Commentary on the Holy Bible

7 And David look " the shields of gold that

£rM a line, casting them dorsn to the ground; to put to death, and with one line to keep alive. Death seems here to be referred to the cities by way of metaphor; and, from this view of the subject, we may conclude, that two-thirds of the cities, that is, the strong places of Moab, were erased; and not having strong places to trust to, the text adds, so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts, i. e. were obliged to pay tribute. The word line may mean the same here as our rod; i. e. the instrument by which land is measured. There are various opinions on this verse, withwhich I shall not trouble the Reader. Much may be seen in Calmct and Dodd.

Verse 3. David smote — Hadadezer'] He is supposed to have been king of all Syria, except Phoenicia; and, wishing to extend his dominions to the Euphrates, invaded a part of David's dominions which lay contiguous to it: but being attacked by David, he was totally routed.

Verse 4. A thousand chariots] It is strange that there were a thousand chariof.i, and only seven hundred horsemen taken, and twenty thousand foot. iJut as the discomfiture appears complete, we may suppose that the chariots being less manageablp, might be more easily taken, while the horsemen might, in general, make their escape. The infantri/ also «eem to have been surrounded, when twenty thousand of them were taken pii-oners.

David houghed all the chariot horses] If he did so, it was both unreasonable and inhuman; for, as he had so complete ■J. victory, there was no danger of these horses falling iuto were on the servants of Hadadezer, ^j_"; fyfo; and brouiiht them to Jerusalem. An. txod. isr.

8 And from " Betah, and from "Be- Anno ante i. rothai, cities of Hadadezer, king Da- 'ymp. 264. vid took exceeding much brass.

9 H When '' Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,

10 Then Toi sent *' Joram his son unto king David to ' salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer " had wars with Toi. And Joram ' brought with him vessels of silver, and vf^ssels of gold, and vessels of brass:

11 Which also king David "did dedicate unto the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;

1^ Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Amnion, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

the enemy's hands: and if he did not choose to keep them, which, indeed, the law would not permit, he should have killed them outright; and then the poor innocent creatures would have been put out of pain. But does the text speak of houghing horses at all? It does not. Let us hear, in ipi"l 3D-in hD -« vayaaker David eth col harecab: And David disjointed all the chariots, except a hundred chariots which he reserved for himself. Now, this destiuction of the chariots was a matter of sound j?o/(c_y, and strict pieii/. God had censured those who trusted in chariots; piety, therefore, forbad David the use of them: and lest they should fall into the enemy's hands, and be again used against him, policy induced him to destroy them. The Septuagint render the words nearly as I have done, xai VixpiXocre Aat^io Travro. ra, apix.ci.ra,.

Verse 7. David took the shields of gold] We know not what these were. Some translate^ arms, others quivers, others bracelets, others collars, and others shields. They were probably costly ornaments by which tiit^ Syrian soldiers were declied and distinguished.

Verse 9. Toi king of Humath] Hamath is supposed to be the famous city of Emessa, situ:ited on the Or< ntes, in Syria. This was contiguous to Hadadezer; and led him to wage war with Toi, that he might got possession of his territories. — For a comparison of the tenth verse, see 1 Chron..wiii. 9.

14 II And lie [)ul f^arrisons in iMJoin; liiroiif^li- '\ 17 And '' /adok the son of Ahitid), and Al)imcout all iMloin |)nt he j;arrisoiis, and 'all (hey of lech the Hon of Ahiatliar, tccrc the priests: and Ivloin heeaine David's servants. ' And the I/)iU) ' Seraiali my/.i llie ' srribe; preserved David whithersoevrr he went. IS "'And Henaiah the son of.i( hoiada huh ovir

I.') II And DavitI rei;;;ned over all Israel; and! Iiolh the " Ciierethites and the Pelelhiles; und David executed judf^nient and justice unto ail his David's sons were " chief rulerH.

Vorsc IJ. I)iiviil g(i/ h\m a itiimc] lii-rnnip a very celebriitcd niid ciuinciit man. 'I'lio Tai^um lias i!, David cutlet led I roups; namely, to recruit Wis army, wiieii lie returnrd from smiling (lio Syrians, lli^ many balllcs had, no doubt, greatly thinned his army.

T/ie valli\y (;/'««//] SupposeJ lo ho a lar^c plain, nbounding in this mineral, about a league from the city of Pulmj/ra, or Tadmor in the wilderness.

Verse 14. Ife pitf f^tirrisons in Kdom^ I Id repaired the strong cities which he had taken, and put garrisons in them, to keep the country in awe.

Verse IC. JuaO — was over the host'] CJcncral and commander-in-chief over all the army.

Ahiliid — recorder'] ITIO raazzkir, rt'innnininccr; one who krpt a strict journal of all the i)roc('cdiiii;s of the king, and operations of his army; a chronicler.

Verso 18. Tlenaiah'] The chief of the second claij of I)a\id'« worthies. \Vc xhall meet with him again.

77i<' Clifrclhi/cf, unit tlie I'cltlliitct] The former luppo^etl lo be those who accompanied Divid when he fled from Saul; the latter, those who came to him at /iking. Hut the Tar* gum translates these two names thus: (he archer t, and Ihe stingers; and this is l)y fir the most likely. It is n^t at all probable that David was without a company both of archers and stingers. The lioie is celebratetl in the funeral lamentation over Saul and Jonathan; and (he iling was rPnowned ai the weapon of the Israelites: and how expert Divid was iu the use of it, we learn from the death of Golialh. I take for granted that (he Chaldce parsphrast is correct. No weapons, (hen known, were e(|na1ly powerful withthcfc: the spears, swords, and javelins of other nations wcie as stubble before them. The bow was the grand weapon of our Knglish ancestors: and, even afler Ihe invention of fire arm«, they were with didiculty pcreuuded to prefer them.

David enquires after thefamilj/ of Jonuthan, and is informed of Mephihosheth Ids son, 1 — 1. J/e sends for him, and gives him all the land of Saul, 5 — 8. And appoints Zeba the servant of Saul, and his family, to till the ground for Mephihosheth, 9 — 13.

ND David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that 1 may ' shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

NOTKS ON CH.Vr. IX. Verse 1. Js Iherc yet any t/tal is left] David, recollecting the covenant made with his frtcud Jonathan, now en-

2 And there teas of the house of Saul a servant uhose name zcns '' Ziba. And wlien thev had called him unto David, the king said unto

quires after his family. It is supposed that political considerations prevented him from doing this sooner. Rcci'oni of state often destroy all the charities of life.

yet any of the house of Saul, that 1 may shew ^ the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is *" lame on his feet.

4 And the king said unto him. Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king. Behold, he is in the house of ' Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo- debar.

5 ^ Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

G Now when "^ Mephiboshetli, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered. Behold thy servant!

7 ^ And David said unto him. Fear not: *for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

8 And he bowed himself, and said. What is

Verse 3. That I may shea the kindness of God unto hint] That is, the utmost, the highest degrees of kindness; as the hail of God is very great hail; the mountains of God exceeding high mountains: besides, this kindness was according to the covenant of God made between him and the family of Jonathan.

Verse 4. Lo-debar.] Supposed to have been situated beyond Jordan: but there is nothing certain known concerning it.

Verse 7. Will restore thee all the land] I believe this means the mere famili/ estate of the house of Kish, which David, as king, might have retained; but which, most certainly, belonged, according to the Israclitish law, to the descendants of the family.

And thou shalt eat bread at my table] This was kindness, the giving up the land if zs justice; and it was the highest honour that any subject could enjoy, as we may see from the reference made to it by our Lord, Luke xxii. 10. That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. For such a person David could do no more. His lameness rendered him unfit for any public employment.

Verse 9. / have given unto thy t/iaster^s son] Unless Ziba had been servant of Jonathan, this seems to refer to Micah, son of Mephibosheth; and so some understand it: but it is more likely that Mephibosheth is meant, who is thy servant, that thou shouldest ^c.-jmo!" look upon such ^a dead dog as An. lixod. isr.

9 f Then the king called to Ziba, "'y"*''' ^°'- Saul's servant, and said unto him, ^ I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, tliat thy master's son may have food to eat: hut Mephibosheth thy master's son '■ shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had ' fifteen sons and twenty servants.

1 1 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

VI And Mephibosheth had a young son, '' whose name xscas Micah. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: ' for he did eat continually at the king's table; and '"was lame on both his feet.

called son of Saul, instead of grandson. Yet it is evident enough that the produce of the land went to the support of Micah, see ver. 10; for the father was provided for at the table of David: but all the patrimony belonged to Me. phibosheth.

Verse 10. Thou therefore, and thy sons — shall till the land] It seems that Ziba and his family had the care of the whole estate, and cultivated it at their own expencc, yielding (he half of the produce to the family of Mephiboshetli. Ziba was properly the hind whose duty and interest it was to take proper care of the ground; for the better it was cultivated, the more it produced; and his /»«{/" would, consef)uently, be the greater.

Verse 11. So shall thy servant do.] The promises of Ziba were fair and specious; but he was a traitor in his heart, as we shall see in the rebellion of Absalom; and David's indulgence to this man, is a blot in his character: at this time, however, he suspected no evil; circumstances alone can develope the human character. The internal villain can be known only when circumstances occur which can call his propensities into action: till then he may be reputed an honest man.

Verse 13. Did eat continually at the king's table] lie was fit for no public office, but was treated by the king with the utmost respect and afiTection-

The hhif; ol" Ammon being dcnd, David srnds iimhassndors to rntnforl liii son J/tiiiiin, I, 'i. I/iinvn, viitftd b^y /lis com lit IS, liKils I he nicssitifrirs of David Kith p;rral indignilj/, 3—5. 7'/iiAninioniles,ju»t/i/driiidi>i/; Jhivid's Ksnilmint, svtid, mid liin I lie Siyritins to initkc i^ar vpon hi in, (i. Jooli and Aliifhiii ni<it llirm at t/ir riti/ of Mcdrlia, and di fiat llinii, 7 — li. Tlir Si/rian^ collect anot In r arm 1/; liul arc difratid hi/ Dniid Ti^ith serial slaui^litir, and viahr xcilh him a separate peace, Ij — 19.

lliat tlic " kiiif'" of I lie rliildrcii ot Aiiirnon died, and llaiuiii liis sou roi^Micd in liis slcad.

2 Then said David, i will shew kindness unto Hanun the s(ui of Naiiasli, as his father sliewed kindness uuto uie. And Da\ id sent to eouilorl him by the hand of his servants for his fallier. And David's servants came into tlie hind of the eliildren of.\mmon.

