, three of his most valiant and devoted followers, Joab, Jashobeam, and Eleazar, secretly departed, and passing somehow through the host of the Philistines, which was encamped along the valley of Rephaim, brought him the water for which he had longed, and for which they had hazarded their lives. But David refusing to drink of it, poured it out as a libation to Jehovah.

"And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of Jehovah, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts (Zebaoth) that dwelleth between the cherubims."—2 Sam. vi. 2.