2 Samuel 8:16

16 Zeruiah's son Joab was in charge of the army. Ahilud's son Jehoshaphat was the royal historian.

2 Samuel 8:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 8:16

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, ( 1 Chronicles 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 ( Esther 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" ^F7; 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}.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (rykzm) "commemorans", Montanus; "commemorator", Syr. Ar. "memorans, sive reducens in memoriam", Vatablus.
F8 Vid. Beckium in Targ. 1 Chron. xviii. 15.

2 Samuel 8:16 In-Context

14 He put troops everywhere in Edom, and all the Edomites were David's subjects. Everywhere David went, the LORD gave him victories.

15 So David ruled all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people.

16 Zeruiah's son Joab was in charge of the army. Ahilud's son Jehoshaphat was the royal historian.

17 Ahitub's son Zadok and Abiathar's son Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal scribe.

18 Jehoiada's son Benaiah was commander of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.