3 And the priinL-s of the eliildren of Amnion said unto Hanun (heir h>rd, ''Thinkest tlion that David doth honour thy fatlier^ (hat he hath sent comforters unto tliee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to seareli the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and

Verse 'i. 1 tcill stieic kiiidiuss unto Hanun the son of Nahash'] We do not know exactly the nature or extent of the obligation which David was under to the king of the Ammonites; but it is likely that the Nahash here nieiitionrd was the same who had alt-icked Jabesh Gilead, and whom Saul defeated: as David had taken refuge with the Moabites, 1 Sam. xxii. 3. and this was contiguous to the king of the Ammonites, his hatred to Saul might inducu him to shew particular kindness to David.

Verse 3. Thinkest thou that David doth honour thi/ father^ It lias been a matter of just complaint through all the history of mankind, that there is little sincerity in courts: courtiers, especially, are suspicious of each other; and often mislead their sovereigns.

Verse 4. Shaved off the one half of their Ocards'] The beard is held in high respect in the Kast; the possessor considers it his greatest ornament; often swears by it; and, in matters of great importance, pledges it. Nothing can be more secure than a pledge of this kii\d; its owner will redeem it at the hazard of his life. The beard was never cut «fi° but in mourning, or as a sign of tlaverif. Cutting off

^h;i\((l nil' (lie onf liaif of liicif beards, and cut olT their j^arrnents it) (he middh", ' 1 V( n to their hiiKot ks, and veni tliem away.

5 \N hen tliey told it un(o David, he sent to meet tlicm, heeausc the men were f^rcatly ashamed: and the kini^ said. Tarry ut Jericho until your beards be grown, and tlun return.

(> \.\iul whrii ihc children of.\mmnn saw that thev ' slank before David, the children of.\mmon sent and hired ■" the Syrians of nethiviiob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of kii)!^ Maacah a tliousand men, and of ' Nh-toi) twelve tliousand men.

7 And when David heard of it. he sent Joab, and all the host of '^ the niijjhty men.

half of the beard and the clothes, rendered the men ridiculous, and made them look like slates: what was done to these men was an accumulation of insult.

Verse 5. Tarry at Jericho'] This city had not been rebuilt since the lime of Joshua: but there were, no doubt, many cottages still remaining, and larger dwellings also; but the icalls had not been repaired. As it must have been comparatively a private place, it wis proper for these men to tarry in, as they would not be exposed to public notice.

^'e^sefi. The children uf Aminon sai: that they stank] That is, that their conduct tendered them abominable. This is the Hebrew mode of expressing such a feeling. See Geo. xxxiv. 30,

The Syrians of lieth-rihub] This place was situated at the extremity of the valley between Libanus and.\nti. Ijbanus. The Syrians of Zoba were subject to Hadarezer. Maacah was in the vicinity of mount Hermon, beyond Jor. dan, in the Trachonitis.

Ish-tob] This was probably the same with Tob. to which Jeplitliah fled from the cruelty of his brethren. It was situated in the land of Gilead.

Verse 7. All the host of the nughty] All his sorthiei, and the flower of his army.

9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle Avas against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice incn of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.

11 And he said. If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

12 "■ Be of good courage, and let us "play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and ''tiie Lord do that which seemeth him good.

13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and tliey fled before him.

14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, tlien fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab

Verse 8. At the entering in of the gcUe'\ This was the city of Aledeba, as we learn from 1 Chron. xix. 7,

Verse 9. Before and behind~\ It is probable that one of the armies was in the Jield, and the other in the citj/, when Joab arrived. When he fronted this army, the other appears to have issued from the city, and to have taken him in the rear: he was, therefore, obliged to divide his army as here mentioned; one part to face the Syrians, commanded by himself; and the other to face the Ammonites, commanded by his brother Abishai.

Verse 12. Be of good courage'] This is a very fine military address; and is equal to any thing in ancient or modern times. Ye fight /;ro oris eifocis; for every good, sacred and civil; for God, for your families, and for your country.

Verse 14. The Syrians tcere Jled] They betook themselves to their own confines, while the Ammonites escaped into their own city.

lladarezer] This is the same that was overthrown by David, chap. viii. and there called Uadadezer; which is the reading here of about thirty of Kennirott's and I)e Rossi's MSS. But the n rcsh, and n daleth, are easily interchanged.

returned from the children of Am- ''b.c.iS; mon, and came to Jerusalem. An. Exod. Ui.

15 H And when the Syrians saw Annoan'iei. that they were smitten before Israel,:'^Pi^«" they gathered themselves together.

16 And lladarezcr sent, and brought out the Syrians that loere beyond " the river: and they came to Helam; and ' Shobach tlie captain of the host of Hadarezer ivent before

17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand ° horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

19 And when all the kings that loere servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and ""served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

Verse 17. David — gathered all Israel together^ He thought that such a war required his own presence.

Verse 18. Seven hundred chariots — and forty thousand horsemen'] In the parallel place, 1 Chron. xix. 18. it is said, David slexB of the Syrians seven thous.4ND men, which fought in chariots.

And forty thousand horsemen] It is difficult to ascertain the right number in this and similar places. It is very probable that, in former times, the Jews expressed, as they often do now, their numbers not by zcords at full length, but by numeral letters: and, as many of the letters bear a great similarity (o each other, mistakes might easily creep in, when. the numeral letters came to be expressed by words At full length. This alone will account for the many mistakes which we find in the numbers in these books; and renders a mistake here very probable. The letter i zain, with a dot above, stands for seven thousand; and the letter j nun, for seven hundred: the great similarity of these letters might easily cause the one to be mistaken for the other, and so |)ro(luce an error in this place.

Verse 19. Made peace zeith Israel] They made this peace separately;.and were obliged to pay tribute to thc Israelites. Some copies of the Vulgate add here, after the word Israel, Expaverunt el fugerunt quinqitaginta et octo millia corank agsliiHt (he Ammonilei and Si/riaru. Thii latt victorjr wts noon followfd by llio c'oni|>li'li- < omjuoiit of the kini;dorii of the- Aiiirnonili-s, ahnniloncd liy Ihi-ir alliet. What glory (o the monarch of Iirsfl, had not the njileiidor of thit illuUriouf C|)och lii-cn ohscurcd liy a comjilicutinn of crinim, of which one could never have even ftuspected him c:i|>able '."

\V<- have now done with the Criil part of thin liook, ia which we find Uaviil i;rent, fi;loriouii, and piou«: we come to the.«rro;if/ jiart, in which wn iihall hare the pain to obfert* him fallen from find, and hin horn drfiU-d In the du!il, by (limes of the moi>l ll.iijitioui nature. Ijet him that most insurc-dly tinndcth, take heed lest he fail.

David souls Joab iis^fiiiist Ihc /Immonilcs, who bisirges the citj/ of Rnhhali, I. lie scrs Bath-sheba, the uife of Uriah, bathins;; is inamourrd of her; sends fur and lakes her lo his bed, 2 — 4. She conceives, and inform* David, 5. David siiids lo Joah, and orders him to si iid to him Uriah, G. lie arrives; and David, having enquired the stale of the armj/, dismissed him, desiring him to go to his oicn house, 7,8. Uriah sleeps at the door of the king's house, 9. The next day the king urges him to go lo his house; but he refuses to go, and gives the most pious and loijal reasons for his refusal, 10, II. David, after lu:o daj/s, sends him back to the arm i/, with a letter lo Joah, desiring him to place Uriah in the front of the battle, that he might be stain, 12 — 15. J/e docs so; and Uriah falls, Ki. J(i<ib communicates this nexcs in an artful message to David, 18 — 25. David sends for Bathsheba, and takes her to Zi'ife; and she bears him a son, 26, 27.

A NO it came to pass 'after the r\ year was expired, at the time when kings go toi th to battle, tliat "* David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Amnion, and besieged Kabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

2 f And it came to pass in an evening-tide, that David arose from oil" his bed, 'and \Nalked

Verse 1. When kings go forth] This was about a year after the war with the Syrians, spoken of before; and about the spring of the year, as the most proper season for military operations. Calmet thinks they made l:co campaigns, one in autumn and the other in spring; the:cinlcr being, in many respects, inconvenient; and the summer too hot.

Verse 2. In an tvening-tide — David arosc^ lie had been reposing on the roof of his house, to enjoy the breeze, as the noon-day was too hot for the performance of business. This is a constant custom on the llat-roofed bouses in the Eiist.

upon the roof of the king's house: and rr(jni tiie loof he '' saw a woman washing herself; and the woman icas very beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And o}ic said, Js not this ' Balhshcba, the daughter of ' Eliam, the wife * of Uriah the llittile =

4 And David sent messengers, and took her;

woman of delicacy expose herself wlierc she could be so fully and openly viewed! Did she not know that she was at least in view of the king's terrace: Was there no detign in all this? El/ugit ad salices, el sc cupit ante viJcri.

Ver.se 4, shews us that this washing was at the termination of a particular [leriod.

Verses. The daughter of Eliam] Called 1 Chron. iii. 5. Ammiel; a word of the same meaning, The people of wu God, The God of my jtcoplc. This name expressed the covenant— / zcill be i/our God,• lie -^ill be thy people.

Verse 4. And site came in unto him] We hear nothini; of her reluctance; and there is uo evidence that she wa> taken per force.

5 f And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

6 And David sent to Joab, saying. Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him "^ how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and " wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there ' followed him a mess of meat from the king.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said

unto Uriah, Camest thou not from ^B.c!u«f!' till/ journey? why then didst thou ^"- ij*"'*- ^*''- not go down unto thine house? Annoailie i.

11 And Uriah said unto David,.*"1"pJ^!- ^ The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and "■ my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here today also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him ' drunk; and at even he went out to lie on his bed *" with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

Verse 5. And the zsoman conceived'] A proof of the observation on Ter. 2.; as that is the time in which women are most apt to conceive.

Verses. Go doian tu thy house, and rsash thy feel] Uriah had come off a journey, and needed this refreshment; but David's design was, that he should go and lie with his wife, that the child now conceived should pass for his, the honour of B:ith-sheba be screened, and his own crime concealed. At this time he had no design of the murder of Uriah, nor of taking Bathsheba to wife.

Verse 9. Slept at the door] That is, in one of the apartments, or niches, in the court of the king's house.

Verse 10. Cimesl thou not from \.\\y journey] It is not thy duty to keep watch or guard; thou art come from a journey, and needcst rest and refreshment.

