own house; and wnen he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat
31 Then said bis servants unto him, What thing u this that thou hast done 7 tb<Hi didst fast and weep for the child while it wa» alive: but when the child was dead, tbou cUdst rise and eat bread.
22 And he said, While the child was jet alive. I nisted and wept: 'fhr I said, Who caa tell lehaher Ood will be gracioiiB to me, that the child may live 1
23 But now he is dead, wherefore frjFjjfshould I ^t "i can I 'bring him back i» again? I shall go to him, hut ■ he shall aJ?U* not retnra to me. im^m
24 IT And David comlbrted Bath-sbeba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and ' she bare a son, and he called hb name Solomon: and the Loan loved him.
25 And he sent bv the hand of Nathan the IH-ophet J and he called his name * Jedidiah, be* cause of the Lobd.
2ft ^ And 0 Joidi fought agahut * Rddiah of the cfiildreD of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have* fought against Kabbah, ud taken the ci^ oTwaterB.
wear out its sabjeet, before it wore out itsel£. Even As httthMiB derived consolation from the reflection, ifast iht^ rttonld meet dieir friends in a stats of eonseious t And a saviDg in Cicero D« SmeetaU, wfaioh he jms is the mouth of CatotrfUtko, bosbeeD often quott^ ■■'d is aaiverMlly admired:
OyreetUarum diem, dm ad iDud divittum anrnorvm conewium a^mque projieieear, cAm^iie ex hM turid at oottueunu dieeedam 1 jprafieiecar eaim non ad toe eoUm viroe de quibua ante dni! eedetiam ad Catonem mooa, qu»n*movirmeliornaiueeet,nemojnetaiepnutanliari cidtu A ms esrpKt erammtumeati ^lad contra deatU at im nwtm. JudrnMO verb non me deserens, eed rapeetane, in ea prufeeH loot dieceteit, qtut mihi ipei etmtbat eaee veniendam: qttemego meum eaeum JoHiier ferrt vtswa «um.- nonmtod aqao animo/errem; eidme^M eonaolabar, airtotvmane, non iongts^unt <n<«r fios & gressma tt dtteueumjbre.
" O luqpipy day I (says he) when I shall quit Ibis ia^afe and corrupt multitude, and join myself to diet divins company and council of souls who have (juitted the earth before mc. Tliere I shall find, not only tnoee illustrious personages of whom I have spoken: but also my Cu& who, I can say, was one of the best mea ever born, asd wlwwa none ever excelled in virtue and piety. I nave
E laced his body on that fiineral ^e, whereon be ougbi to ave laid mine. But his soul has not left ne; and, vtdioot losing aif^t of me. be has only gone befine into a counKy where be saw 1 riiould sooo rqoin bim. Th^ my lot, I seem to bear couragsoualy i not isdesd dM I do btttr it with restgnatien t but I mU taeaktt mjwelf wiA that the interval between his deputnn mA
And we well know who has tatig^t ua not to ■ thoee without hope, for departed friends.
Verse 24. David com forted Bath'thebd] Risextnsr' dinary attadimest to this beautifiol woman was tbs caaae of all his misfortunes.
He eaUed hia name Sblomon] "nua nune secBs Is have been given propbetieally; for RD^ sKUcsmA, aigai* fiea^woMoSfe; aiid mere was almost uninleinqitedysacs donng hia reign.
V«Be 26. CalUd-Jedidiah] Literally, the hdooed^ the Lord^ rvw. Thin is the tnt instance I reawrtg at a minister of Ood being emplored to give a name u lha child of one of his servanta. But it is atrwi«^ that name given by the fother was that alone viatSi prevoilsd.
Terse 26. And took Aa royaf cf^.} How esa Ais b^ irtwn Joob sent to David to eome to take dMd^! incsa. sequence of which David did ootne and take dM tatfi Ine explanation seems to be this: — Kabbah wan otm> posed of a city sod citadel: the fonner, in whid) was dM king's reaidenee, Joab had taken, and aoftpessd he eooN soon render himself msotsr of the loiteri and, ihusta^ sends to David to corns and tidte it, lest, be uddag As whtris, die dty dmdd be called aftar Ms nsata.
K Now th«refor« fftthar the sevt of the people together, and encamp aaraiiut the city, and «ake It: iest I take the city, and 'it be called Aner my Dame.
39 Aod David gathered all the peajAe toeither, and went to RaU)ah,Biid foiurnt acainst U, and took it.
30 < And he took their kirk's crown from off his head, the weij^t where<u «a« a talent or cold with the jvecioua atones; and it was ae< on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city <■ in great abundance.
31 And he brought forth the people that icere uereio, and put them under saws, and under narrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kttn: and thus did he unto idl ibe cities of the chiktrm of Ammon. So Dand and all the people retnrned to Jerasalon.
Aw>Mu fair sister, whose name teas " Tamar; LSS^.^ and Amnon the son of David loved her.
2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he felt sick for his sister Tamar; for she wo* a virgin; and 'lAmnon thought it hard for him to do any thing <»her.
3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name wot Jonadab, " the son of Ettiimeah, Davids brother: and Jonadab was a very subtle man.
4 And he said unto him, Why art Hum, beirv the king's wan, *lean *firon^ day to day? wut
Vane 27. And hav9 takm tht city •aattra.'X Tlie ei^ wliere the tatik or reatrvoir waa, that supplied tlie «itr.aiid cuburlM with water. Some thirdt tluu thS oriRiml tsnsFi -«f HM ioiiadA et tr kammayim, should te CrsiMlsted, I have intended, oratl qfithe watert qfthe tUy I and HauUgant Uanalaiea the place ti aquaa ab urb* Jam ddrivavi; " And I have already drawn off the waten from the city." Ttua periectly agr<eea with the account in JbaopkuM, who nys, rcdi> re tSaray avmt aKaTt/iwoiifi/ot, Ma»inr attof t?uir wUert. Antiq. lib. vii. cap. 7. Tliia WH tfis reason whr David ihoula come apeeaily, ai the citadel, dtprited <ff water, could not hold out long.
Terse 30. 7\e veight vikerenf waa a taleni qf gold] If this talent was onljr seven pounds, as Whiston says, David might have carried It on his head with little dimealty; but tbia weight, according to common computation, would anount to more thui ona hundred pounds I
U, however, r/jpvD miAeketah, be taken tot Ihs vaiue, DM the mWU, then all ia ptain; as the wtnth of the eravn will be about SWIhl. I6«. Td. elarling. Now this •aems to be the true seaae; because of the ndded words, laiA ihs precious stones; i. e. the gold of the crown, and die JtWMS with which it waa adorned, were equal in vabis to a talent of gold.
Verse 31. He brought fartK the pemle] And put them under taws. Prom this representation, a great erv has bsen raised anitiat ** David's unparalleled, if not diaMlic, emeltr-" I believe this Inlerpretatioo was chiefly taken fSrom the parallel place, 1 Chran. xx. 3. where it is said, hs cut them with save, and with axes, A«. Instead of ism vB^aser, he sawed, we have here (in Samuel) QV^ vaiyasem, he put thstn; and these two words differ from MOi oOker only in a paH a single letter, resh, for D sum. And it is wordiy « remark, that instead of vwvaser, hesotstd^in t Chron. zx.3.Btx or seven MS3., eonated by Dr. Ksnntoott, have sv^ Taiyasein, he put ihsm! oor ia there found any various reading in alt tlie;H3S. yet collated for the text in this chapter, that favours the oommon readmg ui Ohrontcles. liie meaning, ttiersftns, is, he made the people riavss; and employea Qen in swing; making iron harrows, or miatng, for On word means both; vA ia hlii^ittg wood, Kod inah ing qf brick. Sawing ssundar, faeekinK fltoppiiift and thou not tell me T And Amnon said unto Urn, I Jove Tamar, my brother Absalom's eister.
5 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down
8n thy bed, and make thyself sick, and when thy ither Cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sieter Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may eee it, and eat it at her hand.
6 TT So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, Ipray thee.letTantar my Bister come, and p make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.
7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying. Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat.
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down.- And she took 1 nour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his Bight, and did bake the cakes.
9 And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, ' Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him.
10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes wl^eh she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he * took hold of her, and said-unto her. Come, lie with me, my sister.
12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not t force me; for "no * such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this " lolly.
13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go 7 and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Mow therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king } * for he will not withhold me from thee.
hewing human beings, have no place io this text, no mots than they had in David's conduct towards the Ammonites.
It is surprising, and a thing to be deplored, tha^ in Ais and similar cases, our translators had not been more ear^ fill to sift the sense of the original words, by whidi they would have avoided a profusion of eXceplionaible ineaniags with which they hftve clothed many passages of the Sacred Writings. Though I believe our translation to be by far the best in any language, ancient or modem, yet I am satisfied it stands macE in need of revision. Host of the advantages which our unbelievers have appeared to havs over certain passages of Scripture, have arisen tirom an inaccurate or lalse translation of the t«ins in the originali and an appeal lo this has generally silenced dte gainsayera. But in the time in which our translation was made, Bibliesl criticism was in its infancy, if indeed it did exiatt and w« may rather wonder that we find thiogs so well, thu bs surprised that thev are no better.
Terse 1. Whose name was Tamar] l^ar ww Ow dauriiter of David and Moacah, daughter of the king of Geshur, and the uterine siater of Absalom. Amnon was David's eldest son, by Ahinoam. She was, (herefbre, sister to Amnon onlv by the father's side, i. e. haif-sistsr/ but whole sister to Absalom.
Terse 2. Amnon was so vtxed-for shfvtm a efrgto) It has been well remaiked, that *' the pasaitn of love ia nowhere so vasttng and vexaiioui^ at where it is unlawful. A quick sense of guilt, especially where it is enormooa, as in the present instance, strikes the soul with horror; and the imgosaibility of an innocent gratifteaiion loads that horror with desperation. A oonfliet too cruel and too dreadful for human bearing." Dtimtu.
Terse 3. Jonadab was a very subtle manj And moM diabolic advice did he give to his eourin. We talk of the simplicity and excellence of primitive times I "Sav not thou what is the ednse that tne former days were netter than these." Take them altogether, we may (hank God that they art past; and pray nim that they may never return.
Terse 13. Nay, my broAsr] Than is someOdng exeesdingly tender snd persusdva in due speieh of Ttuitt t hut Annen was s msra ftrui^ vd h was all lost an tAn.
14 Hotrbeit he would not hearken unto her voice; but, bein? stronger than Bhe, 'forced her, and lav with her.
15 Tl Then Amnon hated her * exceedingly j BO that the hatred wherewith he hated her leas greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon aaid unto her, Arise, be gone.
16 And she aaid unto him, T^here is no cause; thia evil in sendinff me away ta greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
17 Then he called his servant that ministered onto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
18 And she had ■ a garment of divers colours upon her; for with such robes were the ldng*s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
19 And Tamar put- ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers coloars that was on her, and ■ laid her hand on her head, and went
20 And Absalom her brother said unto her. Hath <' Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hoJdnowthy peace, my sister: he is thy brother: 'regard not this thing. So Tamar remained 'desolate in her brother Absalom's house.
