Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
David's wars and victories over the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Idumeans, Ammonites, and Amalekites are recounted, and in verse 15, his officials.
Vulgate Text: 1 Paralipomenon 18:1-17
1. And it came to pass after this that David defeated the Philistines, and humbled them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines, 2. and he struck Moab, and the Moabites became servants of David, offering him tribute. 3. At that time David also struck Hadadezer king of Zobah, in the region of Hamath, when he went to extend his dominion to the river Euphrates. 4. David therefore took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and hamstrung all the chariot horses, except for a hundred chariots which he reserved for himself. 5. And the Syrians of Damascus came to give aid to Hadadezer king of Zobah; and David slew twenty-two thousand of them as well. 6. And he placed soldiers in Damascus, so that Syria also would serve him and offer tribute. And the Lord helped him in all that he undertook. 7. David also took the golden quivers which the servants of Hadadezer had, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8. And from Tibhath and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, a very great amount of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze sea, and the pillars, and the bronze vessels. 9. And when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck down the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10. he sent Adoram his son to King David, to ask for peace and to congratulate him that he had struck and defeated Hadadezer: for Tou was an adversary of Hadadezer. 11. And all the vessels of gold, and silver, and bronze, King David consecrated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold which he had taken from all the nations, both from Idumea, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines and Amalek. 12. And Abishai the son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt: 13. and he placed a garrison in Edom, so that Idumea would serve David; and the Lord saved David in all that he undertook. 14. So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people. 15. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder. 16. And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests: and Shavsha was the scribe. 17. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites: and the sons of David were chief at the king's hand.
This chapter is the same as chapter 8 of the book of 2 Kings, where I explained it.
Verse 12: In the Valley of Salt
12. IN THE VALLEY OF SALT — where there were salt works in which salt was produced. Hear Adrichomius in his description of the tribe of Judah, number 211: "The Valley of Salt, in Hebrew Gemela, otherwise called Mela; in which David struck eighteen thousand Idumeans, and returning erected a triumphal arch. In the same place Joab destroyed twelve thousand; and Amaziah killed ten or twenty thousand Idumeans, and cast another ten thousand from the rock and cliff of Jekteel." See 2 Kings 8; Psalms 58, 59; 1 Chronicles 18; 2 Chronicles 25; 4 Kings 14; Jerome on Genesis 14 in the Hebrew places; on 2 Kings 8, and 1 Chronicles 18. This valley was therefore fatal and, so to speak, ill-fated for the Idumeans.
Verse 16: Ahimelech the Son of Abiathar
16. AHIMELECH THE SON OF ABIATHAR — in Hebrew it is Abimelech; the Septuagint has Achimelech. For the Hebrew letters chet and bet are similar and close to each other. Now Ahimelech here is in the genitive case: for Abiathar the son of Ahimelech was the priest, that is, the Pontiff of David together with Zadok; unless you prefer that this Ahimelech was the son of Abiathar, who in place of his father when elderly or otherwise occupied, served from time to time in the pontificate together with Zadok, as the sons of Eli and Samuel did, 1 Kings 2:12 and chapter 8:1. And that it happened thus is sufficiently gathered from chapter 24:6.