Jerusalem, made her break out in those despiteful terms, for which she remained barren to her death.

This done, David consulted with the prophet Nathan for the building of the temple or house of God; but was forbidden it, because he was a man of war, and had shed blood. So greatly doth the Lord and King of all detest homicide; having threatened, not in vain, that he would require the blood of man, at the hand of man and beast. The wars which David had made were just, and the blood therein shed was of the enemies of God, and his church; yet for this cause it was not permitted that his hands should lay the foundation of that holy temple. Hereby it appears how greatly those princes deceive themselves, who think, by bloodshed and terror of their wars, to make themselves in greatness like to the Almighty, which is a damnable pride; not caring to imitate his mercy and goodness, or seek the blessedness promised by our Saviour unto the peace-makers.

Now although it was not pleasing to the Lord to accept a temple of David's founding, yet was his religious intent so well accepted, that hereupon he received both a confirmation of the kingdom to him and his heirs, and that happy promise of the everlasting throne, that should be established in his seed,

SECT. V.

The overthrow of the Philistines and Moabites.

Soon after this David overthrew the Philistines, which made them altogether powerless, and unable to make any invasion upon Israel in haste. For it is written, accepit frænum Amgaris e manu Philisthæorum; which place our English Geneva converts in these words: And David took the bridle of bondage out of the hand of the Philistines.' The Latin of Junius' giveth another and a better

1 Ghron. xiii.

42 Sam. viii. 1.

1 Junius in c. viii. of the 2d of Sam,

sense; for by that bridle of Amgar was meant the strong city of Gath, or Geth, and so the Geneva hath it in the marginal note. This city of Gath was the same which was afterwards Dio-Cæsarea, set on the frontier of Palestina, at the entrance into Judea and Ephraim. From thence they made their incursions, and thereinto their retreat in all their invasions, which being taken by David and demolished, there was left no such frontier town of equal strength to the Philistines on that part. The hill whereon Geth or Gath stood, the Hebrews call Ammæ ; whereof, and of the word Gar, is made Amgar, of which Pliny in his 1st book and 13th chapter. This exposition is made plain, and confirmed, in the 1st Chron. chap. xviii.

There was no nation bordering the Jews that so greatly afflicted them as the Philistines did, who before the time of Saul, (to the end they might not sharpen any weapon against them,) did not leave one smith in all their cities and villages of that kind, but enforced them to come down into their territory, for all iron-work whatsoever they needed; so as the Israelites, till this time of David, were seldom free of paying tribute to the Philistines.

After this he gave them four other overthrows ; but the war of the Moabites and Arabians came between. In the first of which he was endangered by Ishbi-benob, the head of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass, which make nine pound three quarters of our poizes; at which time Abishai 3 succoured David, and slew the Philistine; whereupon the counsellors and captains of David, (lest the light of Israel might by his loss be quenched,) vowed that he should not thenceforth hazard himself in any battle. The second and third encounter and overthrow of the Philistines was at Gob, a place near Gesar, and the last at Gath or Geth. And being now better assured of the Philistines by the

taking of Geth, he invaded Moab, from whom notwithstanding, in his adversity, he sought succour, and left his parents with him in trust. But whether it were the same king or not, it is not known.

The Rabbins feign that Moab slew those kinsfolks of David, which lived under his protection in Saul's time; but questionless David well knew how that nation had been always enemies to Israel, and took all the occasions to vex them that were offered. And he also remembered, that in the xxiii. of Deuter. God commanded Israel not to seek the peace or prosperity of the Moabites, which David well observed, for he destroyed two parts of the people, leaving a third to till the ground. This victory obtained, he led his army by the border of Ammon towards Syria Zobah, the region of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king thereof. The place is set down in the description of the Holy Land; to which I refer the reader.

SECT. VI.

