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(^265) The building of David's palace must have taken place in the first years of his
reign in Jerusalem. This is evident from many allusions to this palace. We must,
therefore, in this, as in so many other instances, consider the dates given by
Josephus as incorrect (Ant. 8. 3, 1; Ag. Ap. 1. 18).
(^266) I have left the word untranslated. The guess of the Rabbis, who render it by
mulberry-trees, is as unsupported as that of the LXX. who translate: pear-trees. The
word is derived from bacha, to flow, then to weep. Ewald and Keil suggest with
much probability that it was a balsam-tree (as in the Arabic), of which the sap
dropped like tears.
(^267) So in 1 Chronicles 14:16. The word Geba, in 2 Samuel 5:25, is evidently a
clerical error, since Geba lay in quite another direction.
(^268) If the reader will keep in view this fundamental difference in the object of the
two histories, he will readily understand not only why events are differently
arranged in them, but also the reason why some events are left unrecorded, or more
briefly narrated in one or the other of these works.
(^269) Keil reckons about twenty years to the victory of Ebenezer, forty years in the
time of Samuel and Saul, and about ten in that of David.
(^270) We have translated the verse correctly, as our Authorised Version is manifestly
in error.
(^271) In our text (2 Samuel 6:2) we have it: "David arose and went.... from Baale" -
probably a clerical error instead of "to Baale" (comp. 1 Chronicles 13:6).
(^272) Baalah "of Jehudah," to distinguish it from others of that name (Joshua 19:8,
44), or also Kirjath-Baal (Joshua 15:60; 18:14) was the same as Kirjath-Jearim.
Comp. also Delitzsch Com. 2. d., Ps. vol. 2 p. 264.
(^273) By a copyist's mistake the first two clauses of 2 Samuel 6:3, are repeated in ver.
- The text of ver. 3 should continue in ver. 4 with these words: "with the ark of
God: and Ahio went before the ark."
(^274) A clerical error, similar to that just mentioned, occasion the wording of ver. 5,
"on all manner of instruments made of cypress wood." The expression should read
as in 1 Chronicles 13:8: "with all their might and with singing." The instruments
translated in the Authorised Version (2 Samuel 6:5) "cornets," are the sistra,
consisting of two iron rods furnished with little bells.
(^)