was over the stores of wine, Zabdi, is called השּׁפמי, probably not from שׁפם on the northern frontier of Canaan, Num 34:10, the situation of which has not yet been discovered, but from the equally unknown שׁפמוה in the Negeb of Judah, 1Sa 30:28. For since the vineyards, in which the stores of wine were laid up, must certainly have lain in the tribal domain of Judah, so rich in wine (Num 13:23.; Gen 49:11), probably the overseers of it were born in the same district.
Verses 28-29
As to the שׁפלה, see on Jos 15:33. הגּדרי, he who was born in Geder, not Gedera, for which we should expect הגּדרתי (1Ch 12:4), although the situation of Gedera, south-east from Jabne (see on Jos 12:4), appears to suit better than that of גּדר or גּדור in the hill country of Judah; see Jos 12:13 and Jos 15:58.
Verses 30-31
The name of the Ishmaelite who was set over the camels, Obil (אוביל), reminds us of the Arab. abila, multos possedit vel acquisivit camelos. המּרנמי, he of Meronoth (1Ch 27:30 and Neh 3:17). The situation of this place is unknown. According to Neh 3:7, it is perhaps to be sought in the neighbourhood of Mizpah. Over the smaller cattle (sheep and goats) Jaziz the Hagarite, of the people Hagar (cf. 1Ch 5:10), was set. The oversight, consequently, of the camels and sheep was committed to a Hagarite and an Ishmaelite, probably because they pastured in the neighbourhood where the Ishmaelites and Hagarites had nomadized from early times, they having been brought under the dominion of Israel by David. The total number of these officials amounted to twelve, of whom we may conjecture that the ten overseers over the agricultural and cattle-breeding affairs of the king had to deliver over the annual proceeds of the property committed to them to the chief manager of the treasures in the field, in the cities, and villages, and towns.
Verse 32
1Ch 27:32David's councillors. This catalogue of the king's officials forms a supplementary companion piece to the catalogues of the public officials, 1Ch 18:15-17, and 2Sa 8:15-18 and 2Sa 20:25-26. Besides Joab, who is met with in all catalogues as prince of the host, i.e., commander-in-chief, we find in our catalogue partly other men introduced, partly other duties of the men formerly named, than are mentioned in these three catalogues. From this it is clear that it is not the chief public officials who are enumerated, but only the first councillors of the king, who formed as it were his senate, and that the catalogue probably is derived from the same source as the preceding catalogues.
