Exposition of the Whole Bible

began. to, be towards him; and to long for him, who was to bring more evil againit him, y.

y. 1. Aad it cameto pafs after this, &c.} After the fin of David with Bath-/beba, his repentance for it, and pardon of it, and the birth of Solomon as a token of reconciliation; yet after all this the divine threatnings mufttake place; they had begun already in the death of the child, begotten in adultery, and others here follow: that dbjfalom the fon he does not ¢all her his fitter; but 4/alom’s fifter, to leffen his fin of unlawful love to her, which; being thus clofely prefled, and by a friend, he could not conceal.:

¥. 5. And Fonadab faid unto him, 8c.) Being a fubtle man, he prefently formed a fcheme to relieve him, and open a way for the enjoyment of ~ what jhe defired: Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyfelf fick; feign thyfelf fick, pretend that’ thou art fo, by lying down on the bed, and making complaints of one kind or another: avd when thy of David had a fair fifter, whofe name was Tamar; fhe was his fifter both by father and mother’s fide; the mother of them was Maacab, the daughter of Talmai king of Gefbur;. fhe was a very comely | perfon, her name fignifies a palm-tree: \father cometh to fee thee; as he quickly would, after hearing of his illnefs, being very affectionate to his children: fay unto him, I pray thee let my fer Tamar come, and give. me meat; here he is diavd Amnon) rected to call her not db/alom’s fitter, but his own,

’ the fon of David loved her; not in.an honourable way, to make her his wife, but in a luftful manner, to make an harlot of her; he was David’s eldett fon by Abinoam the Fezreelite/s, ch. iil. 2.

_y. 2. And Amnon was fo vexed, Sc.\ Dittreffed, ftraitned, and perplexed in his mind through unruly and unbridled lufts that raged in him: shat he fell fick for bis fifter Tamar, as Antiochus fon of Seleucus did for his mother-in-law Stratonice, who, to cure him of it, was delivered to him by. his father *: for fhe was a virgin; and fo. kept very reclufé from the company of men, that he could not come at her; fo Philo‘, fpeaking of the Fewifh women, and particularly virgins, fays, that they were fhut up in their chambers, and through modefty fhun the fight of men, even thofe of their own houfe; hence they are called mipdy, from a word which fignifies to hide; and Phocylides* the poet advifes to the fhutting of them up in like manner: ' and Amnon thought it bard for bim to do any thing to ber; that it was difficult to have accefs to her, almoft impoffible, what he defpaired of, and what, if attained to, would be wonderful and amazing; he was at his wits end how to contrive any fcheme to get at her, and obtain his defire. j

¥. 3. But Amnon had a friend, &c.| ‘Though in the iffue his friendfhip proved his ruin: whofe name was Fonadab the fon of Shimeab, David's brother; fo that they were own coufins, the fame with

Shammab, 1 Sam. xvi. 9. and Fonadab was a very fubtil man a very penetrating man into the difpofitions of men, and could judge by their countenances what they were, and the affections of their minds, and had a talent in forming fchemes; he was wife to do evil, was wickedly cunning.

¥. 4. And he faid unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s fon, lean from day to day? &c.] Or morning by morning”; he was the king’s eldeft fon, heir to the crown, fed at his table, had every thing to make him gay and chearful, and yet pined away; his flefh wafted*, his countenance waxed wan and pale, and efpecially in the mornings; in the day-time he met with diverfions which, in fome meafure, took off his thoughts from the object his mind was imprefied with, but inthe night-feafon they were continually employed about it; fo that he could have no reft and fleep, which made him look ruefully in the morning; and this man had a fufpicion of his cafe, and therefore put this and the following queftion to him: Wilt thou not tell me? who am {fo nearly related to thee, and who have fuch a parti- the more to cover his ill defign upon her: and drefs the meat in my fight, that I may fee it, and eat it at: her hand; pretending that his ftomach was very weak and fqueamifh, that he could not. eat any thing which his fervants dreffed for him, and which he did not fee done with his own eyes.