Verse 11. The uric, iiiid Israel — abide in tents'] It appears, therefore, that they had taken the aik witii them to battle.

This was the answer of a brave, generous, and disinterested man. I will not indulge myself while all my fellowsoldiers are exposed to hardships; and even tiic ark of the Lord in danger.

Verse 13. lie made him drunk] Supposing that, in this state, he would have been olV his guard, and hastened down to his house.

Verse 14. David xcrole a letter] Tliis was (he Fum of treachery and villany. lie made this most noble man the carrier of letters which prescribed the mode in which he was to be murdered. This case some have likened to that of Bellerophon, son of Glaucus, king of Ephyra; who, being in the court of Prostus, king of the Argives, his queen Antia, or as others Sthenoboea, fell violently in love with him: but he, refusing to gratify her criminal passion, was, in revenge, accused by her to Proetus her husband, as having attempted to corrupt her. Proetus, not willing to violate the laws of hospitality, by slaying him in his own house, wrote letters to Jobates, king of Lycia, the father of Sthenoboea; and sent them by the hand of Bellerophon, stating his crime, and desiring Jobates to put him to death. To meet the wishes of his son-in-law, and keep his own hands innocent of blood, he sent him with a small force against a very warlike people called the 5'o/j/H!2; but, contrary to all expectation, he not only escaped with his life, but gained a complete victory over them, lie was afterwards sent upon several equally dangerous and hopeless expeditions, but still came off with success; and, to leward him, Jobates gave him one of his daughters to wife, and a part of his kingdom. Sthenobcca, hearing tliis, through rage and despair, killed herself.

I have given this history at large, because many have thought it not only to be parallel to (hat of Uriah, but to be a fabulous formation from the Scripture fact: for my own part, I scarcely see in them any correspondency, but in (he simple circumstance that both carried those letters which contained their own condemnation. From the fable of Bellerophon, came (he proverb, Bellerophonlis lilteras port are, •' to carry one's own condemnation."

tlic *■ iioUcsl IjalUo, and rcliic ye ' from liini, tlial lie may '' l)o smilU-n, and die.

If) And il «ame to pass, wIumi Joah ohicrvod the city, (hat lie asHi{;iie(i I'riah nnio a jilacc where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And the men of the city went out, and foiij;ht uitli,l(ial): and there fell sonic of the people of the servants of David; and I riuh the lliltitc died also.

19 And charf;ed the messcnf^cr, sayini^. When thou hast made ai\ end of (cllinfj (he niu(ters of (he war nnto tlie kin^-,

"■ZO And if so be (hat (he kinj^'s wra(h arise, and he say nn(o (hee, ^VIlcreiore a|)proached \e so ni^h ni\(o the eity when ye did li^ht? knew yc not that they wonid shoot from (he wall ^

2! AVho smote ' Ahimeleth the son of '.lerubbesheUi? did not a woman east a pieee of a nnllslone upon him from the wall, that he died in ^J'hebeK? why went ye nipjh tiie wall? then say thou. Thy servant Lriah (lie llittite is dead also.

Vcrpp 17. Uriah the lliltitc died (dsn.'] lie wjvs led to the attack of a place defended by valiant men; and, in the heat of the assanlt, Joab and his men retired from this brave soldier, who cheerfully gave up liis life for his king and his country!

Verse 20. //"— //a' king's -rrafli nmc] It is likely that Joab had, by some indiscretion, sulTered loss about this lime; and lie contrived to get rid of the odium by connecting the transaction witli the death of I'riah, which he knevr would be so pleasing to the king.

Verse 25. The sicord devoureth one as:ccU as another'] What abominable hypocrisy was here! He well knew that Uriah's death was no chance mcdUi/; he was, by his own order, thrust on the edge of the sword.

V erse 20. She mourned for her husband.] The whole of her conduct indicates that she observed the form, without feeling the/iozwr, of sorroa. She lost a captain, and got a king for her spouse: this must have been deep aOtiction indeed; and, therefo

'ii'.i And the mesHonfjer said nnto '*"''■ David,.Surely (he men pn-vaiit-d apiinst u«, and came on( un(o us in(o the field, and we were upon lliem even unto (he entering of the <^a(e.

21 And (he shoo(ers sho( from ofl" the wall upon (liy servantH; and name of (lie kinfj'a Hcrvant* be dead, and thy servant L'riah the llittite Ik dead also.

I 2.') Then David said nnto the mcssenpfer. Thus shall llirm say niilo.loab. lyOt not this ihiiif^ •displease thee, for the sword devonrelh 'One as well as another: make (by battle more strong

2(J H And when (lie wife of Uriah beard that Triah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

! 27 And when the mourn in;^ was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she ' became his wife, and bare him a son. IJut the thing that David had done ' displeased the Loitn.

Verse 27. When the mourning zzas past] Probably it lasted only seven days.

She became his ^ife] This hurried marriage was, na doubt, intended on both sides, to cover the pregnancy.

But the thing that David had done, displeased the Lord.'] It was necessary to add this; lest the splendour of David's former virtues should induce any to suppose his crimes were passed over, or looked on with an indulgent eye, by the God of purity and justice. Sorely he sinned, and sorely did he sulTer for it: he so:ccd one grain of s;;ect, and reaped a long harvest of calamity and woe.

On a review of the whole, I hesitate not to say (hat the preceding chapter is an illustrious proof of the truth of thu Sacre«l Writings. Who, that intended to deceive by trumping up a religion which he designed to father on the purity of God, would have insertetl such an account of one ({ if« mn^t zealous advocates, and once its brightest ornameot: God alone, whose character is impartiality, has done it to shew I s that His religion, librala ponderibus suis, will ever stand independently of the conduct of its professors.

Drs. D-laiiey, Chandler, and others, have taken great pains to excuse and varnish this conduct of Divid; and, while 1 admire their ingenuity, I abhor the tendency of their doctrine; being fully convinced that he who writes on this subject, should write like tlie inspired penman, who tells the TRUTB, the Khule thutu, and nothing but the truth.

David may be /)//?cf/ because he had fallen from great eminence— but who can help deplorins: the fate of the brave, the faithful, the incorruptible Uriah! Ualhsheba was probably first in the transgression, by a too public display of her charms; by which, accidentally, the heart of David was affected, wounded, and blinded. He committed one crime, which led him to u-e many shifts to conceal: these all failing, he is led from step to step to the highest degree of guilt. Not only does he feel that his and her honour, but even their lives, are at stake; for death, by the law of Moses, -.vas the punishment of adultery. He thought, therefore, that either Uriah must die, or he and Bathsheba perish for their iniquity: for that law had made no provision to save the life of even a king, wlio transgressed its precepts. He must not embrue his own hands in the blood of this brave man: but he employs him on a service from which his bravery would not permit him to shrink; and in which, from the nature of his circumstances, he must inevitably perish! The awful triaHs made, and it succeeds! The criminal king, and his criminal paramour, are, for a moment, concealed; and one of the bravest of men falls an affectionate victim for the safety and support of him, by whom his spotless blood is shed! But what shall we say of Joab, the wicked executor of the base commands of his fallen master? He was a ruffian, not a soldier: base and barbarous beyond example, in his calling; a pander to the vices of his monarch, while he was aware that he was outraging every law of religion, piety, honour, and arms! It is difficult to state the characters, sum up, and apportion the quantity of vice chargeable on each.

Lf t David, once the pious, noble, generous, and benevolent hero, who, when almost perishing with thirst, would not taste the water which his brave men had acquired at the haznrd of their lives; let this David, I say, be considered an awful example of apostasy from religion, justice, and virtue; Bath-sheba, of lightness and conjugal infidelity; Joab, of base, unmanly, and cold-blooded cruelly; Uriah, of untarnished heroism, inflexible fidelity, and unspotted virtue; and then justice will be done to each character. For my own part, 1 must say I pity David; I venerate Uriah; I detest Joab; and think meanly of Bath-sheba. Similar crimes have been repeatedly committed in similar circumstances. — I shall take my leave of the whole with —

Id commune malum; semel insanivimus omnes;

Aiit sumus, autfuimus, aut possumns, omne quod hie est.

God, of purity and mercy, save the Reader from the (cirgiirarov ay-xfrixv,) well circumstanced sin; and let him learn —

" Where many mightier have been slain; By Thee unsaved — he falls."

The Lord sends JSalhan, the prophet, to reprove David; which he docs, b>/ means of a curious parable, 1 — i, David is led, wtknowiiiglj/, to pronounce his own condemnation, 5, 6. Nathan charges the guilt home on his conscience / and predicts a long train of calamities which should fall on him and hisfamilj/, 7 — 1^. DavidcoU' fesses his sin; and Nathan gives him hope ofGod''s mercy, and foretels the death of the child horn in adultery, 13, 14. The child is taken ill; David Justs and prays for its restoration, 15 — 17. On the seventh day the child dies, and David is comforted, 18 — 24. Solomon is born of Bath-sheba, 25, 26. Joab besieges Rabbah of the Ammonites, takes the city of Waters, and sends for David to take Rabbah, 27, 28. //e comes, takes it, gets much spoil, and puts the inhabitants to hard labour, 29 — 31.

the LoKD sent Nathan into David. And "he came unto him, and '' said unto him, Tiiere were two men in one

NOTES ON CHAP..X.11. Verse 1. There were tieo men in one cily'] See a Discourse oa fables, at the end of Judges, chap. ix.; and a Dis- course on parabolic writing, at the end of the xiiith chapter of Matthew. There is nothing in this parable that requires illustration: its bent is evident; and it was wisely con-

.'? Hill (lie poor man Iiad nolliinj;-, Have oiu- little cwf liiml), wiiic li lit-

>vitli Ilis cliilrlroii; il did rat of his own ' meat, and drank ot his own cup, and lay in his hosoin^ and was unto liiin us a daiiu:lil('r.

4.And IIkmc cainc a Iravclli-r unto tlio ricli man, and he spared to take (jI his own Hock and of Ilis own herd, to dress for the wayliiriiif^ man that was come unto him; hut look llic poor man's laml), and dressed il for tlie man that was come to him.

5 And David's aii<;er was preatlv kindled af;ainst tiie man; and lie said to Natliaii, As tlie LoKD livotli, (he man that lialli done this Ihiug ^.shall surely die:

6 And he sliall restore the iamb ' fourfold, hecause he did this thing', and bccau.se lie had no pity.

7 ^ And Nathan said to David, Tiiou art the

structcd to make David, unwittingly, pass sentence on himself. It was in David's hand, what his own letters were in the hands of the brave but unfortunate Uriah.

