Chapter 5.
HOW DAVID BROUGHT UNDER THE PHILISTINES, AND THE MOABITES,
AND THE KINGS OF SOPHENE AND OF DAMASCUS, AND OF THE SYRIANS AS ALSO THE
IDUMEANS, IN WAR; AND HOW HE MADE A LEAGUE WITH THE KING OF HAMATH; AND
WAS MINDFUL OF THE FRIENDSHIP THAT JONATHAN, THE SON OF SAUL, HAD BORNE
HIM.FJAJ 7.23
1. A LITLLE while after this, he considered that he ought to make war
against the Philistines, and not to see any idleness or laziness permitted
in his management, that so it might prove, as God had foretold to him,
that when he had overthrown his enemies, he should leave his posterity
to reign in peace afterward: so he called together his army again, and
when he had charged them to be ready and prepared for war, and when he
thought that all things in his army were in a good state, he removed from
Jerusalem, and came against the Philistines; and when he had overcome them
in battle, and had cut off a great part of their country, and adjoined
it to the country of the Hebrews, he transferred the war to the Moabites;
and when he had overcome two parts of their army in battle, he took the
remaining part captive, and imposed tribute upon them, to be paid annually.
He then made war against Iadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Sophene;
(10)
Whether Syria Zobah, 2 Samuel 3:8; 1 Chronicles 18:3-8, be Sophene, as
Josephus here supposes; which yet Ptolemy places beyond Euphrates, as Dr.
Hudson observes here, whereas Zobah was on this side; or whether Josephus
was not here guilty of a mistake in his geography; I cannot certainly determine. and
when he had joined battle with him at 'the river Euphrates, he destroyed
twenty thousand of his footmen, and about seven thousand of his horsemen.
He also took a thousand of his chariots, and destroyed the greatest part
of them, and ordered that no more than one hundred should be kept.FJAJ 7.24
(11)FJAJ 7.25
2. Now when Hadad, king of Damascus and of Syria, heard that David fought
against Hadadezer, who was his friend, he came to his assistance with a
powerful army, in hopes to rescue him; and when he had joined battle with
David at the river Euphrates, he failed of his purpose, and lost in the
battle a great number of his soldiers; for there were slain of the army
of Hadad twenty thousand, and all the rest fled
Nicelens also [of Damascus]
makes mention of this king in the fourth book of his histories; where he
speaks thus: "A great while after these things had happened, there
was one of that country whose name was Hadad, who was become very potent;
he reigned over Damascus, and, the other parts of Syria, excepting Phoenicia.
He made war against David, the king of Judea, and tried his fortune in
many battles, and particularly in the last battle at Euphrates, wherein
he was beaten
He seemed to have been the most excellent of all their kings
in strength and manhood," Nay, besides this, he says of his posterity,
that "they succeeded one another in his kingdom, and in his name;"
where he thus speaks: "When Hadad was dead, his posterity reigned
for ten generations, each of his successors receiving from his father that
his dominion, and this his name; as did the Ptolemies in Egypt.
But the third was the most powerful of them all, and was willing to avenge
the defeat his forefather had received; so he made an expedition against
the Jews, and laid waste the city which is now called Samaria." Nor
did he err from the truth; for this is that Hadad who made the expedition
against Samaria, in the reign of Ahab, king of Israel, concerning whom
we shall speak in due place hereafter.FJAJ 7.26
3. Now when David had made an expedition against Damascus, and the other
parts of Syria, and had brought it all into subjection, and had placed
garrisons in the country, and appointed that they should pay tribute, he
returned home
He also dedicated to God at Jerusalem the golden quivers,
the entire armor which the guards of Hadad used to wear; which Shishak,
the king of Egypt, took away when he fought with David's grandson, Rehoboam,
with a great deal of other wealth which he carried out of Jerusalem
However,
these things will come to be explained in their proper places hereafter.