21 But when King David heard of all these things he was very wroth.
22 And Absalom spfdte unto his brother Amnon > neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
BLc Si' 23 Tl And it came to pass after two *B.faod^«8i. full years, that Absalom 'had sheep- LoS^v^ shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited
24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheep-shearers; let the king, 1 beseech thee, and bis servants, go with thy servant.
25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let US not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.
26 Then said Absalom, If not, I prav thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. Ana the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
V«rw 13. Sptak unto Ou king] So, it appear^ that she dtouf ht (bat the kiag, ber fiuher, would give her to him M Wife. Tbia ii another strong mark of inoelicacy in t^»e nmple but barbarous timev. There mig^t have been some excuse for such coonexiODs under the patriarchal age, but there was none now. But, perhaps, she said this only to divert him from bis iniquitous purpoae, that she might get out of bis hands.
Verse 16. Hated her ezct^ngly] Amnon's conduct to his sister was not only bputal, but inexplicable. It would be easy to form eonjtctum coocerniug the caiue, but we eon arrive at no certainty.
Verse 18. A garment of diaen co/ours] See the note OB Oen. xzxvii. 3. where the same words occur.
Verse 21. But uAsn King David Asord] To this verse thafilipttMffat add the following words; hi w cXavitn r» msfu Afrnw m itn avw, an qyara avrei', on wptnr9KM wnw W "But he would not grieve the solU of Amnon his son, for be loved him, because he was bis firstborn." The same addition it found io the VtUgaU, and in Joeephtit; and it is possible that this ooce made a part of ihe Helwew text.
Verse 23. Abttdom had Aeep-AeartrM\ These were tunes in which feasts were made, to which the neighbours aiMl relatives of the family were invited.
Verse 26. Lei my brother Amnon go'\ He urged this With the more plausibility, because Amaon was the firstborn, and presuropUvs heir to the kingdom: and be had disguised hm FesentmaBt so »U before, that he wainot
27 But AbCHdom pressed faim, that he let Am-
28 1) Notv Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon^
* heart is meriV with wme, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: ihave not I commanded you? be courageous, and he "valiant.
29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom bad commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man °gat him up upon his mule, and fled.
30 t And it came to pass, while thev were in the way, that tidings came to David, sayiofr, Absalom hath slain all the king's aona, aind then is not one of them left.
31 Then the king arose, and *tare his garments, and p lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
32 And ■iJonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Let net my kird suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead: Torby the * appointment of Absalom this hath been
* determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
33 Now therefore * let not my lord the kms take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead^
34 ° But Absalom iled. And the young man that kept the watch l^led up his ejreB,aod IooIk<^ and behold, there came much people by the waj of the hill-flide behind him.
35 And Jonadab said unto the king. Beb«d, the king's sons come: 'aa thy servant said, m it is.
36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that^ beboljl, the kine^s sons came, and lifted up their voice and w^it; and the ki^ also and all his servants wept * very
37 Tf But Absalom fled, and went to ' Talmai^ the son of I'Amnuhud, king of Geahur. Ana David mourned for his son every day.
39 And;Ae«cufo/ king David 'long- A^M-te ed to go forth unto Absalom: for he
never /e9«Mu,butalwayBmaj7(i/f»,alact. ficpori,cmitnrf to the nature of all otjier things, gaitu ttrenglk by going.
Virgil has givei^ in his best manne^ a fine persooification of Jame, or eoU report. JEu. iv. 173:
Verse 32. Atid Jonadob—taid — Amrum only tr tfaod] This was a very bad man { and here speaks coolly of a moot bloody tragedy, which himself had contrived.
Verse 37. Absalom Jled] Aa he bad committed wilful murder, be could not avail nimself of a city of reliige; and was therefore obliged to.leave the land of Israel, and taka reliige with Talmai, king of Geshur, his graodfRther, by his mother's side. See ch. iii. ver. 3.
Verse 39. David longed to go forth itnto Maalomi We find that he had a very Btrong paternal affection for this young man; who appears to have had little to commend him, but the beauty of his person. David wished either to go to him, or to bring him liec^; for the band of tims had now wiped oS bis tears for the death of his aon Amnon. Joob nad marked this disposiuon, and took cars to work OD it, in order to procure me return of Absalom- It would have been wdl nr all parties, had Absalom ended his days at Oeshur. Hi* return brought increasing wretcij- edness to his unfbrtunate lathn. And it may be i observed, that those onduc^ unreaaonable msnts are thus rewarded.
of IWMkibrite iMliric* of jMb, cona la IbaUait Kiid,b)ra iotiilooi
J^OW Joab the son, of Zeruiah per-
Amta mnu 1^ ccived that the king's heart was V "y-P ".toward Absalom.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thse, feiga thyself to be a mourner, * and put on now mourning apparel, and amnnt not thyself with oil, but oe as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead;
3 And come to the king, and speidt on this manner unto him. So Joab 'put -the words in her mouth.
4 \ And when the woman-of Tekoah spake to the king, she < fell (Hi her face to the ^ound, and did obeisance, and said, ^ Help, 'O king.
5 And the king said unto ner. What aileth tiuiel And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there leag ^none to part them, but the one smote Uie other, mad slew him.
7 And, behdd, "the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver hint that emote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew;
Vem 3. Joab »mt to Te&oM TekoidL aceording to 8l Jnvm, waa a little ei^ ia toe tribe of Judali, ucmt tweWa xniiea from Jenitalem.
There are nvenl ciraumslanoa relative to this woman, and her case, wiiich deserve to be noticed.
1. She vas a wufno; and, therefore, her eondkion of life wu the better calculated to excite compassion.
2. She lived at some distance from Jerusalem, which rendered the ease difficult to be readily iatraired into; and, eonsequeiuly, there was Ae lew danger of deceetion.
3. She was advanetd in yean, as Josephoa says, that her applicatira might have toe more wein^L
6. She framed a ease aimUar to that in vAfcft David stood, in order to convince him of Ihe resaonableneBa of ifarinr Absalom.
V. She did not make the simiKtude too plain end tiaible, lest the king should see her intention, before she had obtained a. grant of pardon. Thus, her circumstances, her 'moumfcil tale, her willow's weeds, her aged person, and her impressive manner, all combined to make one united impresaioo on the kinsfs heart. We need not wonder at her success. See Bisnop Patrick,
Verse 5. /am indeed a widow woman] It is very pos> ■ib)e that the principal fiicts mentioned liere were real; and that Joab fbund out a person whose eircumstancea bore a near resemblance to that which he wished lo represent.
Verse 7. The ibhote family is risen] They took on them the partof theamn^sr^rdtoxi; the nearest akin to the murdered person having a right to slay the murderer.
Tiiey thatl quenth my eoai lAick it 10] A man and his deacendanii, or suecesaors, are often termed in Scrip-, bire, a tamp, or light. So crap. zzi. 17. i ao the men of David said, when they sware (hat he should no more go out with them to battle, TVtai thou qvekch not the uobt of Itrael. See also Psa. cxxxii. 17. And (o raise up a lamp to a person, signifies his having a posteri^, to continue his name and family upon the eailh: thus, qumth my coat Aof is left, means destroying all h<^ of posten^j and extinguishing (he family from among the people. The heatriens made use of the same similitude. "M few pmrsons who survived tlie deluge of Deucalion are termed omnfo, Uting eoaU i baeuub by them, the viiolJlamesX the btmuniaott wh tobefwwMbdon the
Verse 8. I wUt givo Aarge eoneoming Am.] Ttun woaU DM do; it was too distant: and aha oould not, by bring her btujaaas to a eanetartom so she prooeads -
and we will destroy the heir also; and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neitAfr name nor remainder °upon the earth.
8 And the kins said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give chu'ge concerning
9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, «the iniquity be on me. ana on my father's house; p and the king anu his throne be guiltless.
10 And the Kioe said. Whosoever eaith aught unto thee, bring nim to me, and he shall not touch thee an^ more.
11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the lung remember the Loan thy God, i that thou woul(^ est not suffer ' the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, *Aa the Lord livelb, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 Then the womansftid. Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13 And the woman said. Wherefore tlien hast thou thought such a thit^ against > the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing aa one which is faulty^in that the Iting doth not fetch home again "his tianished.
14 For we ' must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; * neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he ' devise means that his bamshed t« not expelled irom him.
V«ne 9. 7%e tniquUtf be on me] She intimates that, if the king ahoukl suppose that the not bringing tiie offender to the asaijgnad punishment might reflect on the adminietration of justice in the land, she was willing that all blama should aitach to her and her bmily, and the king and his throne be guiltless.
Verse 10. Wkoaoaer aailh au^t unto thee] Neither did Ih'ifi bring the matter to such a bearing that she could come to her conclusion; which was to the king pledged 1^ a sofsmn;>Fomtse that all proceedings relative to the ease should be stopped.
Verse II. Lei Hu kink remember ike Loan thy God] Consider that when God is earnestly requested to thoW mercy, he does it in the promptest manner; he does not wait tilt the case is hopeless i the danger to which. my son IB expoeed is imminent; if the king do not decide the business instantly, it may be too late.
And kt oaid, As Ike Loan lipetii] Thus he binds himself 1^ a most solemn promise and oath { sod ihia is what the woman wished to extort.
Verse 13. merefbre then hati thou thought meh a Ainr] 1^ woman having now got the king's promise eontirmed by an oath, tliat her sou should not suSer for the tmirder of bis brother, cornea immediatelv to her conclusion. Is not the king to blame 7 Does he now act a consistent part) He is willins u pardon the meanest of his subjeets, the murderer of a Drotber, at the iastaoee of a poor widow; and he is not willing lo pardon his son Absalom, whose restonUion to favour is the desire of the whole nation. Is that clemency to be refused to the king's ■on, the hope of the nation and heir to the throne, which ia showed tu a private individual, whose death or life can only be of o(a»e()uence to one fiunily? Why, therefore, dost tliou not bring bock thy banished ehild t
Verse 14. jPor toe mutl needa dU\ Whatever ia dona most be done quickly i all must die: God has itot exempted any person from this common lot. Though Amnon oe dead, yet the death of Abmlom cannot brinf him to lifg^ nor repair this loss. Besides, for his crime, ne justly deservecl to die; and thou, io ihie case, didst not adminisler justice. Horrible as this fratricide ii^ it is a pardonaUe case: the crime of Amnrni was die most flagitious; and the b&nce to Absalom, the ruin of his belovnl sister, indeseribably great. Seeing, then, that the thing is so, and that Amnon can be no more rMslled to life Than water spilt upon the ground can be gathered up again; and (hat Ood, whose vicegerent thou art, and whose examplv of clemency as well as justice thou art called to imitate^ devises means that those who were banished from him by sin and tiantgression, may not be finally expelled fronhl* 7W
15 Now therefore that I am come to apeak ot thlB thing anto my lord the king, it i» becauBe the people have made me afraid; and thy haodmaid said, I will now s^wak unto the king; it mav be that the king will perforin the request of niB handmaid.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid oat of the Hand of the men tJtat -wotttd de^ ■troy me and my son together out of the inheritance of Qod.
