[circa 1043 BC] Verse 11:[1] And (1 Kings 5:2; 1 Chron. 14:1) Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons (Heb. hewers of the stone of the wall[2]): and they built David an house.
[Hiram sent] The epistles of these Kings to each other were extant in the archives of Tyre in the time of Josephus (Grotius).
Cedar trees: For Lebanon, which was famous for its cedars, was a great part of it in his dominion. Carpenters, and masons: For the Tyrians were excellent artists and workmen, as both sacred and profane writers agree.
Verse 12:[3] And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.
[And David perceived, etc.] From his prosperous success (Menochius). Or rather by the Prophetic Spirit (Sanchez). [Or from both.]
And David perceived, etc.: By reflecting upon the promises which God had made him, and the constant course of God’s providence favouring him.
Verse 13:[4] And (Deut. 17:17; 1 Chron. 3:9; 14:3) David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.
[He took besides Concubines] See what things were on Judges 8:31 (Grotius); likewise on Genesis 35:22 (Vatablus). With this intention, 1. That he might have many sons, who are the props and supports of houses (Menochius). 2. So that he might join to himself the principal families of the Israelites by the bound of affinity (Menochius, similarly Martyr). 3. So that there might be at least one son, who would please God, and succeed himself in the Kingdom (certain interpreters in Martyr). David had eight wives and ten concubines, as it is evident out of the history of Absalom. David did this in such felicity, which perhaps could not be approved. But the wantonness of adulty is not extinguished by so many wives. And certainly, what David now more lustily guzzles, he afterwards is compelled to vomit out. For afterwards he sends these, having been defiled away from himself[5] (Martyr). [Others otherwise:] In this he does not appear to have sinned, both because God appears in a certain way to have given them as a gift; and because he is nowhere reproved for this reason (Menochius).
And David took him more concubines and wives: This may well be reckoned amongst David’s miscarriages, the multiplication of wives being expressly forbidden to the king, Deuteronomy 17:17. The use of it seems to have been his policy, that hereby he might enlarge his family, and strengthen his interest by alliances with so many considerable families. And the number of wives being not limited, Deuteronomy 17, he might conceive this was no transgression of that law.
Verse 14:[6] And (1 Chron. 3:5; 14:4) these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon…
[Elishama] This name is set down twice, 1 Chronicles 3:6, 8, because he had two sons so named, either at the same time, or successively (Lapide).
[1] Hebrew: וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח חִירָ֙ם מֶֽלֶךְ־צֹ֥ר מַלְאָכִים֘ אֶל־דָּוִד֒ וַעֲצֵ֣י אֲרָזִ֔ים וְחָרָשֵׁ֣י עֵ֔ץ וְחָֽרָשֵׁ֖י אֶ֣בֶן קִ֑יר וַיִּבְנֽוּ־בַ֖יִת לְדָוִֽד׃
[2] Hebrew: וְחָֽרָשֵׁ֖י אֶ֣בֶן קִ֑יר.
[3] Hebrew: וַיֵּ֣דַע דָּוִ֔ד כִּֽי־הֱכִינ֧וֹ יְהוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְכִי֙ נִשֵּׂ֣א מַמְלַכְתּ֔וֹ בַּעֲב֖וּר עַמּ֥וֹ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
[4] Hebrew: וַיִּקַּח֩ דָּוִ֙ד ע֜וֹד פִּֽלַגְשִׁ֤ים וְנָשִׁים֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אַחֲרֵ֖י בֹּא֣וֹ מֵחֶבְר֑וֹן וַיִּוָּ֥לְדוּ ע֛וֹד לְדָוִ֖ד בָּנִ֥ים וּבָנֽוֹת׃
[5] 2 Samuel 20:3.
[6] Hebrew: וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמ֛וֹת הַיִּלֹּדִ֥ים ל֖וֹ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם שַׁמּ֣וּעַ וְשׁוֹבָ֔ב וְנָתָ֖ן וּשְׁלֹמֹֽה׃
[7] Hebrew: וְיִבְחָ֥ר וֶאֱלִישׁ֖וּעַ וְנֶ֥פֶג וְיָפִֽיעַ׃
[8] Hebrew: אֱלִישָׁמָע.
[9] Hebrew: וֶאֱלִישָׁמָ֥ע וְאֶלְיָדָ֖ע וֶאֱלִיפָֽלֶט׃ פ
[10] Hebrew: בְּעֶלְיָדָע.
Matthew Henry: 'Here is, I. David's house built, a royal palace, fit for the reception of the court he kept and the homage that was paid to him, 2 Samuel 5:11. The Jews were husbandmen and shepherds, and did not much addict themselves either to merchandise or manufactures; and therefore Hiram, king of Tyre, a wealthy prince, when he sent to congratulate David on his accession to the throne, offered him workmen to build him a house. David thankfully accepted the offer, and Hiram's workmen built David a house to his mind. Many have excelled in arts and sciences who were strangers to the covenants of promise. Yet David's house was never the worse, nor the less fit to b…
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