_SHEBA MAKES A PARTY IN ISRAEL: JOAB KILLS AMASA, AND AFTERWARDS BESIEGES THE CITY OF ABEL, WHITHER SHEBA HAD FLED. A WISE WOMAN TREATS WITH JOAB FROM THE WALL. THE HEAD OF SHEBA IS THROWN OUT TO JOAB._ _Before Christ 1022._... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _WE HAVE NO PART IN DAVID,_ &C.— The propensity of the children of Israel to rebellion is here very obvious to remark. There needs but a single match to light the fire of discord. The ten tribes disputing with that of Judah, their contest ran so high, that a wicked man, Sheba, a Benjamite,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING TOOK THE TEN WOMEN HIS CONCUBINES, &C.— As soon as David arrived at Jerusalem, one of his first cares was to remove those _concubines,_ or secondary wives, whom Absalom had so scandalously abused. He ordered them, therefore, to be separated from the palace, and maintained in a proper place... [ Continue Reading ]
JOAB TOOK AMASA BY THE BEARD—TO KISS HIM— Those, among the Arabs, who are more intimately acquainted, or of equal age and dignity, mutually kiss the _hand,_ the _head,_ or _shoulder_ of each other, says Dr. Shaw; but he makes no mention of their taking hold of the _beard_ in order to kiss. Thevenot,... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SMOTE HIM— This action was attended with the highest perfidy and insolence. Many reasons concurred to prevent David's calling him to an account now; particularly his power, authority, and interest with the army: but it is plain that he never forgot this outrage of Joab's. 'That he highly resented... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO ABEL, AND TO BETH-MAACHAH, AND ALL THE BERITES— _To Abel Beth-maachah, whither all the Berites were gathered together to him._ Houbigant. See the next verse. _Abel Beth-maachah_ was a city between Libanus and Anti-libanus, north of Damascus. The _Berites_ were probably the inhabitants of Beerot... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY CAST UP A BANK AGAINST THE CITY— The LXX render it, _they levelled the bank,_ or _glacis, of the city;_ which receives some countenance from the words immediately following, _and it stood in the trench._ The Vulgate reads, _and they surrounded the city with fortifications._ But some learned per... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CRIED A WISE WOMAN, &C.— As Joab pressed the siege with all earnestness, a _wise woman,_ who probably was governess of the city, (an office, though generally filled by men, yet sometimes administered by women, such as Deborah, Athaliah, Judith, &c.) This wise woman from within called out over t... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW JOAB WAS OVER ALL THE HOST OF ISRAEL— Joab, having successfully put an end to the rebellion of Sheba, returned to Jerusalem to the king, and returned with such a weight of popularity, as effectually to shield his atrocious murder of Amasa from all attempts of inquiry or chastisement. "The crime,... [ Continue Reading ]