Commentaria in II Regum (II Samuelis)
10. AND THOU SENT JORAM HIS SON (who in 1 Paralipomenon 18:10 is called “Adoram”), AND IN HIS HAND—that is, the deeds of David daily through the journals WERE VESSELS OF GOLD,—as if to say: Joram carried with him vessels of gold to offer them as gifts to David; which David destined for the temple to be built by Solomon, as is clear from 3 Kings 15:15 [sic]; 1 Paralipomenon 26:27 and following.
13. DAVID ALSO MADE HIMSELF A NAME,—that is, he erected a triumphal arch, says Abulensis and the author of the Traditions in St. Jerome. Or, as Serarius, Sanchez and others, as if to say: David by this victory won great name and fame for himself among all the nations.
IN THE VALLEY OF THE SALTPITS.—Hear Adrichomius in the tribe of Juda, no. 244: “The valley of the Saltpits, or of Salt, in Hebrew Gemela, otherwise called Mela, in which David slew eighteen thousand of the Idumeans, and returning erected for himself a triumphal arch. In the same place Joab also destroyed twelve thousand, and Amasias twenty thousand of the Idumeans, and cast down another ten thousand from the rock and crag of Jectehel,” 2 Paralipomenon 25, 4 Kings 14. Mystically St. Gregory, book III of the Morals, chap. 14: “David, he says, smote the valleys of the Saltpits; because our Redeemer by the examination of his strictness extinguishes, in those who think perversely of him, the folly of immoderate savour,” according to that of Romans 12: “Not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety.” The valley of the Saltpits therefore represents “the heat of immoderate wisdom.” The words of St. Gregory Eucherius and Angelomus transcribed in their fashion.
14. AND IDUMEA WAS MADE TO SERVE DAVID.—Here was fulfilled the oracle and blessing of Isaac spoken to Jacob, Genesis 27:29: “Be thou lord of thy brethren, and let thy mother’s children bow down before thee.” For the Idumeans, sprung from Esau the brother of Jacob, here served David, descended from Jacob. So Procopius and Theodoret. Hence David then composed Psalm 59, where among other things he says: “Over Idumea will I stretch out my shoe,” that is, I will possess Idumea as victor, subject it and tread it down. For they entered on possession by the placing of a shoe, or by treading the thing possessed with the shoe: hence the Chaldee renders, I cast my shoe upon Edom; R. Emmanuel renders, I cast my glove upon Edom; because, he says, it was the custom of kings, when they besieged some fortified city, to throw a glove into the city, by which they signified that they would not depart from the city unless it were taken and the glove recovered. And this is what Cicero said in the Philippics: “For he himself is wont to receive the gloves (manicas) from his food, and no longer to endure the fear of a siege.” So he. But the Hebrew naal signifies a shoe, not a glove.
Tropologically, David, that is Christ, reigns in Idumea, that is, in the red and carnal hearts of the Gentiles, while by grace he makes them spiritual and heavenly. So St. Augustine, St. Jerome and others on Psalm 59.
16. JOSAPHAT THE SON OF AHILUD, RECORDER,—he wrote, was a recorder, or commemorator of the memorable deeds of David; for this the Hebrew maskir signifies.
17. AND SADOC THE SON OF ACHITOB, AND ACHIMELECH THE SON OF ABIATHAR, WERE PRIESTS,—namely high priests, that is, pontiffs. There were therefore then, by the dispensation or connivance of God, two high priests of Israel at once, namely Sadoc and Abiathar. For when Abiathar, great-grandson of Heli, descended from Ithamar, fearing the anger of Saul, 1 Kings 22:20, fled to David, Saul with his men appointed Sadoc high priest, who descended from Eleazar the elder son of Aaron: this Sadoc afterwards under Solomon alone held the pontificate, Abiathar being excluded, because he had conspired with Adonias the new king against Solomon. Under David, then, there were two pontiffs by God’s connivance; for by the law and first institution only one ought to be high priest. So Abulensis and others. They ministered in the tabernacle and discharged the pontifical duties in succession or by alternate turns.