¥. 6. So Amnon lay down, and made himfelf fick, &c.] Took the advice of his coufin fonadeb, and. acted according to it: and when the king was conte to fee him as he quickly did, after he had heard of his illnefs: Ai#non faid unto the king 5 who perhaps enquired of his appetite, whether he could eat any thing, and what; J pray thee let my fiffer Tamar come; he calls her filter, as Fonadab had directed, the more to blind his defign; though it is much that fo fagacious a man as David was had not feen through it; but the notion he had of his being really ill, and the near relation between him and. Tamar, forbad his entertaining the leaft fufpicion of that kind: and make me a couple cf cakes in my fight 5 heart-cakes, as the word may be thought to fignify; called fo either from the form of them, fuch as we have with us, or from the effect of them; comforting and refrefhing the heart: that J may eat at ber hand; both what is made by her hand, and received from it.

¥. 97.° Then David fent home to Tamar, &c.} Who perhaps was not in the king’s palace, but at her brother /alom’s houfe, y. 20. Jaying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s bhoufe; who alfo had a feparate houfe and equipage, being ‘the king’s fon, and his eldeft fon: and drefs him meat; fiich-as he may defire, and his ftomach will bear.

y. 8. So Lamar went to her brother Amnon’s houfe, &c.] In obedience to the king’s commands, and in affection to her brother, with an innocent breaft, having no fufpicion of any defign upon her chaftity: (and be was laid down) upon a couch or bed in his chamber, as being fick as was pretended, into which fhe was introduced: and fhe took flour, and kneaded it; made it into a pafte: and made cakes in his fight; a kind of flitters of them, as in the Talnud”: and did bake the cakes; or fried them in a frying-pan, in oil.

¥. 9. And foe took a pan, and poured them out before him, &c.) Out of the frying-pan, in which they were, into another difh; and ali this was done in his prefence, that he might fee and know of what, and in what manner it was made, that his ftomach might not recoil at it: dut be refufed to eat;

cular value and affection for thee: aud Amnon faid for that was not what he wanted: aud Amnon faid, unto him, I love Tamar my brother Abjfalom’s fifter,

Have out all men from me; as if company was troublefome

- hae 2 575 “gt Ped ‘ “> blefome to him, and he wanted reft, &c. and they went out every man from him, at his orders, that he might get fome fleep, as he feemed defirous of it. ¥. 10. And Amnon faid unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, &c.| An inner chamber, at a greater diftance, where they might be more fecret, and outof the reach of the hearing of any of fuch cafes, Deut. xxii..25, 26, 27. is ne his domeftics: that I may eat of thine band; this he pretended, though his defign was of another kind: and Tamar took the cakes which foe had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon ber bro-~ ther being quite innocent herfelf, and having no fufpicion of a brother having any ill defign upon her; fhe made no fcruple of going into an inner chamber alone with him. y. 11. And when foe had brought them unto him to eat, &c.] Not only into the chamber, but to the fide of the bed or couch where he had laid himfelf, or fat, in a proper pofition to anfwer his purpole:. be took bold of ber; by the arm, or threw his hands about her: azd faid unto her, Come lie me ferves fhe ftood in to him, would have checked from making fo vile a motion,

\y. 12. And fhe anfwered him, Nay, my brother, &c.] Which carried in it a reafon fufficient for her denial, that he was her brother, and fhe. his fitter, and therefore fhould not offer fuch an indignity to her: do not force me; which was another forbidding expreffion, fignifying fhe would -never freely yield to his will; and to force’ her, to defile her againft her will, to commit a rape upon her, would be very criminal indeed: for no fuch thing ought to be done in Tfrael; among God’s profeffing people, who were better taught and inftructed’; and to give into fuch impure practices would bring a difhonour upon them, and upon the religion they profefied; fhe urges the honour of religion, and the reputation of J/rael, and the glory. of the God of Ifrael: do not thou this folly; as all fin is, efpecially fuch an impure and indecent action as this.

