1 Chronicles 14:12

1Ch 14:12 And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.

Ver. 12. And when they had left their gods there.] Their terricula bogey gods. They were now in a great fright.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14:12 David’s orders to burn the Philistine idols conformed to God’s instructions (Deut 7:5).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

when they had left their gods--(See on Sa2 5:21).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(12) And when they had left their gods there.—Samuel, “their images.” Our word is explanatory.

David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.—Samuel, “And David and his men carried them off” (Heb.). The two statements are not incompatible, and may both have existed in the same original text. The chronicler is careful to record David’s compliance with the law of Deu_7:25.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. And when they had left their gods there, David etc.] R.V. And they left their gods there; and David etc.

David gave a commandment, and they were burnt] In 2Sa_5:21 (R.V.) David and his men took them away. The Law (Deu_7:5; Deu_7:25) enjoined that graven images were to be burnt with fire.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When they had left their gods there - The practice of carrying images of the gods to battle was common among the nations of antiquity, and arose from the belief that there was virtue in the images themselves, and that military success would be obtained by means of them.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Burnt, conformably to Deuteronomy vii. 25. These idols were commonly made of wood, and covered with plates of gold, &c. The Philistines took them along with them to battle, as the Hebrews carried the ark on many occasions. The Greeks, at the siege of Troy, had their gods on board their vessels; (Homer, Iliad ix.) and the Romans had theirs on their ensigns, in their wars.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

And when they had left their gods there. The parallel translates more literally, "And there they left," as we might also do here; and goes on to read" their images," in place of "their gods", (2Sa_5:21) These they burned with fire, according to the command of Deu_7:5, Deu_7:25.

Hatred of idolatry.

The conduct of David, in directing that the idols of the Philistines should be "burned with fire," arose from the fervour of his religious feelings and his contempt for idolatrous usages. It must always be berne in mind, in reading of the warn between Israel and Philistia, that these, like other wars recorded in Old Testament history, were more social and religious than political. Isolated from surrounding nations, the people of Israel were providentially appointed to be witnesses to the one true God. Hence their repugnance to and hatred of polytheism in all its offensive and degrading manifestations.

I IDOLATRY IS DISHONOURING TO GOD. It is the substitution of God"s work for himself. Idolaters "worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever." Whether adoration be paid to the handiwork of the great Maker of all or to the workmanship of men"s own hands, God is robbed of the reverence and service which are due to him alone.

II IDOLATRY m UNREASONABLE AND VAIN. How strikingly is this portrayed in the hundred and fifteenth psalm! have mouths, but they speak not," etc.; "They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them." It is the absurd and superstitious confidence that men have placed in idols which has rendered religion the laughing-stock of the thoughtless and superficial.

III IDOLATRY IS DEGRADING AND DEBASING TO THOSE WHO PRACTISE IT. History abounds with proofs of this. The greater the hold which idolatry has over a nation, and the more cruel, sensuous, and capricious are the deities worshipped, the more degraded is the moral condition of the community. We know well how sunk were the Philistines and their neighbours, by reason of their religion, in the depths of vice and sin.

IV IDOLATRY IS DOOMED TO PERISH AND TO GIVE PLACE TO A PURER AND NOBLER FAITH. David"s "rough and ready" method of dealing with the Philistine "gods" was natural to his impulsive disposition. We are assured by inspired predictions that the time shall come when the idolatrous peoples, illumined by the rays of the gospel, shall of their own accord "cast their idols to the moles and to the bats." So far from the abolition of idolatry being the precursor to universal irreligion, we have every reason to believe that upon the ruins of heathenism shall be reared the stately and holy temple of Christianity, in which an enlightened and regenerated race shall offer unceasing adorations to the one God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Saviour of all men. T.

Loyalty to the one God.

It is noted that, in the excitement of their defeat the Philistines left behind them their idol-images, and that, as a wise and prudent act as well as a truly religious one, David had them all destroyed by fire. This at once made a public testimony of their vanity and helplessness, and prevented their exerting any evil influence on David"s own people, whose history shows that they were very sensitive to the attractions of idolatry. "The practice of carrying images of the gods to battle was common among the nations of antiquity, and arose from the belief that there was virtue in the images themselves, and that military success would be obtained by means of them. A similar belief seems to have induced the Israelites to carry the ark of the covenant with them to battle in the days of Eli." Comparing this passage with the answering one in 2Sa_5:21, margin, we may assume that the images were carried as trophies to Jerusalem, and, after being exhibited there, were destroyed by fire. David"s loyalty to the one God was shown in the vigorous destruction of these rival gods. This, however, must not be confounded with religious persecution. David had a recognized right to deal as he pleased with the spoils of battle; and he was in no way bound to recognize the sanctity which the Philistines might be pleased to attach to their idol-figures. Distinguish between the destruction of idol-figures and the persecution of idol-worshippers. Man is not alone. He has often to act for others, for the family, the class, or the nation. In this way David acted on this occasion. Show what idol-gods may be about now, within reach of our children, etc. We do not call them idols, but they are such if they attract and draw away from God, or push him out of his rightful place first in heart and lip and life.

I MAN MAY NOT INTERFERE WITH HIS NEIGHBOUR"S RELIGION. That is, not in any physical way. He may by moral forces by argument, by persuasion, but not by force, in either private spheres of social life or public spheres of law and magistracy. And yet it has taken all the Christian ages to get this truth taught to men, and it is only half learned yet. A modern preacher says, "What a blunder persecution for religious convictions is! Has there ever been a disability put upon religious belief, has there ever been a persecution short of absolute extermination, that has not strengthened the faith it was meant to discourage? Persecution drives men in upon their convictions makes them hold more firmly by their principles." Yet we must as clearly see that we are held responsible for our neighbour"s religion, so far as the use of moral forces is concerned. The sense of this responsibility is the impulse of all missionary labour. We must preach Christ"s kingdom, and with all moral suasion "compel them to come in.

II MAN MAY KEEP HIS NEIGHBOUR"S RELIGION FROM INTERFERING WITH HIS. And in resisting he may find it necessary to use physical forces. David would not have been justified in going to Philistia and burning other people"s idols. Had he done so, he would have been very properly resisted. But when these idols were left behind, as the spoil of the victors, he was quite justified in destroying them, and so preventing them from becoming a snare to his people.

Apply to the agencies of moral and religious mischief in our day, such as evil literature, self-indulgent pleasures, infidel maxims, etc. We are bound in our loyalty to God to keep these away to take them and burn them, if need be, and so keep them away from our children and our servants. We should realize that, if the day of idolatrous images is passed, things artistic things, symbolic things, literary things may and often do become the most fascinating and degrading idol-forces. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.