Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Shlvici Curses David. 2 SAMUEL XVII. AhithopJieFs Counsel Oierthrown,
CHAPTEE XVII.
boslteth met lilm—Tliis crafty man, anticipating the certain failure of Absalom's conspiracy, took steps to prepare for liis future advancement on the restoration of tlie king, a bottle of wine—A large goat-skin vessel. Its size made tiie supply of wine proportioned to the rest of his present. 3. Tlie asses be for tlie king's Iioiiseliold to rlile oil—The royal fugitives were moving on foot, not from inability to procure conveyances, but as being suitable to their present state of humiliation and penitence.
Ver. Ahithophel's Counsel Overthkown bt HUSHAI. 1. Moreover Alxithophel said ui>to Absalon( —The recommendation to take prompt and decisive measures before the royalist forces could be collected and arranged, evinced the deep political sagacity of this councillor. The adoption of his advice would have extinguished the cause of David ; and it al Tords a dreadful proof of the extremities to which the heartless prince was, to secure his ambitious objects, prepared to go, that the parricidal counsel "pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel." It was happily overruled, however, by the address of Hushai, who saw the imminent danger to which it would expose the king and the roj'al cause. He dwelt upon the warlike character and military experience
3. To-tlaj' sUall tlie Iionsc of Israel I'estore the kingdom of my fatlier—Such a hope might not unnaturally arise at this period of civil distraction, that the family of David would destroy themselves by their mutual broils, and the people reinstate the old dynasty. There was an air of plausil)ility in Ziba's story. Many, on whom the king had conferre<l favours, were now deserting him; no wonder, therefore, that in tlie excitement of momentary feeling, believing, on the report of a slanderer, Mephiboof the old king—represented him and his adherents as mighty men, who would fight with desperation; and who, most probably, secured in some stronghold, would be beyond reach, while the smallest loss of Absalom's men at the outset might lie fatal to the success of the conspiracy. But his dexterity was chiefly displayed in that part of his counsel which recommended a general levy throughout thecountrj'; and that Absalom should take command of it in person—thereby flattering at once the pride and ambition of the usurper. The bait was caught by the vainglorious and wicked prince. 13. we will light upon him ns the dew falleth upon tlie ground No image could have symbolized the sudden onset of an enemy so graphically to an Oriental mind as the silent,
6het!i to be among the number, he pronounced a rash and unrighteous judgment by which a great injury was inflicted on the character and interests of a devoted friend.
0-19. Shimei Curses David. 5. Wlien King David came to Ealmrim—A city of Benjamin (ch. 3. 16; 19. 10). It is, however, only the confines of the district that are here meant. Sltimei, a man of tlie family of Saul—The misfortune of his family, and the occupation by David of what they considered their rightful possessions, afforded a natural, if not a justifiable cause for this ebullition of rude insults and violence. He upbraided David as an ambitious usurper, and charged him, as one whose misdeeds had recoiled upon his own head, to surrender a throne to which he was not entitled. His language was that of a man incensed by the wrongs that he conceived had been done to liis house. David was guiltless of the crime of whicli Shimei accused him ; but his conscience reminded him of other flagrant iniquities, and he, thereirresistible, and rapid descent of this natural moisture on, every field and blade of grass. 13. all Israel shall bring ropes to that city—In besieging a town, hooks or cranes were often thrown upon the walls or turrets, by which, with ropes attached to them, the besiegers, uniting all their force, pulled down the fortifications in a mass of ruins. 14. Tlie counsel of Hushai is better than the counsel of Aliithophel—The reasons specified being extremely plausible, and expressed in the strong hyperbolfore, regarded the cursing of this man as a chastisement from heaven. His answ'er to Aljisliai's proposal evinced the spirit of deejj and humble resignation—the spirit of a mail who watched the course of Providence, and acknowledged Shimei as the instrument of God's chastening hand. One tiling is reraarkaMe, that he acted more independently of the sons of Zeruiah in this season of great distress than he could often muster courage to do in the days of his prosperity and power. 13. threw stones at liim—As a mark of contempt and insult, cast tliist—As ical language suited to dazzle an Oriental imagination, the council declared in favour of ITushai's advice; and their resolution was the immediate cause of the discomfiture of the rebellion, although the council itself was only a link in the chain of causation held by the controlling hand of the Lord.
