John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.

2 Samuel 15:1



INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 15



This chapter relates how that Absalom by various artful methods stole away the hearts of the people of Israel, 2Sa 15:1; that pretending a vow he had made, he got leave of the king to go to Hebron to perform it, 2Sa 15:7; where he formed a considerable conspiracy, 2Sa 15:10; of which David having information, thought it advisable to depart from Jerusalem, both for his own safety, and the good of the city, which he did with his family, and guards, and much people, 2Sa 15:13; though he would have persuaded Ittai the Gittite to have returned, but could not prevail upon him, 2Sa 15:19; however, he sent back the priests and the Levites with the ark, lest any harm should come to that, 2Sa 15:24; and as he and the people went up the mount of Olives weeping, it was told him that Ahithophel was among the conspirators, on which he put up a prayer that his counsel might be infatuated, 2Sa 15:30; and Hushai the Archite coming to him at that juncture, he sent him back to Jerusalem to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, and to send him word by the priests what he should hear there from time to time, 2Sa 15:32.



Ver. 1. And it came to pass after this,.... After the reconciliation of David and Absalom, and the latter was admitted to court again:



that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses; to make himself look grand and respectable among the people; perhaps he got these from his grandfather at Geshur in Syria:



and fifty men to run before him; which added to his pomp and magnificence; and such great personages in later time have had; Nero the Roman emperor never went on a journey with less than a thousand calashes or chariots, and a great number of men that ran before him {c}: and this was tacitly setting himself up for king, at least preparing for it, as Adonijah afterwards did in the same way and manner, 1Ki 1:5.



{c} Suetonius in Vit. Neron. c. 30. Vid. Senecae, Ep. 87. & 123.





2 Samuel 15:2



Ver. 2. And Absalom rose up early,.... Every morning, to show how diligent and industrious he should be, and closely apply himself to business, was he in any office trader the king, and especially when he should be king himself; this he did to ingratiate himself into the affections of the people:



and stood beside the way of the gate; either of the king's palace, so Josephus {d}, or of the city, where courts of judicature are held: the former seems most probable by what follows:



and it was [so], that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment; that had a controversy with another man on any account, and came to the king to have it decided according to law, or the rules of justice and equity:



then Absalom called unto him, and said, of what city [art] thou? which question he asked, only to lead on to some further discourse:



and he said, thy servant [is] of one of the tribes; that is, of one of the cities of the tribes of Israel, and not of a city of another nation.



{d} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 1.





2 Samuel 15:3



Ver. 3. And Absalom said unto him,.... After some further talk, and finding he had a suit at law to bring on, and either seeing it drawn up in writing, or hearing his account of it, at once declared, without hearing the other party:



see, thy matters [are] good and right; thy cause is a good cause, and if it could be heard by proper persons there is no doubt but things would go on thy side, and thou wouldest carry thy cause:



but [there is] no man [deputed] of the king to hear thee; the king is grown old himself and his sons are negligent, and do not attend to business, and there are none besides them appointed to hear causes; and he suggested, as appears by what follows, that he was not in commission, but if he was, or should he appointed a judge, he would attend to business, and people should not go away after this manner, without having justice administered unto them,





2 Samuel 15:4



Ver. 4. Absalom said, moreover,.... To the same persons, at the same time:



oh that I were made judge in the land; by which it appears that he had no office under the king; partly either because of his crime, and so not thought fit, and partly because he appeared to be an ambitious aspiring man, and so it was thought not safe to put him into any office:



that every man that hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice; at once, without any further trouble, or coming often, and in vain, and to no purpose.





2 Samuel 15:5



Ver. 5. And it was [so], that when any man came nigh [to him] to do him obeisance,.... To pay his respects, and bow to him, as being the king's son, a prince of the blood, and heir to the crown, as was supposed:



he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him; he put out his hand and shook hands with him, or took him about the neck and kissed him, and by this free, familiar, affable, and courteous manner, strangely won upon and gained the affections of the people, as follows. Fortunatus Schacchus {e} thinks he put forth his hand to be kissed by them, and then kissed them, which was more than was usual.



{e} Eloeochrism. Myrothec. l. 3. c. 34. col. 964.





2 Samuel 15:6



Ver. 6. And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment,.... Told them there was none to be had, wished that he was in office to administer it to them, and behaved in the above loving manner towards them:



so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel; got the affections of the people in a private and clandestine manner, and robbed the king of them, who had the best right unto them.





2 Samuel 15:7



Ver. 7. And it came to pass after forty years,.... Or four years; so long it was from the reconciliation of Absalom to David, as Josephus {f} says; and so read Theodoret on the place, the Syriac and Arabic versions: but some say it was either forty years from the time Israel first had a king; and which might be an era of reckoning with the Jews, as the era of Seleucidae was with the Greeks, on the like account; or from the time Saul slew the priests at Nob, as Jerom {g}; or from the time of David's being anointed by Samuel; or this was the year of Absalom's age, or of David's reign: but these, and other attempts made to account for this passage, are not entirely satisfactory; and therefore one may be tempted to conclude there must be a mistake in the copy, of "arbaim" for "arba", forty for four; which makes it quite easy, and confirms the first sense:



that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow,

which I have vowed unto the Lord, in Hebron; not what he vowed in Hebron; for according to his own account he had vowed it in Geshur, as in 2Sa 15:8; but his request is, that he might pay it in Hebron; which place he fixed upon, being his native place, and where David was anointed king; and which, being about twenty miles from Jerusalem, was at a proper distance to lay the scene of his conspiracy in, and bring it to perfection.



{f} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 1. {g} Trad. Heb. in 2 lib. Reg. fol. 78. M.





2 Samuel 15:8



Ver. 8. For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria,.... When at his grandfather's court there:



saying, if the Lord will bring me again indeed to Jerusalem; which he might be sincerely desirous of:



then I will serve the Lord; but it is a question whether he ever made a vow to this purpose, or concerned himself about serving the Lord; but it rather may be, this was a lie of his, now framed in order to get leave of the king to go to Hebron.





2 Samuel 15:9



Ver. 9. And the king said unto him, go in peace,.... He gave him leave to go, and wished happiness and prosperity might attend him:



so he arose and went to Hebron; with a company of men, whose number is after mentioned.





2 Samuel 15:10



Ver. 10. But Absalom sent spies throughout all the land of Israel,.... To sound the disposition of the people towards him, to insinuate things into their minds in favour of him, and to improve every opportunity of recommending him to their esteem and affections:



saying, as soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet; in any place; and which it is probable he employed men to sound in many places:



then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron: which is the cause of the trumpet's sounding; and by this means they would learn how the people stood affected to him, whether the news was grateful or not.





2 Samuel 15:11



Ver. 11. And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, [that were] called,.... Invited by him to go with him and partake of his peace offerings, as the payment of his vow in Hebron; part of which was made a feast of for his friends, whomsoever he should think fit to invite, as he did to the number of two hundred, and for the entertainment of whom a large provision ought to be made; the Jews {h} have a tradition, that he had leave of his father only to invite two to go with him, and that he asked two more unknown to the first, and so on, two after two, until they amounted to two hundred:



and they went in their simplicity; to partake of the feast of the peace offerings, to which they were invited; being quite harmless and upright in their intentions, having no thought of disloyalty and rebellion in their breasts:



and they knew not anything; of an intended conspiracy; howbeit, doubtless many of them were drawn into it when got thither; and as these may be supposed to be some of the principal men of Jerusalem, it was a great weakening of David's interest, and laid a considerable foundation for Absalom to begin upon.



{h} Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 9. fol. 194. 4.





2 Samuel 15:12



Ver. 12. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel, the Gilonite, David's counsellor,.... To advise with about this treasonable affair he was engaged in, and to get out of him David's secrets, who was reckoned the best counsellor in the land; and he might rather hope he would come to him, if he was the grandfather of Bathsheba, as say the Jews, 2Sa 11:3; since he might be disgusted with and resent David's adultery with Bathsheba his granddaughter, and the murder of her husband Uriah: him he sent for,



from his city, [even] from Giloh; a city in the tribe of Judah, in the mountainous part of it, near to Hebron, where Absalom now was; and, according to Bunting {i}, twenty miles from Jerusalem, see

Jos 15:48;



while he offered sacrifices; not Ahithophel, but Absalom, his peace offerings at Hebron, to which he invited Ahithophel to come and partake of:



and the conspiracy was strong; or there was a great number in the conspiracy, who were assembled together:



for the people increased continually with Absalom; being drawn to him by the comeliness of his person, his affable behaviour, the pomp and magnificence in which he appeared, the great number of the principal inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and he the king's eldest son, and so heir to the crown; whereas it might begin to be rumoured about, that David designed Solomon, a son of Bathsheba, a young prince, to be his successor, which did not meet with general approbation at first.