Verse 3. And lay in his busom^ This can only mean that this lamb was what we call a pel, or favourite, in the family, else the circumstance would be very unnalinal, and most likoly would have jirevpnted David from making the applicalion wliiih he did; as, otherwise, it would have appeared absurd. It is the only part of this parable which is at variance with nature and fact.

Verse 5. Ihr man — shall surelj/ <//«] Literally,,-iD p l)cn maviihy " he is a son of death," a very bad man, and one who deserves to die. Hut the law did not sentence a sheep-sfealer to death: let us hear it; If a man steal an ox or a slieij), he shall restore rirE oxes for an ox, and four xiiFEi' for a sheep, Exod xxii. I.: and hence David immediately sa)s, Jle shall restore the lamb fovrfold.

Verse 7. Thou art the man'\ What a terrible word! And by it David appears to have been transtixed; and brought into the dust before the messenger of God.

Til Of. I nr this son of death; and thou shall restore this lamb roinyoLD. Is it indulging fancy too much to say David was called, in the course of a just Providence, to pay this fourfold debt: to lose four sons by untimely deaths, viz. this son of IJath-sheba, on whom David had set his heart, was slain by the Lord; Amnon, murdered by his brother.Vbsalom; Absalom, slain in the oak. by Joab; and ^donijah, sluin by the order of his brother Solomon, even at the altar of the Lord. The sword and calamity did not de-

8.\nd I (;ave tiiee thy master's house, and lliy masler'H wivch into thy bosom, and ffave thee the houHC of Israel and ofJiidah; and if that had hfin loo little, I would moreover have {jivcn unto lliee sut ii ami such thin;^s.

!) " Wherefore hast thou ' despiHcd tlic cornrnanthnent of the f,oiin, to do evil in his sii^lit ' - Ihoii liasl kilh'd Criali the Ililtite with the sword, and hast taken his wife lo be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of.\mmon.

10 Now therefore *" the sword shall never depart from lliine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wile of I'riaii the llittite to be tiiy wife.

I I Thus saitii the Loud, Ik-hold, I will raise up evil af^ainst tlicc out of thine own house, and part from his house, from the marder of wretched Amnon by his brother, to the slaughter of the sons of Zedckiah, before their father's e)es, l)y the king of liabylon. }{i> daughter was dishonoured by her own brother; and his atrft contaminated, publicly, by his own son! How dre.idfully, then, was David punished for his sin! Who would repeat his transgre-sion to share in its penalty I Can his conduct rver be an inducement to, or an encouragement in, sin.' — Surely, iVo. It must ever fill the reader and the hearer with horror: behold the goodness and severity of God! Header, lay all these solemn things to heart.

Verse 8. Thij master^! izives into thy botoni^ Perhaps this means no more than that he had given him absolute poTcer over every thing possessed by Saul; and as it was the custom for the new king to succeed even to the nizet and concubim s, the zchole haram, of the deceased king, so it was in this case; and the possession of the wives was a sure proof that he had got all regal rights. Hut could David, as the son-in-luxs of Saul, take the wives of his folJier-in-la:z.' However, we find delicacy was seldom consulted in these cases; and.\bsalom lay with his own father's wi^es, in the most public manner, to shew that he bad seized on the kingdom, because the wives of the preceding l)elunged to the succeeding king, and to none other.

Verse y. Thou hast killed Uriah"] Tuot; art the mirnr.KER, as having planned his death: the sword of the Ammonites was TUY instrument only.

Verse 11. / aitl take tht/ rcwj] That is, in the course of ^Iv Providence, I will permit a\\ this to be done. Had '7 s 2

God'x threateniyigs denounced against II. SAMUEL. David. His son by Bath-sheha dies.

'^.c.'mi.' I will Make thy wives before thine An-E^od. isr. eycs, and give them unto thy neigh- Annoantei. boui% and he shall lie with thy wives

V2 For thou didst it secretly: this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13 ''And David said unto Nathan, '' I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, * The Lord also hath ' put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

H Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord ^ to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

15 H And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David *■ fasted, and went in, and ' lay all night upon the earth.

17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David

David been faithful, God, by His Providence, would have turned all this aside; but now, by his sin, he has made that Providence his enemy which, before, was his Friend.

Verse 13. The Lord — hath put away thi/ siii] Many have supposed that David's sin was now actualli/ pardoned, but this is perfectly erroneous; David, as an adulterer, was condemned to death by the laxo of God; and he had, according to that law, passed sentence of death upon himself. God alone, whose law that was, could revoke that sentence, or dispense with its execution; therefore, Nathan, who had charged the guilt home upon his conscience, is authorised to give him the assurance that he ihoMXiii not Ale bitemporal death for it: the Lord hath put aviuy thy sin; thou shalt not die — this is all that is contained in the assurance given by Nathan; ' thou shalt not die that temporal death; thou shalt be preserved alive, that thou mayest have time to repent, turn to God, and find mercy. If the 31st Psalm, as is generally supposed, were written on this occasion; then it is evident, (as the p-alm must have been written after this interview,) that i David had not received pardon for his sin from God, at the time he composed it; for, in it, he confesses the crime in order to find mercy.

There is something very remarkable in the words of Nathan, The Lordalso hath pvr jiwa y thy sin; thou shalt not

feared to tell him that the child was Ij.c.'imI"' dead: for they said. Behold, while Au. Exod. Ur. the child was yet alive, we spike Annoan'tei. unto him, and he would not hearken "ly^P^^ unto our voice: how will he then ''vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants. Is the child dead? And they said. He is deud.

20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and ' anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and "" worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

21 Then said his servants unto him. What thing is this that thou hast done? tiiou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

22 And he said. While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: " for I said. Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

die: nmn sV "inNion tdjjh nin' S3, gam Yehovah heebir chattatecha, lo tamuth. Also Jehovah iiaTii caused thy sin TO PASS OVER, or transferred thy sin; rnov shalt not die. God has transferred the legal punishment of this sin to the child: UE shall die, thov shalt not die; and this is the very point on which the prophet gives him the most direct information— The child that is born unto thee shall surely die f n'J2' nin moth yamuth, dying he shall die; he shall be in a dying stale seven days, and then he shall die. So God immediately struck the child, and it was very sick.

Verse 16. David — besought God for the child] How could he do so, after the solemn assurance that he had from God that the child should die? The justice of God absolutely required that the penalty of the law should be exacted; either the father or the son shall die. This could not be reversed.

Verse 22. IVho can tell'] David, and, indeed, all others, under the Mosaic dispensation, were so satisfied that all God's threutenings and promises were conditional; that even in (he most positive assertions relative to judgments, &c. they souglit for a change of j)urpose. And notwithstanding the positive declaration of Nathan, relative to the death of the child, David sought for its life, not knowing but that might depend on some unexpressed comlilion,• such as earnest for the loss of his child.

':ii f And David comforted IJalli- shobn his wife, and wont in unio her, and lay with hor: and '' sho bare a son, and "Ik- called his name and the I.oitn loved him.

prayer, fasting., frumiliatiun, itc. ami in those he contiiiupd wliilc there was hope. When the child died, he ceased to i^tipve, 0"; he now saw that this must be fruitless. This appears lo 1)0 the sole reason of Ujvid's inipurtuiiily.

Ver.se 'i3. / shall i;o to him, but lie shall iiul return tu »!('.] Ft is not clear whetlier David by this expressed his faith ill the immortality of the soul: going to him moy only mean, / alsu shall die, and be gathered to my fathers, at he is. But whetlier Duvid expressed this or not, we know that the tliiiij; is true: and it is one of the most solid grounds of consolation to surviving friends, that they shall hy-andbyc be joined to them in a state of conscious existence. This doctiiiio has a very powerful tondeiiiy to alleviate the miseries of human lifp, and reconcile us to the death of most beloved friends. And were we to admit the contrary, grief in many cases would wear out its subject, before it wore out itself. Kven the Heathens dcrifcd coiisolatioa from the rctlection, that they should meet their friends in a state of conscious existence. And a saying in Cicero Ue Seneclute, which he puts in the mouth of Cato of Utica, has been often quoted, and is universally admired: —

() praclarum diem, vum ad illiid divinum animorum concilium cifluiiifjiie projiciscar, cuiiuiuc ex hae lurbu ct colluvionc discedam! projiciscar cnim non ad eus soliim viros de giiibits ante dixi; sed etiam ad Catonem meum, quo nemo vir melior natiis est, nemo pietate pra-stantior: ciijus it me corpus cremalum est; quod contra decuit ub illo meum. Animus verb non me deserens, sed respectans, in ea profeelii loca discessit, quo mihi ipsi cerncbat esse veniendum: quern ego meum casum fort iter ferre visus sum: non quod wquo animo ferrem; sed meipse consolabar, existimans, non longinquum inter nos digressum et discessum/orc.

" O happy day! (snys lie,) when I shall quit this impure and corrupt multitude, and join myself to that divine company and council of souls who have nuitled the earth before nie. There I shall fiml, not only those illustrious personages of whom I have spoken; but also my Cato, who, I can say, was one of the best men ever born, and whom none ever excelled in virtue and piety. 1 h'avc placed his body on that funeral pile, whereon he out;ht to have laid mine. But bis

9.5 And he nent by the hand of H'ridri'.' Nathan the propliol; and he ralio.l A<,.K..,d. i.r.

his name ''Jfdidiah, because of the Amwiioir l

\H\: And Moab fouf^ht a;;ainst ' Kabbah of the children of.\mmon, and took the royal city.

9.1.\iid Joab sent messenfjers lo David, and said, I liavo fouf^hl aj^ainst Ual>bah, and have taken tiie city of waters.

soul has not left me; and without lo»ing 'ight of me, he has only gone btforc into a country where he saw I should »oon rijoin him. Thi-i, my lot, I seem to bear courageously: not indeed that I do bear it with resignation; but I shall comfoit myself with the persuasion that the iutcrval between hit departure and mine will not be long."

And we well know who has taught us not to lorroa tu those!xithoul hope, for departed friends.

Verse 2 J. David comforted Buth~shcba'] His extraordinary attachment to this beautiful woman was the cause of all his misfortunes.

He called his name Solomon'\ This name seems to hare been given prophetically, for r?:'-r jAc/cmoA signifies /j^accable; and there was almost uninterrupted peace during his reign.

Verse 25. Called — Jedidiali] Literally, the belo-ed of the Lord, nn'i'. This is the first instance, I remember, of a minister of (lod being employed to give a name to the child of one of His servants, liut it is strange, that the nama given by the father was that alone which prevailed.