15-22. Secret Intelligence Sent TO Davit). 16. send quickly, and tell David—Apparentl}' douljling that his advice vrould be followed, Husliai ordered secret intelligence to be conveyed to David of all that transpired, with an urgent recommendation to cross the Jordan without a moment's delay, lest Ahithophel's address and influence might produce a change on the prince's mind, and an immediate pursuit be determined on. 17. by En-rogel The fuller's well in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, below the junction of the valley of Hinnom with that of Jehosliaphat. 18. and came to a man's house In Bahurim, wliich had a well in his court—The court was that of the house, and the well an empty cistern. All the houses of the better class are furnished with such reservoirs. Nothing could more easily happen ihan that one of these wells, in consequence of a defioieiicy of water, should become dry ; and it would then answer as a place of retreat, such as David's frii-nds fiHUul in the man's house at Bahurim. The spreading of a covering over the well's mouth for the drying of corn is a common practice.
if to add insult to injury, clouds of dust were thrown by this disloyal subject in the path of his unfortunate sovereign, went along the hill's side over against Iiim—As he descended the rough road on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives, "went along the side"—lit., the rib of the hill. 14. refreshed themselves there— i. e., in the city of Bahurim. 15-19. Hushal said unto Absalom, God save the king—Husliai's devotion to David was so well known, that his presence in the camp of the conspirators excited great surprise. Professing, however, with great address, to consider it his duty to support the cause wlilch the course of Providence and the national will ha<I seemingly decreed should triumph, and urging his friendship for the father as a ground of confidence in his fidelity to the son, he persuaded Absalom of his sincerity, and was admitted amongst the councillors of the new king.
'20-2.S. AniTnoPHEL'S C'OUJfSEI,. 20. Give counsel among you what we shall do—Tliis Is the first cabinet council on record, although the deference paid to Aliithophel gave him the entire direction of the proceedings.
23-29. AiIiTHOPHEL Hangs Himself. 33. when Ahithophel saw tliat his counsel was not followed—His vanity was wounded, his pride mortified on finding that his ascendency was gone; but that chagrin was aggravated by other feelings—a painful conviction that through the delay which had been resolved on, the cause of Absalom was lost. Hastening home, therefore, lie arranged his private affairs, and knowing that the storm of retributive vengeance would fall chieflj' upon him as the Instigator and prop of th(! rebellion, he hanged himself. It may be remarked that the Israelitesdld not, at that timek
!41. Ahlthophel said unto Absalom—This councillor saw that now the die wiis cast; half measures would be Inexpedient; and to cut ofl" all possibility of reconciliation between the king and his rebellious son, gave this atrocious advice regarding the treatment of the royal'women who had been left In charge of the palace. Women being held sacred, arc generally left inviolate in the casualties of war. The history of the East un"ords only one parallel lo tliis lufamous outrage of Absalom.
David's Charijc Respecting Absalom, 2 SAMUEL XVIII. but who IS Slain by Juab.
refuse the rites of sepulture even to those who died by their own hands. He liad an imitator in Judas, wlio resembled hi;n in his treason, as well as in his infamous «nd. m. Tlien David fame to Maliaiialm—In the high easily dislodge a rider from his seat, and catch hold of his flowing hair." [Hartley.] Some, however, think that the saci-ed historian points not .so much to the hair, as to the /lead of Absalom, which, being caught while running between two branches, was enclosed so firmly that he could not disengage himself from the hold, nor make use of his hands. tUe mule tUat was under Iiim «ent away—The Orientals not having saddles like us, do not sit so firmly on the beasts they ride. Ab.salom quitting his hold of the bridle, apparently to release himself when caught in the oak, the mule escaped. 11. Joab said tuito tUe man tliat told Iiim, I would have given tliee ten shekels of silver and a girdle—^i. e., would have raised him from the ranks to the status of a commissioned ofiicer. Besides a sum of money, a girdle, curiously and richly wrought, was among the ancient Hebrews a mark of honour, and sometimes bestowed as a reward of military merit. This soldier, however, who may be taken as a fair sample of David's faithful subjects, had so gn at a respect for the king's will, that no prospect of reward would have tempted him to lay violent hands on Absalom. But Joab's stern sense of public duty, which satisfied him that there could be neither safety to the king, nor peace to the kingdom, nor security to him and other loyal subjects, so long as that turbulent prince lived, overcame his sensibilities, and looking upon the charge given to the generals as more befitting a parent than a prince, he ventured to disobey it.
eastern country of Gilead, the seat of Ish-bosheth's government. Absalom passed over Jordan—It is not said how long an interval elapsed, but there must have been sufficient time to make the intended levy throutihout the kingdom. 35. Amasa—By the genealogy it appears that this captain stood in the same relation to David as Joab, both being his nephews. Of course, Amasa was Absalom's cousin, and though himself an Israelite, his father was an Ishmaelite (1 Chronicles 2. 17). Nahasli is thought by some to be another name of Jesse, or according to others, the name of Jesse's wife. 37. wSien David was come to Maiiaiiaim—The necessities of the king and his followers wore hospitably ministered to by three chiefs, whose generous loyalty is recorded with honour in the sacred narrative. Sliobl—Must have been brother of Hanun. Disapproving, probably, of that young king's outrage upon the Israelite ambassadors, he had been made governor of Ammon by David on the conquest of that country. MacUir—(See ch. 9. 4.) Sujjposed by some to have been brother of Bath-sheba, and liarzillai, a wealthy old grandee, whos great age and infirmities made In's loyal devotion to the distressed monarch peculiarly atfecting. The supplies they brought—Miiicli, besides beds for the weary consisted of the staple iiroduce of their rich lands and pastures, may be classified as follows : eatables—wheat, barley, flour, beans, lentiles, sheep, and cheese; drinkables—"honey and butter" or cream, which, being mixed together, form a thin diluted bi v-« erage, light, cool, and refreshing. Being considered a luxurious refreshment (Song 4. H), the supply of it shows the liigh respect that was paid to David by his loyal and faithful subjects at Mahanaim. 29. lii tUe wilderness Spread out beyond the cultivated table-lands into the Bteppes of Hauran.
