2 Samuel 8:16

2Sa 8:16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah [was] over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud [was] recorder;

Ver. 16. Was over the host.] This honour he had purchased by his valour, {1Ch 11:6} but forfeited by his blood-guiltiness.

And Jehoshaphat … was recorder.] Or, Chancellor of the kingdom, or chief chronicler.

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.

2Sa 8:16. Jehoshaphat was recorder — That is, the remembrancer, or writer of chronicles, as is generally thought; “an employment,” says Dr. Delaney, “of no mean estimation in the eastern world, where it was customary with kings to keep daily registers of all the transactions of their reigns; and a trust which, whosoever discharged to purpose, must be let into the true springs and secrets of action; and, consequently, must be received into the utmost confidence.” Some, however, rather suppose, that by the recorder, the treasurer is intended, who examined all the accounts, and kept records of them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, writer of Chronicles.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Joab . . . was over the host--by virtue of a special promise (Sa2 5:8).

recorder--historiographer or daily annalist, an office of great trust and importance in Eastern countries.

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

Verse 16. Joab - was over the host] General and commander-in-chief over all the army.

Ahilud - recorder] מזכיר mazkir, remembrancer; one who kept a strict journal of all the proceedings of the king and operations of his army; a chronicler. See the margin.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) Was recorder.—This was a different office from that of “the scribe” (filled by Seraiah), and appears from 2Ki_18:18-37; 2Ch_34:8, to have been one of considerable importance. (Comp. also Est_6:1.) His duty is supposed to have been something like that of the modern “chancellor,” and he not only registered the king’s decrees, but was his adviser. The same person continued to fill the office in the early years of Solomon’s reign (1Ki_4:3).

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

16. recorder] Or, remembrancer, a state officer of high rank, who seems not only to have kept a record of events, but to have acted as the king’s adviser. His importance is indicated by 2Ki_18:18; 2Ki_18:37, where he appears as one of the king’s representatives, and 2Ch_34:8, where he is mentioned as one of the commissioners for restoring the Temple. The traveller Chardin describes a similar officer of the Persian court, whose duty it is to furnish the king and his ministers with an account of all important events that take place in the kingdom, and to keep a record of them, and also to register the royal acts and decrees. Travels, III., p. 328.

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.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host,.... Which was not only owing to his relation to David, being his sister's son, but to his promise that whoever smote the Jebusites first should be chief and captain; that is, should have the command of the army under him; this Joab did; and so was entitled to this office, and was put into it, and continued in it, Ch1 11:6,

and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; of memorable events, who kept a diary of whatsoever remarkable happened, which were digested into a chronicle, history, or annals; see Est 6:1; so the Targum, he"was appointed over the memorials;''or book of memorials, as Kimchi interprets it; that is, to take care of it, and see that everything worthy of notice was inserted in it; or was "remembrancer" (g); one that put the king in mind what was to be done every day, or in certain cases, and so R. Isaiah explains it, the king's counsellor; some take him to be chancellor, as Luther and others (h).

(g) "commemorans", Montanus; "commemorator", Syr. Ar. "memorans, sive reducens in memoriam", Vatablus. (h) Vid. Beckium in Targ. 1 Chron. xviii. 15.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For a similar account of the officers of Solomon’s kingdom, see 1Ki 4:1-6, where Jehoshaphat is still the recorder, and Benaiah is advanced to be captain of the host in the room of Joab. The recorder seems to have been a high officer of state, a kind of chancellor, whose office was to keep a record of the events of the kingdom for the king’s information, and hence, he would naturally be the king’s adviser. See Est 6:1-2; Isa 36:22; 2Ch 34:8. Such an officer is found among the ancient Egyptians and Persians.

Ahimelech the son of Abiathar - According to 1Sa 22:9-23, Abiathar, Zadok’s colleague, was the son of Ahimelech. Abiathar the son of Ahimelech continued to be priest through the reign of David. (Compare also 1Ki 1:7, 1Ki 1:42; 1Ki 2:22-27.) It almost necessarily follows that there is some error in the text.

The scribe - Or secretary of state 2Ki 12:10; 2Ki 18:37, different from the military scribe (Jdg 5:14 note).

2Sa 8:18

The Cherethites and the Pelethites - See the marginal reference note.

