Poole on 2 Samuel 21:15-22: David's Wars

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[circa 1018 BC]  Verse 15:[1]  Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines:  and David waxed faint.

[Battle was again joined, etc.]  Four wars are here set on record (Martyr); in what time or order they were undertaken is not evident (Sanchez).  These things had happened before the aforementioned famine (Lyra, similarly Tirinus out of Tostatus):  indeed, long before those times:  but they are recorded here as an epilogue to the matters conducted against the Philistines (certain interpreters in Sanchez).  They are recorded here on the occasion that mention was made of the war, so that the goodness of God might shine all the brighter, and so that they might be connected with the victory song following[2] (certain interpreters in Martyr).  [The reasons for this opinion are these:]  1.  Because here is narrated youthful David’s battle with Goliath (Sanchez).  [Concerning which see more things on verse 19.]  Moreover, in 1 Chronicles 20 only three wars are mentioned as having been conducted by David close to these times.  For which reason that concerning Goliath is to be referred elsewhere (certain interpreters in Sanchez).  The two wars there mentioned are described immediately after the war with the Ammonites (certain interpreters in Martyr).  2.  Because the Absalomic conspiracy happened at the end of David’s life, and so not so many wars were able to be conducted afterwards.  But, that four wars were conducted in a brief space of time, is not strange.  It can happen, that those smitten immediately renewed the war, and thus were smitten a second and third time.  [Others thus:]  That the first war happened with David now old, no one doubts; but, that the three other wars did not happen at that time, they gather, because after the first war a decree was made that David should not go down into battle.  Let that stand:  yet it is not necessary for us to say that he was present at those three [remaining] wars; they were able to be conducted by deputies (Martyr).  That impediment, why they would not permit David to go to war, was singular, because he was sought for death, 2 Samuel 17; 18.  Now, those here seeing him debilitated ordained and confirmed with an oath, that he would not for the future go to battle in his own person (Lyra).  [Others conclude otherwise:]  These battles appear to have happened in the order in which they are narrated here (Lapide, similarly Sanchez, Martyr, Lyra, Tostatus and Cajetan and Serarius and Salian in Lapide).  For the simple narration of the history demands this (Lapide).  I judge that the thread of the history is not easily to be broken (Martyr).  That again indicates that war was renewed, and that the hatred of the Philistines was revived.  Then the order of the battles is set down explicitly and distinctly enough, inasmuch as first, second, etc., is used[3] (Sanchez).

The Philistines had yet war again with Israel:  These wars, though here related, were transacted long before this time:  of which see the notes on verse 1.  For it is no way probable, either that the Philistines, being so fully and perfectly subdued by David, 2 Samuel 8:1, should in his days be in a capacity of waging war with the Israelites; or that David in his old age would undertake to fight with a giant, or that his people would permit him to do so.

[Now, with David fading, ‎וַיָּעַף]  And he was weary (Jonathan, Munster, Tigurinus, Montanus, Vatablus); he fades (Pagnine).  For he was not old (Osiander).

Verse 16:[4]  And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant (or, Rapha[5]), the weight of whose spear (Heb. the staff, or, the head[6]) weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.

[Who was of the stock of Rapha, ‎הָרָפָה]  Some think that it is the name of a woman (Malvenda).  The Rabbis feign that this was Orpah, the daughter-in-law of Naomi.[7]  But the timeframe hinders, and her name is written ‎עָרְפָּה/Orpah (Sanchez).  Among the children, or of the sons, of Harapha (Montanus), of that Rapha (Septuagint), of the mighty man (Jonathan), of the giant (Munster, Pagnine, Vatablus), that is, of a Philistine man with the cognomen of the giant, who was dwelling in Gath (Vatablus); or of the sons of the giants (Vatablus, Gratius), as it is apparent from 1 Chronicles 20:4, 6 (Grotius), that is, a giant; that is, a man of enormous height and strength (Vatablus).  רָפָה/Raphah here is the same as רְפָאִים/Rephaim (Munster).  Of the sons of the Rephaim (Tigurinus).

