INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 15 This chapter relates how that Absalom by various artful methods stole away the hearts of the people of Israel, 2 Samuel 15:1; that pretending a vow he had made, he got leave of the king to go to Hebron to perform it, 2 Samuel 15:7; where he formed a considerable con... [ Continue Reading ]
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: A... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 i... [ Continue Reading ]
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 w... [ Continue Reading ]
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 h... [ Continue Reading ]
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 o... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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 T... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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; t... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 l... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 2 Samuel 16:6; AND ALL THE CHERETHITES, AND ALL THE PELETHITES; which were his bodyguards, see 2 Samuel 8:18; AND ALL THE GITTITES, SIX... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE KING TO ITTAI THE GITTITE,.... Who was over the band of Gittites, the six hundred men, 2 Samuel 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 fea... [ Continue Reading ]
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; wher... [ Continue Reading ]
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 TH... [ Continue Reading ]
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 LITT... [ Continue Reading ]
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 rebelli... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, LO, ZADOK ALSO,.... The priest, as he is called, 2 Samuel 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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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 befo... [ Continue Reading ]
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 d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING SAID UNTO ZADOK THE PRIEST, [ART NOT] THOU A SEER?.... A prophet, as well as a priest; see 1 Samuel 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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, 2 Samuel 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 in... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Matthew 26:30, and from whence he ascended to heaven... [ Continue Reading ]
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 2 Samuel 15:12; AND DAVID SAID, O LORD, I PRAY THEE, TURN THE COUNSEL OF AHITHOPHEL INTO FO... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Psalms 3:1, which, as the title shows, was made when he fled from Absalom: BEHOLD, HUSHAI TH... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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, ha... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, [THEY HAVE] THERE WITH THEM TWO SONS, AHIMAAZ, ZADOK'S [SON], AND JONATHAN, ABIATHAR'S [SON],.... As in 2 Samuel 15:27; not that they were in the city with them, but they were near it, 2 Samuel 17:17; with whom they had a communication: AND BY WHOM YE SHALL SEND UNTO ME EVERYTHING THAT YE C... [ Continue Reading ]
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 wit... [ Continue Reading ]