=12.= _Abishai the son of Zeruiah_] In 2 Samuel viii. 13 David, and in Psalms lx. (title) Joab, receives the credit of this victory. Abishai might have commanded in the battle, while Joab (compare 1 Kings xi. 16) completed the conquest of the country; but it is highly probable that the reading _Abishai the son of Zeruiah_ has arisen here through a copyist’s mistake and that the true reading is =And when he= (David) =returned he smote Edom=, etc. _of the Edomites_] Literally “of Edom,” so Psalms lx. (title), but in 2 Samuel “of the Syrians,” literally “Aram.” The two words “Edom” and “Aram” when written in Hebrew are very much alike and are easily confused. The reading “Edom” is right here. _the Valley of Salt_] Probably the marshy flat (Bädeker, _Palestine_⁵, p. 174) at the south end of the Dead Sea. This valley is dominated by the Jebel Usdum, a hill consisting “almost entirely of pure crystallised salt” (Bädeker, _Palestine_⁵, p. 174). _eighteen thousand_] Psalms lx. (title), “twelve thousand,” not an important variation. =14‒17= (= 2 Samuel viii. 15‒18; compare 2 Samuel xx. 23‒26). DAVID’S OFFICIALS. 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 recorder¹. 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 scribe¹; 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. ¹⁷and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king. =17.= _Benaiah_] Compare xi. 22‒25.