The giant; so called by way of eminency.  Or, of Rapha, a giant so called.

[The iron of whose spear was weighing three hundred ounces,‎וּמִשְׁקַ֤ל קֵינוֹ֙ שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ מִשְׁקַ֣ל נְחֹ֔שֶׁת]  And the weight of his lance, or spear (or the weight of his head [Junius and Tremellius], or the iron of his spear [Munster, Castalio, Strigelius, Arabic]) was the weight of three hundred shekels of brass (Pagnine, Jonathan, similarly the Septuagint, Montanus), or was equaling or weighing three hundred units (Munster), or shekels of brass (Castalio, Strigelius), or, according to the reckoning of the weight of brass (Vatablus).  Our version renders it three hundred ounces, that is, twelve and a half libras.[8]  See what things are said on 1 Samuel 17:5 (Menochius).  Perhaps he understands lesser or half ounces.  For a shekel was only weighing a half ounce (Malvenda).

The weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels:  see 1 Samuel 17:5.

[And he was girded with a new sword (thus the Syriac, Arabic, Munster, Pagnine, Tigurinus, Junius and Tremellius, Castalio), ‎חֲדָשָׁה]  With a new (Montanus), that is, best (Vatablus).  An adjective without a substantive.  Thus in Habakkuk 1:16, and his portion is a fat, understanding, sheep (Vatablus).  I do not so much think that the sword was new, that is, recent, as that he was at that time recently girded with a sword; that is, on the first day he went to war, he perished; the חֲדָשָׁה with the feminine termination sometimes has an adverbial use (Sanchez).  [Others otherwise:]  Girded with a club (Septuagint, Hebrews in Martyr), or with a new girdle (Jonathan, certain interpreters in Vatablus), from which, of course, his sword was hanging (Vatablus).  At that time he was first promoted to some military honor.  For they are said to be girded, who attain some dignity.  The civil laws in the Digest “Concerning a Miliary Testament” make mention of a belt.  Perhaps so that he might give a specimen of his courage, he wanted to attack David himself, whom he saw separated from his men, as Josephus relates[9] (Martyr).  The sense:  He was a new recruit, so that his daring might be commended as greater (Malvenda).

With a new sword, or rather, with a new girdle or belt; for, first, This was the usual habit of soldiers, 1 Samuel 18:4; 2 Samuel 18:11; 1 Kings 2:5; Isaiah 5:27, and when it was of an extraordinary fashion and price, an ensign of dignity and command in the army, Ezekiel 23:15.  So this may be mentioned to note that this was the first time either of his going out to fight, or of his advancement to some eminent place in the army; which made him desirous to signalize himself with some great action.  Secondly, This supplement is more natural and usual, the word girdle being easily supplied from the word being girded; such ellipses of conjugate words being frequent in the Hebrew tongue, as Numbers 11:14; Psalm 76:12; Matthew 20:12.  Thirdly, The newness of the sword seems to have no emphasis nor significancy for the present purpose, seeing an old and tried sword would seem more considerable for his encouragement than one new and unproved.

[He strove to smite David]  That is, whom he was seeing weary and retiring from the battle line (Vatablus).  ‎וַיֹּאמֶר, and he said, that is, he decided or determined (Vatablus); he thought (Pagnine); he intended (Septuagint).  He had said that he was going to kill (Munster).

Verse 17:[10]  But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him.  Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, (2 Sam. 18:3) Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the (1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; Ps. 132:17) light (Heb. candle, or, lamp[11]) of Israel.

[They swore, etc.]  They had decided upon this in the Absalomic war; now they confirm it with a decree and oath (Martyr).

[Lest thou quench the lamp of Israel]  That is, lest the glory and splendor of Israel perish with thee (Vatablus, Menochius).  With good reason is David called a lamp, who was also the greatest ornament of his people, and who, like some living law, went before all both in the example of his life, and in his zeal for righteousness (Sanchez); he outshined them in his deliberations and actions (Piscator).  Epicurus[12] is your lamp, says Cicero, Concerning Ends 2.  With Alexander dead, the army is like the blinded Cyclops,[13] says Demades[14] in Plutarch’s “Apophthegmata”[15] (Gataker).

Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, etc.:  Lest thou be slain, and thereby thy people be ruined.  Good kings are in Scripture justly called the light of their people, as 1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; Psalm 132:17, because the beauty and glory, the conduct and direction, the comfort, and safety, and welfare of a people depend upon them, and come from them.

Verse 18:[16]  (1 Chron. 20:4) And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob:  then (1 Chron. 11:29) Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph (or, Sippai[17]), which was of the sons of the giant (or, Rapha[18]).

After this; after the battle last mentioned.

[At Gob]  In 1 Chronicles 20:4, this battle is said to have been waged in Gezer.  Perhaps that place was called by both names.  Moreover, Gezer was in the tribe of Ephraim, and was also called Gazera (Menochius).  It appears to have this name, because it was infested with locusts[19] (Malvenda).

At Gob, or, in Gezer, as it is 1 Chronicles 20:4; whereby it seems Gob and Gezer were neighbouring places, and the battle fought in the confines of both.

[Sibbechai]  In 1 Chronicles 11:29, he is number among David’s mighty men (Menochius).

Sibbechai the Hushathite; one of David’s worthies, 1 Chronicles 11:29.

Verse 19:[20]  And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim (or, Jair[21]), a Bethlehemite, slew (see 1 Chron. 20:5) the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

[In which Adeodatus, son of the woodland, a weaver of Beth-lehem, smote Goliath the Gittite, ‎וַיַּ֡ךְ אֶלְחָנָן֩ בֶּן־יַעְרֵ֙י אֹרְגִ֜ים בֵּ֣ית הַלַּחְמִ֗י אֵ֚ת גָּלְיָ֣ת הַגִּתִּ֔י]  The Vulgate here, as a thousand times elsewhere, uses appellative names in the place of proper, or the signification of names in the place of the names themselves (Tirinus out of Sanchez).  אֶלְחָנָן/Elhanan[22] he translates as Adeodatum, given by God (Tirinus out of Lapide), or agreeable to God (Malvenda) (whereby the Hebrews, the Chaldean, Rabanus, Rupertus,[23] and others understand David; yet Tostatus, Cajetan, Serarius, Salian, and others are on better ground, thinking it to be someone other than David [Lapide]).  ‎בֶּן־יַעְרֵ֙י אֹרְגִ֜ים/Ben Jaare-oregim he translates as son of the forests,[24] of Weavers[25] (Malvenda); or son of the woodland, or forest (because either he was born in the forest, or was accustomed to live in the forest [Sanchez]), a weaver, that is, a dyer in various colors (Tirinus).  Hebrew:  of weavers, because he was forn of weavers, or was one of the weavers, who weave polymita/demask, that is, threads of different colors (Lapide).  [Others take it partly properly, partly appellatively:]  David, the son of Jesse, weaver of the curtain of the house of the sanctuary, who was of Beth-lehem, killed, slew, etc. (Jonathan).  Elhanan, the son of Malapa, a weaver of Beth-lehem, etc. (Syriac, Arabic).  Elhanan, son of Jaare, and a weaver of Beth-lehem, defeated, etc. (Castalio).  [Many take them as proper names:]  Elhanan, the son of Jaare-oregm, a Bethlehemite, smote Goliath the Gittite (Montanus, Malvenda, thus the Septuagint, Munster, Tigurinus, Pagnine, Junius and Tremellius, Strigelius).  This is the same Goliath as the one in 1 Samuel 17, where the history is narrated more fully, which here is touched upon more briefly (certain interpreters in Malvenda).  Whence it is evident that this war was the first, not the third (in which place it is here put), and that the order of narration, not the order of time, is here preserved (Lapide on verses 18, 19).  Others:  he smote Goliath the Philistine (Syriac, Arabic), or Goliath, a certain Gittite (Tigurinus), or a second Goliath the Gittite (Pagnine), that is, who, with the former being dead, whom David had killed, was also called Goliath, because he approached the strength of the former (Vatablus).  