Exposition of the Whole Bible

i ie this chapter is an account of Ziba, the feriL vant of Mephibofbeth, getting his inheritance by mifreprefentation of him, and by prefents to David, y.1—4. and of Shimei’s curfing David as he might be revived, and they be able whether to ight or march.;

¥. 3. And the king aid, and where is thy mafter’s on? 8ec.] The fon of Saul, who was Ziba’s maf- pafled along, which David bore patiently, and would not fuffer others to avenge it on him, ¥. 5—14. and of Hufbai’s offer of his fervice to 4dfalom, who admitted him to be of his privy-council, ¥. 15—19. and of the counfel which 4bithophel wave, ¥. 20—23. ceived him, and carried off ter, meaning Mepbibofheth: and Ziba faid unto ibe king, be abideth at Ferufalem; as there was reafon for it, fince he was lame of both his feet, though he could have rode upon an afs, and followed the king, as he propofed to do, but his fervant dethe affes to ferve a purpofe for himfelf, fee ch. xix. 26. for be faid, to- $1. And when David was a little paft the top of the hill, &c.] Of the mount of Olives, the afcent of which he is faid to go up by, and to come to the top of it, ch. xv. 30, 32.

ix. 2. with a couple of affes faddled, and fo fit to ride on, but for the prefent he ufed them to another purpofe: and upon them 200 loaves of bread; 100 on each afs very probably: and an 100 bunches of raifins; ot dried grapes, as the Targum: and 100 of fummer-fruits; not in tale, but in weight, as ja apples, peats, plumbs, apricots, &c. fo the Targum, an hundred pound of figs: and a bottle of wine; a cafk or flagon of wine; for a bottle, fuch as is in ufe with us, would have fignified nothing day fall the houfe of Ifrael reftore unto me the kingdom of my father; his father Sau; which was far from his thoughts, and a moft wicked fuggeftion behold, Ziba, thejof his fervant to blacken his character, and get his of whom fee ch.jeftate from him; nor was there the leaft probability of the kingdom coming to him, but all the reverfe; for let it go how it would with David, Abfalom, and not Mepbibofbeth, ftood fair for the kingdom.

fervant of Mephibofbeth met kim;

y. 4. Then faid the king to Ziba, behold, thine are / that pertaineth to Mepbibofbeth, &c.| Being forfeited to the king by an overt-act of treafon, as they had been before by the rébellion of J/bsafheth, but had been gracioufly reftored to Mephibajheth; and had it been true what Ziba fugeefted, it would in fuch a company. have been a righteous thing to have taken them y. 2. And the king faid unto Ziba, what meaneft thou by thefe? &c.\ Are they tobe fold, or are they prefents? and Ziba faid, the affes be for the king’s boufbold to ride on; for himfelf, his wives “and children, his courtiers, and the principal officers of his houie; it being ufual in thofe times and countries for great perfonages to ride on affes, fee Fudg. v.10. and the bread and fummer-fruits for the young men to cat; the king’s menial ‘fervants, his guards and his foldiers: and the wine, that fuch as be faint in the wilderne/s, ‘may drink, where no water was to be had, that their fainting fpirits from him; though it feems to be too hafty a ftep in David to take and give them away without farther enquiry: and Ziba faid, I humbly befeech thee, that I may find grace in thy fight, my lord, O king s he had found favour already, but feems not to be |fufficiently thankful for it, and fatisfied with it, but craved more and other favours, when opportunity fhould ferve.

y.5. And when king David came to Baburim, &c.| The Targum is, Alemath, perhaps the fame that is faid to be a city of the Levites, given unto them out of the tribe of Benjamin, 1 Chron. vi. 60.

for the man next deferibed, who was of this place was.a Benjaminite, ch. xix. 16. fee the note on ch. iii. 16. David was not yet come to the city itfelf, biit into the neigibourhood of it, the fields adja- Cent to it: bebold, thence came out a man of the foinily of Saul, a defcendent of a branch of his family, who had entertained a private grudge and fecret enmity againft David, to whom he imputed the fall of the family of Saul: whofe name was Shimei, the fon of Gera, which might be a name common in the tribe of Benjamin, one of Benjamin’s fons being named Gera, Gen. xlvi. 21. Some fay * he was the fame with Nedat, the father of Ferobcem; but he was of the tribe of Ephraim, this of Benjamin: he came forth, and curfed till as be came, he came out of Baburim, of which place he was, and all the way he came, continued curfing Lavid, until he came near unto him.

