¹⁵These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.
15. in the first month] In Nisan (the month of harvest) when the snow was melting and filling all streams; compare Joshua iii. 15.
all them of the valleys] i.e. all inhabitants of the valleys who in the interest of Saul sought to bar their march westward to join David.
16–18.
Amasai and His Companions.
16–18. These interesting and beautiful passages are so different in style and sentiment from what precedes and what follows that they would seem to be drawn from another source. It is quite possible that they were inserted thus between Gad and Manasseh by the Chronicler himself; but that they are a later addition is probable from the fact that the adherents who came from Benjamin and perhaps Judah (verses 5–7, see note on Gederathite) are given above, verses 1–7.
¹⁶And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.
16. to the hold] See verse 8, notes.
¹⁷And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no wrong[¹] in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.
[¹] Or, violence.
17. David went out to meet them] Instead of letting himself be surprised he took up a favourable position in advance from which he could hold parley with them. The south of Judah with its ravines and cliffs affords many such positions.