Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: 2 Kings
Chapter 23
Ver. 1. Last words, which he spoke by inspiration, (Menochius) or which may be considered as the conclusion of his Psalms, and inserted after the 71st, (Calmet) or as a preface or summary of those divine canticles; (Du Hamel) or they relate to the last ages, and to the Messias, (Chaldean) the end of the law. (Haydock) --- Some think it has not been inserted among the Psalms, as not being written in verse: (Sanctius) but it is composed in the true spirit of the Hebrew poetry, though very obscure. --- Christ, who should be born of him; or David himself was appointed to be "the king" of God's people. Septuagint, "he whom God raised up, the Christ of," &c. Hebrew, "sovereign anointed of," &c. --- Psalmist. The Holy Spirit directs David to speak in his own praise. His Psalms were always most highly esteemed in Israel. (Calmet) --- Said. This preamble may remind us of a similar one of Balaam, Numbers xxiv. 3. The prophets generally declare who they are. (Haydock)
Ver. 2. Tongue. Nothing could more decisively prove the inspiration of the sacred books.
Ver. 3. Strong one. This is one of the most common titles of God, 1 Kings ii. 2. Hebrew, "the rock." --- In the fear. Hebrew, "of the fear;" that is, of the just, who live in the fear of God. Such abstract expressions are frequent; so "the son of the captivity, of riches," &c., means a captive or a rich man. (Calmet) --- God spoke such words to David as tended to promote solid virtue and piety. (Haydock) --- We may explain the ruler, &c., of the Messias, who shall diffuse grace and glory throughout the earth. Protestants, "He that ruleth over men, must be just, ruling in the fear of God." An excellent lesson for all in power. (Haydock)
Ver. 4. As the light, &c. So shall be the kingdom of Christ. (Challoner) --- Hebrew, "Like the morning light, shall the sun arise." But is this sense? Is not the sun the light of the morning? The oldest Hebrew manuscript in England has the word Jehova before Sun, which seems to have been acknowledged by the Septuagint, though now unintelligible; and thus we are freed from this difficulty, and the passage is proved to be prophetical of the great sun of justice, Malachias iv. 2., and Isaias lx. 2. (Kennicott, Dis. i., p. 471.) --- The Hebrew is extremely obscure. (Calmet) --- Protestants, And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springeth out of the earth by clear shining after rain. (Haydock) --- These comparisons may be applied to the Psalms and other inspired writings, which enlighten the eyes; (Psalm xviii. 9,) or to Christ, whose glory surpasses that of the sun, (Psalm lxxi. 5,) and whose graces produce the just, Isaias xlv. 8. (Menochius) --- We might expect that David was going to compare the glory of his reign and of his family, with that of the rising sun, Judges v. 31. But he does not finish the comparison, being filled with a sense of his own misery. (Calmet)
Ver. 5. Neither is my house, &c. As if he should say: This everlasting covenant was not due to my house: but purely owing to his bounty, who is all my salvation, and my will; that is, who hath always saved me, and granted me what I desired of him; so that I and my house, through his blessing, have sprung up, and succeeded in all things. (Challoner) --- He clearly distinguishes between the covenant made with him as to his earthly kingdom, and that which regards Christ. (Worthington) --- Even the former should be of long duration, Psalm cxxxi. 11. (Haydock) --- Up. Hebrew seems to contradict all that had gone before; "for it shall not flourish." (Calmet) --- Protestants, "although he make it not to grow;" (Haydock) unless we read with an interrogation, "And shall not my family flourish?" which was a natural reference to ver. 4. (Calmet) --- God had blessed David with the dew of heaven, and with the fatness of the earth. (Menochius) --- His glory and happiness should not be of short duration, like the brightest summer-day, or a transient flower. (Haydock)
Ver. 6. But. This word is neglected by the Septuagint, who enjoin this to the preceding verse. "Because the lawless man shall not flourish. They are all like thorns thrust out, for they shall not be handled," lest they prick. (Haydock)
Ver. 8. Jesbaham, the son of Hachamoni. For this was the name of this hero, as appears from 1 Chronicles xi. 11. (Challoner) --- But then sitting, &c., should not be retained. (Haydock) --- Most tender, &c. He appeared like one tender and weak, but was indeed most valiant and strong. It seems the Latin has here given the interpretation of the Hebrew name of the hero, to whom Jesbaham was like, instead of the name itself, which was Adino the Eznite, one much renowned of old for his valour. (Challoner) --- The Vulgate has, contrary to custom, translated many of the proper names. (Calmet) --- The French version would suppose that Adino, the Heznite, was the hero's name; and queen Elizabeth's version (1599) is, "He that sat in the seat of wisdom, being chief of the princes, was Adino, the Eznite." (Haydock) --- But no such person is mentioned any where else, in the Bible; and these