SADOC THE SON OF ACHITOB.—This “Achitob” is different from “Achitob” the son of Phinees, son of Heli; for the latter descended from Ithamar: but “Sadoc” from Eleazar, and therefore Sadoc was the chief and principal pontiff, so that Abiathar seemed to hold the pontificate by his concession, and to be as it were his vicar, as is gathered from 1 Paralipomenon 16:39. Hence Sadoc is placed before Abiathar here and elsewhere, although he was [younger]; he is called “a youth of excellent disposition.”
“Achimelech the son of Abiathar.” “Abiathar” himself was the high priest, as is clear from 2 Kings 15:35. But “Achimelech his son” discharged his father’s duties; either on account of his father’s old age or infirmity, or on account of other weighty occupations of his, and he was to succeed him next in the pontificate. So Abulensis. Bede, Theodoret and Euthymius on chap. 2 of Mark add that “Abiathar” was a common name of the family, but the proper name of this pontiff was “Achimelech.” The same pontiff of the family was therefore called “Abiathar,” but by his proper name “Achimelech,” so that the sense is, as if to say: Achimelech, who is also called Abiathar son of Achimelech, who also from the common name of the family was called Abiathar, was a priest.
18. AND BANAIAS THE SON OF JOIADA WAS OVER THE CERETHI AND PHELETHI.—These were the bravest, most faithful and praetorian soldiers of David. Hence Cerethi in Hebrew is the same as cutters-off; Phelethi the same as deliverers. Wherefore Josephus calls them somatophylakas, that is, guards of the royal body. Hence perhaps from the Cerethi the Cardaces were named, who were the bravest soldiers among the Persians, as Strabo attests, book XV. See what is said at Ezechiel chap. 25, verse 16, and Sophonias chap. 2, verse 5.
AND DAVID’S SONS WERE PRIESTS.—“Priests,” that is, chiefs and principal men of the court. See 1 Paralipomenon 18:17. They are called “the first at the king’s hand,” that is, the first at the king’s side, because they thronged about it and were nearest to David, as sons to be brought up and instructed by him.
For the firstborn was about 15 years old. So Salianus. Wherefore priests are chiefs, palatines; by the Chaldee, magnates. For the sons of David, since they descended not from Levi, to whom the priesthood was assigned, but from Juda, could not be priests properly so called. “Priest” here, therefore, by catachresis, is the same as prince. Forerius gives the reason or analogy on chap. 61 of Isaias, verse 6, that a priest is a minister and familiar of God; and a king is as it were a god on earth: his familiars are therefore called priests.
So also Pineda, Job 12:19, no. 1: The king, he says, is a kind of god; those therefore who are familiar with the king are in a manner his priests. Similar is 3 Kings 4:5: “Zabud, he says, the son of Nathan, priest (that is, palatine), the king’s friend.” The Gloss adds, on the law Sacra Loca, Digest on the distinction of laws, 4 and 8, that King David was a priest, because he was a pious prophet who composed the Psalms and distributed the offices of singing among the Levites. So all Christians are priests, but mystical ones, according to that: “You are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood,” 1 Peter 2, and that: “Thou hast made us to our God a kingdom and priests,” Apocalypse 5:10. Hence St. Jerome, dialogue Against Lucifer: “The priesthood of a layman, he says, is baptism.” Because among the Romans too laymen who had charge of anything sacred were called priests, though they did not sacrifice. For among them there were various kinds of priests, namely Flamines, Diales, Martiales, Salii, Quirinales, Pontifices, Kings of the sacred rites, Sacrificers, Galli. Hence the poet is called the priest of the Muses by Horace, book III of the Odes. Hence also Ovid, book III of the Amores: “Pure priest of the Muses and of Phoebus.” Hence also seers, augurs and soothsayers are called by Plutarch and by Homer in the Iliad hiereis, that is, priests. Finally, because anciently the priest and the prince were the same, as were Job, Abraham, Moses, &c., hence the Hebrew cohen, that is, priest, also signifies a prince.