¹⁴And David reigned over all Israel; and he executed judgement and justice unto all his people.
14. unto all his people] David was his own chief justice, but probably the work was too much for one man; compare 2 Samuel xv. 2–4.
¹⁵And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder[¹].
[¹] Or, chronicler.
15. recorder] margin, chronicler; LXX., ὑπομνηματογράφος. His business was probably to remind the king of his various duties of state.
¹⁶And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe[¹];
[¹] Or, secretary.
16. Abimelech the son of Abiathar] In 2 Samuel viii. 17, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, but read Abiathar son of Ahimelech in both passages. Compare xv. 11, xxiv. 3, notes; and Kirkpatrick on 2 Samuel viii. 17.
Shavsha] 2 Samuel viii. 17, Seraiah; 2 Samuel xx. 25, Sheva; and 1 Kings iv. 3 (perhaps), Shisha. Shisha and Shavsha probably represent two different attempts to pronounce a foreign name, perhaps Shamsha; Seraiah and Sheva are mere errors of transcription. Foreigners were admitted to posts of authority in the empire of David and Solomon; Ittai the Gittite and Uriah the Hittite are instances.
scribe] margin, secretary. See 2 Kings xii. 10, xviii. 18, xxii. 3; compare 2 Kings xxv. 19, a passage which suggests that there was a second scribe with military duties. The first, the king’s scribe, would formulate the king’s orders and conduct his correspondence with foreign powers. Shavsha’s sons held the office in the reign of Solomon, 1 Kings iv. 3.