Verse 26. And took the royal city.'] How can this be, when Joab sent to David to come to take the city: in consequence of which David did come and take that city? The explanation seems to be this: — Kabbah was composed of a city and citadel: the former, in which was the king's resideuce, Joab had taken, and supposed he could soon render himself master of the latter; and, therefore, 'ends to Diviil to come and take it, lest he taking the whole, the city should be called after his name.

Verse 27. And have taken the cUy of Katers.'\ The citjr where the tank or reservoir was, that supplied the city and suburbs with water. Some think that the original ".~";'5 ~')2n TV rK labadti ct ir hammayim, should be translated, / have intercepted, or cut off, the salers of the city: and Honbigant translates the place, ct aquas ab urbe jam dcrizasi: •'.\nd I have already drawn off the waters from the city." This perfectly agrees with the account in Jotcphus, who says, nor rs vIxtmy a'jrKs airoTfa»5ft£>»;, having cut off their:caters. Antiq. lib. rii. cap. 7. This was the reason why David should come speedily, as the citadel, deprived of voter., could not long hold out.

David takes the city of Kabbah.

His treatment of the inhabitants.

28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people toj^ether, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city^ and ^ it be called after

David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

30 '' And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set

» Heb. my name be called upon it.

Verse 30. TTie weight whereof was a talent of gold] If this talent was only seven pounds, as Whiston says, David might have carried it on his head with little difficulty: but this weight, according to common computation, would amount to more than one hundred pounds!

If, however, nVptt^n mishekelah, be taken for the value, not the zseight, then all is plain; as the worth of the crown will be about 5075/. 15s. 7d. sterling. Now this seems to be the true sense; because of the added words, with the precious stones; i. e. the gold of the crown, and the jewels with which it was adorned, were equal in ra/«etoa talent of gold.

Verse 31. He brought forth the people] And put them under sans. From this representation, a great cry has been raised against " David's unparalleled, if not diabolic, cruelty." I believe this interpretation was chiefly taken from the parallel place, 1 Chron. xx. 3. where it is said, he cut them icilh saws, and tcith axes, &c. Instead of nip'T vaiyaser, Ae.tazcerf; we have here (in Samuel) Ctt"i vaiyasem, he put them; and these two words differ from each other only in a. part of a single letter -\ resch for o mem. And it is worthy of remark, that instead of ibt'i vaiyaser, he sawed, in 1 Chron. xx. 3. six or seven MSS., collated by Dr. Kennicott, have Off'i vaiyasem, he put them: nor is there found any various reading in all on David's head. And he brouglit b.c.S forth the spoil of the city " in g-reat •*J>- Exod. isr.

31 And he brought forth the "'^'"''- -''': people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass througli the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all tlie cities of the cliildren of Ammon. So David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

the MSS., yet collated for the text in this chapter, that favours the common reading in Chronicles. The meaning, therefore, is, He made the people slaves; and employed them in sawing; making iron harrows, or mining, for the word means both; and in hewing of wood, and making of brick. Sawing asunder, hacking, chopping, and hewing human beings have no place in this text, no more than they had in David's conduct towards the Ammonites.

It is surprising, and a thing to be deplored, that, in this and similar cases, our translators had not been more careful to sift the sense of the original word;, by which they would have avoided a profusion of exceptionable meanings with which they have clothed many passages of the Sacred Writings. Though I believe our translation to be by far the best in any language, ancient or modern, yet I am satisfied it stands much in need of revision. Most of the advantages which our unbelievers have appeared to have over certain passages of Scripture, have arisen from an inaccurate or false translation of the terms in the original; and an appeal to this has generally silenced the gainsayers. But in the time in which our translation was made Biblical criticism was in its infancy, if indeed it did exist; and we may rather wonder that we find things so well, than be surprised that they are no better.

Amnon falls in love with his half-nsler Tamar, and feigns himself sick, and requests her to alletid him, I — 6. David sends her to him, and he violates her, 7 — 14. He then hates and expels her from his house, 13 — 17, She rends her garments, puts ashes on her head, and goes forth weeping, IS, 19. She is met hy Absalom, who, understanding her case, determines the death of Aninon, "-20 — 22. Two years after he invited all his brothers ta a sheep-shearing, when he orders his servants to murder Amnon, 23 — 29. Tidings came to David that AbsO' lam had slain all the Icing's sons, which fill him with the bitterest distress, 30, SI. The rest soon arrive, and he finds that Amnon only is killed, 32 — 36. Absalom flies to Talmai, king of Geshur, where he remains three years, 37 — 38. David longs after Absalom, having gut reconciled to the death of Amnon, 39.

\ 1(1 had a lair sister, wliosc- iiuinc 7/Y/,s '' 'I'aiiiar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2 And Anihon was so vexed, thai he fell sick for his sister Taniar; for she iras a \irf;iii; and '' Amnon thought it liaid for hiin (<■ do any tliiiif;- to her.

4 And he said unio him, NVhy art thou, hi iii^ the kind's son, "' lean ' from day to day? wilt thou nol tell me? And Anunm said unto hin), 1 love Tamar, m> hiolher AI)salom's sister.

h And Jonadai) said unto him, Lay thee down on Ihy bed, and make thyself siek, and when tiiv father eometh to see thee, say nolo him, I |)ra\ thee, let my sister 'I'amar come, and give me meat, and tiress the meat in my sigiil, that I may see it, and eat il at her hand.

6 H So Amnon lay down, and made himsell sick: and \\hcn the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee let Tamar my sister come, and ^ make iiie a coii|)le of cakes in my sight, that 1 may eat at her hand.

7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying. Go now to thy brother Amiions house^ and diess him meat.

Verse 1. Whose name was Taniar'\ Tamar was the daughter of David and Maarali, daughter of the king of Geshur, and the uterine sister of Absalom,.\mnon was David's eldest son, by Aliinoam. She was, therefore, sister to Amnon only by the father's side, /. e. hiitf- sister; but tchole sis/er to Absalom.

Verse 2. Amnon zcas so vexed — fur she was a firgin~] It has been well remarked, that " the passion of love is no Mhere so wasting and vexatious, as where it is unlawful. A quick sense of guilt, especially where it is enormous, as in the present instance, strikes the soul with horror: and the impossibility of an innocent gratification loads that horror with desperation..\ conllict too cruel and too dreadful for human bearing." — Dchmci).

Verse 3. Jonadub was a very subtil man.'] And most diabolic advice did he give to his cousin. We talk of the simplicity aud excellence of primitive times! — " Say not

8 So Tamar went (o her brother 'nA/.'um. Aninon's house; and he wan laid An. Ki«<i. i.r. down..And fihe took "■ (lour, and Ai.no »j.n- i. kneaded it, and made cakcH in Iuh «".'»I'- "insight, and did liake the cakes.

'.).\n(l she look a pan, and poured tlirm out before him; but he refused to cat. And Amnon said, 'Have out all men from me..And thev went out evei \ man from him.

I() And Amnon s;,i(l nnlo Tamar, I'ring the meat into the ( hainher that 1 may eat of thine hand..\iid Tamar look the cukes which she had made, and brought tlnm into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

II.And when she had brought tltnn unto hiin to eat, he ' took hold of iier, and said unto her. Come lie with me, my sister.

VI.\ii(l she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not 'force me; for '"no" such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this 'folly.

\'.i And I, whither shall I cause my sliamc to go? aud as for thee, thou shall be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, 1 pray thee, speak nnto the king; ■' for he v\ill not witiihdld me from thee.

11 ilowbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, ■" forced her, and lay with her.

\j S Then Amnon hated her 'exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her wa%

thou what is the cause that the former days were better than these." Take Iht-m altogether, we may thank God that they are past; and pray iiim that they may never return.

Verse 12. Nai/, my brother] There is something ex« ceedingly tender and persuasive in ihi.o speech of Tamar; but.Vmnon was a mere brute; an<l it was all lost on him.

Vf-rse 13. Speak unto the king] So, it apiiears, that she thought that the king, her father, would give her to him u wife. This is another strong mark of indelicacy in those simple but barbarous times. There minht haie been some excuse for such connections under the Patriarchal ace, but there was none now. But, perhaps, she said this only to divert him from his iniquitous purpose, that she might get out of his hands.

Verse 13. Hated her ejceedingly] Amnon's conduct to his sister was not only brutal, but inexplicable. It would be easy to form conjectures coucerning the cause, bnt we can arrive at no certainty.

is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.

17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him_, and said. Put now this looman 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 king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

19 5 And Tamar put ''ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and Maid her hand on her head, and Avent on crying.

20 And Absalom her brother said unto her. Hath '^ Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now tliy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; " regard not this thing. So Tamar remained 'desolate in her brother Absalom's

21 H But when king David heard of all these things he was very wroth.

22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon ^neither good nor bad: for Absalom "^ hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

Verse ] 8. A garment of divers colours] See the Note on Gen. xxxvii. 3. where the same words occur.

Verse 21. But when king David heard] To this verse the Septuugint add the following words: xai <jux EAu7r-i;« ro mvij.x Ay-vMY rcu Jiou avTov, «ri riyxva, avny, on TTpoToroKOs Kvrov rjV " But he would not grieve the soul of Amnon his son, for he loved him, because he was his first-born." The same addition is found in the Vulgate, and in Josephus; and it is possible that this once made a part of the Hebrew text.

Verse 23. Absalom had sheep-shearers] These were times in which feasts were made, to which the neighbours and relatives of the family were invited.

Verse 26. Let my brother Amnon go] He urged this with the more plausibility, because Amnon was the firstborn, and presumptive heir to the kingdom; and he had dis- that Absalom ' had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside ■'^"- ';^"''- ^^'- Ephraim: and Absalom invited all Anno ante i.

24 And Absalom came to the king, and said. Behold now, thy servant hath sheep-shearers; let the king, 1 beseech thee, and his 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 pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him. Why should he go with thee.^

27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

28 H Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's ''heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you. Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: ' have not 1 commanded you? be courageous, and be '" valiant.

29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the kings sons arose, and every man " gat him up upon his mule, and fled.

30 5 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.

31 Then the king arose, and " tare his gar-

guised his resentment so well before, that he was not suspected.

Verse 30. Absalom hath slain all the king''s sons] Fame never lessens, but always magnifies, a fact. Rejyort, contrary to the nature of all other things, gains strength bi/ going.

Virgil has given, in his best manner, a fine personification of Fame, or Evil Report. — JEti. iv. 173.