¥. 13. And I, whither foall I caufe my fhame to go? &c.] She defires him to confider her reputation, which would be loft; was fhe to go into a corner, into a place the moft private and retired, yet fhe would blufh at the thought of the ‘crime committed; and ftill lefs able would fhe be to lift up her face in any public company; nor could fhe ever expect to be admitted into the matrimonial ftate; in fhort, her character would be entirely ruined; and as for thee, thou fhalt be as one of the fools in Jfrael, as the vileft and bafeft and moit abandoned in the nation; who ought of all ‘men to be moft careful of his reputation, being a prince in J rael, and heir apparent to the throne: now therefore, I pray thee, {peak unto the king; to give me to thee in marriage: for be will not withhold me from thee; this fhe faid, either as ignorant of the law, which forbids fuch marriages, or as fuppofing the king had a power to difpenfe with it, and rather than he fhould die for love, would; though fhe feems to fay this, and any thing that occurred to her mind, to put him off of his wicked defign for the prefent, hoping then the fhould be delivered from him; befides, fhe was not his fifter by the mother’s fide, and, as the ‘ews fay, was born of a captive woman before fhe was profélyted’ and married to David, and fo was free for Amnon*; and others fay *, fhe was the daughter of Maacab by a former hufband, and not by David.

* Olympiodorus apud Grotium in loc.

fo forcible, that were offered to being flrouger than foe, forced her; and la whether fhe cried out or no, as’ the’

might, and no body hear her and come to affiftance; or fhe might not chufé to expof brother to his fervants. > 2c...) a as y.15. Then Amnon bated ber Saiaiee Having gratified his luft, his confcience for. it, that he could not bear the fight of the that had been the inftrument of it; and it may be the fharp ‘words fhe had! uded, reprefenting him as one of the dis in Jfrael, and perhaps the ufed — fharper words ftill after he had abufed her, filled. him with hatred to: het fo that the batrea he had any regard to his own reputation, ‘he would » never have turned her out.of doors fo:fedn, “and in fuch a public manner; but fo it was ordered by —

Divine Providence, that“ his fin might” be pas * known, and fo the murder. of hiny for it by dbfalom was brought on, and both were fuffered as acor- rection and chaftifement to David for his fins of adultery and murder, halal eee ¥. 16. And foe faid unto him, Ther 0 caufe,

&c.] For fuch treatment as this 2 #bi8 evihan fend=

ing me away, is greater than the other that thou didfe

unto me; not that this was a greater’fin, but itwas _ A a greater evil og injury to her, that being done fecretly, this openly; being turned ovt in that a manner, it might Jook\as if fhe was the aggrefior, and had drawn her brother into this fin, or however had confented to it; had it been kept a fecret, fhe would not have been’ ‘expofed ‘to public fame - and difgrace, and fhe might have been difpofed of in marriage to another; it would ‘not -Have been: known to the grief of her father, tothe revenge of Abfalom, and to the difhonour of réligion; befides, the fin of Amnon might have been more eafily ex= cufed, if any‘excufe could be made for it, as that - it arofe from the force. of luft, anda ftrong ii a affection, but this from barbarity and inhumanity: but be would not bearken unto ber; but'infited ipon ° her immediate departure. O02 2h oe y. 17. Then he called bis fervants that mi unto him, &c.| His domeftic fervants that w on him: and faid, Pat now this womat out] me; fhe not willing to depart at once, he order her to be put out immediately by force 5 u and {peaking of her in a very rude and f manner, calling her ¢his, leaving it to as they would underftand it, this bafe w ftrumpet, &%c. and bolt the door after be might not return; this was more difgrace ¥. 18. And the hada garment of dive mA her, &c.] Of embroidered wor nade het the more obfervable, and. he more manifeft.. Whether this was inter\ threads of divers colours, or emb

Ae; “, no. Py “ iy Ch. xili. ¥. 19 —24. figures of flowers, animals, &c. and wrought with the needle, or was painted with different colours, or made up of pigces of various colours, is not cer: tain, See the nore on Ge. xxxvil. 3. but according to Braunius ‘it was neither, and {o the coat of

Fofepe, but was a garment with fleeves, reaching down to the ancles, and pieced at the bordets with fringe; and indeed, garments of flowers and divers colours were fach as in other nations, as in Athens, harlots wore“, and not virgins, as follows: for with fuch robes were the kings daughters that were virgins apparelled, which they wore to diftinguifh them both from common people, and from married perions of the fame quality: then the fervants brought her out, and bolted the door after ber; \aid hold on her, and brought her out by main force, thruft her out of doors, and turned the key upon her.

¥. 19, And Tamar put afbes on ber bead, &c.] In token of forrow and diftrefs; fee of. vii. 6. and rent her garment of divers colours that was on ber; fignitying that her virginity was rent from her in a jorcible manner, or that fhe was ravifhed: and laid ber kund on ber bead; through grief and fhame, fee Fer ii. 7. and ‘went on crying; from Amnon’s houfe to her brother 4d/alom’s, as one abufed and injured.

