_NOW THE DAYS OF DAVID DREW NIGH THAT HE SHOULD DIE; AND HE CHARGED SOLOMON HIS SON, SAYING,_ David ... charged ... his son. The charge recorded here was given on his deathbed to Solomon, and is different from the farewell address delivered in public some time before (1 Chr. 28:29). It is introduce... [ Continue Reading ]
_I GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH: BE THOU STRONG THEREFORE, AND SHEW THYSELF A MAN;_ I go the way of all the earth - a beautiful and impressive periphrasis for death. BE THOU STRONG THEREFORE, AND SHOW THYSELF A MAN. This counsel is similar to the apostolic direction, 1 Corinthians 16:13, and refer... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND KEEP THE CHARGE OF THE LORD THY GOD, TO WALK IN HIS WAYS, TO KEEP HIS STATUTES, AND HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND HIS JUDGMENTS, AND HIS TESTIMONIES, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES, THAT THOU MAYEST PROSPER IN ALL THAT THOU DOEST, AND WHITHERSOEVER THOU TURNEST THYSELF:_ Keep the charge of the L... [ Continue Reading ]
_THAT THE LORD MAY CONTINUE HIS WORD WHICH HE SPAKE CONCERNING ME, SAYING, IF THY CHILDREN TAKE HEED TO THEIR WAY, TO WALK BEFORE ME IN TRUTH WITH ALL THEIR HEART AND WITH ALL THEIR SOUL, THERE SHALL NOT FAIL THEE (SAID HE) A MAN ON THE THRONE OF ISRAEL._ There shall not fail thee ... a man on the... [ Continue Reading ]
_MOREOVER THOU KNOWEST ALSO WHAT JOAB THE SON OF ZERUIAH DID TO ME, AND WHAT HE DID TO THE TWO CAPTAINS OF THE HOSTS OF ISRAEL, UNTO ABNER THE SON OF NER, AND UNTO AMASA THE SON OF JETHER, WHOM HE SLEW, AND SHED THE BLOOD OF WAR IN PEACE, AND PUT THE BLOOD OF WAR UPON HIS GIRDLE THAT WAS ABOUT HIS L... [ Continue Reading ]
_DO THEREFORE ACCORDING TO THY WISDOM, AND LET NOT HIS HOAR HEAD GO DOWN TO THE GRAVE IN PEACE._ Do therefore according to thy wisdom. Joab's immense popularity with the army required that any proceedings instituted against him should be taken with great prudence and deliberation. But that ruthless... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT SHEW KINDNESS UNTO THE SONS OF BARZILLAI THE GILEADITE, AND LET THEM BE OF THOSE THAT EAT AT THY TABLE: FOR SO THEY CAME TO ME WHEN I FLED BECAUSE OF ABSALOM THY BROTHER._ Show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai. The devoted loyalty of that venerable chief and his family made upon David an im... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND, BEHOLD, THOU HAST WITH THEE SHIMEI THE SON OF GERA, A BENJAMITE OF BAHURIM, WHICH CURSED ME WITH A GRIEVOUS CURSE IN THE DAY WHEN I WENT TO MAHANAIM: BUT HE CAME DOWN TO MEET ME AT JORDAN, AND I SWARE TO HIM BY THE LORD, SAYING, I WILL NOT PUT THEE TO DEATH WITH THE SWORD._ Thou hast with the... [ Continue Reading ]
_NOW THEREFORE HOLD HIM NOT GUILTLESS: FOR THOU ART A WISE MAN, AND KNOWEST WHAT THOU OUGHTEST TO DO UNTO HIM; BUT HIS HOAR HEAD BRING THOU DOWN TO THE GRAVE WITH BLOOD._ Now therefore hold him not guiltless. He has the turbulent spirit of sedition, and may be of treason; do not regard him as an in... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO DAVID SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS, AND WAS BURIED IN THE CITY OF DAVID._ So David slept with his fathers - about six months after the coronation of Solomon (cf. 2 Samuel 5:5 with 1 Chronicles 29:27). The interval was spent in developing his ideas and plans for the future glory of the kingdom, and pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE DAYS THAT DAVID REIGNED OVER ISRAEL WERE FORTY YEARS: SEVEN YEARS REIGNED HE IN HEBRON, AND THIRTY AND THREE YEARS REIGNED HE IN JERUSALEM._ The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years ... His was a noble, a wondrous, and an humbling history. He was a good man, yet his life wa... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN SAT SOLOMON UPON THE THRONE OF DAVID HIS FATHER; AND HIS KINGDOM WAS ESTABLISHED GREATLY._ Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father. His ascension to the royal dignity was made under the happiest auspices. Having been born after his father became monarch of the whole kingdom, his... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ADONIJAH THE SON OF HAGGITH CAME TO BATHSHEBA THE MOTHER OF SOLOMON. AND SHE SAID, COMEST THOU PEACEABLY? AND HE SAID, PEACEABLY._ Adonijah ... came to Bath-sheba. Her question to him, "Comest thou peaceably?" betrays an apprehension which his recent conduct might well warrant; but his pious a... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE SAID MOREOVER, I HAVE SOMEWHAT TO SAY UNTO THEE. AND SHE SAID, SAY ON._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_BATHSHEBA THEREFORE WENT UNTO KING SOLOMON, TO SPEAK UNTO HIM FOR ADONIJAH. AND THE KING ROSE UP TO MEET HER, AND BOWED HIMSELF UNTO HER, AND SAT DOWN ON HIS THRONE, AND CAUSED A SEAT TO BE SET FOR THE KING'S MOTHER; AND SHE SAT ON HIS RIGHT HAND._ Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon. The... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN SHE SAID, I DESIRE ONE SMALL PETITION OF THEE; I PRAY THEE, SAY ME NOT NAY. AND THE KING SAID UNTO HER, ASK ON, MY MOTHER: FOR I WILL NOT SAY THEE NAY._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND KING SOLOMON ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIS MOTHER, AND WHY DOST THOU ASK ABISHAG THE SHUNAMMITE FOR ADONIJAH? ASK FOR HIM THE KINGDOM ALSO; FOR HE IS MINE ELDER BROTHER; EVEN FOR HIM, AND FOR ABIATHAR THE PRIEST, AND FOR JOAB THE SON OF ZERUIAH._ Why dost thou ask Abishag? ... ask for him the kin... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN KING SOLOMON SWARE BY THE LORD, SAYING, GOD DO SO TO ME, AND MORE ALSO, IF ADONIJAH HAVE NOT SPOKEN THIS WORD AGAINST HIS OWN LIFE._ God do so to me, and more also. The common form of introducing a solemn oath. ADONIJAH ... SPOKEN THIS WORD AGAINST HIS OWN LIFE. Whether there was a treasonabl... [ Continue Reading ]
_NOW THEREFORE, AS THE LORD LIVETH, WHICH HATH ESTABLISHED ME, AND SET ME ON THE THRONE OF DAVID MY FATHER, AND WHO HATH MADE ME AN HOUSE, AS HE PROMISED, ADONIJAH SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH THIS DAY._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND UNTO ABIATHAR THE PRIEST SAID THE KING, GET THEE TO ANATHOTH, UNTO THINE OWN FIELDS; FOR THOU ART WORTHY OF DEATH: BUT I WILL NOT AT THIS TIME PUT THEE TO DEATH, BECAUSE THOU BAREST THE ARK OF THE LORD GOD BEFORE DAVID MY FATHER, AND BECAUSE THOU HAST BEEN AFFLICTED IN ALL WHEREIN MY FATHER WAS... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO SOLOMON THRUST OUT ABIATHAR FROM BEING PRIEST UNTO THE LORD; THAT HE MIGHT FULFIL THE WORD OF THE LORD, WHICH HE SPAKE CONCERNING THE HOUSE OF ELI IN SHILOH._ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THIS VERSE.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN TIDINGS CAME TO JOAB: FOR JOAB HAD TURNED AFTER ADONIJAH, THOUGH HE TURNED NOT AFTER ABSALOM. AND JOAB FLED UNTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE LORD, AND CAUGHT HOLD ON THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR._ Then tidings came to Joab. The execution of these sentences respectively on Adonijah and Abiathar prepared J... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT WAS TOLD KING SOLOMON THAT JOAB WAS FLED UNTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE LORD; AND, BEHOLD, HE IS BY THE ALTAR. THEN SOLOMON SENT BENAIAH THE SON OF JEHOIADA, SAYING, GO, FALL UPON HIM._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEIR BLOOD SHALL THEREFORE RETURN UPON THE HEAD OF JOAB, AND UPON THE HEAD OF HIS SEED FOR EVER: BUT UPON DAVID, AND UPON HIS SEED, AND UPON HIS HOUSE, AND UPON HIS THRONE, SHALL THERE BE PEACE FOR EVER FROM THE LORD._ Their blood shall therefore return ... A reference is here made to the curse p... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO BENAIAH THE SON OF JEHOIADA WENT UP, AND FELL UPON HIM, AND SLEW HIM: AND HE WAS BURIED IN HIS OWN HOUSE IN THE WILDERNESS._ Benaiah ... went up, and fell upon him. According to the terms of the statute (Exodus 21:14), and the practice in similar cases (2 Kings 11:15), the criminal was to be dr... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE KING PUT BENAIAH THE SON OF JEHOIADA IN HIS ROOM OVER THE HOST: AND ZADOK THE PRIEST DID THE KING PUT IN THE ROOM OF ABIATHAR._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE KING SENT AND CALLED FOR SHIMEI, AND SAID UNTO HIM, BUILD THEE AN HOUSE IN JERUSALEM, AND DWELL THERE, AND GO NOT FORTH THENCE ANY WHITHER._ The king sent and called for Shimei. He was probably residing at Bahurim, his native place. But, as he was a suspicious character, Solomon condemned... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR IT SHALL BE, THAT ON THE DAY THOU GOEST OUT, AND PASSEST OVER THE BROOK KIDRON, THOU SHALT KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THOU SHALT SURELY DIE: THY BLOOD SHALL BE UPON THINE OWN HEAD._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO THE KING COMMANDED BENAIAH THE SON OF JEHOIADA; WHICH WENT OUT, AND FELL UPON HIM, THAT HE DIED. AND THE KINGDOM WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE HAND OF SOLOMON._ The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon - now that, by the death of Shimei, all the leaders of the rival factions had been cut off... [ Continue Reading ]