A Bethlehemite…smote the brother of Goliath the Gittite (Junius and Tremellius).  For thus it is expressly written in 1 Chronicles 20:5, where you see that there is an ellipsis of the name signifying the relationship, which sort was also found above in verse 8 (Malvenda out of Junius, Piscator).  Ellipses of relative terms are common, of which sort are, father, mother, wife, son, etc.  There is an ellipsis of, 1.  wife, Matthew 1:6, ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου, of her that was of Uriah, understanding, γυναικὸς, the wife; John 19:25, Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Κλωπα, Mary of Cleophas, that is, the wife.  2.  Father or mother, Acts 7:16, of the sons of Emmor τοῦ Σιχέμ, of Sychem, that is, Sychem’s father.  Compare Genesis 33:19.  Thus in Mark 15:40, 47, Μαρία Ἰωσῆ, Mary of Joses, that is, Mary the mother of Joses; and in Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10, Μαρία Ἰακώβου, Mary of James, that is, Mary the mother of James, which the Syriac expresses out of Mark 15:40.  3.  Son, thus in Matthew 4:21, Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου, James of Zebedee; Mark 2:14, Λευῒν τὸν τοῦ Ἀλφαίου, Levi of Alphæus; John 21:15, Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, Simon of Jonas; Acts 1:13, Ἰάκωβος Ἀλφαίου, James of Alphæus, understanding [in these places], the son.  4.  Brother, Luke 6:16, Ἰούδαν Ἰακώβου, Judas of James, that is, the brother, Jude 1.  Likewise in profane authors:  Thus Dionysius Halicarnassensis,[26] παρὰ τῷ τοῦ Ὀλόρου, by him of Olorus, that is, the son; Thucydides,[27] by him of Ariston, that is, the son, that is, Plato; Persius’ Satires 4, I am of Deinomache, that is, the son.  And Virgil’s Æneid 6, Deiphobe of Glaucus, that is, the daughter.  Thus Cyrus of Cambyses, that is, the father (Glassius’ “Grammar” 3:1:155).  [Others otherwise:]  The אֶת [28] in Samuel is written in the place of אַח/brother, which is found in Chronicles,[29] as Louis Cappel ὁ μακαρίτης, of blessed memory, rightly observes; for, as ת/t and ח/ch are very similar characters, they are easily exchanged (Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals 1:2:50:591).  Or in that place, he is called the brother of Goliath, not by blood, but by strength and stature, as in Proverbs 18:9, he that is slothful, etc., is the broth of a great waster, etc. (Tirinus).  There is nothing new here, if a note of similitude be understood; that is to say, he, whom he killed, etc., was like Goliath the Gittite, or the other Goliath:  Just as, if one should contend with one cunning, or with one mighty, it would be well said that it was between me and Mercury, or Hercules.  And perhaps this one is called Goliath by the common people, on account of his strength and mass.  Thus Virgil, Æneid 9, thou shalt tell Priam that an Achilles hath been found here too (Sanchez).  Moreover, in the place of ‎אֶת־לַחְמִי, Lahmi, in 1 Chronicles 20:5, in this place it is written ‎בֵּ֣ית הַלַּחְמִ֗י, a Bethlehemite, which is far better (Cappel’s Sacred Criticism).  But for what reason?  Both are good, because both are thus written:  Why is not the Bethlehemite able concisely and contractedly to be called the Lehemite? as the greatest variety often occurs in proper names.  Now, this passage is able to be rendered in this way, he, a Bethlehemite, smote…a certain man, who was with Goliath the Gittite; that is, his brother.  And in 1 Chronicles 20:5, it is to be translated, And he, the Lehemite (so that אֶת might be a sign of the nominative), smote (not smote the Lehemite, etc.) the brother of Goliath, etc.:  or, Elhanan smote…with the Lehemite (that is, David, with his assistance and help) the brother of Goliath, etc.  For thus אֶת is able to be a preposition, and to signify with (Buxtorf’s Vindication 420).  He smote…Beth-halachmi, who was with Goliath, etc. (Dutch).

