‏ 2 Samuel 15

CHAPTER XV

Absalom conspires against his father, and uses various methods to seduce the people from their allegiance to their king, 14.

Under pretence of paying a vow at Hebron, he obtains leave from David to go thither; and, by emissaries sent through the land, prepares the people for revolt, 7-11.

He gains over Ahithophel, David's counsellor, 12.

David is informed of the general defection of the people; on which he, and his life-guards and friends, leave the city, and go towards the wilderness, 13-18.

The steadfast friendship of Ittai, the Gittite, 19-22.

David's affecting departure from the city, 23.

He sends Zadok and Abiathar with the ark back to Jerusalem,

24-29.

He goes up Mount Olivet; prays that the counsel of Ahithophel may be turned into foolishness, 30-31.

He desires Hushai to return to Jerusalem, and to send him word of all that occurs, 32-37.

NOTES ON CHAP. XV

Verse 1. Absalom prepared him chariots and horses] After all that has been said to prove that horses here mean horsemen, I think it most likely that the writer would have us to understand chariots drawn by horses; not by mules or such like cattle.

Fifty men to run before him.] Affecting in every respect the regal state by this establishment. Of this man Calmet collects the following character: "He was a bold, violent, revengeful, haughty, enterprising, magnificent, eloquent, and popular prince; he was also rich, ambitious, and vain of his personal accomplishments: after the death of Amnon, and his reconciliation to his father, he saw no hindrance in his way to the throne. He despised Solomon because of the meanness of his birth, and his tender years. He was himself of the blood royal, not only by his father David, but also by his mother Maacah, daughter to Talmai, king of Geshur: and, doubtless, in his own apprehension, of sufficient age, authority, and wisdom, to sustain the weight of government. There was properly now no competitor in his way: Amnon, David's first-born, was dead. Of Chileab, his second son by Abigail, we hear nothing; and Absalom was the third: see 2Sa 3:2-5. He, therefore, seemed to stand nearest to the throne; but his sin was, that he sought it during his father's life, and endeavoured to dethrone him in order to sit in his stead."

Verse 6. So Absalom stole the hearts] His manner of doing this is circumstantially related above. He was thoroughly versed in the arts of the demagogue; and the common people, the vile mass, heard him gladly. He used the patriot's arguments, and was every thing of the kind, as far as promise could go. He found fault with men in power; and he only wanted their place, like all other pretended patriots, that he might act as they did, or worse.

Verse 7. After forty years] There is no doubt that this reading is corrupt, though supported by the commonly printed Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the Chaldee. But the Syriac has [Syriac] arba shanin, FOUR years; the Arabic the same [Arabic] arba shinin, FOUR years; and Josephus has the same; so also the Sixtine edition of the Vulgate, and several MSS. of the same version. Theodoret also reads four, not forty; and most learned men are of opinion that arbaim, FORTY, is an error for arba, FOUR; yet this reading is not supported by any Hebrew MS. yet discovered. But two of those collated by Dr. Kennicott have yom instead of shanah, i.e., forty DAYS, instead of forty YEARS; and this is a reading more likely to be true than that in the commonly received text. We know that Absalom did stay THREE years with his grandfather at Geshur, 2Sa 13:38; and this probably was a year after his return: the era, therefore, may be the time of his slaying his brother Amnon; and the four years include the time from his flight till the conspiracy mentioned here.

Verse 8. While I abode at Geshur in Syria] Geshur, the country of Talmai, was certainly not in Syria, but lay on the south of Canaan, in or near Edom, as is evident from Jud 1:10; 1Sa 27:8; 2Sa 13:37. Hence it is probable that Aram, Syria, is a mistake for Edom; daleth and resh being easily interchangeable. Edom is the reading both of the Syriac and Arabic.

I will serve the Lord.] Here he pretended to be a strict follower of Jehovah, even while he was in a heathen country; and now he desires liberty to go and perform a vow at Hebron, which he pretends to have made while he was resident at Geshur. And all this was the more perfectly to organize his system of rebellion against his venerable father.

Verse 10. Absalom sent spies] These persons were to go into every tribe; and the trumpet was to be blown as a signal for all to arise, and proclaim Absalom in every place. The trumpet was probably used as a kind of telegraph by the spies: trumpet exciting trumpet from place to place; so that, in a few minutes all Israel would hear the proclamation.

Verse 11. Went two hundred men] These were probably soldiers, whom he supposed would be of considerable consequence to him. They had been seduced by his specious conduct, but knew nothing of his present design.