¥. 20. And Abfalom her brother faid unto her, &c.] Either meeting her in’ the flreet, or rather when come to his houfe: Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? been rude with thee, and lain with thee, _which is the meaning of this modeft expreffion; which ‘he gueffed at, having heard of her being fent to his houfe, and knowing his Juftful difpofition, and feeing her in fuch a forlorn condition: he calls him Aminon, for fo it is in the Hebreew text, and not Ammon, by way of contempt, as Kimchi obierves: but hold now ‘thy peace, my fifter; be filent, take no notice of this matter, fay nothing o it to the king, nor any other, keep it in thine own breait; and make thyfelf eafy: be is thy brother, regard not this.thing; it is thy brother that has done it, and not fo re asa meaner perfon, done in the heat of luft; and a youthful one, and fhould be forgiven; befides, to divulge it would bring difgrace upon the whole family, and no recompence ‘would be obtained by telling the king of it, fince he was his fon, his- firft-born, and heir to the crown; this he-faid not out of love of Amnon, but as defirous of gratifying private revenge upon him for it when opportunity fhould ferve. So. Tamar remained defolate in her brother Abfalom’s boufe; not feeing any company, being filled with grief and fhame, and none applying to her as a fuitor, knowing fhe.was vitiated;.how long fhe continued here, or lived after this, is not certain; no mention is made of her afterwards..

y. 21. But when king David heard of all thefe things, 8cc.| Of Amnon’s ravifhing Tamar, and turning her out of doors in that inhuman manner he did, and of her diftrefs upon it: be was very wroth, withidmnon; but we read not of any reproof he gave bim, nor of any punifhment inflicted on hip by him. ALarbinel thinks the reafon why he was not punifhed, was becaufe his fin was not cognizable by a court of judicature, nor was punithable by any way; or with any kind of death inflicted by the Sanhedrim, as ftoning, burning, &c. nor even by fcourging, becaufe there were no ae. ot:; e

4 Suidas in voce Eraspuy.

ww - but the punifhment of it was chtting off; 2. e. by the hand of God. The Fews fay * a law was made on this, that Virgins or unmarried perfons fhould not-be alone; forif this was done to the daughrer of a king; much more might it be done to the daughter of a private man; and if to a modeft perfon, much more to an impudent one.

¥. 22. And Abfalom {pake unto his brother Ainnon neither good nor bad, &c.] ‘That is, faid nothing at all to him about the rape of his fifter; not that he was fulky with him, and would not converfé with him at all; for then muon would have miftrufted that he was meditating revenge, and therefore would have been upon his guard; but of the contrary he talked freely, and in appearance friendly, on other things, the better to diffemble his hatred of him, and his deficn to avenge the injury of his filter: for Abfalom hated Amnon; or, though ‘ he hated him, yet he behaved in this manner towards him: becaufe be bad forced his fifter Tamar who was fo by father and mother’s fidey and fo near and dear unto him, and therefore refented the injury done her.

¥. 23. And it came to paft after two full years, &c.| Twocompleat years‘after the rape was committed; fo long 4é/alom kept it in his mind, and was conttiving how to avenge it; he let:it alone fo long, that ic might be thought by the king and Amnon, and all the family, that it was quite worn out of his mind, and entirely forgotten by him, and therefore might the more fafely confide in him: that Abfalom bad fheep-foearers in Baal-bazor, which is befide Ephraim; though a prince, the fon of aking; he’had his flocks, and attended to the care of them; and had fhearers to fhear them at the proper time of the year, which it now was. The Cinefe fhear their fheep three times a year, in the fpring, fummer, and autumn; but the firft time of fhearing yields the beft wool ®.. The place of fhearing them was, no doubt, near where they were kept in Baalhazor, in the plain of Hazor, as the Targum, and fo fome verfions; which was a city in the tribe of Judah, Foo. xv. 25. ‘and near to Ephraim; not that it was a city in the tribe of Ephraim, as Fofepbusfays*; but ite was near to another city called Ephraim, perhaps the fame.as in 2 Chron. xiii. 19. and in Yohu xi. 54. it lay to the north eaft of Ferujalem as you go.to Feriché, and is thought by Reland* to lie between Bethel and Fericho; and according to Eufebius *, it was cight miles from Ferufalem; though» Ferom ', through miftake, fays twenty; and both thefe places, according to Buz= ting ™, were eight miles from Fera/alem; it feems to be the fame place that’ was fpoken of in the AG nab”, called Ephraim in the valley, and w is faid to be the fecond place in the land of J rael for fine four, and might have its name from its fruitfulnefs: and Abfalom invited all the king’s fons. to the fheep-fhearing; that is, to the feaft which was ' y. 24. And Abfalem came to the king, &c.) At Ferufalem, to invite him in perfon; and faid, Bes hold now, thy fervant bath fheep-/bearers, perfons employed in fhearing his fheep; and this being a time of entertainment and joy, Jet the king, I beeech thee, and bis fervants, go with thy fervant, he invited the king and the whole royal family to ¢6 val-bazor, and partake of the thoep® g 3 for by bis fervants are not meant the king’s domettic fervants, his guard and retimue, but his fons, as appears by what follows. +