17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the kins shall now be " comfortable: for ' na an angetof God. so is my lord the king, ■ to discern good and bad: therefore the Lobd thy God will De with thee.
18 Then the king answered and aaid unto the woman, Hide not from me, 1 pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman aaid, Let my lord the king now speak.
19 And the kin^ said, Is not the hand of Joab 'ffith thee in all this? And the woman answertA, ami aaid, Ab tiiy soul llveth, my lord the kins^ none can tarn to the rieht hand or to the l«t from aaght that my lora the king hath rooken: ibr thy servant Joab, he bade me, and » he put all theae words in the mouth of thine hahdsoaid:
thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord ^ wise, '■according to the wisdom of an angel of Goct. to know all things that are in toe
eow, I have done this thing: go, therefore, ring the young man Absalom again. 23 And* Joab fell to the ground on hia face. (U^ bowed himself, and ' thanked the king: and Joab said, To-day thy servant knoweth that I have fcwind grace In tnv aight, my lord, O king, in that the long hath fulfilled the requeat of ' bia servant.
23 So Joab aroae, * and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
Roercy and hia kingdom; rutore diy ion to fiivour, and pwloD hi* crime, ai ifaou haM promised to restore my ami and IbeliOrd thyOod vOl be with due. lUs la Ae ram and seiiM of the woman's oisument.
1^ argument contained in thia llth vme is vary ale- Kant, and powerfully perauaaive: but one clause of it haa been varioualv under«Mod, NtiOur doth Qod retpect any tMrmm.' the Hebrew is, pbi d^h^k tar- h'j> veto yuta Elohim tt^^uth, " And God doth not take away the aoul." The Septuagint has it, Kw Xni^cmi & Omc r«f tbaxft '^'"d €hdmUreeiimh»9oiti. This inthnatea that, uterhuman lift is ended, the soul haa a state of aeparats existence with God. lltiB was certainly the t^nion of theae tranalaton, atti was the opinioa of^lbe ancient Jews, at laaat three hundred yetire before the incarnation; about which time, ttiia tnmitation was made. TT^e VuJgate ha^ Nee vuU Deia sertre anifflom, " Nor does Qod wUl me deetniction of ^ soul." Ood Is not the author of death; neither bath he pleasure in the deatniotion of the livingi imitate. Umi pairdon end recall thy son.
Verse 21. itndf&e iUn^ Mid unto Jba£] It appean that Joab was pTesent at the time the woman waa in eonference wiui the king; and, no doubt, others of David's courtiers or oOiceTS were there also.
Verse 24. Let him. not »u my faee) He would not at oace restore him to &vour, thmigb he had now remitted hiacrime; so thai be abould not die for it Itwashighly proper to show this dsteststi<n of the crime, and reapeot for justice.
Verse 25. A'one to be to mvdi vraUed at AimUonii It was pnrfiably his peraonai beaun thai caused the people to iotereat themselves so much in his behalf; fbr dw great naaaof the public is aver caught and led by BtUwora psBranose.
Hurt ua* no UentialL in JUm] He was perfect and reanlar in all hie features, and in all his proportions,
▼erae 26. If&en he poUed hi* head] Not at any parli- <Sdar petfod, but when (he hair became too heavy ror him. Pot this aeeoont of the extraordinary weight of Absalom's ■air, see Ota obserrstiais at the cad of d& obuttr.
24 And the Ung aaid, Let htm tarntohiaown house, and let him ' not aea my fkce. So Abaor lorn returned to his own heuae, and iaw soC AM
2o IF < Bat in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for hift beauty: ** from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he polled his head, (for it wfta at every year's end that he polled it: became the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of bis head at tiM hundred sheKela af\er the king's weighL
27 ^ And ■ unto Absalom there were bora three sons, and one daughter, whose name wot Tamar: she was a woman of a fair coontenaiioe.
to have sent him to the king: but he would not come to him- and when he -aest again tiM second time, he would not come.
30 Therefore he said imto hie Bervante, Be^ Joah's field is ' near mine, and he hath bariey there; go and set it on fire. And Absahnn^ servants aet the field on fira.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalott unto his house, and sEud unto hinu Wherefar* have thy servants set my field on fire 1
32 And Absalom answered Jo8i>. Behdd, I aent tmto thee, aaying. Come hither, that I ma* aend thee to the liin^, to say, Wherdbre am l come from Geshur? tt had been good for me to have been there stUl: now therefore let me ace the king's &ce: and if there be any iniqiiity ia me, let Aim kill me.
33 So Joab came to the kiiu:, and
told him: and when he had called for 4a-£ud.iK Absalom, he came to the king, and 4 bowed himself on his ihce to the _L1 ground before the king; and the Idog " Absalom.
Verse 27. Unto Abtalom there were bom\ Theae chit dren did not survive him.- see chap, xviii. 18.
Tamar\ The Septuagint odds, And the became At Hf Roboam, Ou ton ^ Solomon, and bare to kim Aoia: see Matt. i. 7. Joeepbus says the same. This a«t dition is not found in the other veraiona.
Verse 30. Qoandtetitott^rt] Thia was strange esa? duct; but it had the desired afiecL He had not oaed 1^ iafluenoB to get Absalom to eourtf now ha nsesi^ saS succeeds.
Additional oboervationa on ver. 26.
" And at eveiv year's end, be (Absalom) polled hia beadt and be weighed the hair at two hundred shekels."
The very learned SoAart has written a dissertation on this subject, (vide Bo^arU (h>era, vol. iiL coL BS3. edit. Lugd. 1692,) in a letter to his friend M. FaukelL I AmU give the substance in what followa
There ia nodiinc more likely than that conuptiona in the Scripture nutnerus have taken i^aee. Sudius de Ami, lib. iu p. 49 and 61; also lib. iii. p. 67, dbc. complains looiUy of this.
This mighteasily have happened, as, in fbrmet times, ike numbers in the Sacred Writimrs upear to hove been expressed by single letters. The letter ruA, standa for tiro hundrtd 1 and might, in thia place, be eatilv miatakeo fori (faI«fA, whichsignifiea.^iur; but thia maybe thought to be too hule, as it would notamoanttomore ihaaaqoar* ter of a pound; yet, if the fwo Aundrcd shekels be tabs in, (he amount will be utterly incredible; for Jatephut aay% Antiq. lib. vii. chKp. 8. SurXatv imatnove (vw 1$ am wtvTt finot — i. e. " two hundred shekeLs make five mime and in lib. xiv. cap. 12. he aays, 'H it /trs vof' ujft iirpat KRi qfittfv— " And a mina with us, (i. a. lbs Jews^) weigha two pounds and a halL" This calculation nskas Abullom's hair weigh tipetM jMWub and a JUij^J OcM Judaut AptUai
Indeed, the same person tells us, that the hair of Abot' lorn was so thidc, &c. itfiu^s aarwibtf^tf «TM«fur«c«w " that eight days were aorcaly sufficient to gut U df i&r niis is nUMnlsm with a witnsss
% ^ iSIl H * rame to pass after this, JS.&>^%. J\. tiiat Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and mj men to run t'gljr.m before him.
8 And Absalom rose op early, and stood bc- «ld« the way of the ^te: and it was to, that ivhen any man that had a controrersy * came to the Icing for judement, then Absalom called onto
Cpiphmtua, in hia treatise i>c PomtertbtM el ilfouurU, «Mti much more li^t on thia place, when he n.ya, XuAx t XcytTw Ml goifA'TTttt Ttrapr^r /MtFtrnt mnti«{, q^im U m ^ratvpot, iw9 ifi»xf*t twi'—i. e. "A dukel, whieh w Mlled also ihe fourth part of an ounce, half astatert which ii about two drachms." Tbia computation Mema very juat, to the halF^ekel, Exod. xxx. 13. which the Lord comtBanded iIm children of Israel to gin as an offering for ttuir touli, ia expressly called in Hatt. xriL 24. rmiiipixi^ "two dractuna;" and our Lord wroadti a minele to pay Nit%«4iichtbeRoaiMntbeaenHlMb]r vay of tribute: •od PetOT took out of tbs fidi'a mouth a HaUr, which •OQtained exactly two dnuduns, or one shekel, the tributenoDey fbr our Lord and himself.
Hie king's shekel was about the fourth port of on ounce, aecordingtu what BpiplumiuM says above; and H—ydtuu nys the sarae, Awami St i ncX«f ito ipaxjtas Amicac — "X abekel is equal to^ or worttk two Attic diaehma." The whole amount, therefbrt^ of the two Atuufrwil riiekels is *houtj(/Iy ffunees, whieh makeybiu- poutuU fwe ounces, Troy weight, or three pound* itn ounee* Avoirdupois. T^ia Deed not, says my learned author, be accounted incredible, especially as Mundonce of oil and ointmmU were used bv the ancienuiDdreaaing their heads; as is evident, DOC only from many places in the Oreek and Roman wrimn, but also front several placea in the Sacred Writings. 8«e Pea. xxiiL 6. Eeclea. ix. 8. MalL vL 17.
■Kw^pkti* alao iofbrms ua that the Jews not only used otntmmlo, but that they put gold dust in their hair, that it aight Aame in the aun: ood this they might do in considenwle quantitiee, as gold was so plentiful among them. I vast own I have known an instance that mokes much (br Poi^ar^s argument; an <0ieer, who had upwards of lico pomdo of powder and ointments put on his head dai}y, whoea bair did not weigh a fourth part of that weight And Abtaiom, being exceedingly vain, might be supposed to make a very extensive use of these things. There are some, however, who endeavour to solve the difficult by onderatanding?p» ehofcoZ, to mean rather the vahu than the wight.
Bodutrt concludes this elaborate Disaertation, fin which be appears to have ransacked all the Hebrew, week, and BoauB authors, far prno& of his opinion,) ij exhotting his friend in these well-known lines of Bbnice — SIviUMflfnctiwMf,
To me, the sbove is quite unsatisfactory; and, with doe deference to ao great a character, I think I have found out moMething betttr.
I believe the text is not here In its original form; and dMt a miatake haaorepi into the numeral letters, limagine that V lamed^ tuiitt, was first written; which, in process it time, became changed for •> resft. two HtnfVBK) i which ni^t easily have happened from toe eimilorin of the letters. But, if diis be supposaed to be foe Utue, (which I thiak it is not,) being onlv teven ounces and a Aoff in the eouraeof a year; let it be observed that the sacred text does not limit it to that quantity of time, for om-ff mv> f po miktto vamtM layamim, signifies, literally, " From the «nd 0^ oaya to days which JonaAan property renders, pyS frp ISIS mts'mon Iddan IMdan, "at proper or oonvenienc times," vix. when it prew too longor weighty, which it mizht be several times m the year. Beside^ tma was not all his hair: for hia head was not Aaved, but ftlUtd, {. *. the redundancy cut off.
But bow was ft probdUe that these two numerals diould teinterehsMedl Thus! if dienpperatrokeof theSlimaf > bat alittle inpaind, ss kfr«qHDil7i%baditai]|S8.
bim, and sttid. Of what city art thou? And he said. Thy servant t> of one of the tribes i^IsraeL
3 And Absalom said unto him, Seej thy matters are good and right; but * there t$ no mu deputed of the king to hear thee.
4 Absalom said moreover, ■ Oh that I wer« made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come wMo me, and I would do him jtistice!