Now as for the king of the Hebrews, he was assisted by God, who gave him
great success in his wars, and he made all expedition against the best
cities of Hadadezer, Betah and Machen; so he took them by force, and laid
them waste
Therein was found a very great quantity of gold and silver,
besides that sort of brass which is said to be more valuable than gold;
of which brass Solomon made that large vessel which was called The [Brazen]
Sea, and those most curious lavers, when he built the temple for God.FJAJ 7.27
4. But when the king of Hamath was informed of the ill success of Hadadezer,
and had heard of the ruin of his army, he was afraid on his own account,
and resolved to make a league of friendship and fidelity with David before
he should come against him; so he sent to him his son Joram, and professed
that he owed him thanks for fighting against Hadadezer, who was his enemy,
and made a league with him of mutual assistance and friendship
He also
sent him presents, vessels of ancient workmanship, both of gold, of silver,
and of brass
So when David had made this league of mutual assistance with
Toi, (for that was the name of the king of Hamath,) and had received the
presents he sent him, he dismissed his son with that respect which was
due on both sides; but then David brought those presents that were sent
by him, as also the rest of the gold and silver which he had taken of the
cities whom he had conquered, and dedicated them to God
Nor did God give
victory and success to him only when he went to the battle himself, and
led his own army, but he gave victory to Abishai, the brother of Joab,
general of his forces, over the Idumeans, (12)
By this great victory over the Idameans or Edomites, the posterity of Esau,
and by the consequent tribute paid by that nation to the Jews, were the
prophecies delivered to Rebecca before Jacob and Esau were born, and by
old Isaac before his death, that the elder, Esau, (or the Edomites,) should
serve and the younger, Jacob, (or the Israelites,) and Jacob (or the Israelites)
should be Esau's (or the Edomites') lord, remarkably fulfilled. See Antiq.
B. VIII. ch 7. sect. 6; Genesis 25;9,3; and the notes on Antiq. B. I. ch.
18. sect. 5, 6.
and by him to David, when he sent him with an army into Idumea: for Abishai
destroyed eighteen thousand of them in the battle; whereupon the king [of
Israel] placed garrisons through all Idumea, and received the tribute of
the country, and of every head among them
Now David was in his nature
just, and made his determination with regard to truth
He had for the general
of his whole army Joab; and he made Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, recorder.
He also appointed Zadok, of the family of Phinehas, to be high priest,
together with Abiathar, for he was his friend
He also made Seisan the
scribe, and committed the command over the guards of his body to Benaiah;
the son of Jehoiada
His elder sons were near his body, and had the care
of it also.FJAJ 7.28
5. He also called to mind the covenants and the oaths he had made with
Jonathan, the son of Saul, and the friendship and affection Jonathan had
for him; for besides all the rest of his excellent qualities with which
he was endowed, he was also exceeding mindful of such as had at other times
bestowed benefits upon him
He therefore gave order that inquiry should
be made, whether any of Jonathan's lineage were living, to whom he might
make return of that familiar acquaintance which Jonathan had had with him,
and for which he was still debtor
And when one of Saul's freed men was
brought to him, who was acquainted with those of his family that were still
living, he asked him whether he could tell him of any one belonging to
Jonathan that was now alive, and capable of a requital of the benefits
which he had received from Jonathan
And he said, that a son of his was
remaining, whose name was Mephibosheth, but that he was lame of his feet;
for that when his nurse heard that the father and grandfather of the child
were fallen in the battle, she snatched him up, and fled away, and let
him fall from her shoulders, and his feet were lamed
So when he had learned
where and by whom he was brought up, he sent messengers to Machir, to the
city of Lodebar, for with him was the son of Jonathan brought up, and sent
for him to come to him
So when Mephibosheth came to the king, he fell
on his face and worshipped him; but David encouraged him, bade him be of
good cheer, and expect better times
So he gave him his father's house,
and all the estate which his grandfather Saul was in possession of, and
bade him come and diet with him at his own table, and never to be absent
one day from that table
And when the youth had worshipped him on account
of his words and gifts given to him, he called for Ziba, and told him that
he had given the youth his father's house, and all Saul's estate
He also
ordered that Ziba should cultivate his land, and take care of it, and bring
him the profits of all to Jerusalem
Accordingly, David brought him to
his table every day, and bestowed upon the youth, Ziba and his sons, who
were in number fifteen, and his servants, who were in number twenty
When
the king had made these appointments, and Ziba had worshipped him, and
promised to do all that he had bidden him, he went his way; so that this
son of Jonathan dwelt at Jerusalem, and dieted at the king's table, and
had the same care that a son could claim taken of him
He also had himself
a son, whom he named Micha.FJAJ 7.29