yr. ag. And the king faid to Abfalom, Nay, ‘my fon, let us not all now go, &c.J] He did not object

’ ‘to the invitation entirely, he was willing fome of the family fhould go, but not all; it feems probable that he particularly excepted himfelf and _his eldeft fon, the heir to his crown, for the reafon following: Jeff we be chargeable unto thee; one or two perfons more, fuppofing them to be private perfons, would have added but little to the expence, if any; but as David wasa king, he muft have come with the retinue of a king, with a large number of fervants and guards, and mutt be entertained as fuch; and Amnon, his eldeft fon, and heir apparent to the crown, muft make a figure fuitable to his quality, which would have confiderably raifed the expence; and perhaps Abfalom’s eftate he had to live upon might be but {mall, which David knew, and therefore chofe not to be burdenfome to him: and be prefed him, urged him to go; not that he expected he would, or really defired he fhould, but this he did to hide his intention, that he might have no fufpicion of his defign againft Amnon; or otherwife he might think he would not have been fo prefling upon him to go with him: howbdeit he would not go, but bleffed bin; thanked him for the invitation he gave him, and wifhed him much happinefs and pleafure at his entertainment with his friends.

y. 26. Then faid Abfalom, If not, &c.\ If itis not thy pleafure to go with me, if I cannot have the honour of thy company: J pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us; let me have the next mark of honour that can be given me, the prefence of the king’s eldeft fon and heir to the crown; he feems to exprefs affection for him, and a particular defire of his company, as if all ill will towards him was removed from him, and this would be a public declaration of reconciliation between them: and the king faid unto him, why foould he go with thee? he particularly, he more than any other; David feems to have fufpected fome defign, and it is ftrange he fhould not; and yet if he had, it is much, notwithftanding the preffing arguments ufed, he fhould let him go; or he might think it would be more expenfive to have him than the reft, and therefore afks why he fhould defire his company above all others. * y. 27. But Abfalom preffed him, 8cc..) Which one would think would have increafed his fufpicion, if he had any, or have raifed it in him; but his mind was blinded, that Ammnon’s inceft might be punifhed, and the threatening to David and his

| ihe fore you leave him: fear not, have not I comma:

ed who am your lord, the king’s fon, | nd: wi be heir to the crown 5 fear not, 1’ll p te 1; let all the blame be laid to me -if ¢ Pi be rable for it; you have “noth ne t but to obey my commands+ be courageous, ah

- valiant; thow yourfelves to be men of ¢ and valour, not fearing the king’s fons, or ar 4 company, or what will be the confequences of it do your bufinefs effectually, o leave all with — me; it is very reafonably fuppofed, that Ab/alom — had not only in view to revenge the rape is ¥, fifter, but to get himfelf next heir to the crown,

¥.29. And the fervants of Abfalom did unto non as Abfalom had commanded, &c.| They fmote him, and killed him, when he gave the word: then all the king’s fons arofe, from the feaft, imagining they were all defigned t flain: and every man gat bim up upon bis mule, and fied; creatures much uled in Judea inftead of horfes, - which though they might not be bred, might be