Elhanan; another of David’s valiant and worthy commanders.  The brother of Goliath the Gittite:  the relative word brother is not in the Hebrew text, but is fitly supplied out of the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 20:5, where it is expressed.  And such defects of relatives are not unusual in Scripture.  Thus the word wife is understood, Matthew 1:6; John 19:25; and father or mother, Mark 15:40, 47, compared with Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10; and son, Matthew 4:21; Mark 2:14; John 21:15; and brother, Luke 6:16, compared with Jude 1.  And such ellipses do also frequently occur in profane authors.  Although the place may be and is otherwise rendered, Elhanan, the son of Jaare-oregim, slew Beth-halachmi, or Lahmi, (as he is called by way of abbreviation, 1 Chronicles 20:5, which is very frequent in the Hebrew tongue,) who was (which words are frequently understood in the Hebrew text) with (so אֶת/eth is oft rendered, as hath been noted before) Goliath the Gittite, that is, in his company, bred up with him to the war, and related to him as his brother.  Or, he slew Beth-halachmi, a Goliath (or another Goliath) of Gath, or the Gittite.  So the name of the giant was Beth-halachmi, who may be here called Goliath, not only for his near relation to him, being his brother, but for his exact resemblance of him in feature, or in stature and strength, or in courage and military skill; as John the Baptist was called Elias for the like reason.  Peradventure also, after the death of the first and famous Goliath the Gittite, 1 Samuel 17, that name was either given to him by others, or taken by himself.

[Like a weaver’s beam]  That is, the transverse beam around which weavers wind their warp, namely, with respect to the thickness of his spear (Menochius). כִּמְנ֖וֹר אֹרְגִֽים׃, like the transverse beam of weavers.  Thus in 1 Samuel 17:7.[30]  So also Judges 16:14, wih the pin of ‎הָאֶרֶג, the loom, or transverse beam of the weaver (Vatablus).

Like a weaver’s beam, in thickness.  See 1 Samuel 17:7.

Verse 20:[31]  And (1 Chron. 20:6) there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant (or, Rapha[32]).

In Gath, that is, in the territory of the city of Gath; which circumstance intimates that this, and consequently the other battles here described, were fought before David had taken Gath out of the hands of the Philistines, which he did 2 Samuel 8:1, compared with 1 Chronicles 18:1, and therefore not in the last days of David, as some conceive from their mention in this place.

[A man of great stature, אִ֣ישׁ מָד֗וֹין]  Thus the Kethib.  But the Qere is ‎מָדוֹן, a man of contention; that is, quarrelsome, contentious; less aptly, and not pertaining directly to the matter:  for a man is described of a remarkable form of body, etc. (Dieu).  From ‎מִדָּה/measure/stature in 1 Chronicles 20:6 is here made מָדוֹן by an error of the copyists (Cappel).  But both are able to be true; so that the one that is incredibly large with respect to stature was contentious with respect to character, as is often the case (Buxtorf out of Abarbanel).  What if we should say that מָדוֹן is the same thing as מִדָּה/measure/stature, of the form חַלּוֹן/window, גָּרוֹן/ throat, perhaps with the Dagesh (ּ ) relaxed and compensated for by a long vowel, s that מָדוֹן might be used in the place of מַדּוֹן? (Buxtorf’s Vindication 422 out of Kimchi and Schindler).  [These things concerning the Qere:  But nearly all follow the Kethib, ‎מָדִּין:]  Which is doubtlessly correct here (Dieu).  They translate it, a man of measure (Montanus, Junius).  So he is called in 1 Chronicles 20:6, ‎אִ֣ישׁ מִדָּ֗ה, a man of measure (Buxtorf’s Vindication 879).  A man of great measure, or stature (Munster, Pagnine, similarly Tigurinus), a giant (Syriac, Arabic), a towering man (Junius and Tremellius), a man of measures (Dieu out of Jonathan, Buxtorf).  It is plural, of the Chaldean form, of which sort are ‎רָצִין/runners, 2 Kings 11:13;[33] ‎מְלָכִין/kings, Proverbs 31:3; ‎עִיִּין/heaps, Micah 3:12.  This same plural is found in Jeremiah 13:25, the portion ‎מִדַּיִךְ, of thy measures.  Therefore, just as the Egyptian in 1 Chronicles 11:23 is said to be ‎אִ֥ישׁ מִדָּ֣ה׀, a man of measure, so here the Philistine is said to be אִ֣ישׁ מָדִ֗ין, a man of measures (Dieu).  Cappel says, that it is able more suitably to be read, ‎מִדְיָן, a Midianite, but he renders no reason.  A daring deed! (Buxtorf’s Vindication 880).  The Septuagint renders it, a man of Madon, as if it were a proper name (Grotius).