Verse 12. Sent for Ahithophel] When Absalom got him, he in effect got the prime minister of the kingdom to join him.

Verse 13. The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.] It is very difficult to account for this general defection of the people. Several reasons are given: 1. David was old or afflicted, and could not well attend to the administration of justice in the land. 2. It does appear that the king did not attend to the affairs of state, and that there were no properly appointed judges in the land; see 2Sa 15:3. 3. Joab's power was overgrown; he was wicked and insolent, oppressive to the people, and David was afraid to execute the laws against him. 4. There were still some partisans of the house of Saul, who thought the crown not fairly obtained by David. 6. David was under the displeasure of the Almighty, for his adultery with Bath-sheba, and his murder of Uriah; and God let his enemies loose against him. 6. There are always troublesome and disaffected men in every state, and under every government; who can never rest, and are ever hoping for something from a change. 7. Absalom appeared to be the real and was the undisputed heir to the throne; David could not, in the course of nature, live very long; and most people are more disposed to hail the beams of the rising, than exult in those of the setting, sun. No doubt some of these causes operated, and perhaps most of them exerted less or more influence in this most scandalous business.

Verse 14. David said-Arise-let us flee] This, I believe, was the first time that David turned his back to his enemies. And why did he now flee? Jerusalem, far from not being in a state to sustain a siege, was so strong that even the blind and the lame were supposed to be a sufficient defence for the walls, see 2Sa 5:6. And he had still with him his faithful Cherethites and Pelethites; besides six hundred faithful Gittites, who were perfectly willing to follow his fortunes. There does not appear any reason why such a person, in such circumstances, should not act on the defensive; at least till he should be fully satisfied of the real complexion of affairs. But he appears to take all as coming from the hand of God; therefore he humbles himself, weeps, goes barefoot, and covers his head! He does not even hasten his departure, for the habit of mourners is not the habit of those who are flying before the face of their enemies. He sees the storm, and he yields to what he conceives to be the tempest of the Almighty.

Verse 17. And tarried in a place] He probably waited till he saw all his friends safely out of the city.

Verse 19. Thou art a stranger, and also an exile.] Some suppose that Ittai was the son of Achish, king of Gath, who was very much attached to David, and banished from his father's court on that account. He and his six hundred men are generally supposed to have been proselytes to the Jewish religion.

Verse 20. Mercy and truth be with thee.] May God ever show thee mercy, as thou showest it to me, and his truth ever preserve thee from error and delusion!

Verse 23. The brook Kidron] This was an inconsiderable brook, and only furnished with water in winter, and in the rains. See Joh 18:1.

Verse 24. Bearing the ark] The priests knew that God had given the kingdom to David; they had no evidence that he had deposed him: they therefore chose to accompany him, and take the ark, the object of their charge, with them.

Verse 25. Carry back the ark] David shows here great confidence in God, and great humility. The ark was too precious to be exposed to the dangers of his migrations; he knew that God would restore him if he delighted in him, and he was not willing to carry off from the city of God that without which the public worship could not be carried on. He felt, therefore, more for this public worship and the honour of God, than he did for his own personal safety.

Verse 27. Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace] That is, As thou art the only organ of the public worship, that worship cannot be carried on without thee; and as thou art the priest of God, thou hast no cause to fear for thy personal safety: the nation has not abandoned their God, though they have abandoned their king. It appears also, that he wished these priests, by means of their sons, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, to send him frequent intelligence of the motions and operations of the enemy.

Verse 30. Had his head covered] This was not only the attitude of a mourner, but even of a culprit; they usually had their heads covered when condemned. See the case of Haman. When the king had pronounced his condemnation, they immediately covered his face, and led him out to punishment; Es 7:8. See also Quintus Curtius, De Philota, cap. vi.: I, Lictor; caput obnubito.

Verse 31. Turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.] Ahithophel was a wise man, and well versed in state affairs; and God alone could confound his devices.

Verse 32. Where he worshipped God] Though in danger of his life, he stops on the top of Mount Olivet for prayer! How true is the adage, Prayer and provender never hinder any man's journey! Reader, dost thou do likewise?

Hushai the Archite] He was the particular friend of David, and was now greatly affected by his calamity.

Verse 33. Then thou shalt be a burden unto me.] It appears that Hushai was not a warrior, but was a wise, prudent, and discreet man, who could well serve David by gaining him intelligence of Absalom's conspiracy; and he directs him to form a strict confederacy with the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and to make use of their sons as couriers between Jerusalem and David's place of retreat.