{i} Travels, &c. p. 149.





2 Samuel 15:13



Ver. 13. And there came a messenger to David,.... Perhaps one of the two hundred that went with Absalom, ignorant of his design; which, when discovered, he disapproved of, and got away from him, and came to David, and informed him how things were:



saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom; to make him king.





2 Samuel 15:14



Ver. 14. And David said unto all his servants that [were] with him at Jerusalem,.... His courtiers and ministers of state, the officers of his household, as many of them as were with him in the city; for some of them very probably were in the country, as Ahithophel was, and some might be along with Absalom, whom he had invited to his peace offerings:



arise, and let us flee; it is much that a man of such courage and valour as David should be so intimidated at once as to make a flight as soon as he heard of a conspiracy forming against him:



for we shall not [else] escape from Absalom; his fears ran so high, that he fancied he would be upon them presently:



make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly; which still more clearly shows the panic he was in:



and bring evil upon us; kill them, or make them prisoners:



and smite the city with the edge of the sword; the inhabitants of it, should they make resistance.





2 Samuel 15:15



Ver. 15. And the king's servants said unto the king,.... In answer to him, and to show that they were quite conformable to his pleasure:



behold, thy servants [are ready to do] whatsoever my lord the king shalt appoint; or "choose" {k}, whether to prepare to fight, and defend him and the city, or to depart and make their escape.



{k} rxby "elegerit", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.





2 Samuel 15:16



Ver. 16. And the king went forth,.... Which determined the case:



and all his household after him family and his court; they followed his example, and attended him in his flight:



and the king left ten women, [which were] concubines, to keep the house; not to defend it, which they were unable to do, but to look after the household goods and furniture, that they were not damaged by the conspirators; though one would think they could be of little service, and may wonder what he should leave them behind for; but this seems to be ordered by the overruling providence of God, to bring about what was threatened him, 2Sa 12:11; and it is much he had not thought of it; but it was hid from his eyes, that it might be fulfilled.





2 Samuel 15:17



Ver. 17. And the king went forth,.... From Jerusalem; which is repeated, that it might be observed in what a hurry and fright he was:



and all the people after him; his family, court, and servants, and as many of the people of Jerusalem as chose to go with him:



and tarried at a place that was afar off; when they had got at some distance from the city, they stopped and stayed a while; it could not be a great way from it, for they had not as yet passed over the brook Kidron, 2Sa 15:23.





2 Samuel 15:18



Ver. 18. And all his servants passed on beside him,.... Or at his hand or side; his household servants walking perhaps some on one side of him, and some on the other, see 2Sa 16:6;



and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites; which were his bodyguards, see 2Sa 8:18;



and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath; which either came with him from Gath, when he conquered that city, and took it out of the hands of the Philistines, 2Sa 8:1; compared with

1Ch 18:1; and who might become proselytes, and be incorporated into the commonwealth of Israel, and into David's army, a troop of men, of which Ittai, after mentioned, was captain, 2Sa 15:22; or else these were Israelites, so called, because with David they sojourned in Gath a while, when he fled from Saul; and so Josephus {l} says, they were companions of him in his first flight, when Saul was living; and this number is just the number of the men that were with him at Gath, 1Sa 27:2; and it may be David kept a troop of men always of the same number, to whom he gave this name in memory of them, having been a set of trusty and faithful men to him: these, with the Cherethites and Pelethites,



passed on before the king: in this form and manner David and his men marched in their flight.



{l} Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9.) sect. 2.





2 Samuel 15:19



Ver. 19. Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite,.... Who was over the band of Gittites, the six hundred men, 2Sa 15:22;



wherefore goest thou also with us? one should think the king should not have discouraged any from joining and following him, when his numbers were not very large, and the in such fear on account of Absalom:



return to this place; to Jerusalem, where his station was:



and abide with the king; with Absalom, who set himself up for king, and whom the people perhaps had proclaimed as such in Hebron, where the conspiracy began:



for thou [art] a stranger, and also an exile; not a native of Israel, but of another nation, and at a distance from it, and therefore not altogether under the same obligations to attend David in his troubles as others were; and by this it seems that he was a Gittite by nation, whatever the six hundred men were, and rather favours the first sense given of them in 2Sa 15:18.





2 Samuel 15:20



Ver. 20. Whereas thou camest [but] yesterday,.... From Gath, or from an expedition he and his men had been on:



should I this day make thee, go up and down with us? wander up and down from place to place with David, when he was but just come off a journey, weary and fatigued:



seeing I go whither I may; where it will be most safe for me, I know not where; may be obliged to flee here and there, which would be very inconvenient to Ittai in his circumstances:



return thou, and take back thy brethren; the six hundred men under him, and whom David could ill spare at this time, and yet, consulting their ease, advises to return to Jerusalem with them:



mercy and truth [be] with thee; the Lord show mercy and kindness to thee, in that thou hast shown favour and respect to me, and make good all his promises to thee, who hast been true and faithful to me.





2 Samuel 15:21



Ver. 21. And Ittai answered the king, and said,.... With an oath, as follows:



[as] the Lord liveth, and [as] my lord the king liveth; which he took to confirm what he after says, and to put an end to the debate between them:



surely, in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be; signifying that he would attend him wherever he went, hazard his life in his cause, and live and die with him.





2 Samuel 15:22



Ver. 22. And David said unto Ittai, go, and pass over,.... It being his resolution to abide with him, he urged him no more to depart, but bid him pass over the brook Kidron before him:



and Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men; the six hundred Gittites that were under his command:



and all the little ones that [were] with him; that belonged to him and his men, and no doubt their wives also.





2 Samuel 15:23



Ver. 23. And all the country wept with a loud voice,.... The people that came out of the country villages round about, upon the report of the king's leaving Jerusalem, because of his son's conspiracy against him; these wept when they saw him in the circumstances in which he was, obliged to fly from a rebellious son:



and all the people passed over; the people that were with David passed over Kidron, and so the Cherethites, and Pelethites:



the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron; this explains what place it was they passed over, which is not before mentioned, but is particularly named in the account of the king's passing over it; over which same brook the Messiah, his antitype, passed a little before his sufferings and death; of which brook, See Gill on "Joh 18:1". It is often by Josephus {m} called a valley, sometimes a brook, it having little water, except in winter; Mr. Maundrell {n} says, it ran along the bottom of the valley of Jehoshaphat, a brook in the wintertime; but without the least drop of water in it all the time, says he, we were in Jerusalem; and so Reland {o}, that in summertime it ceases to be a river, and has the name of a valley; and Le Bruyn says {p}, it is at present dried up; it runs along the valley of Jehoshaphat, and is not above three paces broad; it has no other but rain water, which flows from the adjacent hills:



and all the people passed over to the way of the wilderness; which lay between Jerusalem and Jericho.



{m} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 1. sect. 5. & l. 9. c. 7. sect. 3. De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 3. c. 4. sect. 2. c. 6. sect. 1. {n} Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 102. {o} Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 1. p. 294, 351. {p} Voyage to the Levant, ch. 48. p. 188.





2 Samuel 15:24



Ver. 24. And, lo, Zadok also,.... The priest, as he is called, 2Sa 15:27;



and all the Levites [were] with him: with Zadok, or with David, and indeed with both; but the former is rather meant here, being the immediate antecedent:



bearing the ark of the covenant of God: these were the Kohathite Levites, whose business it was to bear the ark when carried from place to place, Nu 3:31; called the ark of the covenant, because the law which was the covenant between God and the people, was put into it:



and they set down the ark of God: from off their shoulders, on which they carried it:



and Abiathar went up; who was the high priest, and whose business it was to attend the ark, and inquire before it, as occasion required; he went up very probably to the mount of Olives, later mentioned, 2Sa 15:30:



until all the people had done passing out of the city; for from the top of that mountain he could see the city of Jerusalem, and the people as they passed out of it, and observe when they were all come out, or however ceased coming, and so knew when it was a proper time to march forward.