¥.6. And he caft fiones at David, and at all the fervants of king David, &c.) Not that he was within the reach of them, or could hurt them, by cafting them at them; but this he did to thew. his contempt of them, and to intimate, that they deferved to be ftoned, and efpecially David, at whofe adultery he might point by it: and all the péople, and all the mighty men were on bis right-hand, and on bis left, that is, of David; which is obferved, not fo much to indicate the fafety of David’s perfon, as the impudence and madnefs of Shimei, to caft ftones at David when fo guarded.

y. 7. And thus faid Shimei, when he curfed, come out; come out, &c.| Or rather, go out, go out*; that is, out of the nation, where he deferved:not to live, as: he judged, and out of the kingdom which he had ufurped, as he fuppofed; and the repeating the words, not only denotes his veltement defire to have him gone, but the hafte he fhould make to get out, or he was liable to be overtaken by Abfalom and his forces; upbraiding him alfo with the hurry he was in, and the fpeedy flight he was making: thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial; or wicked man; perhaps referring by thefe characters in the one to the murder of Uriah, and in the other to his adultery with Bath/beba; and thefe crimes coming frefh into David’s mind _hereby, might make him more mild and humble under his reproaches.

¥.8. The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the houfe of Saul, &c.] Which he would fuggeft was fhed by David, or however, that he was the caufe of its being fhed; as if he had ftirred up the Philifines to that battle in which Sau/ and his fons were flain, and had an hand {fecretly in the deaths of Jhbofheth and Abner, all which were falfe infinuations; and it may be the feven fons of Saul before this time, though after related, were delivered into the hands of the Grbeonites tobe hanged, to which refpect may be had: ia whofe Stead thou baft reigned, not by right, but by ufurpation he fuggefts: and the Lord bath delivered the kingdom into the band of Abfalom; in this he feems to contradi& himfelf; for if David had got the kingdom by ufurpation, it would rather have been delivered by the Lord into the hand of one of Saul’s family, and not of David’s: behold, thou art taken in thy mifchief; punifhed for his fins; the mifchicf he had brought on others was retaliated to him: becaufe ‘thou art a bloody man; guilty of fo bore an ill will to David becaufe of his fuc flaying, as the Targum, of fhedding innocent blood, and fo worthy of death.

