Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: 1 Paralipomenon
Chapter 11
Ver. 1. David. This name is written without i, in the books composed before the captivity, (the year before Christ 588) but i is inserted in the latter works, which is an argument against the antiquities of [Canticle of] Canticles, where the i is found. Yet the manuscripts vary so, that great stress is not laid on this (Kennicott) proof, and it is not sufficient weight to stand against the general opinion, which attributes that work to Solomon. (Haydock) --- Hebron, after the death of Isboseth, 2 Kings v. (Calmet) --- Flesh; related, as the children of Jacob.
Ver. 3. Which he spoke, is not expressed in Hebrew or Septuagint. Samuel complied with the injunction, by anointing David, 1 Kings xvi. 13. He also wrote an account of this memorable transaction, which translated the sceptre from one family to another. (Haydock) --- It is, on this account, that the author here takes particular notice of God's decree. (Kennicott)
Ver. 5. Here. In 2 Kings v. 6, the passage is much fuller, and attended with many difficulties. Kennicott would correct and translate it: "And they spake unto David, saying, Thou shalt not come hither: for the blind and the lame shall keep thee off, by saying, David shall not come hither. But David took the stronghold of Sion," (different from the citadel. Josephus) "which is the city of David. And David said, on that day, whosoever (first) smiteth the Jebusites, and, through the subterraneous passage, reacheth the blind and the lame, which are hated of David's soul, because the blind and the lame continued to say, he shall not come into this house---shall be head and captain. So Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first, and was head."
Ver. 8. Round. He made a complete inclosure or fortification, as Mello denotes perfection, or completion, (Haydock) by building houses from the castle to the town beneath it. David begun at the very house (or citadel, 4 Kings xii. 20.) from which the blind and the lame thought to have excluded him, and built all round, so as to make an entire communication. (Kennicott) --- Built. Protestants, "repaired." Hebrew yechaye, (Haydock) "saved alive." (Syriac, &c.; Poole's Synop.) But probably shear is now written instead of shor, and jéje ought to be jeje. The long and the short e are easily confounded, (Haydock) and a is frequently thus inserted. (Watson) --- "He built....round to the beginning of that circuit. And Joab was made governor of the city." (Kennicott) --- "And surrounding it with a wall, he appointed Joab superintendant of the walls." (Josephus, [Antiquities?] vii. 3.) --- The position of the vowel points in these words, might naturally cause this mistake, (Haydock) as it seems to have done on other occasions. Thus shor, "an ox," should be sar, "a prince," Genesis xlix. 6., and Osee xii. 11. Shevarim, "oxen," has been read sarim, "princes," by the Septuagint. The former passage might admit of some corrections. "In their anger they slew the men, and in their fury (vabrothom; instead of vabrotsnom, which is always explained in a good sense) they destroyed the princes. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their fury, for it was inflexible."
Ver. 9. Lord. 2 Kings adds God, more properly, as it seems always to have been inserted, though it is now wanting in two hundred places. (Kennicott, Dis. i. p. 62 and 525.)
Ver. 10. These. Besides the help which David received immediately from God, he derived great assistance from Joab, the captain-general, from the six more renowned valiant men, and from the body of Thirty, as well as from fifteen others of less note, who are mentioned here. (Haydock)
Ver. 11. Number. 2 Kings xxiii. 8., the names. But the two authors do not always use the same terms. (Kennicott) --- Thirty, or three, (2 Kings) more correctly. (Du Hamel) --- Three. 2 Kings, eight; (Haydock) probably by mistake. --- Wounded, or rather soldiers. He encountered singly a whole regiment, though he might not kill them all; much less did he attack them, when already wounded. (Kennicott) --- Numbers have often been expressed by letter in Hebrew, as well as in Greek and other languages. Our numeral figures are not liable to fewer mistakes. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "This is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, (the son of Zabdiel) the Hachmonite, chief of three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred soldiers at one time." (Kennicott)
Ver. 12. His. Hebrew, "the son of Dodi."