2 Samuel 15:25



Ver. 25. And the king said unto Zadok, carry back the ark of God into the city,.... The reason of which is not easy to account for, since being carried back it would fall into the hands of the conspirators; and now the priests were with it to take care of it, and there might be occasion to inquire at it before the Lord; but David thought it being a sacred thing would not be violated by Absalom and his men, and that it would be safest in its own habitation or tabernacle, which David had built for it; for, that the reason of it should be, what Procopius Gazaeus suggests, cannot be given into, that he could not bear to carry about him the law, which accused of adulteries and murders:



if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord: if he will appear for me, be on my side, and deliver me from those who have risen up against me:



he will bring me again: to Jerusalem, and to his palace there:



and show me [both] it and his habitation; the ark, and the tabernacle he had erected for it, 2Sa 6:17.





2 Samuel 15:26



Ver. 26. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee,.... As a king, or in his temporal prosperity, though he might and had delight in him as a chosen vessel of salvation, as a saint and child of God, and in his spiritual and everlasting welfare:



behold, [here am] I; his humble servant, ready to be, and do and suffer whatever is his pleasure:



let him do to me as seemeth good unto him; strip me of all the ensigns of royalty, dispossess me of my crown and kingdom, and dispose of me as seems good in his sight; who is a sovereign Being, and has a right to do with his creatures what he pleases.





2 Samuel 15:27



Ver. 27. And the king said unto Zadok the priest, [art not] thou a seer?.... A prophet, as well as a priest; see 1Sa 9:9; or a seeing, knowing, man; one that can penetrate into men and things, and so might be of more service to David at Jerusalem than with him: wherefore he said to him,



return into the city in peace; to the city of Jerusalem with peace, quietness, and satisfaction of mind; where he doubted not, at least hoped and wished, he would be in safety and prosperity, being one of the Lord's priests:



and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar; the one was of the line of Eleazar, and the other of the line of Ithamar.





2 Samuel 15:28



Ver. 28. See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness,.... Towards the way of which David and the people went when they came over Kidron, 2Sa 15:23;



until there come word from you to certify me; of the truth of the conspiracy, of the number of the conspirators, and who they are, what progress they have made, whether come to Jerusalem, and how they behave there, if come; or of anything relative hereunto he could get intelligence of.





2 Samuel 15:29



Ver. 29. Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem,.... That is, ordered it to be carried, and took care that it was carried, by the Kohathite Levites, and they themselves attended it:



and they tarried there; at Jerusalem; though their two sons that went with them entered not into the city, but stayed at a place called Enrogel, at some little distance from it, 2Sa 17:17.





2 Samuel 15:30



Ver. 30. And David went up by the ascent of [Mount] Olivet,.... So called from the olive trees that grew upon it, which is often mentioned in the New Testament, and where our Lord Jesus Christ, the antitype of David, often was, in his state of humiliation, Mt 26:30, and from whence he ascended to heaven after his resurrection, Ac 1:12; it was about a mile from Jerusalem, to the east of it:



and wept as he went up; thinking perhaps of the wickedness and rebellion of his son, of his own hard case, to be obliged to quit his metropolis and palace, and make his flight afoot; and perhaps also of his own sins, which were the cause of his calamities:



and had his head covered; with his mantle, with which he enwraped himself as a mourner, 2Sa 19:4; so the Egyptians used to cover their heads in mourning, and the Romans in later times {q}; so Megara in sorrowful circumstances is represented as having her head covered with a garment {r}:



and he went barefoot; in token of mourning also, and like one forlorn, and going into captivity, see Isa 20:2;



and all the people that [was] with him covered every man his head; as David did, and in imitation of him, and sympathizing with him; and which was sometimes done when men were ashamed and confounded, Jer 14:3;



and they went up, weeping as they went up; the mount of Olivet, grieved for their king, and the distresses and calamities that were coming upon them.



{q} Vid. Solerium de Pileo, sect. 2. p. 14, 19. {r} Senec. Hercul. furens, act. 2.





2 Samuel 15:31



Ver. 31. And [one] told David,.... That came either from Hebron or from Jerusalem:



Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom; Absalom sent for him, and it seems he came to him, and continued with him, see

2Sa 15:12;



and David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness; either suffer him to give foolish counsel, or confound the schemes projected by him, and let them not be carried into execution; for God can, and sometimes does, disappoint crafty counsellors, that they cannot perform what they devise, but they are taken in their own craftiness, and their counsel is carried headlong, Job 5:12; this prayer was answered, 2Sa 17:14.





2 Samuel 15:32



Ver. 32. And it came to pass, that [when] David was come to the top [of the mount],.... Of the mount of Olives:



where he worshipped God; by prayer and praise; here very probably he composed and sung the third psalm Ps 3:1, which, as the title shows, was made when he fled from Absalom:



behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him, with his coat rent, and earth upon his head; in token of mourning, and as a bringer of bad tidings, see 2Sa 1:2; perhaps he was an inhabitant of Archi, at least originally, which lay on the borders of the tribe of Ephraim, Jos 16:2; from whence he had his name.





2 Samuel 15:33



Ver. 33. Unto whom David said,.... After he had heard what he had to say, and what tidings he brought:



and if thou passest on with me; in his march and flight:



then thou shalt be a burden to me; being to be maintained by him; and David having but scanty provisions, and so could not receive useless persons, as Hushai might be, perhaps an old man, that could be of no service to him, and unfit for travelling, and so would rather be an hinderance than an help unto him.





2 Samuel 15:34



Ver. 34. But if thou return to the city,.... To the city of Jerusalem, from whence it seems he came:



and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as he was by usurpation, and by the proclamation of the people with him. David directs him to address him thus, that he might have no suspicion of him, having been an old friend of his:



[as] I [have been] thy father's servant hitherto; perhaps in the character of a counsellor, as it should seem, since as such he was afterwards employed by Absalom:



so [will] I now also [be] thy servant; in whatsoever thou shall please to employ me under thee:



then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel; for being taken into Absalom's service, and made one of his counsellors, he would be privy to the advice of Ahithophel, and so be able to work against him.





2 Samuel 15:35



Ver. 35. And [hast thou] not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests?.... To assist in forming schemes directly opposite to Ahithophel's, or to whom he could communicate the secrets of Absalom's court:



therefore it shall be [that] what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house; Absalom's, who had now, at possession of the house and palace of David:



thou shalt tell [it] to Zadok and Abiathar the priests; to whom he might have recourse without suspicion, pretending he had business with them as priests, on religious accounts, to offer sacrifices for him, &c.





2 Samuel 15:36



Ver. 36. Behold, [they have] there with them two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's [son], and Jonathan, Abiathar's [son],.... As in 2Sa 15:27; not that they were in the city with them, but they were near it, 2Sa 17:17; with whom they had a communication:



and by whom ye shall send unto me everything that ye can hear; that is, by the sons of the priests; he telling the priests how things were at court, and they sending their sons with messages to David; which was a good scheme to get intelligence, and easy to be put into execution.





2 Samuel 15:37



Ver. 37. So Hushai David's friend came into the city,.... The city of Jerusalem, by the direction and persuasion of David, and in obedience to him, in order to serve him to the uttermost:



and Absalom came into Jerusalem: just at the same time; so that he knew not that Hushai had been out of it, and been with David, and which also appears from what he said to him, 2Sa 16:17.

 

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.

2 Samuel 16:1



INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 16



In this chapter is an account of Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, getting his inheritance by misrepresentation of him, and by presents to David, 2Sa 16:1; and of Shimei's cursing David as he passed along, which David bore patiently, and would not suffer others to avenge it on him, 2Sa 16:5; and of Hushai's offer of his service to Absalom, who admitted him to be of his privy council, 2Sa 16:15; and of the counsel which Ahithophel gave, 2Sa 15:20.



Ver. 1. And when David was a little past the top [of the hill],.... Of the mount of Olives, the ascent of which he is said to go up by, and to come to the top of it, 2Sa 15:30;



behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him; of whom see 2Sa 9:2;



with a couple of asses saddled: and so fit to ride on, but for the present he used them to another purpose:



and upon them two hundred [loaves] of bread; an hundred on each ass very probably:



and an hundred bunches of raisins; or dried grapes, as the Targum:



and an hundred of summer fruits: not in number, but in weight, as apples, pears, plums, apricots, &c. so the Targum, an hundred pounds of figs:



and a bottle of wine: a cask or flagon of wine; for a bottle, such as is in use with us, would have signified nothing in such a company.





2 Samuel 16:2



Ver. 2. And the king said unto Ziba, what meanest thou by these?.... Are they to be said, or are they presents?



and Ziba said, the asses [be] for the king's household to ride on; for himself, his wives, and children, his courtiers, and the principal officers of his house; it being usual in those times and countries for great personages to ride on asses, see Jud 5:10;



and the bread and summer fruits for the young men to eat; the king's menial servants, his guards and his soldiers:



and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink; where no water was to be had, that their fainting spirits might be revived, and they be able whether to fight or march.