A aged 9. Then faid Abifoai the fon of Zeruiah unto, a the king, 8cc.] A fifter’s fon of his, and agene= ral in the army, who could not bear to hear the = king abufed in this manner: why fhould this dead. dog curfe my lord the king? be fuffered todo it with impunity; a dog he calls him, becaufe of his vilenefs and bafene{s, and. becaufe of his impudence,. and on account of his reproachful and abufive lan-— guage, aptly fignified by the fnarling and barking. ° of a dog; and a dead dog, as being ulcleis, deteftable and abominable: /et me go over, I pray, thee, and take off bis bead, go over the plain where _ David and his men were, to the hill on which Sdi-, _ mei was, and ftrike off his head with his fword; | which he could eafily do, and foon put an.endto — his curfing. ln ip oat ¥.10. And the king faid, what have 1 todo with you, ye fons of Leruiah? &c.| It feems as it Joab, the brother of Abifbai, joined with him in this— requeft to have leave to take off the head of. Shimei; and though David had to do with them as his relations, his fifter’s fons, and as they were. generals in, his army; yet in this cafe he would have nothing to do with them, would nottaketheir advice, nor fuffer them to take revenge on this man for his curling him: or what is it to me, or to you? * what fignifies his curfing, it will neither hurt me nor you? /o let him curfe; go on curling after this manner; don’t reftrain him from it, or’ attempt to ftop his mouth: or, for be will curfe™; fo is the textual reading; you will not be ableto reftrain him, for the following reafon: becaufe the Lord bath faid unto him, curfe David; not by way of command, or a precept of his; for to carie the ruler of the people is contrary to the word and., law of God, Exod. xxii. 28. nor by any operation of his Spirit moving and exciting him to ir; for the operations of the Spirit are to holinefs, and~ not to fin; but by the fecret providence of God ordering, directing and over-ruling all cireumftances relative to this affair. Shimez had conceived enmity and hatred to David; God left him to the power of this corruption in his breaft, opened a way in providence, and gave-him an opportunity of exercifing it on him: it was not a bare permiffion of God~ that Shimei fhould curfe David, but it was his will, and he ordered it fo in providence, that he fhould do it; which action was attended with the predetermined concourfe of divine providence, fo far as it was an action; though as a finful aétion, it was of Shimei, fprung from his own heart, inftigated by fatan; but asa correction and chaftizement “ of David, it was by the will, order and appointment of God, and as fuch David confidered it, and quietly, fubmitted to it: who fhall then fay, wherefore baft thou done fo? for though Shimei might — juftly be blamed, and reproved for it, yet the thing itfelf was not to be hindered or ‘reftrained it be= ing according to the will and providence of God, to anfwer fome good end with refpeét to David, ¥.11. And David faid to Abifoai, and all bis fervants, &c.] In order to make them eafy, and re- ~ concile them to this ufage of him: bebold, my fon, which came forth of my bowels, feeketh my lift meaning Adjalom: how much more now may tbi: Benjamite do it? who was not only of the fame — tribe that Sau/ was, but of the fame family, anc fion in the throne: Jet bim alone, and let bim ¢ Jolla:

: Le Lay):. ‘eg Ck. xvi: VI12—TO. FY SA Ma uF i, PL; Sof much lef by any violent actions, and ftill lefs by taking away his life: for the Lord bath bidden bim; in the fenfe explained in the preceding verfe.

¥.12. lt may be that the Lord will look on mine

aflitiion, &c.| Through the rebellion of his fon, and now aggravated by the curling of Shimei, that is, with an eye of pity and commiferation, and deliver him out of it: or /ook upon my eye*; for there is various a reading; the tear of mine eye, as the Targum; fo Farchi‘and R. Laiah; the tears in it, which fell plentifully from it, on account of his troubles, and particularly the curfes and reproaches of Shimei: and that the Lord will requite me good for bis curfing this day; he does not peak with aflurance, -yet with hope; he knew his fins deferved fuch treatment, but alfo that God was gracious and merciful, and pitied his children, and refented all ill ufage of them; and therefore hoped he would favour him with fuch intimations o! his love, as would fupport him, comfort, retrefh him, and do him good, fee Rom. vii.-28. - y.13. And as David and bis men went by the way, &c.} » In the high road that led to Baburim, taking no notice of the curfing of Séimei, which made him bolder and more impudent; here is a large paufe in the Hebrew text, in the midft of this verfe: Shimei went along ou the bill-fide over-againft him; as\ David and his men walked in the plain, he went ona range of hills that ran along right againit them: and curfed as be went, continued his q@urfes and imprecations, to which he was the more emboldened by the behaviour of David and his men: and threw ftones at him, and caft duft, in a way of contempt, though the ftones recoiled on his own head, and the duft flew in his own face, as the confequence of things fhewed; and now David compoied and penned the 7 pfalm.

y. 14. And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, &c.| With their journey, and through grief and trouble at what they met with: and refrefhed themfelves there, that is, at Baburim, with food and reft; which revived their fpirits; and put as it were new life and foul into them, as the word ufed fignifies. Fofephus ¥ fays, when David came to Fordan, he refrefhed his weary men.