5 And it was to, that when any man cams nigh lo him to.do him obeisance, he put fivth hit hand, and took bim, and kissed him.
6 And en this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for jodgmeut: ' m Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 1 And it came to pass > afler forty yean^ that Absalom said unto the king, 1 pray thee, let
and printed books, it might be very easily taken for '^rcs&f and the remains of the upper pert of the tamtd might be mistaken for the stroke over the '^vhi^ makes it the character of two hundred.
But how could a'PHS malhajrim, fteo hundred in the text, be put in die place of ^eloehim, Ihirttf? Verf easily, when the numbers became expresaed by wonts at Itn^ instead of numtral ItUtra.
Ihe common reading of the text appears to me irreoeaciloble with truthj eu)d I humbly hope that what 1 have offered above solves every difficulty, and fully aceounu for all that Ihe sacred historian speaks of iliia vam-comelylad.
Verae 1. Abaalom prepared him thariatt andhortetj After all that has been said to prove that horau here mean AoTMmen, I think it most likely that the writer would have uotonnderaiaodelUiriototbawnbyliarSBai notmiiio^or such like Cattle.
^Vhr to be/ore him.] Affecting, in every respect, ine regal slate by this establishment. Of this man Calirut collects the following character: " He was a bold, violent, revengeful, haughty, enterprising, magnttlcent, eloquent, and popular prince; he was also rich, ambitioua, and vain of bia personal accomplishments: after the death of AmnoQ, and hia reconciliation lo hia father, he saw no hiadenmce in bis way lo the throne. He despised Solomon, because of the meanness of his birth, and his tender years. He woe himself of the blood royal, not only by his father David, but otao by his mother Maacah, daugnter toTalmai, king of Geshur; and. doubtleaa, in his own apprehension, of sufficient age, auinority, and wisdom, to sustain the weii^ht of government. There waa properly now no competitor in his way: Ammon, David's ^rsf-bom, was dead i of Chiliab, his second son by Abigail, we hear noihiiw| and Absalom was the third: see chap. iii. 2— B. He, therefore, seemed to stand nearett to the throne/ but his ain was, that be sought it diiringhisfother's life, aiid endeorvoured to dethrone him in order to sit in his atead.
Terse 6. So Abealom stole the hear It] Hia manner of doing this is cireomstantially related above. He was thoniughly versed in the arts of the demagogue; and tb« common people, the vile mass, heard him gladly. He used the iM^nof « aiwuments: and was every uiiitg of the kind, OS ns as promite coulcl go. He fi>uod tault with men in power; and he only wanted their place, like all other pretended patrioU, that he might act as they did, or worae.
Terse 7. After forty years] There i« no doubt that thia reodinz is corrupt, though supported by die commraly printed Vulgale, tne Se^ofin/, and the ChaMLee. Bat die iSy-toe has -tlM arbS shamn, roua yearti the Arabic the same fcT^^**Wf arbah Mnin, mn yearti and Jotmhus has the same; so al«o the Sixtint ed^ien ^ the Vulgate, and seveml MSB, of the same version. Theodoret also reads four, not forty t and most learned men are of opinion that s^s-w arbayim, romrr, is an error for v^rv* arbS, rona; yet this reading is not supported by any Hebrew HS. yet discovered. But fwe of inose coflatea by Dr. Kennieott, have Ui''^ tfofft, instead of ro3» Jianah; i. e. forty days. Instead of Jorly TCAMt and this is a reading more likely to be true than that in the commonly received text We know that Absalom did sow TRBvz years with his grandfather at Oeahar, chap. xifl. 38.; and thia, probably, was a year after hit return; en, therefore, may be the time of his slaying hii brWMr Ammim; and the /oar yean iaelude ibe wae ftoa tik. fliglu till die eoDiptm^ mendoned here.
me go and pa^ mv vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord, in Hebron.
8 For thy servant ' vowed a vow * while I abode at Geshur in S^ria;, Bayine, If the Lobd fihall bring me again indeed to ^ruBalem, then 1 will aerve the Lord.
9 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.
10 ^ But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumnet, then ye shall say, Ab- •alom rei^neth in Hebron.
11 Ana with Absalom went two hundred men oat of Jerusalem, that were i called; and they went " in their simplicity, and they knew not aiff tbinf.
12 And Absalom sent ibr Ahtthophel the Gilonite, ■ David's counsellor, from his city, even from *Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people Pincreased continually with Aoealon).
13 ^ And there came a messenger to David, saying, ' The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
14 And David said unto sH his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us • flee; for we shall not elae escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and t bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall " appoint.
16 And ^ the king went forth, and all his household • at\er him. And the king left ' ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
Verse 8. While J abode at QeAur in S}/ria} Oeihur, tfw country of l^lmai, wu certsinly not in Sgria, hat lay on dte >oudi of Canaan in or near Edom, u in evident from Judges i. 10. 1 Sam.xxvii.^ 2 Stun, xiii.37. Hence it IB prcAtoble that Anon, Syria, ii a miatakefor stM Bdom; i daUth, and i reak, being easily interchangeable. Edom ii the reading both of the Syriac and Arabie.
ItriUferve tke Lobd.] Here he pretended to be a strict follover of Jehovah, even while he waa in a htaihtn coim- gr i and he now desires liberty to go and perform a vow at ebron, which he pretends to have made while be was reaideot at Qeihur. And all ibis waa ths more perfectly to organize his tyttem of rebellion ngaiiut his venersble &lher.
go into every tribe; and die trumpet was to be blown as a signal for all to arise, and proclaim Absalom in every place. The trumpet was probably used aa a kind of telegravh by the spies: trumpet exciiing trumpet from place lo place; so (hat, in a few minutes, all Israel would hear (he proclamation.
Verse It. Went two hundred men] These were proba- Uy soldin^ whom he supposed would be of considismble ooosequeaee to him. lliey had been seduced by his specious conduct; but knew nothing of his present deeign.
Verse 12. Sent/or MUhophel] When Absalom got Attn, he, in effect, got the prime minister of the kingdom to join him.
Veiw 13. TTu keoHf nf the mm <if Iirael are qfUr Abtalom} It is veiy difficult to account for this general defection of the pMVte. Several raasMis are given; — I. David was old, or afflicted, and could not well attend to the administration of justice in the land. 2. It does appear that the king did not attend to the affairs of state j and that there were no properly appointed judges in the land, see ver. 3. 3. Joob's power was overgrown; he was wicked sod insolent, of^reseive to the people, and David was afnid to execute the laws against him. 4. There were still some partisans of the house of SauL who thought the crown not fairly obtained by David, o. David was under Ibe displeasure of the Almiotty, for his adultery with BadiabdM, and liis murder of Uriah; and God let nis enemies toose against him. 6. There are always troublesome and disaffected men in every state, and under every government, who eaa never rest, and are ever hoping for something from a chaue. 7. Absalom appeared to n the ^eat, and was ihsunotnmtafAetr, to the throne: David eoula not, in dM eouree of DMure, live very' long; anU most people are
17 And the king went forth, and all the peo-
f>le ader him, and tarried in a place that was ar off.
18 And all his servants passed on beside him i 'and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Oittites, six hundred men which came afler him IVom Oath, passed on befwe (he
1§' ir Then said the king to ■Ittai the Oinite, Wherefore goest thou aTeo with us 1 return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.
20 Whereas thou earnest but yesterday, shoidd I tfaisd^ ■make thee up and down with w? seeing I go ** whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with
21 And Ittai answered the king, and said. ■ il« the Lord liveth, and as my lordthe king livetb, surelv in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of tho * wilderness.
24 f And lo, Zadok also, Eind all the Levites were with him, ' bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.
25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back
more disposed to hail the beams of the rwinf, than eznk in those of the getting sun. No doubt some of these cauM operated; and perhaps most of them exerted leas or nan influence in this most scandalous business.
Verse 14. David aaid — Ariee — let u« Jtee} H)is^ I believe, was the first time ever David turned ms bock to his enemies. And why did he now flyl Jerusalem, fitr fnm not being in a state to sustain a siegc^ was so strong thai even the blind and the lame were supposed w be suScieni defence for the walls, see chap. v. 6. And he had still with him his faithful Cherethites and Pdethitt*; besides six hundred faithfiil Gitiiies, who were perfectly willing to follow his fortunes. There does not appear any reason why waA a person, in audi circumstances, should not act ondteds/ii^ ttvs; at least till he should be fully satisfied of the its! complexion of affiiirs. But be appears to lake all aa epmiiv from the hand qf Clod; therefore he humbles htmseH^ weeps, goes barefoot, and covers his head 1 He does not even hasten bis departure; for the habit of mourners is not the habit of diose who are Jlying before the face ef their enemies. He sees the storm, and he yields to lAst be coneeiveB to be the tempest of the Almi^ty.
Verse 17. And tarried in a jda^l He profaaUy wsiled tilt he saw all his friends aafely out of the ci^.
Verse 19. T%ou. art a stranger, and also an txiUA Some suppose that Ittai was the son of Afbish, king oc Gath, who was very much attached to David, and ouished from his father's court on that aoeounL He^ and ioM nx hundred uaxi, are generally supposed to have bo« proselytes to the Jewish reason. _
Verse 3(1 JIAny and Iratk bt with thet.^ Vay Ood ever show thee mercy, as thou showest it to me; and ms truth ever preserve thee from error and delusioo.
Verse 23. TTie brook Kidron] ThiM was an incoiwle*- able l»w>k; and only furnished with water in icuii«r, sod in the rains. See John xviii. 1.
Verse 24. Bearing the ark] "Hie priests knew that Ctod had given the kingdom to David; iney had no evidenca that ne had deposed him; they, therefore, dioae to accompany him, toad take the ark, the object of their aiais<^ with them.
Verse 25. Carry back the ark] David shows here great confidence in God, and great humility. The ark was too
Erecious to be exposed to the dansers of his migrations; e knew that God would restore nim, if he delighted m him: and he was not wilting to carry off from the city of God that without whidi the public wAip could not bs carried on. Heieti, there{Dre, more&(ll:uspal)li|! worrid^ the ark of Q«d into the city: if I ahall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he * will brin^ me agaio, and ehow me both it and his habitation:
26 But if he thus b^, I have no de%ht in thee; behold, here am I, i let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him. „.,,
27 The king said also onto Zadok the prieet, Art not thou a ^seer? return into the city in peace, and < your two sons with vou, Ahimaaz ihj son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
28 See, ■ 1 will tarry io the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify- me.
29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of Ood again to Jerusalem: and they tarried
30 T And David went up by the ascent of mouta Olivet, " and wept as he went up, and ' had his head covered, and he went i^barefoot: and all the people that wag with him covered every man his head, and they went up, » weeping aa they went up.
Shel 18 among the conspirators with Absalom.,nd David said, O Lono^ I pray thee, " turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishneaa.