2 Samuel 16:3



Ver. 3. And the king said, and where [is] thy master's son?.... The son of Saul, who was Ziba's master, meaning Mephibosheth:



and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; as there was reason for it, since he was lame of both his feet, 2Sa 9:13, though he could have rode upon an ass, and followed the king, as he proposed to do; but his servant deceived him, and carried off the asses to serve a purpose for himself, see 2Sa 19:26;



for he said, today shall the house of Israel restore unto me the kingdom of my father; his father Saul; which was far from his thoughts; and a most wicked suggestion of his servant to blacken his character, and get his estate from him; nor was there the least probability of the kingdom coming to him, but all the reverse; for let it go how it would with David, Absalom, and not Mephibosheth, stood fair for the kingdom.





2 Samuel 16:4



Ver. 4. Then said the king to Ziba, behold, thine [are] all that [pertaineth] to Mephibosheth,.... Being forfeited to the king by an overt act of treason as they had been before by the rebellion of Ishbosheth, but had been graciously restored to Mephibosheth; and had it been true what Ziba suggested, it would have been a righteous thing to have taken them from him; though it seems to be too hasty a step in David to take and give them away without further inquiry:



and Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee [that] I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king; he had found favour already, but seems not to be sufficiently thankful for it, and satisfied with it, but craved more and other favours, when opportunity should serve.





2 Samuel 16:5



Ver. 5. And when King David came to Bahurim,.... The Targum is, Alemath, perhaps the same that is said to be a city of the Levites, given unto them out of the tribe of Benjamin, 1Ch 6:60 for the man next described, who was of this place, was a Benjaminite, 2Sa 19:16;

See Gill on "2Sa 3:16"; David was not yet come to the city itself, but into the neighbourhood of it, the fields adjacent to it: and



behold, thence came out a man of the family of Saul; a descendant of a branch of his family, who had entertained a private grudge and secret enmity against David, to whom he imputed the fall of the family of Saul:



whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera: which might be a name common in the tribe of Benjamin, one of Benjamin's sons being named Gera, Ge 46:21. Some say {s} he was the same with Nebat, the father of Jeroboam; but he was of the tribe of Ephraim, this of Benjamin:



he came forth, and cursed still as he came; he came out of Bahurim, of which place he was, and all the way he came continued cursing David, until he came near unto him.



{s} Hieron. Trad. Helb. in 2. Reg. fol. 79. B.





2 Samuel 16:6



Ver. 6. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of King David,.... Not that he was within the reach of them, or could hurt them, by casting them at them; but this he did to show his contempt of them, and to intimate that they deserved to be stoned, and especially David, at whose adultery he might point by it:



and all the people, and all the mighty men [were] on his right hand,

and on his left; that is, of David; which is observed, not so much to indicate the safety of David's person, as the impudence and madness of Shimei, to cast stones at David when so guarded.





2 Samuel 16:7



Ver. 7. And thus said Shimei, when he cursed, come out, come out,.... Or rather, "go out, go out" {t}; that is, out of the nation, where he deserved not to live, as he judged, and out of the kingdom, which he had usurped, as he supposed; and the repeating the words not only denotes his vehement desire to have him gone, but the haste he should make to get out, or he was liable to be overtaken by Absalom and his forces; upbraiding him also with the hurry he was in, and the speedy flight he was making:



thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial; or wicked man; perhaps referring by these characters in the one to the murder of Uriah, and in the other to his adultery with Bathsheba; and these crimes coming fresh into David's mind hereby, might make him more mild and humble under his reproaches.



{t} au au "egredere, egredere", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.





2 Samuel 16:8



Ver. 8. The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul,.... Which he would suggest was shed by David, or, however, that he was the cause of its being shed; as if he had stirred up the Philistines to that battle in which Saul and his sons were slain, and had an hand secretly in the deaths of Ishbosheth and Abner, all which were false insinuations; and it may be the seven sons of Saul before this time, though after related, were delivered into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged, to which respect may be had:



in whose stead thou hast reigned; not by right, but by usurpation he suggests:



and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; in this he seems to contradict himself; for if David had got the kingdom by usurpation, it would rather have, been delivered by the Lord into the hand of one of Saul's family, and not of David's:



and behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief; punished for his sins; the mischief he had brought on others was retaliated to him:



because thou [art] a bloody man; guilty of slaying, as the Targum of shedding innocent blood, and so worthy of death.





2 Samuel 16:9



Ver. 9. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king,.... A sister's son of his, and a general in the army, who could not bear to hear the king abused in this manner:



why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? be suffered to do it with impunity; a "dog" he calls him, because of his vileness and baseness, and because of his impudence, and on account of his reproachful and abusive language, aptly signified by the snarling and barking of a dog; and a "dead" dog, as being useless, detestable, and abominable:



let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head; go over the plain where David and his men were, to the hill on which Shimei was, and strike off his head with his sword; which he could easily do, and soon put an end to his cursing.





2 Samuel 16:10



Ver. 10. And the king said, what have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah?.... It seems as if Joab, the brother of Abishai, joined with him in this request to have leave to take off the head of Shimei; and though David had to do with them as his relations, his sister's sons, and as they were generals in his army; yet in this case he would have nothing to do with them, would not take their advice, nor suffer them to take revenge on this man for his cursing him: or "what [is it] to me, [or] to you" {u}? what signifies his cursing? it will neither hurt me nor you:



so let him curse; go on cursing after this manner; do not restrain him from it, or attempt to stop his mouth: or, "for he will curse" {w}; so is the textual reading; you will not be able to restrain him, for the following reason:



because the Lord hath said unto him, curse David; not by way of command, or a precept of his; for to curse the ruler of the people is contrary to the word and law of God, Ex 22:28, nor by any operation of his spirit moving and exciting him to it; for the operations of the Spirit are to holiness, and not to sin; but by the secret providence of God ordering, directing, and overruling all circumstances relative to this affair. Shimei had conceived enmity and hatred to David; God left him to the power of this corruption in his breast, opened a way in Providence, and gave him an opportunity of exercising it on him: it was not a bare permission of God that Shimei should curse David; but it was his will, and he ordered it so in Providence, that he should do it; which action was attended with the predetermined concourse of divine Providence, so far as it was an action; though, as a sinful action, it was of Shimei, sprung from his own heart, instigated by Satan; but as a correction and chastisement of David, it was by the will, order, and appointment of God, and as such David considered it, and quietly submitted to it:



who shall then say, wherefore hast thou done so? for though Shimei might justly be blamed, and reproved for it, yet the thing itself was not to be hindered or restrained, it being according to the will and providence of God, to answer some good end with respect to David.



{u} Mklw yl hm "quid mihi et vobis", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus. {w} yk "quia", Moatanus.





2 Samuel 16:11



Ver. 11. And David said to Abishai, and all his servants,.... In order to make them easy, and reconcile them to this usage of him:



behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life; meaning Absalom:



how much more now [may this] Benjamite [do it]? who was not only of the same tribe that Saul was, but of the same family, and so bore an ill will to David because of his succession in the throne:



let him alone, and let him curse; do nothing to restrain him, not even by words, and much less by any violent actions, and still less by taking away his life:



for the Lord hath bidden him; in the sense explained in 2Sa 16:10.





2 Samuel 16:12



Ver. 12. It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction,.... Through the rebellion of his son, and now aggravated by the cursing of Shimei; that is, with an eye of pity and commiseration, and deliver him out of it: or "look upon my eye" {x}; for there is a various reading; the tear of mine eye, as the Targum; so Jarchi and R. Isaiah; the tears in it, which fell plentifully from it, on account of his troubles, and particularly the curses and reproaches of Shimei:



and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day; he does not speak with assurance, yet with hope; he knew his sins deserved such treatment, but also that God was gracious and merciful, and pitied his children, and resented all ill usage of them; and therefore hoped he would favour him with such intimations of his love as would support him, comfort, refresh him, and do him good, see Ro 8:28.



{x} ynyeb "in oculum meum", Montanus; "oculum meum lachrymantem", Munster.