y. 15. And Abfalom and all the people, the men of Ifrael, came to Ferufalem, &c.} At the fame time that David and his people came to Baburim; which, as Yofepbus * fays, was a place near to Feru falem, and, according to Bunting *, was little more than a mile from it; though elfewhere® he makes: it three miles; fo that had not David made the hafty flicht he did, he had fallen into the hands of Abjalom: and Abithophel with him, afamous counfellor, and’ who had been of David’s privy-council, and chief in it, fee ch. xv. 12, 31. and whom David refers to in Pf. lv. 12—14.

y¥. 16. And it came to pafs that when Hufbai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto ribfalom, &c.] Who came into Yerufalem at the fame time that Ab/2lom did, and who no doubt took the firft opportunity to make his court to him, ch. xv. 37. that Hufbai faid unto Abfalom, God fave the king, God fave the king; or may the king live‘, live long, and his kingdom be permanent; thefe words are very ambiguous, he might mean David, who was true and lawful king, tho’ he would have them underftood of Abjalom, who was king by ufurpation, in which he ufed great deceit and flattery; and that he might not be fufpeéted of it, but be thought to be fincere and truly loyal to 4b/alom, he repeats the with. | ¥.17. And Abfalom faid to Hufbai, is this thy kindnefs to thy friend? &c.] Meaning to David; though he would not mention his name, nor his: title, nor even the relation of a father he tood in to him, only fpeaks of him as Hujfbai’s friend: Hufbai had proteffed great friendthip to David, and David had been a friend to Hufhai, had raifed him to great honour in making him a counfellor, and had beftowed many favours and benefits on him, as Abfalom knew full well; and therefore to try his integrity, he puts this queftion, not as difpleafed with him, but overjoyed that fuch a trufty friend of David, and a wife couinfellor of his, had deferted him, and come over to him and his party; nor does he mean to charge him with ingratitude, which he could not do without reproaching himfelf; on whom it might be juftly retorted, is this thy kindnefs to thy father that begot thee, and has always exprefféd fuch a ftrong affection for thee, as to rebel againft him? why wente/t thou not with thy friend? with David, when he went out of Ferufalem; for Abfalom knew not that Hufbai had been with David, but thought he ftayed behind at Ferufalem, when David fled, which made him lefs fufpicious of him.. ¥.18. And Hufbai faid to Abfalom, &c.]| In anfwer to his queftions: nay, but whom the Lord, and bis people, and all the men of Ifrael chufe; here again he fpeaks very ambiguoufly; for this circumlocution, or defcriptive character of the king of SJ/rael, better agrees with David, whom he might bear in mind, than with 4d/alom; for the Lord had chofen David, and he was anointed by his order, and all the people of J/rae/ had chofen and anointed him likewife; but as for 4d/alom, it was only a part of them that had declared for him, nor was there any evidence of the Lord’s chufing him; though Hu/bai undoubtedly would be underftood of him, and as interpreting the voice of the people to be the voice of God: bis will I be, and with him will I abide, tho’ he defigned no fuch thing, which was a great piece of difiimulation and hypocrify; and if he meant David, it was a piece of deceit and equivocation: there is a various reading in the firft claufe; we follow the marginal reading, 15 to bim or bis, but the textual reading is mi not; and both may be taken in by rendering the words by an interrogation, /hall I, or fhould I not be bis? * 1 will; that is, be his fervant, faithfully obey his commands, be clofely attached to him, and continue with him as a loyal fubject. ¥.16. And again, whom fhould 1 ferve? &c. | Or fecondly *, a fecond reafon is here given for ferving Ab/alom;, the firft was the choice of God, and the people, the fecond follows: fhould I nor ferve in the prefence of bis fon? as I have ferved in thy father’s prefence, fo will I be in thy prefence; he fignifies, that as the kingdom was not tranflated into another family, but continued in fuccefiion in David's houfe, the alteration made was of no great confequence; it was indifferent to him whom he ferved, the father or the fon; and he could as freely, and would as faithfully ferve the fon as the father; nor did he think it any breach of friend- Ahip to David, nor would David refent it, that he fhould ferve his fon, and do the beft offices, and providence, tha pive him the beft counfel he could; and he feems to bélpeak the office of a counfellor, in which he taken, to fulfil ¢han, ch. xii. 12.

had been to David, that he might be admitted} into the prefence of Abjalom, and be of his privy- the houfe; 8c.] On the top of his fa t this advice thould be gi the prophecy oe Lord.

aay okies. ore Sohn lh ¥. 22. So they [pread Abfalom a tent on council, and have the opportunity of giving his lace; this, as houfes in Ferujalem and ¥ dea c beft advice. NERS YY ha os y. 20. Then faid Abfalom to Abithophel, &c.

