2 Samuel 19:9-15

The Return to the Jordan. 2 Samuel 19:9-15

9 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.

12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?

13 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

15 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.

7.

What was the popular opinion among the people? 2 Samuel 19:9-10

The people of Israel were confused and their loyalties were divided. They knew that David had saved them out of the hands of their enemiesthe Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, Syrians, and Philistines. They knew that he was in exile, having been driven out of his kingdom by his own son, but Absalom, whom they had anointed to be their king, was dead. Their line of reasoning led them to the place where the majority of them were agitating for bringing David back to rule in Jerusalem.

8.

Why did David summon Judah? 2 Samuel 19:11

David represented the people of Judah as being the last to come back under his banner. They would have been last if they had not hastened to come in before Israel found their way back. Amasa was mentioned as a diplomatic gesture. This would flatter Amasa and secure his allegiance to David. David wanted Amasa, since he was a member of the tribe of Judah and had been Absalom's commander. Judah responded to David's invitation and met him at Gilgal, a convenient, sacred place located west of the Jordan.

9.

Why the pledge to Amasa? 2 Samuel 19:13

David did another unaccountable and unjustifiable thing in appointing Amasa commander-in-chief of the army in the place of Joab (2 Samuel 19:13). One can understand his exasperation with the latter for his deliberate disobedience in the death of Absalom, and for the insulting language he used to the king. But, for all that, to make the former rebel chief to be the head of the army, superseding the loyal and victorious commander who had saved the king's throne for him was really too much; and one wonders where David's common sense had gone. We can imagine the fierce and sullen resentment of Joab's veterans when they heard the news. It is a wonder that there was not an outbreak of rebellion.