2 Samuel 16:13



Ver. 13. And as David and his men went by the way,.... In the high road that led to Bahurim, taking no notice of the cursing of Shimei, which made him bolder and more impudent; here is a large pause in the Hebrew text, in the midst of this verse:



Shimei went along on the hill side over against him; as David and his men walked in the plain, he went on a range of hills that ran along right against them:



and cursed as he went; continued his curses and imprecations, to which he was the more emboldened by the behaviour of David and his men:



and threw stones at him, and cast dust; in a way of contempt, though the stones recoiled on his own head, and the dust flew in his own face, as the consequence of things showed; and now David composed and penned the seventh psalm, Ps 7:1.





2 Samuel 16:14



Ver. 14. And the king, and all the people that [were] with him, came weary,.... With their journey, and through grief and trouble at what they met with:



and refreshed themselves there: that is, at Bahurim, with food and rest; which revived their spirits, and put as it were new life and soul into them, as the word used signifies. Josephus {y} says, when David came to Jordan, he refreshed his weary men.



{y} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 4.





2 Samuel 16:15



Ver. 15. And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem,.... At the same time that David and his people came to Bahurim; which, as Josephus {z} says, was a place near to Jerusalem; and, according to Bunting {a}, was little more than a mile from it; though elsewhere {b} he makes it three miles; so that had not David made the hasty flight he did, he had fallen into the hands of Absalom:



and Ahithophel with him: a famous counsellor, and who had been of David's privy council, and chief in it, see 2Sa 15:12 and whom David refers to in Ps 55:12.



{z} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 4. {a} Travels, &c. p. 144. {b} Ib. p. 150.





2 Samuel 16:16



Ver. 16. And it came to pass that when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom,.... Who came into Jerusalem at the same time that Absalom did, and who, no doubt, took the first opportunity to make his court to him, 2Sa 15:37;



that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king; or "may the king live" {c}, live long, and his kingdom be permanent; these words are very ambiguous, he might mean David, who was true and lawful king, though he would have them understood of Absalom, who was king by usurpation, in which he used great deceit and flattery; and that he might not be suspected of it, but be thought to be sincere and truly loyal to Absalom, he repeats the wish.



{c} Klmh yxy "vivat rex", Pagninus. Montanus, &c.





2 Samuel 16:17



Ver. 17. And Absalom said to Hushai, [is] this thy kindness to thy friend?.... Meaning to David; though he would not mention his name, nor his title, nor even the relation of a father he stood in to him, only speaks of him as Hushai's friend: Hushai had professed great friendship to David, and David had been a friend to Hushai, had raised him to great honour in making him a counsellor, and had bestowed many favours and benefits on him, as Absalom knew full well; and therefore, to try his integrity, he puts this question, not as displeased with him, but overjoyed that such a trusty friend of David, and a wise counsellor of his, had deserted him, and come over to him and his party; nor does he mean to charge him with ingratitude, which he could not do without reproaching himself; on whom it might be justly retorted, is this thy kindness to thy father that begot thee, and has always expressed such a strong affection for thee, as to rebel against him?



why wentest thou not with thy friend? with David, when he went out of Jerusalem; for Absalom knew not that Hushai had been with David, but thought he stayed behind at Jerusalem, when David fled, which made him less suspicious of him.





2 Samuel 16:18



Ver. 18. And Hushai said to Absalom,.... In answer to his questions:



nay, but whom the Lord, and his people, and all the men of Israel choose: here again he speaks very ambiguously; for this circumlocution, or descriptive character of the king of Israel, better agrees with David, whom he might bear in mind, than with Absalom; for the Lord had chosen David, and he was anointed by his order, and all the people of Israel had chosen and anointed him likewise; but as for Absalom, it was only a part of them that had declared for him, nor was there any evidence of the Lord's choosing him; though Hushai undoubtedly would be under stood of him, and as interpreting the voice of the people to be the voice of God:



his will I be, and with him will I abide; though he designed no such thing, which was a great piece of dissimulation and hypocrisy; and if he meant David, it was a piece of deceit and equivocation: there is a various reading in the first clause; we follow the marginal reading,

wl, "to him" or "his", but the textual reading is al, "not": and both may be taken in by rendering the words by an interrogation, "shall I, or should I not be his" {d}? I will; that is, be his servant, faithfully obey his commands, be closely attached to him, and continue with him as a loyal subject.



{d} hyha al "non ero", Montanus; "non essem ejus?" Junius & Tremellius.





2 Samuel 16:19



Ver. 19. And again, whom should I serve?.... Or "secondly" {e}, a second reason is here given for serving Absalom: the first was the choice of God and the people, the second follows:



[should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence: he signifies, that as the kingdom was not translated into another family, but continued in succession in David's house, the alteration made was of no great consequence; it was indifferent to him whom he served, the father or the son; and he could as freely, and would as faithfully serve the son as the father; nor did he think it any breach of friendship to David, nor would David resent it, that he should serve his son, and do the best offices, and give him the best counsel he could; and he seems to bespeak the office of a counsellor, in which he had been to David, that he might be admitted into the presence of Absalom, and be of his privy council, and have the opportunity of giving his best advice.



{e} tynvh "secunda", Montanus, Munster, Vatablus; "secundo", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.





2 Samuel 16:20



Ver. 20. Then said Absalom to Ahithophel,.... Having two such able counsellors as he and Hushai, he directs his speech to Ahithophel, as being his first and chief counsellor:



give counsel among you what we shall do; he orders them to form a counsel, consult among themselves what was proper to be now done at Jerusalem, whether it was right to stay here or pursue after David and his men. Absalom did not send to the high priest to ask counsel of God, by Urim and Thummim before the ark, but wholly confided in his privy council.





2 Samuel 16:21



Ver. 21. And Ahithophel said unto Absalom,.... Either immediately of himself, without consulting with others; or after a consultation had been held between them, he as the president of it, and their mouth, gave the following advice; though the former seems most correct:



go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left, to keep the house; and lie with them; there were ten of them, 2Sa 15:16;



and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; this fact will be so abominable to him, and he will so highly resent it, as never to forgive thee, and be reconciled unto thee:



then shall the hands of all that [are] with thee be strong; he intimates that they were now weak, and did not act with spirit; they were fearful that David and Absalom would be reconciled, and then they should be reckoned traitors, and fall a sacrifice to David's vengeance, for their treason against him: but by Absalom's taking such a step as this, which would make him for ever the object of his father's hatred, their hands and hearts would be strengthened, and their fears removed, and they would not have the least jealousy of a reconciliation between them, and of their being left to the resentment of David. Some think this was not his only reason for giving this counsel, but also to revenge David's abuse of Bathsheba, his son's daughter, as she is supposed to be, See Gill on "2Sa 15:12"; however, it was so ordered in Providence, that this advice should be given and taken, to fulfil the prophecy of the Lord to Nathan, 2Sa 12:11.





2 Samuel 16:22



Ver. 22. So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of the house,.... On the top of his father's palace; this, as houses in Jerusalem and Judea were, was built flat, De 22:8; and it was on the very spot from whence David had a sight of Bathsheba, and conceived an impure lust after her. The Targum renders it, a canopy; which Kimchi describes as consisting of four pillars, upon and round about which curtains were hung:



and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel; they saw the tent or canopy erected, and saw him go into it, and might reasonably conclude he lay with his father's concubines, or half wives, in it; and this being done in so public a manner fulfilled the prophecy, which said it should be done in the sight of the sun, and of all Israel, 2Sa 12:11; this shows how corrupt the people of Israel were at this time, at least those that were with Absalom, that there should be none to object to the counsel Ahithophel gave, nor any to remonstrate against the execution of it, but all seemed to look upon it with pleasure; nor even did Hushai, David's friend, oppose it; perhaps he saw it was to no purpose.





2 Samuel 16:23



Ver. 23. And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he had counselled in those days,.... Both in the days of David, and in the days of Absalom, before and since the rebellion:



[was] as if a man had inquired of the oracle of God; such an opinion was entertained of it, so well satisfied were they with it, and as confident of success in taking it, as if the Lord himself had been consulted by Urim and Thummim; this is a very great exaggeration of Ahithophel's counsel, and is observed as a reason why it was so readily taken, though so bad in the preceding instance:



so [was] all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with David and with Absalom; Ahithophel was a crafty man, a time server, that temporized with princes, and knew how to suit his counsels with their tempers and interests: to David he gave good counsel, what was acceptable with him, and to Absalom bad counsel, which was pleasing to him.

 

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.