Exteuiplo Libya; magnus it Fama/)er urbes; Fama malum qua non aliud velocius ullutn, Mobilitate viget, viresque adquirit eundo, &c.

Now Fame, tremendous fiend! without delay. Through Libyan cities took her rapid way; Fame, the swift plague, that every moment g7'oii:Sf And gains nezo strength and vigour as she goes, &c.

*j. r.'iaw." nipntw, and 'lay on (lie oiirtli; jmkI All. i.«.«i. i,r. jiii iiis servantH stood Itv willi llnir iiirali David'H hrolluT, Hiiswcrcd and said, Let not my lord sii|>])0'^^c that tlicy have slain all llnyoiinj;" men llic kinj;'H hoiih; lor.\innon onl\ is (k'ad: for hy (lie ' a|)|)i)iMlnuMil of Ai)saloin this liadi been ■" dctcrniiiicd froni llic day tiiat lie forced liis sister 'I'amar.

.'>,{ Now (licrelorc ' lot not my lord the kin;^ take the liiin"- to his iicart, to think that all llic Kind's sons are dead: for Annion only is dead.

.'?4 ' Hnt Absalom lied..\nd the younfif man that kept the watrb lifted np his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there rame mnch people by llie way of the hill side behind him.

Verse 32. And Junadub — said — Amnon onlij is ilend] Tills u.is n very had inuii; iinil liorc speaks coolly of a most blonily (nigody, whicli liimsclf had roiitriTrd,

Verse 37. Abmilom Jled\ As he hnd commilted wilful murder, lie ((-uUl not avail himself of n cily of refuge; and v^as, Ihorefore, obliged lo leave the land of Israel, and take refufje with Tultnii, kini' of (Jeshur, his grandfather, by his j mother's side. — See ch. iii. ver. 3.!

Verse 39. David lungrd to go forth unto Absalom'] We I faid that he had a very strong paternal alTcction for this ]

.i(» Anil it eaine to pass, as soon as "^.

he had matle an end of s|)eakin(^, that, behold, the kiii^^s sons came, and lifted ti|) their voice and wept: and the kin^; also and all Ins servants we|)t '' very sore.

HI ". Hnt Ab>.aloiM lied, and went to ' Taliiiai, the son of '.Aminiluid, kiri^- of Geshur. And Daviil mourned frjr his son every day.

Hi) And l/n soul of kini;' David An. i.iod. i«r. '" loiiped to go forth unto Absalom: for he was "comforted coiicerninij Amnon, seeitiij he was dead.

youiij; man; who ap|iears to hare had little to commend him, hut the beauty of his per-oii. David v»ished either lo go to him, or to bring him bark; for the hand of lime had nowwiped ofl' bis tears for the death of his son Amnon. Joab had marked this disposition, and took care to work on it, in order to procure the return of.\h-alom. It would have been H ell for all parties, had,\bsalom ended his days at fle^hur. His return brought increasing wretchedness to his unfortunate father. And it may l>e generally observed, that those undue uoreoionable paternal attachments are thus rewarded.

A icoman of Tvhonh^ hj/ the advice of Joab, comes to the hhig; and, hy a ficlilioiis start/, persuades him lo recal Absalom, 1 — '20. Joab is permitted lo go lo Gtshur, and bring Absalom from thence, 2J — 23. Absalom cowts lo Jrrustilim, to his own hoitsi; but is forhiddt n to s<e the king's face, "-21. An account of Absalom's beattti/, and the e.rtrnordinari/ weight of his hair, 25, 26. J/is children, 27. JIc strives lo regain the king's fivour, and emplot/s Joab as an intercessor, 28 — 32. David is reconciled lo him, 33.

(wb the son of Zeriiiah and fetched thence a wise woman, ed that the king's and said nnto her, I pray thee, heart zcas ' toward,\bsaloiTi. j feign thyself to be a mourner, " and

'■2 And Joab sent to '' Tekoah, put on now mourning apparel, and

Verse '2. Joab sent to TekoaJi^ Tekoah, accordini; to St. and her case, which deserve (o l>e noticed. Jcrom, was a little city in the tribe of Judah, about twelve i. She was a icido:c; and, therefore, her condition of life ntileii from Jerusalem. 1 wa« the better calculated to excite compassion.

anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead: 3 And come to the king, and speak

on this manner unto him. So Joab ^ put the

4 %. And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she '' fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, ' Help,* O king.

5 And the king said unto her. What aileth thee? 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 was ' none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.

7 And, behold, ^ the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said. Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew;

and we will destroy the heir also: ^.^c.mi'. and so they shall quench my coal An. Exod. isr. which is left, and shall not leave to Amioantei. my husband neither name nor re- "'^'"''' "^'' mainder '' upon the earth.

8 And the king said unto the woman. Go to thine house, and 1 will give charge concerning

9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king. My lord, O king, 'the iniquity 6e on me, and on my father's house: '' and the king and his throne be guiltless.

10 And the king said. Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

1 1 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, ' that thou wouidest not suffer '" the revengers of blood to destroy

'any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, " As the Lord liveth, there shall not one

2. She lived at some distance from Jerusalem, which rendered the case difficult to be readily enquired into; and, consequently, there was the less danger of detection.

3. She was advanced in years, as Joseph us says, that her application might have the more weight.

5. She framed a case similar to that in ishich David stood, in order to convince him of the reasonableness of sparing Absalom.

6. She did not make the similitude too plain and visible, lest the king should see her intention, before she had obtained a grant of pardon. Thus, her circumstances, her mournful tale, her widow's weeds, her aged person, and her impressive manner, all combined to make one united impression on the king's heart. We need not wonder at her success. — See Bishop Patrick.

Verse 5. / am indeed a zaidozc zcoman] It is very possible that the principal facts mentioned here were real; and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances bore a near resemblance to that which he wished to represent.

Verse 7. The whole family is risen'l They took on them the part of the avenger of blood; the nearest akin to the murdered person having a right to slay the murderer.

l^hcy shall quench my coal which is left'] A man and his descendants, or successors, are often termed in Scripture a lamp, or light. So chap. xxi. 17.: so the men of David said, when they sware that he should no more go out with them to battle. Thai thou quench not the light of Israel. See also Psa. cxxxii. 17. Aad to raise up a lamp to a person, signifies his having a posterity, to continue his name and family upon the earth: thus, quench my coal that is left, means destroying all hope of posterity; and extinguishing the family from among the people. The heathens made use of the same similitude. The few persons who survived the deluge of Deucalion are termed cmvirupa, living coals; because, by them, the vital Jiame of the human race was to be re-kindled on the earth.

Verse 8. / zsill give charge concerning thee.] This would not do, it was too distant; and she could not, by it, bring her business to a conclusion: so she proceeds —

Verse 9. The iniquity be on me] She intimates (hat, if the king should suppose that the not bringing the offender to the assigned punishment might reflect on the administration of justice in the land; she was willing that all blame should attach to her and her family, and the king and his throne be guiltless.

Verse 10. Whosoever saith ought unto thee] Neither did this bring the matter to such a bearing that she could come to her conclusion; which was to get the king pledged by a solemn promise that all proceedings relative to the cas« should be stopped.

Verse 11, Let the king remember the Lord thy Gorf] Consider that when God is earnestly requested to shew mercy. He does it in the promptest manner; lie does not wait till the case is hopeless: the danger to which my son is exposed is imminent; if the king do not decide the business instantly, it may be too late.

\'.i And the woman said, \N licrcforo then liasl tliou tliouf^iit siuii a tliini;- apainst " tiic propir of God? lor the kinj^ doth speak this fliin<^ as one which is faulty, in thai Ihe kin^ doth not fetch home again ''his I)anislie(l.

14 For we ' nuisl needs die, and rtrt as water spilt on the "ground, wiiicii cannot be g'alh(;red up again; ■' rioither doth God respect any person: yet doth he 'devise means that his banished bo not expelled from him.

15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing- unto my lord (he king-, it is because liie people have made me alraid: and thy handmaid said, 1 will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of bis handmaid.

16 l'\)r the king will bear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would

Verse 13. JVhcreforc hast thou then thought such a thing] The woman having now got the king's promise confirmed by an oath, that her son should not sutTer for the murder of his brother, romes immediately to her conclusion. Is not the king to blame? Docs he now act a consistent part? Jle is willing to pardon the meanest of his subjects the murder of a brother at the instance of a poor widow; and he is not willing to pardon his son Absalom, whose restoration to favour is the desire of the whole nation. Is that clemency to be refused to the king's son, the hope of the natiun and heir to the throne, which is shewed to a private individual, whose death or life can only be of consequence to one family? Why, therefore, dost thou not bring back thy banished child?

V^erse 14. For zre must needs t/ic] Whatever is done must be done quickly; all must die: God has not exempted any person from this common lot. Though Amnon be dead, yet the death of Absalom cannot bring him to life, nor repair this loss. Besides, for his crime, he justly deserved to die; and thou, in his case, didst not administer justice. Horrible as this fratricide is, it is a pardonable case: the crime of Amnon was the most flagitious; and the olVence to Xbsalom, the ruin of his beloved sister, indescribably great. Seeing, then, that the thing is so, and that Amuon can be do destroy me and mV fion together out b! T ^w! of the inheritance of (jod. kn.t.xui.iu.

17 I'hen thine handmaid fiaid. The ADuoanu-i. word of my lord the king shall now. ''"'*' be ' ccmifortable: for * us an angel of (iod, j>o »'.<? my lord Ihe kin<j' *" If) discern good and bad: therefore (he I,ori) thy (lod will be uith tlice.

IH Then the king auhwored and said unto the woman, Hide not from mo, I pray thee, the thing (hat I shall ask thee And the woman vaiii, Ix;t my lord the king now speak.

I*.) And the king said, 1h imt the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said. As thy soul livcdi, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand, or to the left from ought that my lord the king hatli spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, anil ' he put all these words in the nmulli of Ihinc handmaid:

yo To fetch about (his form of speech hath ihy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord J5 wise, ''according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all thivi^s that are in tiie earth.

more recalled to life than water (pilt upon the ground can be gathered up again; and that God, whose vicegerent thou art, and who>e example of clemency as well as justice thou art called to imitate, devises means that those who were banished from Him by sin and transgression, may not be finally expelled from His mercy and His kingdom; restore thy son to favour, and pardon his crime, ai thou hast promised to restore my son; and the Lord thy God will be with thee. This is the sum and sense of the woman's argament.