Chief rulers - The word כהן kôhên, here rendered a “chief ruler,” is the regular word for a priest. In the early days of the monarchy the word כהן kôhên had not quite lost its etymological sense, from the root meaning to minister, or manage affairs, though in later times its technical sense alone survived.

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

Sarvia, sister of David, 1 Paralipomenon ii. 16. --- Army. Joab had acquired such influence over it, that his power was formidable even to David. He was a great warrior, and had contributed more than any other person to establish the throne of his uncle; but he was devoid of justice, and not much unlike Achilles. Jura negat sibi nata, nihil non arrogat armis. (Horace)

(Grotius) --- Recorder, or chancellor. (Challoner) --- A commentariis. (Aquila) --- "Remembrancer," (Haydock) or the person who kept a journal of all memorable transactions. The kings of Persia employed people to keep such journals, 1 Esdras iv. 15., and Esther vi. 1. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] xi. 2.) --- The power of these writers was very great, Judges v. 14., and 4 Kings xviii. 18. (Calmet) --- Reference is often made to their "words of days." They had also to present petitions and memorials from the people. (Menochius)

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).

Joab having doubtless declared his repentance for his former crimes, and having done eminent service for his country, and having received the chief command by virtue of David’s promise and contract, 2Sa 5:8, was still continued in his place.

Recorder; either, first, The writer of chronicles. But it is not likely he would have been put among the great officers of state and church. Or, secondly, The treasurer, who examined all the accounts, and kept records of them. Or, thirdly, The king’s counsellor, as Ahithophel is called, 2Sa 15:12; 1Ch 27:33, who was to bring things of moment to the king’s mind and remembrance, and to admonish him from time to time of things fit to be done. See 1Ki 4:3; 2Ki 18:18.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

DAVID’S OFFICIALS, 2Sa_8:15-18.

16. Joab — See notes on 2Sa_2:13; 2Sa_2:18.

Jehoshaphat… recorder — This was an officer of high rank in the ancient Eastern courts, whose especial duty was to preserve such records as are referred to in Ezr_6:1; Est_6:1. He kept an accurate record of all the items of importance that occurred in the kingdom.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joab... was over the host. Twice in this book we have lists of David"s chief officers here and at the end of ch. 20. The present lint belongs to the period of David"s greatest prosperity, when all went well with him in peace and war, and when Jehovah had elevated him to the unique rank of Messianic king a distinction which belonged to him personally, and was inherited by none of his successors. Between it and the second list there lies a tragic tale of sin and shame, of crime and merited punishment, of the realm rising in rebellion against the adulterous king, and of his own family breaking away from the bends of godly discipline, and giving way to licentiousness, to bloodshed, and to parricidal ambition. But probably David"s character had then gained in spirituality and singleness of heart; whereas now prosperity must already have begun its work of sapping the foundations of his moral nature. Joab, who had been stripped of his command for the murder of Abner, had regained it by his bravery at the capture of Jerusalem. We have seen also that David entrusted to him the building of Jerusalem, and apparently he was prime minister in all matters except probably the king"s judicial functions. Jehoshaphat was recorder; literally, remembrancer. It was his office to reduce the king"s decrees to writing, and also to see that they were carried into execution. Probably after they had been committed to writing, they were laid before the king for his approval, and, when confirmed by his hand or seal, were entered in the book of remembrance.

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

Recorder - The treasurer, who examined all the accounts, and kept records of them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The chief ministers were the following: - Joab (see at Sa2 2:18) was "over the army," i.e., commander-in-chief. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, of whom nothing further is known, was mazcir, chancellor; not merely the national annalist, according to the Septuagint and Vulgate (ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπομνημάτην, ὑπομνηματόγραφος; a commentariis), i.e., the recorder of the most important incidents and affairs of the nation, but an officer resembling the magister memoriae of the later Romans, or the waka nuvis of the Persian court, who keeps a record of everything that takes place around the king, furnishes him with an account of all that occurs in the kingdom, places his vis upon all the king's commands, and keeps a special protocol of all these things (vid., Chardin, Voyages v. p. 258, and Paulsen, Regierung der Morgenlnder, pp. 279-80).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Recorder [of halachic cases]. [He] announced which [case] was to come before him [Dovid] first for it to be ruled on first.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.