Having two fuch able counfeéllors as he and Hu/- bai, he direéts his fpeech to Abithephel, as be- pot from whence David had a fight of and conceived an impure luft after her. The Ya gum renders it, a canopy; which Kimchi defe ing his firft and chief counfellor: give counfel among) as confifting of four pillars, upon and round you what we falldo; he orders them to form a council, confult among themfelves what was proper to be now done. at Yeru/alem, whether it was right to which curtains were hung: and dbfalom went in unto bis father’s concubines in the fight of all Ifrael 5; they faw the tent or canopy ereéted, and faw him:

ftay heré, oF purfue after Devid and his men. 4dfalom did not fend to the high-prieft to afk counfel of God, by Urim and Thummim before the ark, but wholly confided in his privy-council.

y. 21. And Abithophel faid unto Abfalom, &c.]} Fither immediately of himfelf, without confulting with others; or after a confultation had been held Between them, he as the prefident of it, and their mouth, gave the following advice; though the former ‘feems righteft: go in unto thy father’s coucnbines, which he hath left to keep the houfe, and lie with them; there were ten of them, ch. xv. 16. friend, oppofe it; perhaps he faw it was to and. all Ifrael foall bear that thou art abborred of thy father; this fa&t will be fo abominable to him,.

go into it, and might reafonably conclude he lay ‘with his father’s concubines, or half-wives, in it; and this being done in fo public a manner, fulfilled the prophecy, which faid it fhould be done in the fight. of the fun, and,of all J/rael, ch. xii. 11, 12. this fhows. how corrupt the people of Jrael were at this time, at leaft thofe that were with Ad alom, that there fhould be none to object to the counfel Abithophel gave, nor any to remonftrate againft the execution of it, but all feemed to look upo it with pleafure; nor even did Hufbai, Davia’s

¥. 23. Und the counfel of Abishophels. wbich be and he will fo highly refent it, as never to forgive thee, and be reconciled unto thee: then shall the bad counjelled in thofe days, &c.| Both in the days’. of David, and in the days of Abjalom, before and fince the rebellion: was, as if @ man bad enquired of the oracle of God; fach an opinion was enter= tained of it, fo well fatisfied were they with it, and as confident of fuccefs in taking it, as if the: Lord himielf had been confulted by Urim and) Thummim, this is a very great exaggeration of Ahi-: thopbel’s counfel, and is obferved as a reafon why. it was fo readily taken, though fo bad in the preceding inftance: /o was all the counfel of Abithophel, beth with David and with sbithopbel; Abithophel leaft jealoufy of a reconciliation between them, and of their being left to the refentment ef David. Some think this was not his only reafon for this counfel, but alfo to revenge David’s abufe was a crafty man, a time-ferver, that temporized with princes, and knew how to, fuit his counfels. giving with their tempers and interefts: to David he gave of good counfel what was acceptable with him, and to hands of all that are with thee be ftrong; he intimates, that they were now weak, and did not act with {pirit; they were fearful that David and 4- falom would be reconciled,~and then they fhould be reckoned traitors, and fall a facrifice to David's vengeance, for their treafon againft him; but by Abfalom’s taking fuch a ftep as this, which would make him for ever the object of his father’s hatred, their hands and hearts would be ftrengthened, and their fears removed, and they would ‘not have the

Bathfeba, his fon’s daughter, as fhe is fuppofed 4b alom, bad counfel, which wa to be, ch. xv. 12. however, it was fo ordered in