The argument contained in this l-4th verse is very elegant, and powerfully persuasive: but one clause of it has l)een variously understood, Neither doth God respect any person; the Hebrew is, •,?;: — t'-k kU" x^i velo yissa Elohim nrphnh, " And God doth not take away the soul." The Srptuisint has it, Kai XyiisTxi i Qeof n;v \j\.yyy, nnd God xcill recerce the soul. This intimates that, after human life is ended, the soul has a state of separate existence with God. This waj certalidy the opinion of these translators, and was the opinion of the ancient Jews, at least three hundred years before the incarnation; about which time this translation was made. The Vulgate has, Nee rult Deiis pcrire animamy " Nor doesfiod will the destruction of the soul." God is not the Author of death; neither hath He pleasure in the destruction of the living: imitate Him; pardon and recal thy SOD.

21 1 And the kin^ said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing': go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.

22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himselt, and * thanked the king: and Joab said. To-day thy servant knoweth that 1 have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of ' his servant.

23 So Joab arose "and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 And the king said. Let him turn to his own house, and let him ^ not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.

25 H " But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his 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 was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

27 H And ^ unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

Verse 21. And the king said unto Joab'\ It appears that Joab was present at the time the woman was in conference with the king; and, no doubt, others of David's courtiers or ©fiicers were there also.

Verse 24. Let him not see itiij face'] He would not at •nee restore him to favour, though he had now remitted his k'rime; so that lie should not die for it. It was higlily proper to shew this detestation of the crime, and respect for justice.

Verse 25. None to be so much praised as Absalom'] It was probably his personal beauty that caused the people to interest themselves so much in his behalf; for the great mass of the public is ever caught and led by outward appearances.

There was no blemish in him.'] He was perfect and regular iu all his features, and in all his proportions.

Verse 26. When he polled hit head] Not at any particular period, but when the hair became too heavy for him. For this account of the extraordinary weight of Absalom's hair, see the Observations at the end of this chapter.

Verse 27. Unto Absalom there were born] These children did not survive him: see chap, xviii. 18.

29 Therefore Absalom sent for

Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: andwiien he sent again!he second time, he would not come.

30 Therefore he said unto his servants. See, Joab's field is 'near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him. Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying. Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say. Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still; now therefore let me see the king's face: and if there be ant/ iniquity in me, let liim kill me.

33 So Joab came to the king, and "B.c.ioas!" told him: and when he had called An. Exod. isr. for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to

Tamar] The Septuagint adds. And she became the zsife of Ruboam, the son of Soloiiwn, and bare to him Abia: see Matt. i. 7. Josephus says the same. This addition is not found in the other Versions.

Verse 30. Go, and set it onjire] This was strange conduct; but it had the desired eflect. He had not used his influence to get Absalom to court; now he uses it, ajid succeeds.

Additional observations on ver. 26. —

" And at every year's end, he (Absalom) polled hi^ head; and he weighed the hair at two hundred shekels."

The very learned Bochart has written a dissertation on this subject, (Vide Bocharli Opera, Vol. III. col. 883. edit. Lugd. 1692,) in a letter to his friend M. Faukell. I shall give the substance in what follows.

There is nothing more likely than that corruptions in tha Scripture numerals have taken place. Budcus de Asse, lib. ii. p. 49 and 51.; also lib. iii. p. 67, &c. complains loudly of this.

Tbifi might easily have happened, as, in former times, tb«

OJiservallonn on the cxtraordhiaii/ groicth of AhHulom'H hair.

numbers in llin Sacrcil WiitiiigH upppar to liave been rxurosaed by siii;;li' k-tlcis. 'I'lio lotlcr i rc.i/i,.■.tiiii<l!i for two hundred; oncl ininlil, in tliis jjIuco, bo cuiily niibtukcii for -\ ddlflli, which h\f,\\\(\os four: iiut tills may bn tiiouf^ht to bo too little, as it would not amount lr> innrc lliun u i|uiii tiT of a pound; yet, if 'he lico humlrcd sht'lvris bo tnkcn in, the nniount will bo utterly incredible; for Joscphus nays, Aiiti(|. lib. vii. cap. K. ^iuX'a; ii3.y.'jin'jv; wrii hi tun nvri i/.vai — I. c. " two hundred shekels make live niina::" and in lib. xir. cap. 12. he says, 'II St fj.ya Trap' TiUav nryu /.irsaf /3' xai J.^ij-.j — " And u niinu with us, («'. c the.lews,) weighs two pounds and a half." This calculation makes Ab>iilom's hair weich ticelvc pounds and ti hdlf! Crcdat Jiidivus yiprlla!

Indeed, the same person tells us, lliut the hair of Ahsalom was so thick, &c. '«.■; p.oAif ai,rT,v r,jj.tpais airoxei peiv o>triu, " that eight days were scarcely suflicient to cut it oil" in!" This is rabbinism with a witness.

Kpiphiinius, in his treatise Dc Vondcribus et Mcnsurh, casts much more light on this place, where ho says, Xty.>.os i Xsyerai xai xoJpavTi;; nrapTOv iJ.cv tri Tjjf ovyKia.;, jjaicrt ie rou (rrarripn!,?vo Spx^axf f^uiv — »'. c. " A shekel, which is called also the fourth part of an ounce, half a stater; which is about two drachms." This computation seems very just, as the half-shekel, I'.xod. xxx. I J. which the J>ord commanded the children of Israel to give as an ofTering for their souls, is expressly called in Matt. xvii. 24. to. iiJcap^- u.x, " two drachma;" and our Lord wrought a miracle to nay this, which the Romans then exacted by way of tribute: and I'ctcr took out of the fish's mouth a stater, which contained exactly two drachms, or one shekel, the tributemoney for our Lord and himself.

The king's shekel was about the fourth part of an ounce, according to what Epiphanius says above; and llcsi/chius says the same, Aivarai h o o-iyXoj Svo ipxyu.x.; Arriy.xi — " A shekel is equal to, or worth, two Attic drachma." The whole amount, therefore, of the tzco hundred shekels is about fiflj/ ounces, which make four pounds tico ounces,Troy weight, or three pounds tzco ounces Avoir-du-pois. This need not, says my learned author, be accounted incredible, especially as abundance of oil and ointments were used by the ancients in dressing their heads; as is evident, not only from many places in the Greek and Roman writers, but also from several places in the Sacred Writings. See Psa. xxiii. 5. Ecclcs. ix. 8. Matt. vi. 17.

Josephus also informs us that the Jews not only used oint- /iienls, but that they put gold dust in their hair, that it might flame in the sun; and this they might do in considerable quantities, as gold was so plentiful among them. I must own I have known an instance that makes much for Rochart's arjumeat: an fj/iar, who bad upwards of tito pounds of powder and ointment) put on hi> head daily, wboie hair did not weigh a fourth |iart of that wriglit. And Abialom, t>«-ini{ exceedingly vain, might be iiuppokcd to make a very exlensivfl UM of tbeic thing*. There are tome, howeTer, who endeavour to nolto the didicutly by undemtanding Spv >hak(U, to mi-an rather the vnlue than the Bri/;ht.

Hoihurt concludes thi« elaborate Dii^erlalioii, (in which he appears to have rantar kcd all the Hebrew, (irrek, and Konian authors, for proofii of bin opinion,) by i:xhorluig bit friend in these well known linei of Jlortux —

.S"i ijuid ndifi recliui iitit,

Candidas imperti; si non, his utere niccum.

To me, the above is quite un'ati»factory; and, with due deference to so great a character, I think 1 have found out something belter.

1 believe the text is not here in ils original form; and that a mistake has crept into the numeral letters. I imagine that S lamed, Tiiimv, was first written; which, in process of time, l)ccame changed for T rcsh, tho iivsuntD; which might easily have happened from the similarity of the letlen. But, if this be supposed to be too little, (which I think it is not,) bring only seven ounces and a half in the course of a year; let it be observed that the sacred text does not limit it to that quantity of time, for ^'C? CS'C ypD mikets yamim luyamim, signifies, literally, " From the end of days t» days;" which Jonathan properly renders, p;n pi' JCTO mii'man iddan Iciddan, " at proper or convenient tiraci," viz. when it grew too long or weighty, which it might be several times in the year. Reside, this was not all his hair; for his head was not shaved, but polled, i.e. the redundancy cut olf.

Rut how was it probable that these two numerals should be interchanged? Thus: if the upper stroke of the S lamed were but a little impaired, as it frequently is, both in MSS. and printed books, it might be very easily taken for ^ resh; and the remains of the upper part of the lamed might be mistaken for the stroke over the ^, which makes it the character of txio hundred.

But how could z:*.~KiD mathayim, tzco hundred in the text, be put in the place of S'r'"J sheloshim, thirty? Very easily, when the numbers became expressed by words of length instead of numeral letters.

The common reading of the text appears to me irreconcileable with truth; and I humbly hope that what I hav* offered above solves every difiiculty, and fully accounts for all that the sacred historian speaks of this vain-comely lad.

Absalom seduces the hearts

Absalom conspires against his father; and uses various methods to seduce the people from their allegiance to their Jiintr 1 — 6. Under pretence of pacing a vow at Hebron, he ohluins leave from David to go /hither,• and, bj/ emissaries sent through the land, prepares the people for revolt, 7 — 11. lie gains over Ahithophtl, David's counsellor, 12. David is informed of the general defection of the people; on which he, and his life-guards and friends, leave the city, and go tozoards the wilderness, 13 — 18. The steadfast friendship oflllai, the G Utile,

19 22. David's affecting departure from the city, 23. He sends Zadoh and Abiathar with the ark buck to

Jerusalem, 24 — 29. He goes up Mount Olivet; prays that the counsel of Ahilhophel may be turned into foolishness, 30, 31. He desires Hushai to return to Jerusalem, and to send him word of all that occurs, 32 — 37.

ND ^ it came to pass after this, that Absalom '' prepared him

chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy " came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said. Of what city art thou? And he said. Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

3 And Absalom said unto him. See, thy matters are good and right; but ^ there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

Verse 1. Absalom prepared him chariots and horses'] After al4 that has been said to prove that horses here mea.n horsemen, I think it most likely that the writer would have us to understand chariots drawn by horses; not mules, or such like cattle.