32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the moimt, where he worshipped Ood, behold^ Hushai the ' Archite eame to meet tum, * with his coat rent, and earth upon his head;
33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on frith me, then thou shalt be ' a burden unto me:
34 But if thou return to the city, and say onto Absalom, ' I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so mil 1 now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
Terae 27. Act not thou a tttr 7 relum into Ae city in jMoce] That ia, Aa thou art the only organ of the public wonnip, that wonhip cannot be earned on without thee; sod, aa thou art the prteat of Ood, thou bast no cauae to tear for thy peraonal taietj: the nation haa not abandoned dMir God, thouzh they have abaitdoned their lung. It appeara aJao, that M wUhed theae prieai^ by meana of tbeir Boai, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the aon of Abiathar, to send him frequent inieUigenee of the motioaa •od <^ntiaDB of the enemy.
Verae 30. Had ki» head coveratf] "niis was not only the attitude of a ffwunur, but even of a cK^prt'; tbejosually had their heada covered when condemned i aee the oase of Haraan. When the king had jironouneed hia condemmtion, they immediately covered bis fooe, and led him out to pouahment. Eath.Tii.8. See also QuintusCurtiui^ De Philola, tm. 6. /. Uctor; camtl obnuUto^
Tersest. Turn Oueoun»a iff AMthoflidiaiof ooWihluas.] Ahitho[d>el waa a wise man, and well versed in •lata affaira; and God alone oouM eoofbuDd \U devtoea.
T«se 32. When ha wrthipptd Ood] 'nwugh in Au^er of his life, he stops on the top of mount Ohvst fbr prayer t How true is the adage, Rrawn and pnvmder nntr kbuUr any man's Journty. Reader, dost tbou do likewiaeT
Btuhai the Ardntt] He waa the particular friend of David t snd waa now greatly affected by hia calamity.
Terse 33. 7^«n Aaa thaU be a burden unio me] It appears that Huahai waa not a warrior, but waa a wiae, prudent, and diacreet ihan, who could well serve Oavid by g^ng him intellicMwe of lha sueeeas of Absalom's ooospiiftcT: and he dtrecU him Io form a strict eonbdararar wMi tbevriesta, Zadok and Abtntldir i and to make use of dieir aoiu as couriers between Jerusalem and David's place of retreaL
Terse S7. AAso/om came into JtrUMiem.] It ia very pvofaable that be and hia partisans were not far from the sity when David left it) and this was one reasoa which 'caossd hia to hurry bis departure., ' -Akasss, b^ld m lha eaa* of Dsvkl a sad vieiaaimdc •f human aAurBt and a finrftil proof of their insiabiUty. Behold a kinf^ the grsataat that ever lived t a profoond pohikrian, ao able gsnanl, ■ brave ssblin a noet of the
35 And hast thou not there vnth thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, ■ thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36 Behold, they hare there • with them their two sooB, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son / and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.
AND when David waa a KtUe past *"gS!**' the top of the kilt, behoW, • Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asees saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a himdred bunches of raisins, and a hundred of enmmer* fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2 And the king eara unto Ziba, What meanest by these? And Ziba said. The aeees be
for the king's household to ride fXi; and the bread and summer-liruit for the young men to eat: and the wine, ^ that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
4 ^ Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine ore all that per/atnetftmto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, < I hnmbty beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
most sublime geniua and character, a prophet of the Host High God, and the deliverer of his countiy, driven frcnn his dominions by hia own son, abandoned fay his fickle people, and, fbr a time, even by his God I See in hia desolate state that there is none so exalted that God cannot abase i and none so abased that God cannot exah. He was forsaken for a tim^ and his enemies triumphed: God returned, and his enemies were confounded. His crime, it is true, waa great; and Ood had declared by Nathan what has itow come to pass. God ia juat, and in oumberless instaooes sees right to show hia diqilessure, even at thoae sins which his mercy has forgiven. In all raaos, it is a fearfiil and bitter thing to sin aninat the Lo^ NOTES ON CHAPlSt XVI.
Verse 1. TSeo hundred Ioa»es qf bread] Hia wofd loaf gives us a &lse idea of the ancient Jewidi bread | it waa fnui co^es, not yeatted and raiaed like ours.
Siaimer-fruiU] These were probably pon^nona, cuatmbere, or iBotermelans. The two latter ore extensive^ used in those countries to refresh travellers in the bunting heat of the summer. Mr. Hanner supposes they are called eummer-fruUe on this very account.
A bottle q^wtiM.] A goafe skinfutt qf winei this I have already shown was the general bottle in the Eastern GOuntrieat see on 1 6am. xzv. 18.
Versa 2. Trasses \»for Otakin^thmudutd] Hus is the Elastem method of speaking when any tbinr is pr*- sented to a great man. '"Hiia and this is for the Mtves of the servants of your majes^ when at the same tiow the presents are intended for the sovereign himself and are so understood. Il ia a high Eastera compUuenL llieae meoenis are not worthy <n your acceptance; they are only fit fin- the skives of your slaves.
Verses. T^o^yAaUlhahowqfltrad] What a base wretch was Ziba I and how unfounded was this occus^oo against the peaceable, loyal, and innocent Hej^iboshetb.
Verse4.7ninc are all] This conduct of David was very rash; he spoiled an honourable man to reward a villain, not giving himself time to luok into tlie circumstances of dw case. But David waa in heavy afflictions t and thesfc someltmeB, make even a vite man mod. Nothing riioukl be done raahly: he wlio is in the habit of obeyinrthe'Snt iiBpulse of his paaaions or liMling% will seldom att a right ootioni and mvr ke^ a elev cmiseiaDoa.
6 T Aad wbeo Kiae Dmnd oame (o Bahunm, bdnld, there came out a man of tbe famiJf of die hoose of Saut, whoBe name was * Shtmei, tiietonaf Oera: ihe came forth, and cursed stilt as he carae.
« And he cant etoMB at David, aad at alt the aerranu oC King David: and all the people, aad «dl the mighty men were on his ri^ht tuuid and on his lel^.
7 And thns said Stumei, when be carsed. Come out, come out, thou " bloody man, aou thou ■ man of Beliiil:
8 The Lord hath <> returned upon tiiee ^1 Pthe blood of the houee of Saol, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LiDrd hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: mad, ^behokt, thou art taken in thy misohief, because tboa art a bloody man.
9 ir Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiab unto the kin^. Why should this ' dead dog <■ onrse jny lord the king 7 let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
10 And the king said, t What have I to do 'With you, ye sons of Zertdah? bo let him curse, because ' the Lord hath said unto htm, Curse JDavid. * Who shall then say, Wherefore haat thou done aot
11 And David aaid to -Abishai, and to all his aervants, Behold, * my son^ which ■ came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now mcti( thia Eleniamite do ti? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Loan hath bidden him.
JIS It may be that the LoBO will look an mine ' affliction, * and that the Loan will *■ requite me ^ood tor lus cursiiis this day.
13 And as David and hu men went by the^ way, Shimei went along on the hlirs side over against him, and cursea as he went, and threw ■atones at him, and ^ cast dust
14 And the king, and all the people that vere with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves
15 T And 'Absalom, and all the people the men
Vorae B. Dtnid eame to Bahurim} Thia place lay nordnrardof Jenualom, in the tribe of Benj&min. It » nlled iilmoRtJMh.xxi. 18; and iUnTuA, 1 Chran.vi.60. Balmriiii nniifiM ynitfu, and Alenutb j/ouOti so ihe -mne* am « tb« SUM hnport
Vene 10. J3eeau*« the boin kalh tald] The paitide >3n vki, should be trwidated forjf, not bteauao. Fos if 4ka Ziom hath Mid vnto him, Cutm Datdei, uAo Jiall •HUntoy, Wherffor* ha»t thoudomao?
Vene 11. L^t him aine; far tte Lobd koA Udltfm Um.] Noaoulcfinaa saQrawtoM that ever God bade one Bian toauneaaotber; much mi that be eommaiMisd audi a wretch aa Sbinwi to ctme such a man aa David: but thia ia a peauliarity of the Hebrew language, whidi does JUt atwm dirtingutih between ptrmitMn. and GOimnondmctU. Often the Scripture attributes to Ood what be only sermtto to be done; or what, in the course of his provi- ■Mtea, badoea not Mwisr. David, however, eonnders all dria as being permitted -of God, ftv bis cbastissmeni and ^hmniliation. 1 cannot withhold from my readers a very ak^ant poetio pan^hrass trf thia paaa^pu from lbs pen tit 1^ B«r. CAorfw IfeabiK one of lha first of Ohriatiao
Tene la man tt* Loao md «Ut junpfi irtncaal Ban is an igafcati.- Hndial nMu^ fa m Ae(Wi;.tfiat
16 And it cazoe to pass, when Hodiai tb* Arohite, David's friend, was come unto Abaa* lom, 1 hat Huehai «aid.uato Absalom, * God nv« the kin^, God eave the king.
17 And Ahealom said to Huehaj, ta this thy kindness to thy friend T 'why wentest thou not with thy friend ■?
18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; bat whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, oboose, his will 1 be, and with him will 1 abide.
19 And again, ' who should I serve? «AoaU / not serve in the presence of hie son 7 as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.
21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go ia unto thy father's ''concubines, which he bath lefl to keep the house; and aO Israel shall hev that thou iart abhorred of thy father: then shdll ^the hands of all that are with thee be stroog.
22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon toe top of the house; and Absalom went in unto hip iter's concubinea > in the sight of all leraeL
23 And tiie counsel of Ahuhophel, which be counselled in those days, vas aa if a man bad inquired at the <■ oracle of God: so vsa» all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with Pavid ana with Absalom.
OREO VER, Ahithophel said unto ** xU. Absalom, Let me now choose ont.4»'<l twelve thousand men^ and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2 And I win come upon him, while he tj*weary
God, and all the people of Israel, bad cboeeo Dtmd; btf be spake so as to make Abvlom believe that be i^wke Am; lor whatever of inainceri^ may ^>pear in ^m, Hnahai ia alone aaavemble..Wbatbs sqrsaAemrdmif ba imdMWood ia die same wvr.
Vene21. tfoinunio Aw.^ittcr'aeonaiKm*] Itmar be remembered that David left /en oflbesn behind, to tab oare td tbe house, see ch. xv. 16. Ahitbofiul advised ifais infernal measure, ia order to prevent tbe posaibiUiy of a racmuUiaHm between David and his son; thus was As prophecy of Nathan fiilfiUed, ch. zii. 11. And tfais was {Hwably tnnaaeted in dta varv mum phtoe that DavidFa eye took the adnlteroua vtev of Bath-shcfaa: aae ch. xi. Sl
Tbe wives of the eonquend king were always the paoper^ of the eonqusror; and, ia poyairing tfaeae, be appeared to possess Ihe rkht to the kingdom. Berwdtim infinma us that Sawrmt, having seized on the Pi throne after the death of CamWaes. eapooaad dl the < of his predecessor, lib. iiL c. 68. But for-* sen to ntte 1 btber^B wive^ was the sum of abommatiotH and was 4m by the law of God, Lev. xa. 11. Has was a ^ nnlf found, even among the OaiiiUt.