The war which David made upon the Syrians. Ir is written in the text, David smote also Hadadezer,' &c. as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.' Now, whether the words as he went to recover his border,' be referred to David or Hadadezer, it is not agreed upon. Junius thinks that the article, he,' hath relation to David, who finding Tohu oppressed by Hadadezer, overthrew the one, and succoured the other. But the ancient and most received opinion, that this recovery hath reference to the Syrian, is more probable. For if David had intended any such enterprise towards Euphrates, he was in far better case to have proceeded after his victory than before; seeing that (Hadadezer being taken,) he had now left no enemy on his back, either to pursue him, to take victuals

and supplies from him, or to stop the passages of the mountains upon him at his return.

Again, seeing David was either to pass through a part of Arabia the desert, or by the plains of Palmyrena, his army, consisting of footmen, for the most, if not all, he had now both horse and chariots, good store, to carry his provisions through those uncultivated places, by which he was to have marched before he could have reached Euphrates or any part thereof. But we find that David returned to Jerusalem, after he had twice overthrown the Syrian army, not bending his course towards the river Euphrates, but seeking to establish his purchases already made. Whereby it may appear, that it was the Syrian, and not king David, that was going to enlarge his border, as afore is said.

The king of Syria Damascena, and of Damascus, whereof that region is so called, hearing that Hadadezer was overthrown by the Israelites, fearing his own estate, and the loss of his own country, which adjoined to Syria Zobah of Hadadezer, sent for an army of Aramites or Syrians to his succour; but these, as it appeareth, came too late for Hadadezer, and too soon for themselves; for there perished of those supplies twenty-two thousand. This king of Damascus, Josephus, (out of Nicolaus, an ancient historian,) calleth Adad, who was also of the same name and family, as all those other Adads were; which now began to grow up in greatness, and so continued for ten descents, till they were extinguished by the Assyrians, as is shewn heretofore. David, having now reduced Damascus under his obedience, left a garrison therein, as he did in Edom; having also sacked the adjoining cities of Betah, and Berathi, belonging to Hadadezer; of which cities Ptolemy calleth Betah, Tauba; and Berathi he nameth Berathena. Tohu, or Thoi, whose country of Hamath joined to Hadadezer, (as in the description of

1 2 Sam. viii.

the Holy Land the reader may perceive,) sent his son Joram to congratulate this success of David; partly because he had war with Hadadezer, and partly because he feared David, now victorious. He also presented David with vessels of gold, silver, and brass; all which, together with the golden shield of the Aramites, and the best of all the spoils of other nations, David dedicated unto God at his return. Junius translated the words, clypeos aureos,' by um bones, as if all the parts of the targets were not of gold, but the bosses only. The Septuagint call them bracelets; Aquila, golden chains. But because Rehoboam made shields of brass in place of those of Hadadezer, at such time as Shicah the Egyptian sacked the temple of Jerusalem, it may be gathered thereby, that those of Hadadezer were golden shields.

This done, David sent ambassadors to Hanum king of the Ammonites, to congratulate his establishment in his father's kingdom; for David, in the time of his affliction under Saul, had been relieved by Nahash, the father of Hanum. But this Ammonite being ill advised, and over-jealous of his estate, used David's messengers so barbarously and contemptuously, (by curtailing their beards and their garments*,) as he thereby drew a war upon himself, which neither his own strength, nor all the aids purchased, could put off, or sustain. For notwithstanding that he had waged thirty-three thousand soldiers of the Amalekites, and their confederates; viz. of the vassals of Hadadezer twenty thousand, and of Maachah3 and Ishtob, thirteen thousand, (for which he disbursed a thousand talents of silver;) yet all these great armies together, with the strength of the Aminonites, were, by Joab* and his brother Abishai, easily broken and put to ruin; and that without any great loss or slaughter at that time. And it is written, that when the Aramites fled, the Ammonites also

2 2 Sam. x. 3 Maachah, the north part of Traconitis, remember in Deut. iii. 14. Ishtob or Thob, a country near Gad, under the rocks of Arnon. 4 2 Sam. Z