14-32. He is Slain by Joab. 1*. he took three darts. . . and thmst them through the heart of AI>sa Iom The deed, partially done by Joab, was completed by his body-guard. Being a violation of the expressed wish, as well as of all the fond paternal feelings of David, it must have been deeply oflensive to the king, nor was it ever forgotten (1 Kings 2.5); and yet there is the strongest reason for believing that Joab, in doing it, was actuateil by a sincere regard to the interests of David, both as a man and a monarch. 10. Joab blew the trumpet . , . and held back the people—Knowing that by the de.ath of the usurper there was no occasion for further bloodshed, he put an end to the pursuit, and thereby evinced the temperate policy of his conduct. However harsh and unfeeling to the king Joab may appear, there can be no doubt that he acted the part of a wise statesman in regarding the peace and welfare of the kingdom more than his master's private inclinations ; which were opposed to strict justice as well as his own interests. Absalom deserved to die by the Divine law (Deuteronomj21. IS, 21), as well as being an enemy to his king and country, and no time was more fitting than when he met that death in open battle. 17. tliey took Absalom, and east liini into a great i>lt, and laid a very great heap of stones upon Iiim—The peopleof the East Indicate theii detestation of the memory of an Infamous per.son by tlirowing stones at the place where ho is burled. Tlie heap is Increased by the gradual accumulation of stones which passers-by add to it. IS. Absalom in his lifetime had
CHAPTEK XVIII.
Ver. 1-4. David Reviewing the Armies. 1. David nunibered tSie people tliat M'ere witli Isi>u—The liardy mountaineers of Gilead came in great numbers at tlie call of their chieftains, so that, although without money to pay any troops, David soon found himself at the liead of a considerable armj-. A pitched battle was now inevital)le. But so mnch depending on the life of the king, he was not allowed to take the field in person; and therefore divided his forces into three detachinents under Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, the commander of the foreign guards.
5-1:!. Gives Them Charge of Absalom, o. wood of Epliraim—This wood, of course, was on the east of Jordan. Its name was derived, according to some, lYom the slaughter f)f the liphraimites by Jeplil hah—according to others, from the connection of blood with the trans-
Jordanic Manasseh. 5. Deal gently for my sake witit tl>c young man, even wlfli Alisalom—This aflecting charge, which the king gave to his generals, proceeded not only from his overwhelming affection for his chil- <lren, l)ut from his consciousness that this rebellion was the chastisement of his own crimes, Absalom being merely an instrument In the hand of retril)utive I'roviclence;—and also from his piety, lest the unhappy prince should die with his sins unrepented of. 7. tlie people of Israel were sliiln — This designath)n, tog<'tlicr with the immense slaughter after mentioned, shows tTic large extent to which the people were enlisted in this uiihaiip.v civil contest. S. the wood devoured more people tliau the Bword—Tlie tliick forest of oaks and terebinths, by obstructing the 11 Iglit, greatly aided the victors in the pursuit. 0. Absalom met the gcr-»'nnfs of l)avi«l—Or was overtaken. "It Is necessary to be continually on one's guard against the branches of trees; and when the hair is worn in large locks floating down the back.ns was the case with a young man of the party to which I belonged, any thick boughs interposing in the path might. . . reared for liiniself n pillar lit., hund. In the valley of Jehoshaphat, on the east of Jerusalem, Is a tomb or ci'notaph, said to be this "pillar" or monument: it Is twenty-four f(M't. square, dome-topped, and reaches forty feet In height. This may occupy the spot, but cannot Itself be the work of Absalom, as it evld(!ntly bears the style of a later architecture. 19. Tlien said Aiilmaaz, . . Let me . . . run and bear tlie king tldiitg:i—The reasons of .Toah's declining to accept Ahiiuaai'.'s ol Ver to biar intelligence of the victory to David, and afterwards letting him go along with another, are variously stated by commentators—but they are of no Importance, and yet the alacrity of the messengers, as well as the eager excitement of the expectants, is graphically described.
by,tlie way of tl»e plain—Or " ciccar," circle. This word Is only use<i elsewliere in connection with the valley of the Jordan. It Is possible that there may have been a placeor region so called on the tabl(>-lands of Gilead, as the Septiiagint seems to indicate. Or Mahanaim may liave been so situated, with regard to the battle-field, as to be more easily accessible by a descent to the plain of
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