The crown of their king. — Or, “of Milcom” or “Moloch,” their god. The Heb. malkâm, “their Melech” (i.e., king), occurs in this sense (Zephaniah 1:5. Comp. Amos 5:26.) The same title is applied by the prophets to Jehovah (Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 44:6, “Jahweh, the king [melech] of Israel.” Comp. Zephaniah 3:15, and John 1:49; John 12:15; 2 Samuel 12:12; Psalms 5:2; Psalms 89:18; Isaiah 8:21; and Jeremiah 10:10). The LXX. here has “Molchom, their king”; Vulg., “Melchom”; Arabic, “Malcha, their god;” all confirming our rendering.
A talent of gold. — The Arabic Version says one hundred pounds. Modern scholars consider the “talent of gold” as about one hundred and thirty-one pounds troy. If the weight was anything like this, the crown was obviously more suited for the head of a big idol than of a man.
And there were precious stones in it. — Samuel includes their weight in the talent.
And it was set (Heb., became) upon David’s head. — Vulg., “he made himself a crown out of it.” This may be the meaning; or else the weighty mass of gold and jewels may have been held over the king’s head by his attendants on the occasion of its capture.
Exceeding much spoil. — Comp. the continual boast of the Assyrian conquerors: “spoils without number I carried off” (sallata la mani aslula).