Fijtii men to run before him.'] Affecting, in every respect, the regal state by this establishment. Of this man Calmet collects the following character: " He was a bold, violent, revengeful, haughty, enterprising, magnificent, eloquent, and popular prince; he was also rich, ambitious, and vain of his personal accomplishments: after the death of Amnon, and his reconciliation to his father, he saw no hindrance in his way to the throne. He despised Solomon, because of the meanness of his birth, and his tender years. He was himself of the blood royal, not only by his father David, but also by his mother Maacah, daughter to Talmai, king of Geshur: and, doubtless, in his own apprehension, of suiUcient age, authority, and wisdom, to sustain the weight of government. There was properly now no competitor in bis way: Amnon, Ddi^A's first-born, was dead. Of Chiliab, Lis tt:cond son by Abigail, we hear nothing; and Absalom

4 Absalom said moreover, * Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.

0 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: ' so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of

7 H And it came to pass ^ after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee.

was the third: see chap. iii. 2 — 3. He, therefore, seemed to stand nearest to the throne; but his sin was, that he sought it during his father's life, and endeavoured to dethrone him in order to sit in his stead.

V^erse 6. So Absalom stole the hearts] His manner of doing this is circumstantially related above. lie was thoroughly versed in tlie arts of the demagogue; and the common people, the vile mass, heard him gladly. He used the patriots' arguments; and was every thing of the kind, as far as promise could go. He found fault with men in power; and he only wanted their place, like all other preleuded patriots, that he might act as they did, or worse.

Verse 7. After forty years] There is no doubt that this reading is corrupt, though supported by the commonly printed t'ulgule, the Septuagint, and the Chaldee. J3ut the Sijriac has -<» ^Isi) urba shanin, four years; the Arabic the same.. ■• ijuS arbah shinin, four years; and Joseplius has the same; so also the Sixtine edition of the Vulgate, and several ]MS>. of the same Version. Theodoret ako reads four, not forty; and most learned men are of opinion that O'i'^ix arbuyim, forty, is an error for yaiK

'while I abode at (]eslinr in Syriii, nayinj;', If tlie l^ouit wliidl liiin;^ me ii^ain iixleed lo Jenisaleni, (lien I will serve the liOitn.

!) And the kinji^ s;iid nnio him, (Jo in peace. So he arose, and went to llehron.

10 f Unl Ahsaloni sent spies thronf^hont all llie tri!)es of Israel, sayini;'. As suf)n as y<' iiear the sf)Mnd of the trnmpet, then ye shall say, Absalom rei;;netli in Hebron.

11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jernsalem, lliut icrrr '' called; and the", went "in their simplicity, and they knew not any thinj''.

12 And Absalom sent for Aliithophel the Gilonile, ' David's counsellor, from his city, cvcti from * Giloli, while he oH'cred sacrifices.

14 And David Kaid unto all his hcrvanlit (hat wcif widi him at.Jerusalem, Arise, and let UH ' (lee; frir we shall not clue escape from Absalom: make Rpeed to «lcpart, Icwt he overtake us suddeidy, and ' brin:.^ evil upon us, and smite the city with the edf^e of the sword.

15 And the kintr's servants "-aid nolo the kiii'r IJiiiold, lliy servants arc riaili/ lo du whatsoever my lord the kinp shall '"appoint

If).\nd " the kin-;- went forth, and all lii.t houseiioid "aflcr him. And the kinjj left 'ten women, which were concubines, to keep the; house.

arhi'i., roun; yet this rending is not supported by any Itobrcw MS. yet discovered. But t::o of lliose collated by Dr. KcnnkoU, liave sv _yo;«, instead of nj!:r shunuh; i. e. furlif n.trs, instead oi fortij VEtwi: and this is a reading more likely to bo true than that in the commonly received te.xt. We know that Absalom did stay three years with his grandfather at Ge-ihur, chap. xiii. 38.; and this, probably, was a jjcar after his return: the a>ra, therefore, may be (he time of his slaying his brother Aninon; and the /y;/r years include the. time from his flight till the conspiracy mentioned here.

Verse 8. While I abode at Geshur in Sj/ria'] Geshur, the country of Talmai, was certainly not in Sijria, but lay on the south of Canaan, in or near Edom, as is evident from Judges i. 10. I Sam. xxvii. 8. 2 Sam. xiii. 37. Hence it is probable that CN Aram, Sj/ria, is a mistake for CiK Edom; 1 dalelh, and l resh, being easily interchangeable. Edom is the reading both of the Sj/riac ami Arabic.

I zcill serve the 1^oho.'\ Here he pretended to be a strict follower of Jeliovah, even while he was in a heathen coun- | try; and now he desires liberty to go and perform a vow at Hebron, which he pretends to have made while he was resident at Geshur. And all this was the more perfectly to organize his system of rebellion against his venerable father.,

Verse 10. Absalom sent spies'] These persons were to | go into every tribe; and the trumpet was to be blown as a signal for all to arise, and proclaim Absalom in every place. The trumpet was probably used as a kind of telegraph by the ' spies: trumpet exciting trumpet from place to place: so that, I in a few minutes, all Israel would hear the proclamation, j fohliers, whom he supposed would be of con^idp^abIe conseiiuence to him. They had been seduced by his speciout conduct, but knew nothing of his pre>ent deiign.

Verse 1^. Sent for Aliithophel^ When Ab-alom got Aim, I he, in effect, got the />ri«ic nnniV/er of tho kingdom to join hira. ■ j Verse 1 3. The hearts of (he men of Israel are after Ab- I salom."] It is very difficult to account for this general defection of the people. Several reasons are given: — 1. 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; and that there were no properly appointed judges in the land, sec ver. 3.; 3. Joab's power was overgrown; he was wicked and in- I solent, oppressive to the people, and David was afraid to execute the laws against him. 4. There were still some par. tizans of the house of Saul, who thought the crown not fairly obtained by David. 5. l>.i>id wss under the displea- I sure of the Almighty, for his adultery with Bath-sheba, and ' his mur<ler of Uriah; and God let his enemies loose against him. G. There are always troublesome and disaffected men in every state, and under every government; who ran never rest, and are ever liopini^ for sonirthing from a change. 7. Absalom appeared to be the real, and was the undisputed i heir, to the throne: David could not, in the course of nature, live very long; and mn>t people are more disposed to hail the beams of the rising, than exult in those of the setting sun. No doubt some of these causes operated; and perhaps most of them exerted less or more influence in this most scandalous business.

"'y^P- -"■ 18 And all his servants passed on beside him; ""and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and ail the Gittites, si.\ hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king-.

19 H Then said the king- to '' Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day *" make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go "^ whither 1 may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.

21.\nd Ittai answered the king, and said, ^ ^s the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely 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.

lleve, was the first time ever David turned his back to his enemies. And why did he now lly? Jerusalem, far from not being in a state to sustain a siege, was so strong that even the blind and the lame were supposed to be a sufficient defence for the walls, see chap. v. 6. And he had still with him his faithful Cherethites and Pelethites; besides six hundred faithful Gittites, who were perfectly willing to follow his fortunes. There does not appear any reason why such a person, in such circumstances, should not act on the defensive; at least till he should be fully satisfied of the real complexion of affairs. But he appears to take all as coming from the hand of God; therefore he humbles himself, weeps, goes barefoot, and covers his head! lie does not even hasten his departure; for the habit of mourners is not the habit of those who are Jli/ing before the face of their enemies. He sees the storm, and he yields to what he conceives to be tlie tempest of the Almighty.

Verse 17. And tarried in a place'] lie probably waited till he saw all his friends safely out of the city.

Verse 1 9. Thou art a stranger,, and also an exile.] Some.suppose that Ittai was the son of Achish, king of Gath, who was very much attached to David, and banished from his fjlthpr's court on that accoant. lie, and his six.hiuulred men,

23 And all the country wept with a ^c.S loud voice, and all the people passed A"- 1^«"<'- •*''• over: the king also himself passed Annoantei. over the brook 'Kidron, and all the o^Pi247- people passed over, toward the way of the ^ wilderness.

21 f And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, '' bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and (hey 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 the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he ' will bring me again, and shew me botli it, and his habitation:

26 But if he thus say, 1 have no '' delight in thee; behold, here am I, 'let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest. Art not thou a ""seer? return into the city in peace, and "your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiatliar.

28 See, ° I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

Verse 20. Mercy and truth be icith thee.] May God ever shew thee mercy, as thou shewest it to me; and Uis truth ever preserve thee from error and delusion.

Verse 23. The brook Kidron] This was an inconsiderable brook; and only furnished with water in winter, and la the rains. — See John xviii. 1.

Verse 24. Bearing the ark] The priests knew that God had given the kingdom to David; they had no evidence that he had de[>osed him: they, therefore, chose to accompany him, and take the ark, the object of their charge, with them.

Verse 25. Carry back the ark] David shews here great confidence in God, and great humility. The ark was too precious to be exposed to the dangers of his migrations; he knew that God would restore him, if He delighted in him; and he was not willing to carry oil' from the city of God that, without which the public zoorship could not be carried on. He felt, therefore, more for this public worship, and the honour of God, than he did for his own personal safety.

Verse 27. Art not thou a seer? return into the citi/ in peace] That is, as thou art the only organ of the public worship, that worship cannot be carried on without thee;

Animmiir I..'{() 11 Aiid David wont np by llic as he went up, and '' li:i(l his licad rovercd, and lie wont " l)ar('f<M)l: and all tlic people tliat 7/v/.s with liitn ""covered every man liislKiKl, and lliey went np, " \veei)ini;* as they went up.

'A\ II And one. told David, sayinj;-, ' Aliilliophel IS anion;;- the coii^pirators with Ahsaioni. And David said, <) Lord, I jiray thee, ■^ turn tlie counsel of Ahilhophel into foolishness.

3'i II And it came to pass, that when David Avas come to the top of thr mount, where he worshipped (iod, hehold, llusliai the '' Arcliite came to meet him ' with his coat rent, and earth upon liis head:

".m Unto whom David said. If thou passcst on and, as thou art i\\e priest of God, thou hast no cause to fcnr for tliy personal safety: tlie nation has uot ahuiiilonecl tlicir Go(i, though they have abandoned tlieir king. It appears, also, that he wished these priests, by means of their sons, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Ahiafhar, to send him frequent intelligence of the motions and operations of the enemy.

Verse 30. Had his head covered'] This was not only the attitude of a moimer, but even of a culprit: they usually had their heads covered when rondemned; see (he case of)[aman. When the king had pronounced his condemnation, they immediately covered his face, and led him out (o punish - pieul. — Esth. vii. 8. See also Quintus C'urtius, De I'hilota, cap. vi. /, Liclor; caput obnubilo.

Verse 31. Turn the counsel of Aliilhophel into foolishness.~\ Ahithophel was a wise man, and well versed in state affairs; and God alone could confound his devices.