54 oe fe chapter relates the advice Ahithophel gave to march out fpeedily with a number |of J/rae 12,000 are pitched upon-with refpeét to the 12 tribes, tooo- from every tribe; Jofephus has — of men in purfuit of David, which at firft feemed agreeable, ¥. 1—4. but Hu/bai’s. opinion being afked, and he giving counfel to raife a larger army, which required time, and was taken to, hereby the counfel of Abitbopbel was. defeated, ¥. 5—14. upon which he hanged himfelf, ¥. 23. thefe different counfels being communicated by Hu/bai to the priefts, they found means to tranfmit them to David with an inftraction to him to paf$ over Jordan imrnediately; which he did, and pitched in Gilead,, and whither he was followed by Adbjalom, ¥.15—26. and where he met with a fupply of provifions for his army from fome eminent perfons in and near that place, ¥.27—29.

y. 1. Moreover, Abithophel faid unto Abfalom, &c.} Eithér at the fame time, or quickly after he had given the foregoing advice: Jet me now chufe out 12,000 mens out of thofe that were with 4- falom, which fhows their number to be large; and only 10,000: and I will arife-and purfue after |David this night; he took upon him to be ger ral of the army, as well as a counféllor;

he faid to fhew, how confident he was of the fuccefs of his counfel, that if 4b/alom, or any other, fhould decline the conduc of the army upon it, as a hazardous attempt, he would-undertake ir himéelf; or rather it may be, he was not willing that Ad/alom fhould go out in perfon with the; not fo much ‘for his own fafety, as left thr his affection for the king he fhould {pare hir he fell inta his hands, or they two fhould b conciled; he propofed to do it that. for expedition, no time being to be loft, z for the greater furprize of David, and. is men, a: ¥.2. And I will come upon him while be is wear &c.] With travelling, and with grief, and whi endeavouring to get fome reft by fleep, and. prize him unawares, when not on his gu:

in no pofture of defence: and weak-é

Ch.xvii.¥.3—9. I. SA MU E Tf. 694 the number of men with him is fmall, and before the people from different parts can come to his affittance: and will make bim afraid; ftrike terror into him and his men, by furprizing them fuddenly in the night with fuch a number of men: and all the people that are with him fall flee; one one way, and another another, for their own fecurity, and leave ed alone: and I will fmite the king only; difpatch him, and let the people flee without blinding ‘the mind of Abjatosa with tefpe& to his counfeél, and inclining it to take the opinion of Hufbei: and: let us hear likewife what be faith; which he might fay without any diffidence about the counfel given, but knowing that in the multitude of counfellors there is fafety; and Hu/bai being a wife and good counfellor, he might hope and expect that he would give the fame advice, and fo ftrengthen and confirm it..

purfuing them. ¥.6. And when Hufbai was come to Abfalom, &c.}

¥.3. And I will bring back all the people, &c.] Meaning not the people only that were with Da-| vid, that he would make them prifoners, and bring them with him; for he before propofed to let them make their efcape; but to reduce all J/rael to the obedience of Ab/alom at once, by executing icheme which he had formed: the man whom thou Seekeft is-as if allreturned, meaning David, whom he fpeaks of contemptibly, and whofe life it feems Abjalom fought, as well as his crown; and he being dead, it would be all over at once with the people; they would immediately repair to their own habitations, and yield obedience to 4b/alom as the rightful heir and fucceffor; all depended on his death he intimates: from whence it appears that Abarbinel is wrong in fuggefting, that 4b/alom did not defign to take away the life of his father, only to fecure the kingdom to himfelf in his father’s life-time, who he underftood had difpofed of it by his will to Solomon; but here Abithophel plainly declares the intention of Ab/alom, nor would he have propofed in plain terms to take away the king’s life, had 42/alom been averfe to it; and it is plain by what follows, that the thing was pleafing to him: fo all the people fhall be in peace; both parties coalefce under the government of /b/alom. and live peaceably under it, and fo an entire Into the council-chamber very probably: 4é/alom pake unto him, faying, Ahbithophel hath fpoken after ¢is manner, and then related the counfel he had given as before: /Lall we do after this faying? is it right to proceed on this fcheme, and carry it thisjinto execution? ifnot, [peak thou, thy mind freely, without any referve, or fear of giving any offence.