A man of great stature, or, a man of Middin or Madon, as the Septuagint renders it; so called from the place of his birth, as Goliath is said to be of Gath for the same reason.

[Who had six digits, etc.]  Pliny’s Natural History 11:43:  Some had six digits on their hands.  I have heard of the daughters of Caius Horatius of a noble family, called Sedigitæ[34] on account of this:  and of Volcatius, a sedigitus, illustrious in Poetry (Grotius).

Verse 21:[35]  And when he defied (or, reproached;[36] 1 Sam. 17:10,[37] 25, 26[38]) Israel, Jonathan the son of (1 Sam. 16:9) Shimea (or, Shammah[39]) the brother of David slew him.

Verse 22:[40]  (1 Chron. 20:8) These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

[The fell by the hand of David and his servants]  Of David as general (Piscator).  Although David did not kill anyone by his own hand, he did kill them through his servants (Lapide).  To the king or general are wont to be ascribed what good things his army accomplished, or the evils they suffered (Sanchez).

Fell by the hand of David; either because they were slain by his conduct, and counsel, or concurrence; for he contributed by his hand to the death of one of them, whilst maintaining a fight with him, he gave Abishai the easier opportunity of killing him, verses 16, 17; or because what is done by the inferior commanders is commonly ascribed to the general, both in sacred and profane writers.

[1] Hebrew:  ‎וַתְּהִי־ע֧וֹד מִלְחָמָ֛ה לַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֙רֶד דָּוִ֜ד וַעֲבָדָ֥יו עִמּ֛וֹ וַיִּלָּחֲמ֥וּ אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים וַיָּ֥עַף דָּוִֽד׃

[2] 2 Samuel 22.

[3] Thus the Vulgate.

[4] Hebrew: ‎וְיִשְׁבּ֙וֹ בְּנֹ֜ב אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ בִּילִידֵ֣י הָרָפָ֗ה וּמִשְׁקַ֤ל קֵינוֹ֙ שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ מִשְׁקַ֣ל נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וְה֖וּא חָג֣וּר חֲדָשָׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְהַכּ֥וֹת אֶת־דָּוִֽד׃

[5] Hebrew:  ‎הָרָפָה.

[6] Hebrew:  ‎קֵינוֹ.

[7] Ruth 1:4, 14.

[8] A libra is a Roman pound of twelve ounces.

[9] Antiquities 7:12.

[10] Hebrew: ‎וַיַּֽעֲזָר־לוֹ֙ אֲבִישַׁ֣י בֶּן־צְרוּיָ֔ה וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖י וַיְמִיתֵ֑הוּ אָ֣ז נִשְׁבְּעוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁי־דָוִ֙ד ל֜וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר לֹא־תֵצֵ֙א ע֤וֹד אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א תְכַבֶּ֖ה אֶת־נֵ֥ר יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ

[11] Hebrew:  ‎נֵר.

[12] The Epicureans were atomic materialists, denying divine intervention in the material realm, and espousing a hedonistic ethic.  Epicurus himself lived from 341 to 270 BC.

[13] In Greek mythology, Polyphemus, son of Poseidon and Thoosa, was a one-eyed, man-eating giant.  Odysseus, with his men, is captured by Polyphemus, but he escapes by driving a burning wooden stake into the Cyclops’ eye, blinding him.

[14] Demades (c. 380-c. 318 BC) was an Athenian orator.

[15] In his Moralia.

