THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

THIS book contains the history of David, the second king of Israel, during a period of nearly forty years, from about 1055 to 1015 B. C. It records an account of the transferring of the kingdom of Israel from the tribe of Benjamin to that of Judah. There is a description of the victories of David, the wise administration of his government, his exertions to promote true religion, his sins and repentance, and the grievous judgments which fell upon him and his subjects. This narrative evidently bears an intimate relation to the first book of Samuel and the first book of Kings, forming a connected history. The two books of Samuel are important from the fact that they illustrate, and indeed constitute the key, to an explanation of the Psalms.

II SAMUEL ii. 28.

So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

It appears that Joab led on the army of David against the forces of Saul under the direction of Abner. Joab gained the victory, pursued his foes, and slew large numbers, until Abner, having been pursued without mercy, inquired if the "sword should devour forever" (v. 26). Then Joab blew the trumpet. This was the shophar or crooked trumpet, blown on this occasion

to indicate a truce. It was probably sounded in a soft tone, as when the people were called together in time of peace.

II SAMUEL vi. 5.

And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir-wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

There is an allusion in this passage to a grand concert of the minstrels of Israel, called together to celebrate an important event. David, the king of Israel, had assembled thirty thousand of his people, and led them in solemn procession to the house of Abinadab, a Levite of Kirjath-jearim, whither the ark of the covenant had been carried by persons sent from that place to receive it from the Philistines at Beth-shemesh, where it had been deposited by the latter.

After the Israelites had received the holy treasure and turned their faces toward the city of David, the king and the multitudes who were with him played on all kinds of instruments of music. This was considered by the children of Israel as an important event, from the fact that the blessing of God generally followed the ark unless it was seized contrary to the divine command. The Philistines had thus carried it away and incurred the displeasure of Jehovah, as we have already intimated. David, undoubtedly, selected persons of the greatest influence in the kingdom-chosen men of Israel, and the most skillful performers upon instruments of music-to take part in this grand procession.

David and all the house of Israel played.-This general expression might seem to include all of the Israelites-those who accompanied David and those who did not; but it is more natural to suppose that there is reference only to the former, for it is not probable that there were instruments of music

enough to supply all the thousands of Israel, and it is said that "all played." Perhaps even all of those who accompanied David were not supplied with instruments. All, in the scriptures, is frequently used for a part. It is possible, however, in this case, as the occasion was so important, that every one of the thirty thousand had an instrument of music and played. The king, undoubtedly, could have easily supplied such a number. However this may have been, there can be no doubt that there was a great number of musicians. Perhaps all of the four thousand Levite singers employed in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple, were there. It is probable that the variety of instruments was considerable. Perhaps a large proportion, if not all of the kinds, known to the Hebrews, were used on the occasion. This opinion seems to be confirmed by the expression, “on all manner of Instruments made of firwood," which is qualified by the following: "even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets," apparently intimating that these were the instruments indicated by "all manner of instruments." The writer, however, may have been speaking in general terms, and may have intended to name the principal kinds of instruments, to show that those which were used on the most solemn and important occasions were employed here. The king, undoubtedly, formed as complete a band as was possible in those early times. The sacred writer mentions five instruments; but perhaps varieties of each kind were intended, as the plural number is used in each case. The LXX supposed that more instruments were employed than are mentioned. They render the passage thus:

ἐν ὀργάνοις ἡρμοσμένοις ἐν ἰσχύι, καὶ ἐν ᾠδαῖς, καὶ ἐν κινύραις, καὶ ἐν νάβλαις καὶ ἐν τυμπάνοις, καὶ ἐν κυμβάλοις, καὶ ἐν αὐλοῖς. With powerful organs, and with songs, and with harps, and with guitars, and with tabrets, and with cymbals, and with flutes.

They supposed that there was vocal as well as instrumental music, which was the fact, as it appears from I Chron. xiii. 8. On all manner of instruments made of fir-wood.-The He

174 HARPS, PSALTERIES, TIMBRELS, AND CORNETS.

brew of this expression is

b'kol atse broshim,

literally, on all wood of cypress-trees. We are to understand by this phrase that the Israelites played on all kinds of instruments made of cypress-wood. The term broshim,

cypress-trees, may have included other trees of the pine genus, though that is uncertain (vid. Gesen. Thesaurus p. 246). We. have no means of ascertaining how many kinds of musical instruments were made of cypress-wood. Of course we must except those which were constructed of metal, horn, and perhaps others.

Harps.-These are the Kinnors, so often referred to above. Psalteries.-The Hebrew term is the same as the one which occurs in 1 Sam. x. 5, and translated psalteries, excepting that in this passage the plural form is used, viz., bhalim,

clearly indicating that there were more instruments than one of this kind used on the occasion. These were probably guitars (vid. Rem. on 1 Sam. x. 5, supra).

--

Timbrels. The same original word is used as in Judges xi. 34.*

Cornets.

Here we find an instrument which is not mentioned mnăănim, a participle,

before. The Hebrew term is

in the Peal conjugation used as a noun in the masculine plural, from much, to move to and fro, to waver. The Greek terin is vɛvo neuō, Latin nuo, German nicken, all of which mean 5 nod backwards and forwards. From the origin of the word we have reason to believe that the instrument intended was one which was shaken. The Vulgate renders it sistra. It was evidently some kind of timbrel which was shaken when played. Consequently, the English translation must be incorrect, as Cornets are wind instruments. It is difficult to ascertain exactly the form of this instrument. Jahn supposes that it must have been of the pulsatile kind. The Septuagint translators

*For a description of this instrument, vid. Rem. on Gen. xxxi. 27; of Rem. on Judg. xi. 34, and Ex. xv. 20.

have rendered it by avλas aulas, flutes; but, they were certainly mistaken in supposing that it was a wind instrument. Jahn thinks that it probably consisted of an iron rod with two square corners and rounded at the top, or that it was similar to an are in form, with rings hung loosely upon it, making a tinkling sound when the instrument was struck or shaken. This explanation is probably correct, as the sistrum, according to Jablonski and others, was common in Egypt (Opusc. i. p. 306309). Horne maintains the same opinion (Intro. P. iv. c. vii. Sec. ii). This is the only place in the scriptures in which this instrument is mentioned. The engraving, Fig. xxvi. No. 2, on page 99, is supposed to represent the ancient Hebrew menaa

nim.

Cymbals. This is also an instrument which is not mentioned before. The Hebrew term is 33 tseliselim, a plural noun derived from the verb tsalal, in the Arabic and in 33 Syriac. In all, it means to tingle, to tinkle. The noun signifies a tinkling, tingling, clinking, ringing, clanging. It may signify a clanging instrument of music. Gesenius (vid. his Heb. Lex. under this word) thinks that the word here signifies cymbals, similar to those now used in martial music. Jahn is sanguine in the belief that the term should be translated castanets, and remarks, that they are used at the present day in the East. There were anciently, as in modern times, two kinds, the smaller and larger cymbals. The smaller ones were metallie plates or shells, the size of a large button. Females, when dancing, had two fastened to each hand, one on the thumb and the other on the middle finger, and beat them against each other, thus keeping time. Josephus describes the larger kind as broad, large, and made of brass. The musician held one in each hand and struck them together, keeping time as is customary with us; but the dishes of ours are more shallow than those in the East. The following are specimens of the larger kind taken from the ruins of Egypt (vid. Fig. xxxviii).

* Ant. vii., xii. 3. His words are κύμβαλα πλατεια καὶ μεναλα χαλκέα.