2 Samuel 17:1



INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 17



This chapter relates the advice Ahithophel gave to march out speedily with a number of men in pursuit of David, which at first seemed agreeable, 2Sa 17:1; but Hushai's opinion being asked, and he giving counsel to raise a larger army, which required time, and was taken to, hereby the counsel of Ahithophel was defeated, 2Sa 17:5; upon which he hanged himself, 2Sa 17:23; these different counsels being communicated by Hushai to the priests, they found means to transmit them to David, with an instruction to him to pass over Jordan immediately; which he did, and pitched in Gilead, and whither he was followed by Absalom, 2Sa 17:15; and where he met with a supply of provisions for his army from some eminent persons in and near that place, 2Sa 17:27.



Ver. 1. Moreover, Ahithophel said unto Absalom,.... Either at the same time, or quickly after he had given the foregoing advice:



let me now choose out twelve thousand men: out of those that were with Absalom, which shows their number to be large; and twelve thousand are pitched upon with respect to the twelve tribes of Israel, a thousand from every tribe; Josephus has only ten thousand;



and I will arise and pursue after David this night; he took upon him to be general of the army, as well as a counsellor; or this he said to show how confident he was of the success of his counsel, that if Absalom, or any other, should decline the conduct of the army upon it, as a hazardous attempt, he would undertake it himself; or rather it may be, he was not willing that Absalom should go out in person with the army, not so much for his own safety, as lest through his affection for the king he should spare him, when he fell into his hands, or they two should be reconciled; he proposed to do it that night, partly for expedition, no time being to be lost, and partly for the greater surprise of David and his men.





2 Samuel 17:2



Ver. 2. And I will come upon him while he [is] weary,.... With travelling, and with grief, and when endeavouring to get some rest by sleep, and so surprise him unawares, when not on his guard, and in no posture of defence:



and weak handed; while the number of men with him is small, and before the people from different parts can come to his assistance:



and will make him afraid; strike terror into him and his then, by surprising them suddenly in the night with such a number of men:



and all the people that [are] with him shall flee; one one way, and another another, for their own security, and leave David alone:



and I will smite the king only; dispatch him, and let the people flee without pursuing them.





2 Samuel 17:3



Ver. 3. And I will bring back all the people unto thee,.... Meaning not the people only that were with David, that he would make them prisoners, and bring them with him; for he before proposed to let them make their escape; but to reduce all Israel to the obedience of Absalom at once, by executing this scheme which he had formed:



the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned; meaning David, whom he speaks of contemptibly, and whose life it seems Absalom sought, as well as his crown; and he being dead, it would be all over at once with the people; they would immediately return to their own habitations, and yield obedience to Absalom as the rightful heir and successor; all depended on his death, he intimates: from whence it appears that Abarbinel is wrong in suggesting that Absalom did not design to take away the life of his father, only to secure the kingdom to himself in his father's lifetime, who he understood had disposed of it by his will to Solomon; but here Ahithophel plainly declares the intention of Absalom, nor would he have proposed in plain terms to take away the king's life, had Absalom been averse to it; and it is plain by what follows that the thing was pleasing to him:



[so] all the people shall be in peace; both parties coalesce under the government of Absalom, and live peaceably under it, and so an entire end of the war.





2 Samuel 17:4



Ver. 4. And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all elders of Israel. That were of the privy council; for it was a well contrived scheme to surprise David his men by night, in the condition they were in; nothing like seizing an opportunity, and making quick dispatch in executing a villainous design; only it is strange that Absalom could so easily come into a scheme to take away the life of so indulgent a father, which is only to be accounted for by his ambition; but it is stranger still that the elders of Israel should be pleased with it, and agree to and determine upon the death of a prince, who had so many years ruled them with justice and equity, clemency and mercy; and fought their battles for them, and raised their nation to such a pitch of glory it never had before.





2 Samuel 17:5



Ver. 5. Then said Absalom, call now Hushai the Archite also,.... For it seems he was not at the council board at this time; whether he was as yet admitted to it is not certain: there is something very remarkable in the providence of God, to incline Absalom to have the opinion of Hushai upon this point, when the counsel of Ahithophel was so universally approved of; and Hushai also being well known to have been an intimate friend and confident of David's, and not so settled and established in the interest of Absalom, and such a sworn friend of his as Ahithophel was; this can only be ascribed to the will of God, to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, and the wisdom of divine Providence in blinding the mind of Absalom with respect to his counsel, and inclining it to take the opinion of Hushai:



and let us hear likewise what he saith; which he might say without any diffidence about the "counsel" given, but knowing that in the multitude of counsellors there is safety; and Hushai being a wise and good counsellor, he might hope and expect that he would give the same advice, and so strengthen and confirm it.





2 Samuel 17:6



Ver. 6. And when Hushai was come to Absalom,.... Into the council chamber, very probably:



Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner; and then related the counsel he had given as before:



shall we do [after] his saying? is it right to proceed on this scheme, and carry it into execution?



if not, speak thou; thy mind freely, without any reserve, or fear of giving any offence.





2 Samuel 17:7



Ver. 7. And Hushai said to Absalom,.... Having leave to give his opinion freely:



the counsel that Ahithophel hath given [is] not good at this time; he owns that Ahithophel was a good counsellor, and that the counsel he gave was for the most part, if not always, good, but what he gave at this time was not so; the wisest of men may sometimes be mistaken. Abarbinel thinks he respects his former counsel, particularly that that was good, advising him to defile his father's bed, 2Sa 16:21; but this was not, for which he gives the following reasons.





2 Samuel 17:8



Ver. 8. For (said Hushai) thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men,.... Men of courage and valour, and not such weak-handed and weak-hearted men, and so easily intimidated, as Ahithophel suggests:



and they [be] chafed in their minds; or "bitter in soul" {f}; not merely filled with trouble and anguish, and depressed in their spirits, on account of that, as the phrase sometimes signifies; but enraged and full of wrath at the rebellion raised against their prince, which obliged them with him to leave their habitations; and now being desperate, their all lying at stake, their wives and children, their families and estates, they would fight furiously in the defence of the king and themselves, and not so soon flee as Ahithophel had represented:



as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; a bear is a very furious creature, especially a she bear, and the more when it has whelps, and more so when deprived of them {g}, when it ranges about in the field, and in its fury attacks whomsoever it meets with;

See Gill on "Ho 13:8";



and thy father [is] a man of war; not only bold and courageous, but expert and skilful in all the arts of war and not easy to be surprised and circumvented, as Ahithophel intimated:



and will not lodge with the people; in the camp, but at some distance from it; partly to prevent any traitorous design upon him in it, and partly that he might not be surprised by the enemy, knowing that their chief view was to seize his person; and therefore as it would not be easy to find him where he was, he could not be smitten alone, as Ahithophel proposed.



{f} vpn yrm "amari animo", Pagninus, Montanus; "amaro animo", V. L. Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. {g} Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 6. c. 18. & 9. 1.





2 Samuel 17:9



Ver. 9. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place,.... Some lurking place, as he was acquainted with many when he fled from Saul, and where he preserved himself from him; so that he could never take him, as he would now from Absalom, as he insinuates: but this is not all; not only by this means he would shelter himself, and be in safety; but lying thus concealed with others, and in ambush, there would be danger of his staring out of his hiding place when opportunity should offer, and falling on some of Absalom's troops unawares:



and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first; that is, some of Absalom's party, on whom David and his men coming out of an ambush should fall, and make a slaughter among them first, before they could do anything of consequence; and so having got the first advantage, it would serve to animate them, and dishearten their enemies:



that whosoever heareth it; at that time, or the next day:



will say, there is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom; there has been a defeat of them, and that may cause a defection.





2 Samuel 17:10



Ver. 10. And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt,.... That is, whoever should hear of Absalom's forces, or a part of them, being routed, would be intimidated, though ever so courageous, or of such a lion-like temper and disposition; and even Ahithophel himself, notwithstanding all his boasted courage, his heart would fail, he would melt like water {h}, Jos 7:5; should he meet with such a rebuff at first setting out. A lion is well known for its courage as well as strength, and has not only a fierce countenance, hence we read of lion-like men in their faces, 2Sa 23:20; but has a courageous heart, and from thence it is thought to have its name Labi, from "leb", which signifies the heart; so Hercules is represented by the poet as having a lion's heart {i}, and others also; though Leo Africanus {k} relates of some lions in Africa that are so naturally fearful that they will flee at the cry of children, particularly at a place called Agla; hence it became a proverb with the inhabitants of Fez to call blustering cowards the lions of Agla; and he speaks of great numbers of lions elsewhere {l}, who are easily driven away with a small stick by the most timorous persons; but for the most part lions are very bold and daring, as well as strong, to which the allusion is here. Some apply this to David himself, who was a valiant man, and whose heart was like that of a lion, and so read the last clause with an interrogation: "shall he utterly melt?" no, he will not; he is not to be made afraid so easily as Ahithophel has intimated:



for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which be with him [are] valiant men: this is so universally known that it cannot be denied.