y.7. And Hufbai faid to Abfalom, &c.] Having leave to give his opinion freely: the counfel that 4ithophel hath given is not good at this time; he owns that Ahithopbel was a good counfellor, and that the counfel he gave was for the molt part, if not always, good, but what he gave at this time was not fo; the wifeft of men may fometimes be miftaken. Adarbinel thinks he refpects his former counfel, particularly that that was good, advifing him to defile his father’s bed; but this was not; for which he gives the following reafons.

y.8. For (faid Hufbai) thou knoweft thy father and bis men that they be mighty men, &c.) Men of courage and valour, and not fuch weak-handed and weak-hearted men, and fo eafily intimidated as Abithophel fuggelts: and they be chafed in their minds, or bitter in foul‘; not merely filled with trouble and anguifh, and depreffed in their fpirits endjon account of that, as the phrafe fometimes of the war. fignifies; but enraged and full of wrath, at y. 4. And the faying pleafed Abfalom well, and ali the elders of Ifrael.| That were of the privy-council; for it was a well-contrived fcheme. to furprize David and his meén by night, in the condition they were in; nothing like feizing an opportunity, and making quick difpatch in executing a villainous defign; only it is ftrange, that 4d/alom could fo eafily come in to a fcheme to take away the life of fo indulgent a father, which is only to be accounted for by his ambition; but it is ftranger ftill, that the elders of J/rael fhould be pleafed with it, and agree to and determine upon the death of a prince, who had fo many years ruled them with juftice and equity, clemency and mercy; had fought their battles for them, and raifed their nation to fuch pitch of glory it never had before.

¥. 5. Then faid Abfalom, call now Hufhai the Archite alfo, 8c.) For it feems he was not at the council-board at this time; whether he was as yet admitted to it, is not certain: there is fomthing very remarkable in the providence of God, to incline 4bfalom to have the opinion of Hu/bai upon this point, when the countel of Abithophel was fo univerlally approved of; and Hu/bai alfo being well lsnown to have been an intimate friend and confident of David’s, and not fo fettled and eftablifhed in the intereft of Abfalom, and fuch a {worn of his as Abitophel was; this can only be afcribed to the will of God, to defeat the counfel of Abithophel, and the wifdom of divine providence in the rebellion raifed againft their prince, which obliged them with him to quit their habitations; and now being defperate, their all lying at-ftake, their wives and children, their families and eftates, they would fight furioufly in the defence of the king and themlelves, and not fo foon flee as Abithophel had reprefented: as a bear robbed of ber whelps i the field; a bear is a very furious creature, and efpecially a fhe-bear, and the more when it has whelps, and more fo when deprived of them ®, when it ranges about in the field, and in its fury attacks whomfoever it meets with; fee the note on Hof. xiii. 8. and thy father is a man of war, not only bold and courageous, but expert and fkilful alin all the arts of war, and not eafy to be furprized and circumvented, as 4ithopbel intimated: and will not lodge with the people; in the camp, but at fome diftance from it; partly to prevent any traiterous defign upon him in it, and partly that he might notbe iurprized by the enemy, knowing that their chief view was to feize his perfon; and therefore as it would not be eafy to find him where he was, he could not be fmitten alone, as Abithophel propofed.

y. 9. Bebold, he is bid now in fome pit, or in fome other place, &c.]) Some lurking place, as he was friend) acquainted with many when he fled from Saul, and where he preferved himfelf from him; fo that he could never take him, as he would now from Ad/alom, as he infinuates: but this is not all; not only by this means he would fhelter himfelf, and be in fafety; but lying thus concealed with others, and in ambufh, there would be danger of his ftarting out of his hiding place when opportunity fhould offer, and falling on fome. of Abfalom’s troops unawares: and it will come to pafs, when

fome of them be overthrown at the firft; that is,

fome of Abjalom’s party, on whom David and his men coming out of an ambufh fhould fall, and make a flaughter among them firft, before they could do any thing of confequence; and fo having got the firft advantage, it would ferve to animate them, and difhearten their enemies; shat whofcever beareth it, at that time, or the next day: will fay,