Every part of the conduu of Absalmn ahowa hin to have been a most profligate young man: he was promt, vindictive, adulterous, iuoeatuoua, a parrieid^aitd, in Em^ re|HxibMe to every good word and work. We atUl, hawever, recollect that David hkd grievously sinned i aad w« should also recollaet diat he aunerad ^vooalr fbr it 1 and that bis hnniUation, repcnunoe, and amendroeot, wmt most decisive and ezemplaiy. Readsrl EhidiBBa^Hf
Terse I. Let me n«ip dbaose mU JwcAm thmtaand maii Had Ihii counsel been followed, David and hia Utile VMp wouki soon have bean destroyed; nothing but the miiaaa loufl intarpontion of God ootud have saved tbem. T«alaa lAouMna oboaen Iro^ ooming against him. ia hia wnO^ uoprnand.statSi would havaaoonaettlad meboaaaMV tba.ks«4om. Ahilbgihel wall saw that, diia advk» gteetodi all WIS l9M> udwcak-faaBded, and wBlmakiebiai afraid: and •U the people that are with hun shall flee: and I wUl I* Bmite the king onlv:
3 And I WiH bring back aU the peoi^e unto thee: the man whom thou seekest t< as if all returned: to all Uie peoide shall be in peace.
4 And the aajping * pleased Abaalom well, and all the eUera m lirael.
5 Then eaid Ahnlom. Call now Huebai the Archita alio, and let ua hear Utowiae ' what he eaith.
6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, sayins, Ahithophel hath epokaa afler this manner: shall we do ^fter his ■sajiDg? if not, speak thoa.
7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The coun- Fel that Aliithophel faalh > given i$ not good at this time.
8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy fether aiid his men, that the^ be mighty men, and they be ' chafed in their minds, as * a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy &tlur u a man of war. and will not lodge with the jMople.
fi Behold, he is now in some pit, or in some otfcer place: and it will come to pass, when aorae «f them be * overdirown at the first, that whosoever heareth it wilt aaj. There U a daughter cunons* the people that fmlow Absalom.
10 And he also that it vahant, whose heart it ns the heart of a lion, shall utterly ' melt: for all Israel knoweUi that thy father it a mighty man, and thej/ which be wiUi hun are vafiant
U Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, ' from Dan even to Beer-fiheba, ' aa the sand that it hy the sea for muUitude; and ■ that thou go to batde in thine own person.
13 So shall we come upon him in seme place where he shall be found, and we will light noon him as the dew falleth on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with hun there shall not be lefl so much as one.
13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a cKy, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
14 And Abaalom and all the men of Israel said, Thecounsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For ^ the Loan had ' appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the injtent that the Loan might bring evil upon Absalom.
la f ■> Then said Hushai unto Zadok and 4o Abiadutf the iviests, Thus and thus did
Ten* 3. Tkt man ulum thou, uekut ia at if oil r** bmeifl Only seeora Dmid, ud sU bmel will be oo tby ssde^ Ht is Ifae sonl of ne vhde; datUof him, end tJl the mt will eubmil.
Verae 8. ^ a bear robbtd qf kir mhtlp*} All wild beuta are very furious when rowed of tbeit youog: but we have loiiw ranariniMe imtanoes <rf the atittimaffeotiooof thebear inmehoiniUBSlMkoesi see one At the end of the chapter,
Yefss 13. SkaB aU brad bring me* to Hud eUy He origina] word xshsn ^abaUm, whicn aignifiet ropM, And from wbich we have our word (xM*, nay have sodu peculiarity of moaning here: for it is not likely that any city eouki be pulled down with ropea. The Chaiau, whicfa idtoukl ba bast judge fai this oan^ tranalalaa tha original word by pws maabaryui, lawm; dtis givea aa eaey
Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the cldera of Israel *, and thus and thus have i counselled,
16 Now therefore send quickly, and tcH David, saying. Lodge not this night ' in the plains of the wiidemess, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, ana all the people that are with him.
17 ' Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz > stayed by >> En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and toUl them; and they went and told King David.
19 Nevertheless, a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house > in Bohurim, which had a wdl in his court; whither they went down.
19 And ^ the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
20 And when Abecdom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said. Where it Ahimmas and Jonathan? And i the woman said unto them. They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that thev came up out of the well, and went and told King David, and said unto David,
■ Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
22 Then David arose, and all the people that vDere with him, and they passed over Jordan^ by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
23 K And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not *■ followed, he saddled hit ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to " his citT, and f put his household in order, and 4 hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepnlchre of his father.
24 Then David came to 'Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all th6 men of Israel with him.
25 If And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of joab: which Amasa ira«a roan's son, whose name uat ■ Ithra, an Israelite, that went in to < Abigail ■ the daughter of * NahaBh, sister to Zeruiah, Joeb's mother.
26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
27 If And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that * Shobi the son of Nar hash of Hnbbah of the children of Ammon, nod
■ Madiir the son of Ammiet of Lo-debar, and r Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, •
Vena 17. En^ga\ The fvlUn/ mtti iha plaee where dwy were accastomed to Irtad the elothaa with tbiarjt^ { hence the name t^y <in, a wU, and rtgelt ilutjool, beeauac of the trteu^ne above-meiUionod.
jLnd a aatek wmi and told l/um^ The word wmA oecura nowhere else in the Holy Scriplurea; and indeed, haano buaineaaher^ aa the Hebrew werd nncw ^upluhak, dMiuld have been traaeUted giH, maiidimai4-—rwant. The word either comes from the Anglo-Saxon Mncle, a maid, ot the Belgic vunek, dtaire, a Oling vlthtd /or; multmn enim ut plurimum PiuOm, a Juvenibaa dctidormtur, eeu apptlunlur. So MHmhm. Junhii aeena more willing to derive it from winet, to friSk, (o be ekittiih, Ac.; for reaaoiu mifficieotly obvioui, and U'liich he rivea at length. After all, it may aa likely come from (he Oothie tecna, or veiau, a word frequently uied in the Goapeb of the Codex Arinnteui for vift. Coterdalt^t Bible, leae, baa dMiatU. BtcVt Bible, 164ft baa wnOu. The Hina in Cardmar^t Bib1& lfi66| but it is wuM In Bark^a BiUa, 161S. Wauh ia more of a Seottfeiam than maid or aamtd; and King Jamea probably reatored U, aa he ia said to have done ia^ in Oeo. zxi. 12. and elaewhere. In every other place where the word ocghts, our tramdatora render it handmaid, bondmaid, maidm, womanrMrvant, iMHt^aervant, and »»rvanl. Such it the latitude with which ibey translate the same Hebrew term, in almoat innumerable inataoeea 1
Verae 23. Put hit hotuehold in ordtr\ Thia aelfmurdcr could not be called btaaey, aa every iicp to It waa delihonUe. He foreeaw Abaalonva rain; and he did not choose lo wiioess it, and ahare in the disgrace. He was a very bad man, and died an unprMwred and nccnraed deadl.
Verse 26. Amata captain tg tht hotl] From the aeoouM in ihii rent, it ^ipeais that Joab and Ama« were aiatera* ^ildren, and both neohaws (o David.
S8 Broudit becte, and y baains, and earlhen vesselB, and wheat, and borl^, and flour, and parched com, and beawi, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
29 Ana honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese ■ of kine, for David, aiod for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said. The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty ■ in the wtlaeraeM.
to. E»i. te. A ND David ^ numbered the people A»aau that «ere with him, and set captoirn»afi. tj^Qg Qf thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 And David eent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, ■ aod a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeniiab, Joab's brother, ** and a third pnrt under the hand
Verae 23. Brought btd9\ 'Rieae, no doubt, eoDiigtad in Mnt of beasts, m<Ut, carpett, and nich like thines.
BatnU] n^ED aaplvatk. Probably wooden boms, such u the Arabs still use to eat oat and to knead their bread in.
Eartiton vetnUi fn^'fyskatty j/ot$tr. Pnikmbyf claj Teasels, baked ia the sun. llMae were peihaps uMd for lifting water, and boiling those artieka wbtob required to be eoMced.
Whtat and barUy, Ac] There is no direct mention otJUak mtat here; fiule wu eaten in that couatryj and it would not keep. Whether the <A<sp mentioned were brought for dieir JletA, or their milk, 1 cannot tell.
Accordiog to Mr. Jones, " the Moors of West Barbary use dw flour of parched barley, which ia the chief proviaioo they make for their Jourjuy; and ofken use it at home; and (his they carry in a leathern satchel." These are ordinarily made of (root t/eiiu. One of diem now lies before me: it has been drawn off the animal before tt was cut up; the places where the fore-legs, the tail, and ttie ■BUB wen^ are slwaotly ckwed, and have leathern thtmg^ auached to them, ay which it can be along over the butt of man, an, or eomel. The place of the neck is left open, with a running string to draw it up, ptuse-like, when necenary. The skin itself is tanned; ana the upper side is curiously embroidered, with red, black, blue^ yal* low, and Aesh<eoloured leather, in veiy curious -and •k^ant forms and devices. Bags of this kind are used for canyiu; wine^ water, milk, butter, grain, flour, clothes, and dinerent articles of merchandise. This is, as 1 have before sUted, the Scripture bottle. Mr. Jones fiirther says, "Travellers use zumtet, tumeti, and Hmereeee. 2!umeety ia flour, mixed with honey, butter, and spice; tuTRMt, ia flour, done up with orson oil: and limtruee, is flour, mixed with waler, for drink. Iliis, si^s be, quuKhes (hirst much better than water aloiei satisfies a hungry appetite; coola and refiredwa tired and weary spirits: overcoming ihoae ill effects which a hot sun and fiitiguing journey might well occasion."
lUa floor might be made of gnun or poise of any kind: aDd pndnUy may be that which we here term ffordiscl corn, and jmrmtd put— i and, in the forms above-mentioned, was well calculated, actxwdiog to BIr. Jone^ account, lor the ptopU, kungry, wary, ana Airtty, in the vUdtmtn. "niia was a timely si^ly for David ««1 his men; and, no doubt, oontrUmted mucn to the victory mentioned in the following ch^ter.
A asMAKKABLi account of maternal affisetion in a shebear. " la dw year 1772, the SboAstss frigate and Cai^ ooM bomb, under the command of the Hon. Captain C. J. Phipps, afterward Lord Mulgrave, ware sent on a voyage of discovery to the North seas. In this expedition the uoe eelebraled Admiral Lord Nelson sorv^ as midshipman. While iha CanoM lay locked in the ice, early MM mornings the man at the mast-hMtd save notice, that three bean waie making tbeir way very fist over dw (ro- MO sea, and ware directing tbeir course toward die ship. Iliey had no doubt, been invited by the scent of aome blulAer of a seahorse the crew had killed a few days bofore, which had been sst on fire, and was burning on the K« at the time of tbeir a^onch. They proved to be a of Ittai the Oiltife. And the kin»' said onto the people, I will surely go forth with you royselT also.
3 ■ But the people answkred, Thov ahalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not 'care for as; neither if half of us die, mil they care for ns; but now (Aou art > worthtentfaoaBawiofiu: therefore now U ia better that tbcu ^snccooroa out of the city.
4 And thebing said unto them. What %ettrteth you be^t I will do. And the icing stood by the eate-ride, and all the peo^e eame out by hundreds, and by thouBande.
