Commentaria in II Regum (II Samuelis)
19. FOR THIS IS THE LAW OF ADAM, O LORD GOD.—First, Angelomus explains thus, as if to say: “This is the law of man, O Lord God, that he serve thee in simplicity and purity of heart; and that thou do to him thy mercy, as thou hast deigned to do to me thy servant.” Second, Vatablus, as if to say: This condition and royal lot is of a man illustrious and excellent, not mean and abject, such as I am. Hence Vatablus renders the Hebrew thorat, that is, law, as direction; but the Chaldee renders, vision, from the root raah, that is, he saw. Third, others, as if to say: “The law of Adam,” that is, of man, is that he be mortal and die. What is it then, O Lord, that thou wilt have me and my kingdom be eternal? “The law of Adam” is that he be miserable, poor and abject; what is it then that thou heapest on me such wealth and honours? “What is man, that thou so magnifiest him?”
Fourth, and genuinely, as if to say: Thou, O Lord, hast answered my wishes; nay, thou hast anticipated them. “Law,” that is, more truly, inclination, implanted in man by nature, is this, this is the common custom and use of men, that they do not think themselves wholly satisfied, though they be wealthy, honoured and happy, unless provision is also made for their posterity and for their happiness and glory, which thou, O Lord, hast deigned to do for me, promising that my posterity shall always be kings, and in continuous series shall perpetually succeed me in the kingdom. So Abulensis, Hugo, Cajetan, Dionysius and others. The reason is that man naturally loves his sons and descendants to be perpetually glorious, that in them he may always survive, and obtain a certain eternity of memory, fame and glory. For sons are as it were part and members of their parents, who therefore love their sons as themselves, nay more than themselves.
20. WHAT THEREFORE CAN DAVID SAY MORE UNTO THEE? FOR THOU KNOWEST THY SERVANT, O LORD
GOD.—“Thou knowest,” that is, thou recognisest, carest for, lovest, directest, exaltest, glorifiest. For so it is explained in book I of Paralipomenon 17:18, where it is said: “What can David add more, seeing thou hast so glorified thy servant, and known him?” For this knowledge and science of God is not speculative and dry, but practical and fruitful, and therefore involves God’s love and beneficence. So the Apostle of the predestinate and elect to glory says: “The Lord knoweth who are his,” 2 Timothy 2:19; but to the reprobate Christ will say on the day of judgment: “I know you not.”
21. FOR THY WORD’S SAKE, as if to say: These great things thou hast done for me not on account of my merits, but to fulfil thy promises, by which thou didst promise to do me good, when by Samuel thou didst appoint me and anoint me king.
SO THAT THOU WOULDST MAKE IT KNOWN TO THY SERVANT,—namely that thou mightest show me these promised great things, that I might know them, nay see them with my eyes and handle them with my hands.
AND TO MAKE HIM A NAME,—that Israel might be and be called the people of God, which is an eminent dignity, and a title of the highest honour, and likewise of utility. So Vatablus. Or, “to make a name,” that is, to prepare fame and glory for himself; so Abulensis.
23. WHOM THOU HAST REDEEMED TO THYSELF OUT OF EGYPT, THE NATION AND ITS GOD,—namely that Israel may be thy race and people, and that thou in turn mayst be its God. Hence explaining he adds: “And thou, O Lord God, art become their God.” Second, others refer it to “and to do for them great and terrible things,” namely by striking Egypt, their enemy, “the nation and its God,” that is, gods, as if to say: Thou, O Lord, fighting for thy Hebrews, didst strike the nation of Egypt, and the gods who were adversaries of the Hebrews. Hence the more recent commonly, with the Chaldee from the Hebrew, render in the ablative, from the nation and its God, as if to say: Thou hast redeemed Israel from Egypt, and consequently from the Egyptian nation and its God, that is, the gods of that same nation. Or more plainly, refer it to “and to do for them great and terrible things upon the earth,” as if to say:
God wrought great and terrible miracles for the Hebrews both upon the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and upon “the nation and its God,” that is, its gods. For God afflicted with many plagues, through Moses and Josue, both the land itself of Egypt and Chanaan, and the nation itself of the Egyptians and Chanaanites, and their gods and idols, overthrowing and breaking them. So Sanchez. This sense seems plainer than the others, and more in accord with the Hebrew, the Chaldee and the Septuagint, which for “nation” have “nations” in the plural, which suits the seven nations of the Chanaanites and Egyptians better than one nation.
Third, others by God (in Hebrew Elohim) understand Moses, who was appointed by God a god to Pharao as well as to Israel, being its lawgiver and leader in God’s stead, Exodus chap. 4, verse 16, and chap. 7, verse 1. See what is said there, as if to say: Thou hast redeemed from Egypt the Hebrew nation, and “its God,” that is, Moses, who was its prince, leader and guide in the place of God.
Fourth, some by God or Elohim understand St. Michael, who in God’s stead was leader, guardian and protector of Israel. For he, while the captive Israelites were being freed from Egypt and went out free, going out with them from Egypt seemed to be, as it were, freed.
Fifth, the Septuagint, for Elohav, that is, its God, reading by metathesis ohalav, that is, its tents, render, thou hast redeemed to thyself out of Egypt nations and its tents. For the Hebrews went out of Egypt with furniture not only their own but the Egyptians’, which by God’s command they had received on loan, that they might despoil Egypt, Exodus 11.
25. RAISE UP.—In Hebrew hakem, that is, set up,
27. THOU HAST REVEALED TO THE EAR OF THY SERVANT (that is, secretly and as if in his ear thou hast said): THY SERVANT HATH FOUND HIS HEART (namely ready, grateful and cheerful) TO PRAY TO THEE THIS PRAYER,—and by praying to give thanks for so many great things done for him, not worthy ones, but such as were possible to him. Others: “he hath found his heart,” that is, he hath found, they say, a counsel for himself, that would be of use thereafter. The same argument of thanksgiving for benefits shown him, especially for the promises concerning his house and the perpetuating of his kingdom, and consequently concerning Christ to be born of him, David treats in Psalm 88: “The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever,” and by this gratitude he deserved to have these promises confirmed and increased to him by God.
29. LET THE HOUSE OF THY SERVANT BE BLESSED FOR EVER,—that always from my house and family my descendants may succeed in the kingdom and reign over Israel, as long as the kingdom of Israel shall last.
Abulensis here, in the last Question, treats the question whether Solomon is damned? and answers in the affirmative, and proves it chiefly from the fact that he did not, when dying, destroy the idols set up by himself, which he surely ought to have done, and in fact would have done, if he had truly repented; for these idols were destroyed almost three hundred years after him by King Josias, 4 Kings 23. If thou say that even Asa, Josaphat and Ezechias, pious kings, did not destroy them: he answers that they could not do so, because the idolatry introduced by Solomon had been strengthened and increased by Jeroboam, who made the schism by setting up golden calves as idols in Dan and Bethel. But Solomon could and ought to have destroyed them, both because he was most powerful, and because he had no rival, but reigned in full peace with all obeying him. The same is held by Angelomus and Eucherius, 4 Kings 22, Bede in the Allegories on the book of Kings, near the end, and Prosper, book of Predictions, part 2, chap. 27: “Solomon, he says, lifted up in old age, committing fornication in mind and body, the Lord forsaking him, died ill, leaving to posterity a fearful example, lest, disturbed by the prosperity of this life, they forsake Christ, who is the eternal happiness of his own.” But modern interpreters are milder towards Solomon, and hope better of his salvation. See what is said at Ecclesiasticus chap. 47, verse 22.