¥. 30. And it.came to pafs while they were in the way, &c.] On their road homewards, before they got to Ferufalem: that tidings came to David; perhaps brought by one who was at the entertainment, who upon feeing Amnen {mitten, immediately rofe » up and fled with the news of it to David: faying, — Abfalom hath flain all the king’s fons, and-there is not one of them left; which he might fuppofe was the defign of Abjalom, and was done before that time soi however, fo it was ordered in providence, that — David, that rejoiced at the news of the death of Uriah might be terrified with the tidings of the death of ali his fons; and for a while it was as if it was really fo, which occafioned the following behaviour in him. a i y¥. 31. Then the king arofe, and tore bis garments, &c.] In token of extteme grief and forrow, as Facob did when he was fhewn the coat of Fo/eph, fuppofing him to have been flain, as David thought all his fons were, Gen. xxxvii. 34. and lay on the earth; on the bare ground, another token of mourning; fo 70d did on hearing the death of his fons, Fob i. 20, and all bis fervants flood by with their clothes rent; did as David did, in imitation® of him, joining with him in expreffions of forrow; thefe, were his courtiers, minifters of ftate, and principal officers in his houfhold..

¥. 32. And Fonadab the fon of Shimeah David's brother, 8&c.] The fame that advifed Amnon to feign himfelf fick, to get Tamar fent to him, that he might enjoy her, ¥. 3. an/wered and faid; faid in anfwer to the report brought to the king, which threw him into fuch an agony: Let not my lord fup- houfe be fulfilled on account of the affair of and Bath/heba: and be let Amnon and all the king’s Uriah) pofe that they have flain all the young men the king’s. fons, he did not believe it himfelf, and would not fous go with him; if he had any fufpicion at all, he might chufe they fhould all go, that they might protect and defend him, if any attempt was made upon him; or, as others think, that no exceptions might be taken, as might be, if Amnon sah alone. ~~" ¥. 28. Now Abfalom had commanded his fervants, &c.}] Before he and his guefts were fet down to theentertainment: /aying, mark ye now, when Amnon’s beart is merry with wine, as he was determined to make him if poflible, and as he fuppofed he would be, knowing his inclination to drink: and when I fay unto you, finite Amnon, then kill him; fmite him that he die, and be fure he is dead behave the king entertain fuch a thought, and diftrefs himfelf with it: for Amnon only is dead; he is very pofitive, and {peaks with great affurance; it looks as if he was in the fecret, and re of the plot againit dmnon’s life; and if fo, he muft be a very wicked man, firft to form a heme Tr yon might come at Tamar to ravifh her, an e acceflary to the murder of him, as he he knew of the defign againft his life, and acquaint him and the king of it; and this confirmed by what follows: for by the ¢ ment of Abfalom this bath been determined, from the day that he forced his fifter Tomar; that is, the May- — ing of Amnon, the meaning is, either that 4 fe lon 7 ever they had’an opportunity; or it was in?é, of abfalom*, as it may be rendered; he ufed tode- had given orders to his fervants to flay oa, out clare it to his intimate friends, that it w: “purpofe and refolution of a heart to kill Ammon fome time or another; and this he had taken up from the time of his fitter Zamar’s being forced, and becaufe of that, of which Yonadab had intelligence by fome means or another; and who fpeaks of this rape without any feeming emotion, as if he had no con. cern at all in it,

¥. 33. Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to bis heart, &c.] Neither fuppofe it, nor be troubled for it: to think that ail the king’s fons oré dead; which was not to be thought, nor could any good reafon be given for fuch a f uppofi- tion: for dimuon only is dead; he repeats it again with great afiurance, which feems to confirm the fufpicion of him before fuggefted; though fome think he faid this not frony certain knowledge, but by conjecture. + *

¥. 34, but Abfalom fied, &c.] He who promifed his fervants protection could not proteét himfelf, and who no doubt fled with him; he knew what he had done was death by law, and that there was no city of refuge for fuch fort of murder as this, and he had no reafon to hope the king would fuffer fo foul a crime as this to pafs unpunithed: and the young man that kept the watch, lft up bis eyes, and looked, to the way that led from Ab/alom’s houle to Ferufalem, to fee if he could py any other meffenger on the road from thence: avd behold, there came much people by the way of the billfide behind kim; that is, behind the watchman, who looking round him, faw them; thefe people’ forth unto were the king’s fons and. their atte being at fome diftance, the young difcern who they were; they did not come the direct road from 4/alcm’s houfe, but came a round about way, for fear, as R. Taiab rightly conjectures, left 4b/alom thould purlue, after them, and flay them; though others, as Kimchi thinks, this refers to the hili, and chat the fenfe is, that the watchman faw them coming from the way which was behind the hill, and began to fee them when they cameto the fide of it, which was the way that led to the city, furrounded by mountains, fee P/. cxxv..2.