{h} ----hute leibeai udwr, Moschi Idyll 2. ver. 45. {i} yumoleonta Homer. Iliad. 5. ver 639. Iliad. 7. ver. 228. Odyss. 11. ver. 279. Vid. Hesiod. Theogoniam prope finem. {k} Descriptio Africae, l. 3. p. 400. {l} Ib. p. 474.





2 Samuel 17:11



Ver. 11. Therefore I counsel,.... My advice is as follows:



that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude: not all the inhabitants of the land, but such as are fit to bear arms, or that were soldiers, employed in military affairs, in keeping garrisons, guarding the coasts, &c. even the militia of the nation, from the extreme boundary of it on the north to the extreme boundary of it on the south; in such a direction lay Dan and Beersheba. This is opposed to the counsel of Ahithophel, which was only to select twelve thousand men, and send them against David at once; and this is designed chiefly to gain time, since such a collection could not be made soon, and so David would have more time to get farther off, and to prepare the better for his defence; and this advice might be the more agreeable to Absalom, as it promised a greater certainty of success through numbers, and might feed the vanity and ambition of that prince to have such a large army under him, as well as suggested that all Israel were on his side, and at his command, and might easily be gathered to him:



and that thou go to battle in thine own person; this was another part of his advice opposed to the counsel of Ahithophel, who proposed to have the command of the twelve thousand men himself, and to leave Absalom at Jerusalem; now Hushai suggests that it would be more to his interest and his honour to take command of the army himself, and go in person into the field of battle; since this would serve to animate his soldiers, when they saw their prince at the head of them, and he would have the glory of the victory, which he might insinuate hereby Ahithophel sought to deprive him of: it is in the Hebrew text, that "thy face" or "faces go to battle" {m}, where he might be seen in person, and have the oversight and direction of things himself; the Targum is,



"and thou shalt go at the head of us all;''



and this advice Hushai was directed to give, and which was taken, that Absalom might fall in battle.



{m} Myklh Kynp "facies tuae euntes", Montanus, "facies tua vadat", Pagninus.





2 Samuel 17:12



Ver. 12. So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found,.... For such a numerous army, which would be spread abroad, could not well fail of finding him out, let him be in what lurking place he would; whereas he might lie concealed, and escape so small a number as twelve thousand men:



and we will light upon him as the dew falleth upon the ground; whose drops are innumerable, and cover all the ground where they fall; and the phrase not only expresses their numbers, but the irresistible force they should come with, and the manner, secretly, unawares, opportunely; the Romans had a sort of soldiers, called from the dew "rorarii", who carried light armour, and fought first in the battle, from whence they had their name, because dew falls before it rains {n}:



and of him, and of all the men that [are] with him, there shall not be left so much as one; so that for the future Absalom would sit easy upon the throne, there being none left to molest him.



{n} Valtrinus de Milit. Roman. l. 3. c. 3.





2 Samuel 17:13



Ver. 13. Moreover, if he be gotten into a city,.... A strong fortified place, thinking to secure himself there, where he might hold out against those that were risen against him; the former part of the account supposes him in the field, where he would soon be detected, if hidden in a pit or any other place, or if he appeared openly would quickly be overthrown by the numerous forces of Absalom; and here it suggests, should he betake himself to a city for shelter,



then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city; scaling ropes, and thereby get upon and over the walls of it, and take it by storm; or engines worked with ropes, used for the demolishing of cities; so Tacitus speaks of "vincula tormentorum", the bands or ropes of engines, as Grotius observes; the Targum renders it by "armies", thus,



"all Israel shall be gathered against the city, and surround it with armies,''



besiege it in form, and so surround it that David could not possibly make his escape out of it, nor could it hold out long against such numerous forces; or this is an hyperbolical expression, as Kimchi calls it, signifying that their numbers would be so many, that they could soon and easily demolish it:



and we will draw it into the river; by the side of which it was built, or the ditch or trench around it, or the valley near it, that being built on an hill; and by this boasting, bragging, hyperbolical expression, he signifies that they should be able easily and utterly to destroy its walls, buildings, and towers, as if a number of men were to fasten a rope about anything, and by their main strength, and through their numbers, draw it down whither they pleased:



until there be not one small stone found there; and this being the case, David and his men must inevitably fall into their hands, and none escape.





2 Samuel 17:14



Ver. 14. And Absalom and all the men of Israel said,.... That is, the elders, who before approved of the counsel of Ahithophel, 2Sa 17:4;



the counsel of Hushai the Archite [is] better than the counsel of Ahithophel; it appeared to them most plausible, and most likely to be attended with success:



for the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel; for so it was to Absalom and his party the best and wisest that could be given them; but it was the Lord's will it should be defeated, and therefore the minds of Absalom and of the elders of Israel were blinded:



to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom; his person and cause; that his cause might be ruined, and he himself slain in battle; see Pr 19:21.





2 Samuel 17:15



Ver. 15. Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,.... After he was returned from the council board, he immediately went to these priests, who he knew were in the interest of David, and to whom he was to communicate, and by them transmit, what passed at Jerusalem, 2Sa 15:35;



thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; relating to them in express words what he advised to:



and thus and thus have I counselled; telling them in what manner he had given his counsel.





2 Samuel 17:16



Ver. 16. Now therefore send quickly and tell David,.... What has been advised to on both sides:



saying, lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness; which reached to Jericho; this advice he gave, because he knew not whether his counsel would be abode by, though preferred; Absalom and the elders of Israel might change their minds, and Ahithophel might, by the strength of his oratory, prevail upon them after all to follow his advice; and therefore, to guard against the worst, he judged it most prudential in David to make all the haste he could from that place where he was, and not continue a night longer in it; for, if Ahithophel's counsel should take place, he would be in pursuit of him that very night:



but speedily pass over; the river Jordan:



lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him: be destroyed by the forces Ahithophel should bring with him, which he would not be able to withstand.





2 Samuel 17:17



Ver. 17. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel,.... Who were the sons of the priests; these did not go into the city of Jerusalem with their parents, when they were sent back by David, 2Sa 15:27; but stayed by their direction at this place, which was near Jerusalem, and is called in the Targum the fuller's fountain, where they washed their clothes; and, as Kimchi and Jarchi say, by treading them with their feet, whence it had the name of Rogel, of which See Gill on "Jos 15:7";



(for they might not be seen to come into the city); having been charged by their parents to continue there for the sake of carrying intelligence to David, or because suspected by Absalom's party of carrying on such an intrigue:



and a wench went and told them: what Hushai had communicated to the priests, and what was his advice to David; this girl is supposed by Kimchi and Abarbinel to be of the family of Zadok, by whom she was sufficiently instructed to tell her message, and of whom there would be no suspicion:



and they went and told King David; the sons of the priests went and related to him all that had been transmitted to them.





2 Samuel 17:18



Ver. 18. Nevertheless, a lad saw them, and told Absalom,.... Saw them conversing with the girl, and departing for David's army; according to Josephus {o}, they were some horsemen that saw them about two furlongs or a quarter mile from Jerusalem, and acquainted Absalom with it:



but they went both of them away quickly; made all the haste they could with their message to David:



and came to a man's house in Bahurim; where very probably they had been informed David had been, whither he came weary, and had refreshment, 2Sa 16:14; or rather, perceiving they were discovered and pursued, they turned in hither, the first place they came to, for safety:



which had a well in his court; which they observed, and was the reason of their turning in:



whither they went down; to hide themselves from their pursuers, it being dry, as sometimes wells were in the summertime: Josephus says {p}, a woman let them down by a rope.



{o} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. {p} Ibid.





2 Samuel 17:19



Ver. 19. And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth,.... This woman, very probably, was the man's wife of the house, as Abarbinel notes; who took a cloth, and spread it over the well's mouth, that it could not be seen or known that there was a well there:



and spread ground corn thereon: just taken out of the mill, before it was sifted, while in the bran; or corn unhusked, or just threshed out, in order to be dried in the sun, and then parched; or wheat bruised for that purpose: Josephus says {q} they were locks of wool she spread:



and the thing was not known; that the young men were in the well.



{q} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7.





