2 Samuel 8:17

Zadok … and Ahimelech … were the priests. We have already seen that this was contrary to the letter of the Mosaic Law, and yet that there was no schism, and that by patience matters came back to the right groove. Zadok, of the elder line of Eleazar ( 1 Chronicles 6:4-8 , 1 Chronicles 6:50-53 ), was high priest at Gibeon, and Ahimelech, of the junior line of Ithamar, was the high priest at Jerusalem. Instead of Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, the Syriac transposes the names, and reads, "Abiathar the son of Ahimelech" This agrees with the list in 2 Samuel 20:25 , and it is certain that Abiathar outlived David ( 1 Kings 2:26 ), and that he was David's high priest throughout his reign, though Zadok is not only constantly associated with him, but is placed first, as the man of higher rank ( 2 Samuel 15:24-35 ; 2 Samuel 17:15 ; 2 Samuel 19:11 ; 2 Samuel 20:25 ). It is also remarkable that our Lord makes Abiathar the person who gave David the shewbread ( Mark 2:26 ), whereas in 1 Samuel 21:1-15 . he is repeatedly called Ahimelech. As both the LXX . and the Vulgate support the Hebrew against the Syriac, and as the reading "Ahimelech" is confirmed by 1 Chronicles 18:16 and 1 Chronicles 24:3 , 1 Chronicles 24:6 , 1 Chronicles 24:31 , we must reject the emendation of the Syriac, and conclude that there was a double tradition respecting these names, some manuscripts making Abiathar the father, and others giving the seniority to Ahimelech. Our Lord made Abiathar the father, but the scribes, in their editing of the Hebrew text, gave that place to Ahimelech, yet did not carry out their restoration so thoroughly as not to leave proof that the names probably ought to be reversed. Seraiah was scribe. His office was similar to that of a secretary of state with us. For Seraiah we have Shavsha in 1 Chronicles 18:16 , Shisha in 1 Kings 4:3 , and Sheva in 2 Samuel 20:25 . This illustrates what has just been said as to the uncertainty about proper names. They are always most difficult to read, as the sense gives no aid, and these various forms of a name that does not occur elsewhere really bear witness to the high antiquity of the manuscripts uses by the scribes in settling the text of the Old Testament; and also to their self-restraint in not making them all forcibly agree.