¥. 35. And Fonadab faid to the king, Bebold, the

_ King’s fons come, cc.) For as they came nearer, it was plainly difcovered that they were the king’s fons, feen on the fide of the hill: as thy fervant feid, fo it is; he feems to applaud himfelf, and exult at his penetration and forefight.

¥. 36. And it came to pafs as foon as he had made on end of Jpeaking, &c.] As foon as the above

. words were out of his mouth: shat bebold the king’s fons came; into the palace, and into the apartment where the king was: and lift up their voice and wept; not being able to tell the forrowful news with their mouths, but declared it by geftures: and the king alfa and all bis fervants wept very fore; they joined the king’s fons in weeping, and were t more moved to it by their weeping, and the rather, fince hereby the news of Amnon’s murder ut here repeated for the fake of what follows:

or fend purfuers| then the fenfe is, that the wife and went to Talmai the fon of Atnmibud king of Ge- Jour; his mother’s father, fee ch. iii. 3. where he might hope for proteétion and latety: and David mourned for bis fon every day; or all the days, i. e. of the three years Ab/alom was in Gefhur, about the end of which he was comforted concerning Amnon, as the following véeries thew. Some think it was for Abfalom he mourned, but rather for Amnon. The reafon why he mourned for him, when he did not for his child by Bath-Soeba, who died, becaufe that was an infant, this a grown man, and heir to his crown, and was flain by the fword of his brother, and fo fulfilled a threatening to himielf on account of his own fin, which hereby no doubt was brought frefh to his mind.

¥. 38. So Aifalem fled, &c.] This is the third time it if mentioned, and tlic reafon of it here Abarbinel thinks is, that when he firft fled to his grandfather, he ufed to ftand openly in the court of his palace, and go with him wherever he went from place to place; but when he underitood that his father mourned fo for the death of Amnon, he was airaid he would fend fome perfon to lay hold on him, and take vengeance on him; and therefore he would go no more with the king from place to place, but went and abode in Gejfbur always, which was a fortified city, as it follows:

>| and went to Gelbur, and was there three years; and never went out of it, until he was fetched by Fad, as the next chapter relates; nor is there any thing in this and the preceding verfe difturbed and mutilated, as Spinofa * intimates, but the whole is very expreffive and emphatical. ¥. 29. And the foul of king David longed to go Abfalom, &c.} Yn like manner it is ed?

ndants, who, fapplied and paraphrafed in the TZ. argum, becaufe man could not jthe word rendered /o ngedis feminine; though it may

| be ufed to denote the effeminatenefs of David's difpofition and carriage on this occafion. ben Ezra thinks the word wife fhould be fupplied, and of king David, the mother of 4d/alom, made fupplication to him to fend forth one of the young men to fetch Ab/alom, and-that by her importunity to him, the ftirred up a longing defire in David after him. Abarbinel obferves from another’ writer of theirs, that all the three years David was mourning for his fon, he went out continually to feck to take vengeance on Abfalom, but after that time, the mother of 4- falom, or Tamar his fitter, or his daughter, was importunate with the king, and reftrained him from going forth to feek vengeance on Abjalom; and when he was comforted concerning Ammon, that woman found means to reftrain him from going out, and he reftrained his fervants from going forth againft Ab/alom; and fo he obferves.the word is uled for withholding ‘or reftraining in P/ xl. 10. and this agrees with feveral antient verfions, as the ulgate Latin, “ King David ceafed to. perfecute Abjalom;” and the Septuagint, “ king David ceafed to go out to Ab/alom;” and the Syriac verfion, “* and king David abftained from going out after Abjalom:”

he for be was comforted concerning Amnon, feeing he was dead, and could not be brought back from the * grave, though Abfalom might be from his exile, to which he had an inclination; but he knew not how to do it, confiftent with juftice and his own honour.