2 Samuel 17:20



Ver. 20. And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house,.... Who were sent after then, had intelligence which way they took, and into what house they turned:



they said, where [are] Ahimaaz and Jonathan? calling them by their names, being persons well known, and as to them, so to the woman of the house, as they supposed:



and the woman said unto them, they be gone over the brook of water; the river Jordan; so the Targum,



"they have already passed over Jordan;''



this was a lie she told them, which is not to be justified; the Vulgate Latin version,



"they passed over hastily, having drank a little water;''



and so Josephus {r} in some copies:



and when they had sought and could not find [them]; not only searched that house, but very probably others in Bahurim:



they returned to Jerusalem; to give an account what success they had.



{r} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. Hudson. not. in ib.





2 Samuel 17:21



Ver. 21. And it came to pass after they were departed,.... The servants of Absalom:



that they came up out of the well; the sons of the priests, being informed by the woman that they were gone; Josephus {s} says they were drawn up by the woman with a rope:



and went and told King David; who was now in the plain of the wilderness, perhaps near Jericho, and not a great way from Jordan, to whom they related the whole of their message:



and said unto David; as they were directed:



arise, and pass quickly over the water; the river Jordan:



for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you; to come with twelve thousand men, and fall upon him that very night; and it was not certain his counsel would be rejected; and therefore it was advisable for David to prepare against the worst.



{s} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7. Hudson. not. in ib.





2 Samuel 17:22



Ver. 22. Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him, and passed over Jordan,.... Taking the advice of Hushai:



by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan; they travelled all night, and before it was morning they had all passed the river in boats, or through the fords, and not one was lost in the passage, nor any deserted, see Joh 17:12; and now perhaps David penned the forty second and forty third psalms, Ps 42:1.





2 Samuel 17:23



Ver. 23. And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed,.... But that of Hushai:



he saddled [his] ass; or ordered it to be saddled:



and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city; which was Giloh in the tribe of Judah, 2Sa 15:12;



and put his household in order; made his will, and disposed of his estates, see Isa 38:1; or "commanded his house" or "household" {t}; gave orders and instructions, both relating to himself when dead, where and how he should be buried, and to his family, how they should behave to one another and among their neighbours, and towards their superiors; and particularly, the Jews say {u}, he gave them this charge, not to rebel against the government of the house of David:



and hanged himself; so to his other sins added that of suicide, which was done deliberately, as the preceding clause shows; this he did, partly because his proud spirit could not bear it that his counsel should be slighted, and that of another be preferred to it; and partly because he plainly foresaw that the cause of Absalom would be ruined by neglecting his counsel and following that of Hushai's, whereby he himself would fall into the hands of David, and be put to death by him as a traitor; and he chose to die by his own hand, and not his; and the rather, to prevent the confiscation of his goods and estates as a traitor, and his heirs being deprived of them; though some think he died of a disease, by strangling or suffocation in the throat, was choked through grief and trouble; so R. Elias observes {w}, that some say that this disease came upon him through the greatness of his grief of mind and trouble of soul, because his counsel was not taken, and he died of strangling; and they say this, because they reckon it an absurdity for so wise and understanding a man as he was to hang himself; but the case seems very clear that he did kill himself; the Jews say {x} he was but thirty three years of age when he died; for being a bloody and deceitful man, he did not live out half his days, Ps 55:23; which psalm was penned on his account; but one so young could hardly be a counsellor of David, and so famous for his wise counsel; and besides, if so young, could not be the grandfather of Bathsheba, as the Jews say:



and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father; though he died an ignominious death, he had an honourable burial; it perhaps not being usual in those times to put any mark of infamy on those that killed themselves, by refusing them interment in the common burying places of their friends and neighbours.



{t} wtyb la wuy "praecepit ad domum suam", Montanus. {u} T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 29. 1. {w} In Tishbi, p. 129. & David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 148. 2. {x} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 106. 2.





2 Samuel 17:24



Ver. 24. Then David came to Mahanaim,.... A city on the other side Jordan in the tribe of Gad, Jos 13:26, famous for its being the place where the angels of God met Jacob, Ge 32:1; and was for some time the seat of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, 2Sa 2:8;



and Absalom passed over Jordan, he, and all the men of Israel with him; not directly after David, but some time after, when, according to the counsel of Hushai, he had gathered all the warlike men of Israel to him that he could, and with this army pursued his father; not content to drive him to the other side Jordan, sought to seize his person, and take away his life, and so secure the crown and kingdom to him, of which he made no doubt, having such a numerous army, on which he relied.





2 Samuel 17:25



Ver. 25. And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab,.... Who was along with David:



which Amasa [was] a man's son whose name [was] Ithra, an Israelite; he is called Jether the Ishmaelite, 1Ch 2:17; either because he was an Ishmaelite by birth, and being proselyted to the Jewish religion, was called an Israelite; or rather he was an Israelite by birth, and having sojourned in the land of Ishmael some time, was called an Ishmaelite, as Uriah the Hittite, and others; and when Amasa is called a "man's son", it means a great man, as Kimchi observes:



that went in to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah,

Joab's mother: so that Joab and Amasa, the generals of David and Absalom, were own cousins, sisters' children, and David uncle to them both; for Abigail and Zeruiah were David's sisters, 1Ch 2:16; children of Jesse, whose name is here called Nahash, having two names, or this was his surname; though others think Nahash is the name of a woman, the wife of Jesse, and that these two sisters had two mothers, but one father; it seems by this expression, "went in to", as if Amasa was not begotten in the conjugal state, but was illegitimate.





2 Samuel 17:26



Ver. 26. So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. Which belonged to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; here the Israelites that were with Absalom encamped, in order to give battle to David and his men.





2 Samuel 17:27



Ver. 27. And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim,.... When he first came thither, 2Sa 17:24;



that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon: who was either the son, or rather the brother of Hanun king of the Ammonites, that used David's ambassadors in so shameful a manner, whom David overcame and deposed, and set up this brother in his room; who had showed his dislike of his brother's conduct, and now makes a grateful return to David for his favours; though some say this was Hanun himself, as Jarchi, now become a proselyte, which is not so likely; others take this man to be an Israelite that continued in Rabbah, the metropolis of the Ammonites, after it was taken by David:



and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar; the same that brought up Mephibosheth, from whom David received him and took him off of his hands, for which now he requited him, see 2Sa 9:5;



and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim; a place that lay under the hills of Gilead {y}; it had its name from the "fullers" who dwelt here for the convenience of fountains of water to wash their clothes in.



{y} Fuller's Pisgah-View, B. 2. c. 3. sect. 10. p. 94.





2 Samuel 17:28



Ver. 28. Brought beds,.... For David and his men, who, fleeing from Jerusalem in haste, could bring none with them, and therefore were ill provided while in the plains of the wilderness; the Septuagint version says there were ten of them, and that they were of tapestry, wrought on both sides, and such the ancients used {z}, see Pr 7:16; and so ten basins in the next clause:



and basins, and earthen vessels; to put their food and liquors in, and eat and drink out of, and for other services:



and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn]; or "kali", which was made of the above corn ground into meal, and mixed with water or milk, and eaten with honey or oil, as there was another sort made of pulse, later mentioned:



and beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse]; or "kali", made of these in the above manner. Some think {a} coffee is meant, but without reason.



{z} Vid. Aristophan. in Pluto, p. 55. {a} Sterringa, Animadv. Philol. Sacr. p. 48.





2 Samuel 17:29



Ver. 29. And honey and butter,.... Honey was much in use with the ancients; Homer {b} speaks of it as a part of the provisions at a feast, and as food with which persons were nourished and brought up; and the ancient Scythians lived on milk and honey {c}; and this and butter were pretty much the food of the people in Judea; see Isa 7:15;



and sheep; with which and goats the land of Gilead abounded; see So 4:1;



and cheese of kine: made of the milk of cows, as it commonly is:



for David, and for the people that [were] with him, to eat; and no doubt they brought wine with them for them to drink; the men that brought these, some brought one sort, and some another, or however different parcels of the same, and did not join in one present; for they came from different parts:



for they said, the people [is] hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness; where they had been some time, and out of which they had just come, and so weary with travelling, and therefore brought beds to lie down and rest upon; and being hungry and thirsty, through want of bread and water in the wilderness, they brought them both eatables and drinkables; for though the latter is not expressed, it is to be understood, as the word "thirsty" supposes.



{b} Iliad. 11. ver. 630. Odyss. 10. ver. 245. & Odyss. 20. ver. 72. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 11. Sueton. Vita Nero. c. 27. {c} Justin e Trogo, l. 2. c. 2.

 

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