5 And the king commanded Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal ^ntly for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. < And all the people heard when the king gave all tte captaiuB charge concerning Absalom.
6 71 So the people wrait out into the field aeainat Israel: and the battle was in the * wood ofEphraim;
7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a ^eat Blaoghter that day of twenty thouBand
^-beor and her two eubs; but the cobs were nearh' as large as the dam. Thej ran eagerly to the fire, and drew out from the flames part of the flew of the seahorse ifasx remained unconsuroed, and at* voracioualy. The crew from the ship du-ew great Itunpa of flesh of the eeahorse, whidi thty bad stilllefi upon the ios, which the old bear fouled away sinrly. laid every lump beftra her cufas as ^ brought It, ana drviding tt, gave eadi a rikan^ reaerrifig but a smcdl portion to iKraeUl As shf was fetrhing awsfy the last piece, they levelled tbeir muskets at the cubs, and skuit them both dead; and in her vetnaL they wounded the dam, but not mortallT. It would have onwo tsars of pity frtun any but unteeling minds, to have marked the a^ctionate concern expKsaed this poor beaat in the dying momenta of aer expini^ y<M^ Though she was sorely wounded, and could but juat oawl to the place where they lay, she carried the hsmp of flub she hod fetched away, as she hod done the othm before, tore it in pieces, and laid it down before them; and when Am saw that they refiised to eat, she laid her paws first upot une, and then upon the other, and endeavoored to laise them up: all this while it was piteous to hear her moon. When she found she could not move them, she vecft of; and, being at some distance, looked back and moBMd: this not availing to entice them away, she rermned; sad smelling rounatfaem, began to lick their wounds. She went off a second tun^ as before; and having crawW a few paoe^ lodced agam bdiind her, and for sone tinia stood moaning. But stfll bar cubs not rising to fidlsw Iter, she returned to them again, and with nnis of inexpressible fondness went round one, and round the other, pawing them, and moaning. Finding, at last, that ih^ were cold atul lifeless, she raised h^ head toward the ■hip, and growled a curse upon the murderers, wladt they returned with a volkv muaket-halls. ^» foil between tier cubs, and died licxing their wounds."
Had this animal got among the destroyefa of her young, she would have soon shown what was impTied 'm tbo^iffadiitiMdi^abtar,robb«d^flurwkt^
Vtnel. Atuttaeaptmiiu<^tkmuimd»\ Byihiadma David's small company was greatly recruited: bat what iu number was we cannot tetl. Josepbua says, it amoonied only to.^r Oumwnd men. Ouiera have supposed, that they amounted to tm t/unuand f for thus dieir understand a clause in ver. 3. which they think AonU be read^ We are now ten thoutand strong.
Terss 3. But note dtou art imtA fen AMtamsd <^ «•] "Hie particle rmy dta, now, is doubtless a mistake tor die pronoun rvvt oio, rnou; imd ao it appeara to have beea read by die SeptuaginL the Vvlgate^ and the CKoUss; and by tiao of Kmt&xMt and D* BoitCt HSS.
Verse 6. Deo] gently with the young num] David was the,^iiA«r of this worthleas young man; and is it to be wondered at that he feels as a fiuher? Who, in his eiroumstances, that had such feeUngs as eveiy matt dMuld have, would have folt or acted otherwise.
Vwse 7. Tweniy thoHMond men] Whether these warn slain on die field of battle, ur whether they were leckoneJ with those sliun in die veood of EphraiiOLVQ klifV.aoL
8 For the battle was there scattered over the fkee of all the country: and the wood >devoured more people that day than the eword devoured.
9 ^ And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick Boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up betweeo the heaven and the earth: and the mule that was under him went away.
10 And a certain man saw il, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
11 And Joab said onto the man that told him. And, behold, thou sawest him-, and why didet thou not smite him there to the ground 7 and I would have given thee ten shekeU of eilver, and a girdle.
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the King's son: " for in our hearing the. king diarged thee, and Ahishai, and Ittai, sayin?, * Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
13 Otherwise I should have wrovwht falsehood against mine own life: for there is do matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus i>with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through tbe heart of Absalom, while he mas yet alive in the ^ midst of the oak.
15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour, compassed about, and smote Absalom, and slew him.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
Vene 9. Ti€ loood deoowed more pemle] It ia geoerally auppofed, that when the army was broken, they betook dkciuaelveB to the wood, fell into pita, awamps, &c.
beioK entangled, were hewn down by David'a men; but tbe Cnaldt^ Syriae, and Arabic, elate, that they were dmmrtd by am ieaslt in tbe wood.
Verse 9. And his head caught hold ^ the oak] It has been euppoeed that Abaalom waa caught bf the hair; but DO such Uiing ia intimated in the (exL Probably hie neck waa cau^ la tfae fork «f a lining bDO)^ and that he waa nearly tfead when Joab found him i fnr it is Mid, ver. 14. he was yet aKvt; an oqinssioD iriueh inti— tes ha waa luajiy dead.
Verse 10. / taw Abealom hanged in an ooA.) H« niMt hare hung Aere a eonaiderahie thne. This man aaw him hailing: now long he had bran hanging btfore he saw him, we cannot tel£ He came and informed Joab; this must have taken up a considerable time; Joab went and pierced him thrm^h with three darts; ibis raust have taken madll more time. It is therefore natural to conclude, that his life must have been neerty gone, after having been ao lone suapended; and probably was jMiat recovery, even if Jo^ had taken him down.
Vene 11. And a girdle.] The military belt waa tbe chief ornament of a soldier; and waa highly prized in all ancient natioiwi it waa alao a rich preaem from ooe chieftain to snotbeE. Jonathan gave hia to Datfd, a* tbe highest pledge s( his eeleem and perpetual friendship, J Sam. xviu. 4. And Ajax gnve his to Hector, as a token of the highest rcAtecL Horn. II. vii, ver. 305.
Verae 13. Thmt thya^f muideet have set ihyt^ agaiiut me.] Tim ia a atronz appeal to Joab's loyalty, and respect tbr the orders of David} but be waa proof uaiast every fine fselisg and affuoat every generous aen> bneoL
Verae 14. / may net tarry Om w^ft Out] He had notlting to say in vutdteaiMn m tbe purpose be had fumed.
Thrttst them through the heart Abaalmn] He was determiBed to aake sun work) and, Ihereftwe, be pierc«d bis AeoW.
a the atfety of tbe state required the sacrifice of Abs»-. But, indqKndently of this, his life was ouodniply forfeited to the law: 1. In having murdered his brother. AranML 2. In having excited an insurrection in-the atate. 3. In having taken up arms a^nst his own htber, OeuL Xxi. IG^ 21. 4. In bavii^ lain wiUi his fother's coocti-
17 And they took Abnlom, and cast him into a great pit In the wood, and ' laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in ■ the king's dale; for he said, > I have no son to keep rav name in remembrance: and he called the pillar aAer his own name: and it is called unto this day Absalom's Place.
19 H Then said Ahimaas the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that tbe Loan hath " avenged him of his enemies.
30 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not * bear tidings this dav, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shsJt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
31 Then said Joab to Cushi, Gq tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
23 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet
again to Joab, But ' howsoever, let me. I prav lee, also run after CushL And Joab sain, vVherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ' ready.
33 But howsoever, saidhe, let me run. And he said unto him, Rua Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
34 And David sat between the two gates i and ' the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up bis eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
25 And the watchman cried, and tola the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drewnear.
36 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter.
bines, Lev. xviii. 29. Long ago he should have died by the lund of justice; and now all his crimes are visited on him, in his mat act of r^llion. Yet in the present circumstances, Jo«b*a act was base and oislojral } and a cowardly murder.
Verae 15. Ten young men— smeU Absabm, and slew him.] That ia, they alTiMereed the body } but there oould be no life in it after three darts had been thniat tbrrarii the heart: but they added as much as would have killM him had he been alive.
Verse Ifr. Joab blew th» trumpei) He knew that the rebellion was now extingui^ed by the death of Absaloni j and was not willing that any farther slaughter should be made of the deluded people.
.Verse 17. And laid a very great heap iff etonesj Tliia was the method of burying heroes, and even traitors; the heap of sUmes being designed to penpetuaie the memory at (be event, whether good or bad. The aneieai cairns, or heaps of stones, in different parts of the world, are of d^ia kind. The various tsmuit or ^rrpiaa^ in En^and. are die same as the cainu in difTerent parti of Ireland and ScoUand. In the former, stones were not plenty; heaes they heaped up great mound* earth.
Verse 18- Reared up far himstif a piXlar] There waa a marble pillar in the time of Joaeidtus, called Absabin'a pitiari and there ia one ahown to the present day, under this name; but it is comparatively a modern structure.
Verse 21. 7W/ Ae JKng^ vhat Mou Atut seen] At this time the death of Absalom was not publicly known: but Joab bad given Cushi private infMmation of it. This Ahinuwz had not, for he could not tell tbe king whether Absalom were dead. To Ihia Joab seems to ren*, ver. 22. Thou bast no tidings ready.
Verae 24. Darid eat between the two gates] He was prcteUy in the aeat of justice. Before the rate of the city, it is ouppoBed, there waa an encloaure, which had ita gats also: iMvidsatiatheifacebetweenlheMetwodoofa. Over the iuffST gate there upptmn to have been a turret, on which a sentinel, or watchman, stood continually; and gave h>- fbmation of what he aaw in the eoontiT.
Verae 26. Ae be alone there is ttdingi] Tbax is, good tidings. For, if the battle had been lost, mea would have been rtinning in different diraetima through the country.
and Baidr Behold another man ruDuing alone. And the kin^ sfijd, He aUo brinffcth tidings.
27 And the watchman said', * Methinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He t« a frood man, and cometh witli §ood tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called and eaid unto the ■king, ""All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the kin^, and said, Blessed be the Lord Ihj God, which hath * delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
39 And the kine said, ^ Is theyoung man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered. When Joabaent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it wcu.
30 And the king said unto him. Turn aside, and stand here. Andlie turned aside, and stood still.
31 And, behold, Cushi, came; and Cuahi said, ■ Tidings, my lord the Icing: for the Lord hath avenged thee thia day or all them that rose up against thee.
32 And the kin^ said unto Cushi, Is the voung inan Abntlom sale? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do tAe« hurt, be as that young man is.
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and OB he went, thus he said, ' O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God 1 had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my eon!
A^Enito. A ND it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for
And the ■ victory that dav was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people
3 And the people gat them by stealth that daj ^into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
4 But the king i covered his fiice, and the khif cried with a load voice, * O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
5 And Jo^ came mto the house to the king, and aaid. Thou hast shamed this day the face* of cdl thy servants, v^ieh this day nave saved thy life, and the uvea of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;
6) In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast dedared this day, ■ tliat thou reeardest neither prittees nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we nad died thia day, then it had pleased thee welL
7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak " comfortably unto thy servants: for 1 swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.
8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying. Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: Tor Israel had fled every man to his tent.
9 It And all the people were at strife throughout ail the tribes of Israel, saying, The kmg saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Phiustines; and now he is * fted 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, sayii^g, Why are ^e the last ts bring the king back to his house? seemg the speedi cdT afl Israel 18 come to the king, even to his house.