Verse 37. Absalom came into Jerusalem.] It is very probable that he and his partisans were not far from the city when David left it, and this was one reason which caused him to hurry his departure.

READER, behold in the case of David a sad vicissitude of human affairs, and a fearful proof of their instability. Behold a king, the greatest that ever lived, a profound politician, an able general, a brave soldier, a poet of the most sublime genius and character, a prophet of the Most High God, and the deliverer of his country, driven from his dominions by his own son, abandoned by his fickle people, and for a time even by his God! See in his desolate state that there is none so exalted that God cannot abase, and none so abased that God cannot exalt. He was forsaken for a time, and his enemies triumphed; God returned, and his enemies were confounded. His crime, it is true, was great and God had declared by Nathan what had now come to pass. God is just, and in numberless instances sees right to show his displeasure even at those sins which his mercy has forgiven. In all cases it is a fearful and bitter thing to sin against the Lord.

‏ 2 Samuel 16

CHAPTER XVI

Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth, meets David with provisions, and by false insinuations obtains the grant of his masters property, 1-4.

Shimei abuses and curses David, who restrains Abishai from slaying him, 5-14.

Hushai makes a feigned tender of his services to Absalom, 15-19.

Absalom calls a council and Ahithophel advises him to go in to his father's concubines, 20-22.

Character of Ahithophel as a counselor, 23.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVI

Verse 1. Two hundred loaves of bread] The word loaf gives us a false idea of the ancient Jewish bread; it was thin cakes, not yeasted and raised like ours.

Bunches of raisins] See on 1Sa 25:18.

Summer fruits] These were probably pumpions, cucumbers, or watermelons. The two latter are extensively used in those countries to refresh travellers in the burning heat of the summer. Mr. Harmer supposes they are called summer fruits on this very account.

A bottle of wine.] A goat's skin full of wine; this I have already shown was the general bottle in the Eastern countries; see on 1Sa 25:18.

Verse 2. The asses be for the king's household] This is the Eastern method of speaking when any thing is presented to a great man: "This and this is for the slaves of the servants of your majesty," when at the same time the presents are intended for the sovereign himself, and are so understood. It is a high Eastern compliment: These presents are not worthy of your acceptance; they are only fit for the slaves of your slaves.

Verse 3. To-day shall the house of Israel] What a base wretch was Ziba! and how unfounded was this accusation against the peaceable, loyal and innocent Mephibosheth!

Verse 4. Thine are all] This conduct of David was very rash; he spoiled an honourable man to reward a villain, not giving himself time to look into the circumstances of the case. But David was in heavy afflictions, and these sometimes make even a wise man mad. Nothing should be done rashly; he who is in the habit of obeying the first impulse of his passions or feelings, will seldom do a right action, and never keep a clear conscience.

Verse 5. David came to Bahurim] This place lay northward of Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin. It is called Almon, Jos 21:18; and Alemeth, 1Ch 6:60. Bahurim signifies youths, and Almuth youth; so the names are of the same import.

Cursed still as he came.] Used imprecations and execrations.

Verse 10. Because the Lord hath said] The particle vechi should be translated for if, not because. FOR IF the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David, who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so!

Verse 11. Let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him.] No soul of man can suppose that ever God bade one man to curse another, much less that he commanded such a wretch as Shimei to curse such a man as David; but this is a peculiarity of the Hebrew language, which does not always distinguish between permission and commandment. Often the Scripture attributes to God what he only permits to be done; or what in the course of his providence he does not hinder. David, however, considers all this as being permitted of God for his chastisement and humiliation. I cannot withhold from my readers a very elegant poetic paraphrase of this passage, from the pen of the Rev. Charles Wesley, one of the first of Christian poets:-

"Pure from the blood of Saul in vain,

He dares not to the charge reply:

Uriah's doth the charge maintain,

Uriah's doth against him cry!

Let Shimei curse: the rod he bears

For sins which mercy had forgiven:

And in the wrongs of man reveres

The awful righteousness of heaven.

Lord, I adore thy righteous will,

Through every instrument of ill

My Father's goodness see;

Accept the complicated wrong

Of Shimei's hand and Shimei's tongue As kind rebukes from THEE."

Verse 15. The men of Israel] These words are wanting in the Chaldee, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic, and in two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.

Verse 18. Whom the Lord and this people-choose] Here is an equivocation; Hushai meant in his heart that God and all the people of Israel had chosen David; but he spake so as to make Absalom believe that he spoke of him: for whatever of insincerity may appear in this, Hushai is alone answerable. What he says afterwards may be understood in the same way.