Ver. 13. And. "Who could have discovered that thirty-four words are here omitted, if they had not been preserved in 2 Kings xxiii.," though with some inaccuracy? We should read, "And when the men of Israel were fled, he arose and smote the Philistines, until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword. And the Lord wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. And after him was Shammah, the son of Agee, the Hararite: And the Philistines were gathered together at Lechi, where was a piece of ground full of barley....14. But he placed himself in the midst of the field, (of barley) and saved it, and smote the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance." (Kennicott) --- The name of Semma must have been omitted by the transcriber. (Calmet) --- Without it, how will the number 37 be made out?
Ver. 14. These men. Septuagint speak only of one: "And he stood," &c., (Haydock) and the verbs are singular, 2 Kings xxiii. 12. --- Gave. Hebrew vayahas (ibid.[2 Kings xxiii. 12.?]) is more correct than vayosha, "saved." (Kennicott) --- Protestants are forced to add, "saved them by a great deliverance." But there is nothing in the original signifying by. (Haydock)
Ver. 15. Captains. This is not rightly expressed in any of the ancient versions, no more than in the Protestant, which has, "Three of the Thirty chief;" marginal note, "Three captains over the Thirty." The latter signification comes much nearer to the truth. It should be, "And there went down three captains, (Jesbaam, Eleazar, and Semma. Haydock) who were over Thirty." There were properly seven captains, or "heads of the other Thirty." --- Rock, (hatsur) which seems preferable to katsir, "in the time of harvest," 2 Kings. (Kennicott) (Calmet)
Ver. 16. Garrison, or advanced guard.
Ver. 17. O that. Hebrew, "Who will." David wished to see his native country freed from the troops of the Philistines. --- In. Hebrew, "by the gate."
Ver. 18. These. Hebrew, "The three (or perhaps, three of the mighty men) brake through the host of the Philistines....by the gate, and took, and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; and he poured it out unto the Lord," by way of prayer, (Kennicott) or of thanksgiving. (Josephus)
Ver. 19. In the. Hebrew, "thing! Shall I drink the blood of these men, with their lives? for at the hazard of their lives they have brought it! And he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men," (Kennicott) forming the first ternary. (Tirinus) --- Among these heroes there were different degrees of excellence. (Calmet) --- Protestants acknowledge the superlative, "mightiest:" but "mighty" would do better, as they were not still equal to Joab. (Haydock)
Ver. 20. Abisai. His name is written without the middle i, in all this book. --- Three. Alexandrian Septuagint alone reads, "six." --- He was. Hebrew adds, "not;" evidently mistaking lo, "not," for lo, "ei." See 4 Kings viii. 10. "He lifted up his spear against 300 soldiers, and had a name among Three." (Kennicott)
Ver. 21. Second and (Haydock) first occur not in Hebrew and Septuagint. (Calmet) --- Hebrew, "Of the three he was more honourable than two; therefore he was their captain: and yet he attained not unto the first three." (Kennicott) --- First is indeed the sense, but it is not expressed in the original. We have here the exact order of these mighty men sufficiently marked out. Abisai is the first captain (Haydock) of the second ternary. (Tirinus)
Ver. 22. Two ariels. That is, two lions, or lion-like men; for ariel, in Hebrew, signifies "a lion (Challoner) of God," the strongest compound word for "a man of valour. The courage of a lion is so singular, that a man of extraordinary heroism is frequently called a lion, by way of emphasis; and the word God is frequently applied in Scripture to things particularly great." (Kennicott) --- V is wanting at the beginning and end of the name of Banaias, (here Benaia, instead of Ubenaiahu and Banaias, 2 Kings.) The last letter (ver. 24) serves to distinguish this third captain in waiting on the king, from the eleventh, ver. 31., and chap. xxvii. 5., and 14. (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "And Benaihu, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in exploits; he slew two men of Moab, who were stouter than lions. He also went down and slew a lion in a pit, in a snowy day." (Kennicott) --- We have observed, that "And" is not found in the printed Hebrew nor is it in the Protestant, "Benaiah....slew two lion-like men, of Moab." Literally, "ariels;" (Septuagint) that is, "lions of God," or two of Moab equal to (Haydock) the strongest lions. (Worthington) --- Yet it is not certain whether these were not real lions, as well as the following. (Haydock) --- St. Jerome translates, two lions of Moab, 2 Kings xxiii. 20. (Calmet) --- Lion: ari is written arih, 2 Kings. (Haydock)