words have been corrupted, like many others in this chapter, as may be gathered from collating it with Chronicles, &c. Kennicott was encouraged to continue, if not to begin his labours, to shew the imperfection of the printed Hebrew, by comparing these passages, though he had formerly imagined that the text had been preserved in its original purity. See Diss. ii. p. 496. He shews the inaccuracy of queen Elizabeth's version, and observes that some have very abruptly inferred, that David was the first of his own mighty men, from the Vulgate, which is literally, "These are the names of the valiant men of David. Sitting in the chair, the most wise prince among the three. The same is like the most tender," &c. No name is here specified, (Haydock) though the catalogue be given expressly to honour their names. --- In the chair. Hebrew Bashebeth, "seems to be carelessly transcribed in here from the line above," as Oregim was taken from the subsequent line, chap. xxi. 19. --- Wisest. Hebrew, "the Hachmonite." --- Three; it is in Hebrew, "the third;" and in Chronicles thirty, improperly. Protestants, "the Tachmonite, that sat in the seat, chief among the captains, (the same was Adino, the Eznite) against 800 whom he slew at one time," is therefore inaccurate. --- Tachmonite has the th corrupted, from e, which stands for ben, "the son of Hachmoni;" though, as the father of Jashobeam was Zadiel, it would be better rendered the Hachmonite, being his family or local name. It is not always possible to know which is meant. The ellipsis in the Protestant version, and the confounding of Jashobeam with Adino, cannot be excused. Adinu seems to be (Haydock) corrupted from áuror, (as ver. 18, and 1 Paralipomenon)
"lifted up;" eatsnu, a word retained in the Arabic language, for "his spear;" (Vulgate) wood. Le Clerc reads eatsni, which he deems inexplicable, no less than Adinu: but the best copies have eatsnu; so that we need not reject it. --- Killed, or "wounded," is the general interpretation of elol; but it signifies also, "a soldier." --- Eight is three, in Paralipomenon. Similar mistakes have probably arisen from the use of numeral letters. See 4 Kings viii. 26. We read, that Abisai lifted up his spear against 300. This was, perhaps, an usual number for a regiment of three companies, 1 Kings xxix. 2. Both Jesbahan and Abisai ventured to contend, singly, with so superior a force; but the latter displayed rather less valour, so that he did not attain unto the glory of the former; which he ought to have done, if both had killed the same number. Kennicott would therefore translate, "These are the names of the mighty men, whom David had: Jashobeam, the Hachmonite, chief of the Three: He lifted up his spear against 300 soldiers, at one time." He observes that thirty-seven heroes are particularly specified: (ver. 39) Joab, (the captain-general) Jashobeam, Eleazar, Shammah, (the first ternary) Abishai, Benaiah, and Asael; (the second ternary) after whom follow thirty, whose exploits are not recorded. If any should still maintain that this verse is correct, we must say (Haydock) that Adino is a different person from Jesbaham, (as the Vulgate reads it, 1 Paralipomenon) and that he killed 800; whereas the latter was only like him, in as much as he slew 300. (Menochius) --- The marvellous is greatly diminished by substituting 300 instead of 800, and by allowing that the heroes contended with, though they might not kill, the whole company of 300 soldiers. See Kennicott. It seems most rational to admit some corrections, to which we are led by the Septuagint, "Jesbaath, (Vatican, Jesbosthe, the Chanaanite) the son of Thakemoni. He was the chief of the three. Adino, the Asonean, is useless, (Calmet) as a proper name: when corrected, it is rendered, (Haydock) "he drew," &c. Whence have they taken this, as it is not in Hebrew at present, unless they read, (Calmet) áuror, elevavit, "he lifted up his spear." (Kennicott) --- The number of 300 slain by one man, in one engagement, is also more credible than 800. (Calmet) --- Josephus increases the number to 900; but then he supposes they were slain in various battles. "The king had thirty-eight, chiefly renowned for their achievements....The first, Issaimos, the son of Achamani, who rushing, not once, but frequently, into the midst of the enemy, did not cease from slaughtering till he had killed 900."
We may observe that he increases the number of the mighty men. (Haydock) --- Delany reduces it to thirty-six, though he afterwards reckons thirty-seven, erroneously making thirty-one commanders of the third order, when he ought to have allowed the odd one to be the captain-general, and placed him before the two ternaries. Lightfoot also reckons thirty-six, and mentions them in this remarkably false order: 1, Joab; 2, Adino, of Ezni, called Jashobeam, by office; 3, Eleazar. And in the second rank: 1, Abishai; 2, Shammah; 3, Benaiah. (Kennicott) --- All these officers were styled, Shalischim. See Exodus xiv. 7. (Calmet) --- A body of "Thirty" was, perhaps, originally formed by David; and, though he afterwards admitted a greater number, they all went by the first name. (Salien)