Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Joah Cd'ists the King 2 SAMUEL XIX. t.o Ceust Mijurninr/s
Ac.—This also was a dextrnus strn!;i' of policy. David was fully alive to the in.porlanrt', iWi extinguishing the rebellion, of withdrawing Ironi liial •.mse tlie only leader who could kt'cp it alive; and he, tlicr. tore, secretly intimated ills iiilemion to raise Aiiiasa t>i I lie command of the army in room of Joab, whose overbearing hauglitiness had become intolerable. The king justly reckoned, that from natural temper as well as gratitude for the royal pardon; lie would prove a more traclatjle servant; and David, doubtless, intended in all siiieerity to fulfil this promise. But Joab managed to retain his high position the Jordan, .'»an over tlip hills themselves. Or the word may siijiiily O'.s Kwalu explaiusj :i iiumiier ol'ciuiel: luunilig, [fSTANJ.tY. ] 'ii. David sat bttiveeii t!ie two gates —i. e., in !hc lowor-liviisi,' on tlie wall that overhung l.lie gate of .VlaiKinaitn ; near it was a watch-tower, on wliicli a sentin< l was posted, as in times of war, to notify every occuri'ence. The delicacy of Aliiniaaz's communication was made up Ijj' the unnii.stakalile plainness of Cushi's. The dealii of Alisaioni was a heavy trial, and it is impossible not to ( ynipathize witli the outburst of feeling by Which David diowed that all thouglUs of the victory he had won a«. j. king were comi Jletely sunk In the painful
(see on ch. 20). 14. he bowed the heart of all the men of Jiidali i. e., Amasa, who had Ijeen won over, used his great influence in re-attaching the whole tribe of .ludah to the interest of David. 15. Jiulali came to Gilgal—As the most convenient place where preparations could be made for bringing the king and court over the Jordan. 16. Shlmel . . . and a ^thousand men of Benjamin with him—This display of his followers was to show what force he could raise again.st or in support of the king. Expressing the deepest regret for his former outrageous conduct, he was pardoned on tlie spot; and altliough the son of Zeruiah urged the expediency of making this chief a public example, his of Ticionsness was repulsed by David with magnanimity, and with the greater confidence that he felt himself now re-established loss he h:<,'. jiustained as a father. The extraordinary ardour an jtreiiglh of his affection for this worthless son break" >ut in the redundancy and vehemence of his mournfu) aculations.
CHAPTER XIX.
Ver. 1- 'J. JoAB Causes the King to Cease Mourning.
8. the people gat tUem by stcaltli to tlie city—The rumour of tiie king s disconsolate condition spread a universal and unseasonable gloom. His troops, instead of being welcomed back, as a victorious army always was, with music and other demonsti'ations of public joy, slunk secretly and silently into the city, as if ashamed after the commission of some crime. 4. tUc king covered his face—One of the usual signs of mourning (see on ch. 15. 30). 7. Tlioa hast shamed the faces of all thjservants—By withdrawing thyself to Indulge in grief, as if their services were disagreeable and their devotion irksome to thee. Instead of hailing their return with joj' and gratitude, thou hast refused them the small gratification of seeing thee. Joab'.s remonstrance was right and necessary, but it was made with harshness. He was one of those persons who spoil their important services by the Insolence of their manners; and who always awaken a feeling of obligation in those to whom they render any services. He spoke to David in a tone of hauteur that ill became a suliject to show towards his king. 7. Kow arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants—The king felt the truth of Joab's reprimand; ljut the threat by which it was enforced, grounded as it was on the general's unbounded popularity with the army, showed him to be a dangerous person ; and that circumstance, together with the violation of an express oi'der to deal gently for his sake with Absalom, produced in David's mind a settled hatred, which was strongly manifested in his last directions to Solomon. 8. the king arose, and sat In the gate—Appeared daily in the usual place for the hearing of causes, all the people came before the king—i. e., the loyal natives who had been faithill the kingdom (see on 1 Kings 2. 8, 9). IV. Ziba, the servant of the house of Saiil—He had deceived his master; and when ordered to make ready the ass for the lame prince to go and meet the king, slipped away by himself to pay court first; so that Mephibosheth, being lame, had to remain in Jerusalem till the king's arrival. 18. ferry boat—probably rafts, wliich are still used on that part of the river. 20. lam come the first of all the house of Joseph— t. e., before all the rest of larai-t (Psalm 77. 15; 80,