12 Ye are my brethren, ye are < my bones
Vene 29. / tow a grtat fumuU] It U very probtble that Ahimaaz did not Imow of Ihe death of Antuom: he hod Men the rout of hia army, but did not know of hii daaih. Others think be knew all, and told this untruth that be miriit not be the ineueaBer of bad aewa to David.
Vene 3a iShmd here] He intended to emfront the two nenengora, and compare their accounts.
Verso 32. Is th6 yoimgman Abaaiom at^fa?] Hue was the utmost of hia aoliciludc ( and it well merited the reproof which Joab gave him, eh. xiz. 6.
Verse 33. O jny ton Abaalom] It i> allowed by du moet able entice that ihie liunentationia exceedingly patheUc. In what order the wonb were Brwiounced, far mueh depeodi on thi% we cannot My. Perni^M it waa the foUowing; —
- In there no hope for the aoul of this profligate young maol He died in hia iniqiii ty: but is it not posaible that he implored the mercy of hia Miuter while he hung in the treef And ia It not poaaible that the mercy of God waa extended to tdm 1 Ana was not that nupenaion a reapit& to the end that he miafat have time to deprecate the wradi of divine juatice 1
Thia ia at leoat a charitable conjecture, and humanity will delight, In auch a case, to lay hold even on poutbilUtea. it there DC any room for nope in such a deatlL who that knowa the worili of an immortal Mul, would not wish to indulge in iti
Verse 2. 7H< rirfory— waatumedintomounHng-] Instead of reioicing dial a most unnatural and minoua rebel- lion hod been quadied; dwpraple mourned over their ewa aucceaa, becauae tbcrr aaw their king ao inmoderately afflicted for the kaa of hia vorthleaa aon.
O ten A&Mlm] Calmet ham prweriy remaika^ diat the frequent repetition ef the nana « tba dt&oet, is common in the langosge of hmaitatioft. Hhh TmB* Ed. T. ver. 61.
Verse 6. Thou hoH akamea Aia day] Joeb'e apeeeh to David on his tmmodenia crief for the death of hia rebeUioua Bon, ia not only remarkable for the iJiaolmet tf ttffitt, hat alao for good aenae sttd finnnesa. Every man, who ctsdidly considera the slate of the nue, muat allow that Darid acted imprudently, at least t and that Joab's firm reproof waa necessary, to arouse him to a sense of his duty lo hit people. But sliU, in hie manner, Joab had &r exeewed dw bounds of that reverence which a servant owes to his neater, or a aalqect to hia prince. Joab waa a good aoUier; but. in every respect, a bad man, and a dangerous wdma.
Vene 8. 7%e king—aat fn Vu gata] Ttia place wImk justice was administered to the people.
Verse 11. Speak unto Ac tJdera of ^AidloA) David vu afraid to &11 out with thia tribe; dtey mre in poaaemiD of Jefusalem, and thia waa a city cf imncHisnee ts him. Hiiej nad joined AboUom in lita rcbulkm; and. doubtleaa^ were ixiw ashamed of their eondact. Dam sppeara to take no notic« of iheir inftdelrty; but radxr to place confideitce in them, that their confidence in him mi^tt be naturally excilMl t and, to oblige them jret farther, psr- ^osea to mdte AmSaa oapiain of ihe hoal in the pteee of
13 'And Bay ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and or my flesh? *Qod do so to me, tdu more ^so, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Jonb.
14 And he bowed the heart of all the men Jodah. ^eren aj the ketcrt ((f one man; so that Iher sent tikis word unto the kme, Return thou, and aH thr servants. '
15 So toe king returned, and came to Jordan. And Jodah came to <■ Gilgal, to go to meet the kine, to conduct the -king over Jordan.
16 IT And * Shimei iae eon of Oera, a Benjamite, which vat of Bahurim, haeted, and came down with the men of Judah to meet King
17 And there were a thoneand men of Benjamin with him. and * Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, imd his fifteen sons and his twenty servanta with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.
18 And there went over a ferry-boat to carry Aver the king's household, and to do ' what he thouffht good. And Shimei the son of Qera Tell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;
19 And said onto the king, * Let not my lord in^>ute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember ■ that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jemealem, that the kmg shonm " take it to his heart
20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am emne the first this day of all ^the honae of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
21 But Abishai the son of Zemiah anewervd and said, Shall not Shimei be pot to death for this, bee»ise he * cursed the Lobd's anointed?
22 And David said, <> What have 1 to do with vou, ye SODS of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversariea unto me? 'shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know- that I am this day king over Israel 7
23 Therefore ^ the King said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto
- Tene 14. And fu bomd Ou htati qf aU Ou mtn nf Judah\ meaaurei that he pumwd wen the best oweojated that eouU be, to aeoomplieh this nhitary end. Appear to divtnut tboM whom you have bum resson to •O^tect, and yon ineresM their eantion and ^stnut. Put nodi eonndenee is Ihem ae you aafely can i and thia win not ful to ezeite their oonfldenee toward yob.
Verae 16. SUinai the mm qf Oera] It apman that Kiiioei waa a powerful chieftain in the laod; m he had here, in hie retioiie, no leai than a thomaod men.
Terse 16. nen wnt over a ftny^toaCi This ie the firat meaiien irf any thing of the kind. Sena think a bridM or raft it what ia here intended.
Verae 20. For thy tenant doth hum that I hat ai*»- MOf] This waa all he could do: hta aafaaequeBt eaadoet alone could prove hit i inoerity. On aueh an avowal as thia, David could not but Rrant nim hk Ufc.
Verae M. mUhar dreend hU/ettJ He had gtvm the ftillest proof of hia aineere attachmeot to David and his eaose; amL by what be had do«s amply retMad thaeatnmniei of nia aervant Ziba.
Verae 27. 7Ju king ii m on angel tff €hd\ Ai if be bad aaid, I atata my case plainly, ana without giitle t thou art loo wise not lo penatraie the motivea htm whieh both nmetf and aervant have aoied. I ihall make no appeal t w«i whataoever thou detamrineat, I diall reel oootanted.
Verae 29. / Am taid, Thou and Ziba dMdt As Itttut] At llrat, David gave the land of Saul to M^ibosheth } and Ziba, hii aona. aad hia eervanta, wne to work Am land] and to HejAiMAetfa, ai the lord^ he was lo give the half of ths pnnbtet. Kiba met David in his diatreai with provision^ and eahmnialed Mephiboahelht David, too ^ghdy tmatiiig lo Ms aaiweffaaeirtaltoat and aoppoaiag that HqAi BioAadi was aotually Boofa a traiMr as
Si ^ And ' MephiboBheth the son of Satd came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed hia feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the kii^; departed nntjl the day he came again in peace.
25 And It came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him. ^ Wherefore wentest not thou with me. Meimibo^th?
26 And he answered. My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, T will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king: because thy aervant is lame.
27 ' And he hatn slandered thy eervant unto my lord the ktog; * but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.
28 For all of my father's house were but > dead men before my lord the king; " yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
29 And the king said unto him, Why speakeat thou any more of thv matters? I have caM, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Tea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own bouse.
31 jAnd " Barzillai the Qfleadite came down fh>m Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the "is* ^ conduct him over Jordan.
!S Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and "he tiad provided the kinsr of sustenance while he lay at Kfohanaim; for ne was a very great man.
33 And the king said unto BarsiDai, Come thou over with me, and I wfll feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
34 And Barzillai said unto the king, >■ How long have I to live, that I ^ould go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
3d I am thia day « fourscore years old: and can I discern between good ana evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto mv lord the king!
36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jor-
Ziba repreaeatad hhm, made him, oo the spot, a grant of hii naater*B land. Now he finds that he baa acted too radily; tmd therefore confima the formv ^roni.- i. su diat Ziba shettld onltiTate the ground, and itiU oentuns to give ta Hophiboabeifa, aa ihe knd, the half of the pro> duw, Thia waa merely placing thinga in ttatuquo, and Utterly asnuIliDg the gift that ha had made to Ziba. But why did he leava tbia treaeheraua man any thing 7 Anawar — 1. Hs waa One of die domeatiea of SauL and David wiAed to Aow kindnesi to that house. 2. He had supplied bfan with the neeeasariea of life, when he waa in the naateatdistniat and be dunks poper to eontinue him ia fiia tdd oOee, by wi^ of ramuMraiion. But it waa earttunly too great a compensation for hie services, however dieo imponant, when all the oiroomstances are considered.
Verse 32. Bariillai was a very aged man] lliia vaamble paraon had given fbllproof of nia attachment to David, by dM supplies ha bad given him when he at Mahanaira, where hia aaaa waa all but desperaU: the sbicanty of his congratoIaiionB now, none ean auapaet. David's to him waa at once noble aad tibem): bo wished to compeoaau 9udi a man; and be wished to have at hand nAa/riend.
Verse 36. Con % ssrronf <•««« leAof /m^ Here is at ooee aa affteting deserintion of die Inftrmitiaa of okl agei and a comet aecoont at tfaa node vt living at an Eaalero osort, in ancient timea.
Barnllai waa fiwiaoore years old i bis ear waa beoome dull of hearing, and his retith for his food waa gone: he^ therefore, appears to have been iwt only an olamaiL but an fe^bwt old man. Besides deHtaie maato and drMct. we fiiid Oat coeol auisje eonatitated apriodpal fsttm court entertainnuaiat male and faaale liagerB anaia a Bgciisaiy anwadaga lo dHsa banqusti^ fMpV do in i lie vagal s maaa a Mj^doinaoM dan Trith the king:, and why chonld the long recompense it me with such a reward?
37 Let thy servanl, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.
38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to* him that which shall eeem good onto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt ■ require of me, thai will I do ibr
39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king ' kissed Barzillai, and bteiised bimi and he returned unto his own place.
40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and "Chimham went on with him: and alTthe people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of lerael.
41 TT And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king. Why have our brethren the men of Judah Btolen thee away, and ' have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?
42 And all the men of Juoah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is * near of kin to ue: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's coif? or hath he given us a.nye^^1
43 Aim the men orlsirael answered the men of Jud^, and «aid. We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye " despise ub, that our advice should not be first fmd in bringing back our king 1 And ' the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
Eastern courti to the jHoent day. Am David wai a most sublime poet, and emphatically styled the »wee( Hnger qf Israel, he, do doubt, had his court well supplied wiui voofti as well as inttrummtal praformera; and, probably, vith potit and potUattM; fbr it ia not likely that A« waa the only poet of hia time, though he undoubtedly wm the moat excellent
Verse 37. 7%y tenant dkfniAam] It is generally undeivtood that this was Barzillai'a son; and this ia prwMble from 1 KmgB ii. 8. where, when David was dying, tie said, Sluneieindneaa to Ou torn qf BarziUai: and it is very inrobeble that this Cbimham was one of them. In Jer. xli. 17. mention is made of Ike habUaiimqf Chimham, which was near to Beth-ldiem; and it is reasonably eoniectured that David bad left that portion, which was pnAiOily a pact of bis paternal estaia, to this son of BuziUai.