Verse 21. Go in unto thy father's concubines] It may be remembered that David left ten of them behind to take care of the house, see 2Sa 15:16. Ahithophel advised this infernal measure, in order to prevent the possibility of a reconciliation between David and his son; thus was the prophecy to Nathan fulfilled, 2Sa 12:11. And this was probably transacted in the very same place where David's eye took the adulterous view of Bath-sheba; see 2Sa 11:2.

The wives of the conquered king were always the property of the conqueror; and in possessing these, he appeared to possess the right to the kingdom. Herodotus informs us that Smerdis, having seized on the Persian throne after the death of Cambyses, espoused all the wives of his predecessor, lib. iii., c. 68. But for a son to take his father's wives was the sum of abomination, and was death by the law of God, Le 20:11. This was a sin rarely found, even among the Gentiles.

Every part of the conduct of Absalom shows him to have been a most profligate young man; he was proud, vindictive, adulterous, incestuous, a parricide, and, in fine, reprobate to every good word and work. We still however recollect that David had grievously sinned, and we should also recollect that he suffered grievously for it; and that his humiliation, repentance, and amendment, were most decisive and exemplary. Reader, God is as just as he is merciful.

‏ 2 Samuel 17

CHAPTER XVII

Ahithophel counsels Absalom to pursue his father with twelve thousand men, 14.

Hushai gives a different counsel, and is followed, 5-14.

Hushai informs Zadok and Abiathar; and they send word to David,

15-21.

David and his men go beyond Jordan, 22.

Ahithophel, finding his counsel slighted, goes home, sets his house in order, and hangs himself, 23.

David moves to Mahanaim; and Absalom follows him over Jordan,

24-26.

Several friends meet David at Mahanaim with refreshments and provisions, 27-29.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVII

Verse 1. Let me now choose out twelve thousand men] Had this counsel been followed, David and his little troop would soon have been destroyed; nothing but the miraculous interposition of God could have saved them. Twelve thousand chosen troops coming against him, in his totally unprepared state, would have soon settled the business of the kingdom. Ahithophel well saw that, this advice neglected, all was lost.

Verse 3. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned] Only secure David, and all Israel will be on thy side. He is the soul of the whole; destroy him, and all the rest will submit.

Verse 8. As a bear robbed of her whelps] All wild beasts are very furious when robbed of their young; but we have some remarkable instances of the maternal affection of the bear in such circumstances; see one at the end of the chapter. See Clarke on 2Sa 17:28.

Verse 13. Shall all Israel bring ropes to that city] The original word chabalim, which signifies ropes, and from which we have our word cable, may have some peculiarity of meaning here; for it is not likely that any city could be pulled down with ropes. The Chaldee, which should be best judge in this case, translates the original word by mashreyan, towers: this gives an easy sense.

Verse 17. En-rogel] The fullers' well; the place where they were accustomed to tread the clothes with their feet; hence the name ein, a well, and regel, the foot, because of the treading above mentioned.

And a wench went and told them] The word wench occurs nowhere else in the Holy Scriptures: and, indeed, has no business here; as the Hebrew word shiphchah, should have been translated girl, maid, maid-servant. The word either comes from the Anglo-Saxon [A.S.] a maid, or the Belgic wunch, desire, a thing wished for: multum enim ut plurimum Puellae a Juvenibus desiderantur, seu appetuntur. So Minsheu. Junius seems more willing to derive it from wince, to frisk, to be skittish, &c., for reasons sufficiently obvious, and which he gives at length. After all, it may as likely come from the Gothic wens or weins, a word frequently used in the gospels of the Codex Argenteus for wife. Coverdale's Bible, 1535, has damsell. Becke's Bible, 1549, has wenche. The same in Cardmarden's Bible, 1566; but it is maid in Barker's Bible, 1615. Wench is more of a Scotticism than maid or damsel; and King James probably restored it, as he is said to have done lad in Ge 21:12, and elsewhere. In every other place where the word occurs, our translators render it handmaid, bondmaid, maiden, womanservant, maidservant, and servant. Such is the latitude with which they translate the same Hebrew term in almost innumerable instances.

Verse 23. Put his household in order] This self-murder could not be called lunacy, as every step to it was deliberate. He foresaw Absalom's ruin; and he did not choose to witness it, and share in the disgrace: and he could expect no mercy at the hands of David. He was a very bad man, and died an unprepared and accursed death.