1; SI. 5; Zechariah 10. 6). 34-30. Mfphlbosheth came down to meet the king. The reception given to Mephibosheth was less creditable to David. The sincerity of tiiat prince's grief for the misfortunes of the king cannot be douljted. "He had neither dressed his feet"— not taken the bath, " nor trimmed his beard." The Hebrews cut ofT the hair on the upper lip (see on Leviticus 13. 45), and cheeks, but carefully cherished it on the chin from ear to ear. Besides dyeing It black or red colours, which, however, is the exception, and not tlie rule in the East, tliere are variousmodes of trimming it: they train it into a massy, bushy form, swelling and round ; or they terminate it like a p.yramid, in a sharp point. Wl'.atevcr the mode, it is always trimmed with the greatest care; and tliey usually carry a small comb for the purpose. The neglect of this attention to his beard was an undoubted proof of tlie depth of Mephiboshetli's grief. The king seems to have received him upbraidingly, and not to have been altogether sure either of his guilt or innocence.
ful to Ills government, and fought in his cause. Israel had fle<l— I. e., the adherents of Absalom, who, on his de-
It is impossible to commend the cavalier treatment, any more than to approve the partial award, of David in this case. If he were too hurried and distracted liy the pressure of circumstances to inquire fully into the matter, he should have postponed his decision ; for if by "dividing the land "(t). 29) he meant that the former arrangement should be continued by which Mephilioshetli was acknowledged the proprietor, and Zilia the fanner, it was a hardship Inflicted on the owner to fix him with a tenant who had so grossly slandered him. But if b.y " dividing the land," they were now to share alike, the injustice of the decision was greatly increased. In any view, the generous, disinterested spirit displayed by Jlephiboshelli waa wortliy a son of tlie noble-hearted Jonathan. .'JI-40. Barzlllal tlie Glleadlte—The rank, great age, and cliivalrous devotion of this Glleadlte chief wins onr respcct. His declining logo to court—his recoiiiineiidation rif his son-his convoy across the Jordan, and his parting scene with tlie king, are Interesting Incidents. What mark of royal favour was bestowed on Chiinhatn has not been ro oorded ; but it is probable that David gave a great part ol his personal patrlmon,v In Bethlehem to Cliimham and his heirs In perpetuity (Jeremiah 41. 17). 35. the voica of singing men and singing women—Bands of profesfeat, had dispersed and saved themselves by flight.
TiiK IsuAKMTEs Bring the King Back, &e. 9. all the iH'opIe were at strife throughout the tribes of I«rael—The kingdom was completely disorganized. Tlie Bentiiiients of three dil Terent parties are represented in verses 9 and 10;—the royalists—the adherents of Absalom, who had been very numerous, and those who were indifferent to the Davidic dynasty. In these circumstances the king was right in not hastening back, as a conqueror, to reaseend his throne. A re-election was, in some measure, necessary. He remained for some time on the other side of .Jordan, in expectation of being invited back. That invitation was given, without, however, the concurrence of Judab ; and David, disappointed and vexed by his own tribe's apparent lukewarmness, despatched the two high priests to rouse the Judahites to take a prominent Interest In his cause. It was the act of a skilful politician; as, Hebron having been the seat of the rebellion, it was graceful on his part to encourage their return to allegiance ami duty ; It was an appeal to their honour not to be the last of the tribes. But this separate message, and the preference given to them, occasioned an outliurst of Jealousy among the other tribes that was nearly followed by fatal consequetices. 13. And say ye to Amasa,