[16] Hebrew: ‎וַֽיְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַתְּהִי־ע֧וֹד הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה בְּג֖וֹב עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים אָ֣ז הִכָּ֗ה סִבְּכַי֙ הַחֻ֣שָׁתִ֔י אֶת־סַ֕ף אֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּילִדֵ֥י הָרָפָֽה׃ פ

[17] 1 Chronicles 20:4:  “And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai (‎סִפַּי), that was of the children of the giant:  and they were subdued.”

[18] Hebrew:  ‎הָרָפָה.

[19] גָּזַר/gazar signifies to devour.

[20] Hebrew: ‎ותְּהִי־ע֧וֹד הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה בְּג֖וֹב עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּ֡ךְ אֶלְחָנָן֩ בֶּן־יַעְרֵ֙י אֹרְגִ֜ים בֵּ֣ית הַלַּחְמִ֗י אֵ֚ת גָּלְיָ֣ת הַגִּתִּ֔י וְעֵ֣ץ חֲנִית֔וֹ כִּמְנ֖וֹר אֹרְגִֽים׃ ס

[21] 1 Chronicles 20:5:  “And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair (‎יָעוּר) slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.”

[22] אֶלְחָנָן/Elhanan is a compound of אֶל/El/God and חָנַן, to be gracious.

[23] Rupertus (1091-1135) was a learned Benedictine, Abbot of Tuits on the Rhine.

[24] יַעַר/yaar signifies forest.

[25] אָרַג/arag signifies to weave.

[26] Dionysius Halicarnassensis (c. 60- c. 7 BC) was a Greek historian and rhetorician.

[27] Thucydides (c. 460-c. 400 BC) was a Greek historian, author of the History of the Peloponnesian War.

[28] The Direct Object marker.

[29] 1 Chronicles 20:5:  “And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite (‎ וַיַּ֞ךְ אֶלְחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־יָע֗וּר אֶת־לַחְמִי֙ אֲחִי֙ גָּלְיָ֣ת הַגִּתִּ֔י), whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.”

[30] 1 Samuel 17:7:  “And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam (‎כּמְנוֹר֙ אֹֽרְגִ֔ים); and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.”

[31] Hebrew: ‎וַתְּהִי־ע֥וֹד מִלְחָמָ֖ה בְּגַ֑ת וַיְהִ֣י׀ אִ֣ישׁ מָדִ֗ין וְאֶצְבְּעֹ֣ת יָדָיו֩ וְאֶצְבְּעֹ֙ת רַגְלָ֜יו שֵׁ֣שׁ וָשֵׁ֗שׁ עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וְאַרְבַּע֙ מִסְפָּ֔ר וְגַם־ה֖וּא יֻלַּ֥ד לְהָרָפָֽה׃

[32] Hebrew:  ‎לְהָרָפָה.

[33] 2 Kings 11:13:  “And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard (‎הָרָצִין, the runners) and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord.”

[34] Sedigitæ is a compound of senus, six apiece, and digitus/finger.

[35] Hebrew:  ‎וַיְחָרֵ֖ף אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּכֵּ֙הוּ֙ יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ן בֶּן־שִׁמְעִ֖י אֲחִ֥י דָוִֽד׃

[36] Hebrew:  ‎וַיְחָרֵף.

[37] 1 Samuel 17:10:  “And the Philistine said, I defy (‎חֵרַפְתִּי) the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

[38] 1 Samuel 17:25, 26:  “And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy (‎לְחָרֵף) Israel is he come up:  and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.  And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach (‎חֶרְפָּה) from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy (‎חֵרֵף) the armies of the living God?”

[39] 1 Samuel 16:9:  “Then Jesse made Shammah (‎שַׁמָּה) to pass by.  And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.”

[40] Hebrew:  ‎את־אַרְבַּ֥עַת אֵ֛לֶּה יֻלְּד֥וּ לְהָרָפָ֖ה בְּגַ֑ת וַיִּפְּל֥וּ בְיַד־דָּוִ֖ד וּבְיַ֥ד עֲבָדָֽיו׃ פ