Verse 25. Amasa captain of the host] From the account in this verse, it appears that Joab and Amasa were sisters' children, and both nephews to David.

Verse 28. Brought beds] These no doubt consisted in skins of beasts, mats, carpets, and such like things.

Basons] sappoth. Probably wooden bowls, such as the Arabs still use to eat out of, and to knead their bread in.

Earthen vessels] keley yotser. Probably clay vessels, baked in the sun. These were perhaps used for lifting water, and boiling those articles which required to be cooked.

Wheat, and barley, &c.] There is no direct mention of flesh-meat here; little was eaten in that country, and it would not keep. Whether the sheep mentioned were brought for their flesh or their milk. I cannot tell.

According to Mr. Jones, "the Moors of west Barbary use the flour of parched barley, which is the chief provision they make for their journeys, and often use it at home; and this they carry in a leathern satchel." These are ordinarily made of goat-skins. One of them now lies before me: it has been drawn off the animal before it was cut up; the places where the fore-legs, the tail, and the anus were, are elegantly closed, and have leathers thongs attached to them, by which it can be slung over the back of man, ass, or camel. The place of the neck is left open, with a running string to draw it up, purse-like, when necessary. The skin itself is tanned; and the upper side is curiously embroidered with red, black, blue, yellow, and flesh-coloured leather, in very curious and elegant forms and devices. Bags of this kind are used for carrying wine, water, milk, butter, grain, flour, clothes, and different articles of merchandise. This is, as I have before stated, the Scripture bottle. Mr. Jones farther says: "Travellers use zumeet, tumeet, and limereece. Zumeet is flour mixed with honey, butter, and spice; tumeet is flour done up with organ oil; and limereece is flour mixed with water for drink. This quenches the thirst much better than water alone; satisfies a hungry appetite; cools and refreshes tired and weary spirits; overcoming those ill effects which a hot sun and fatiguing journey might well occasion."

This flour might be made of grain or pulse of any kind: and probably may be that which we here term parched corn and parched pulse; and in the forms above mentioned was well calculated, according to Mr. Jones's account, for the people hungry, weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness. This was a timely supply for David and his men, and no doubt contributed much to the victory mentioned in the following chapter.

A REMARKABLE account of maternal affection in a she-bear: "In the year 1772, the Seahorse frigate and Carcass bomb, under the command of the Hon. Captain C. J. Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, were sent on a voyage of discovery to the north seas. In this expedition the late celebrated admiral Lord Nelson served as midshipman. While the Carcass lay locked in the ice, early one morning, the man at the masthead gave notice that three bears were making their way very fast over the frozen sea, and were directing their course towards the ship. They had no doubt been invited by the scent of some blubber of a seahorse that the crew had killed a few days before, which had been set on fire, and was burning on the ice at the time of their approach. They proved to be a she-bear and her two cubs, but the cubs were nearly as large as the dam. They ran eagerly to the fire, and drew out from the flames part of the flesh of the seahorse that remained unconsumed, and ate voraciously. The crew from the ship threw great lumps of flesh of the seahorse, which they had still left upon the ice, which the old bear fetched away singly, laid every lump before her cubs as she brought it, and dividing it, gave each a share, reserving but a small portion to herself. As she was fetching away the last piece, they levelled their muskets at the cubs, and shot them both dead; and in her retreat they wounded the dam, but not mortally. It would have drawn tears of pity from any but unfeeling minds, to have marked the affectionate concern expressed by this poor beast in the dying moments of her expiring young. Though she was sorely wounded, and could but just crawl to the place where they lay, she carried the lump of flesh she had fetched away, as she had done the others before, tore it in pieces and laid it down before them; and when she saw that they refused to eat, she laid her paws first upon one, and then upon the other, and endeavoured to raise them up; all this while it was piteous to hear her moan. When she found she could not move them, she went off; and being at some distance, looked back and moaned. This not availing to entice them away, she returned, and smelling around them, began to lick their wounds. She went off a second time, as before; and having crawled a few paces, looked again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. But still her cubs not rising to follow her, she returned to them again, and with signs of inexpressible fondness went round one, and round the other, pawing them and moaning. Finding at last that they were cold and lifeless, she raised her head towards the ship, and growled a curse upon the murderers, which they returned with a volley of musket balls. She fell between her cubs, and died licking their wounds."

Had this animal got among the destroyers of her young, she would have soon shown what was implied in the chafed mind of a bear robbed of her whelps.