There is a flaughter among the people that follow Abfalom;, there has been a defeat of them, and that y. 10. And he alfo that is valiant, whofe heart is as the heart of a lion, foall utterly melt, 8c.) ‘That is, whoever fhould hear of Ab/alom’s forces, or a part of them, being routed, would be intimidated, though ever fo courageous, or of fuch a lion-like temper and difpofition; and even Abithophel him-.

felf, notwithftanding all his boafted courage, his heart would fail, he would melt like water ", “Yo h.

vii. 5. fhould he meet with fuch a rebuff at firft fetting out. A lion is well known for its courage as well as ftrength, and has not only a fierce countenance, hence we read of lion-like men in their faces, ch. xxiii. 20. 1 Chron. xii. 8. but has a courageous heart, and from thence it is thought to have its name Ladi, from Led, which fignifies the heart; fo Hercules is reprefented by the poet as having a lion’s heart *, and others alfo; though Leo Africanus * relates of fome lions in Africa that are fo naturally fearful, that they will flee at the cry of children, particularly at a place called g a;

hence it became a proverb with the inhabitants of

Fez, to call bluftring cowards the lions of Ag/a; and he fpeaks of great numbers of lions elfewhere ', who are eafily driven away with a fmall ftick by the moft timorous perfons; but for the moft part lions are very bold and daring, as well as ftrong, to which the allufion is here. Some apply this to David himfelf, who was a valiant man, and whofe heart was like that of a lion, and fo read the laft claufe with an interrogation: Shall be utterly melt? no, he will not; he is not to be made afraid fo eafily as Abitbopbel has intimated: for all Ifrael kuoweth that thy father is a mighty. man; and they which be with him are valiant men this is fo univerfally known that it cannot be denied.

y. 11. Therefore I. counfel, &c.].My advice is as follows: that all U/rael be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-foeba, as the fand that is by the fea for multitude, not all the inhabitants of the land, but fuch as are fit to bear arms, or that were foldiers, employed in military affairs, in keeping garrifons, guarding the coafts, Gc. even the militia of the nation, from the extreme boundary ot it on the north to the extreme boundary of it on the fouth; in fuch a direction lay Daz and Beerfheba. This is oppofed to the countel of Abithophel, which was only to felect 12,000 men, and fend them againft David at once; and this is defigned chieily, to. gam time, fince fuch a colle&tion could not be made foon, and, fo David would have more time to get farther off, and to prepare the better tor his detence; and this advice might be the more agreeable to Ab/alom, as it promifed a greater cer tainty of fuccels thro’ numbers, and might feed the vanity and ambition of that prince to have fuch a large army under him, as well as fuggefted that all Jrael were on his fide, and at his command, and mi eafily be gathered to him: and that thou go to battle in thine own perfon, this was another part of his advice oppofed to the counfel of Abithophel, who propofed to have the command of the 12,000 men himfelf, and to leave Ab/alom at Ferufalem; now Hufbai fuggefts, that it would be more to his intereft and his honour to take command of the army _ himfelf, and go in perfon into the field of battle 5 fince this would ferve to animate his foldiers, when they faw their prince at the head of them, and he would have the glory, of the victory, which he might infinuate hereby, bithopbel fought to deprive him of; it is in the Hebrew text, that thy face or faces go to batile™, where he might be feen in perfon, and have the overfight and dire&tion of things himfelf; the Tazgum is, “ and thou halt go at the head of-us all;” and this advice Hujbai was directed to give, and which was taken, that Ad/aom might fall in battle.;

y. 12. So foall we come. upon him in fome place where he foall be found, &c.| Hor fuch a numerous army, which would be {pread abroad, could not well fail of finding him out, let him be in what lurking-place he would; whereas, he might lie concealed, and efcape fo {mall a number as 12,0co men: and we will light upon him as the dew falleth upon the ground; whofe drops are innumerable, and cover all the ground where they fall; and the phrafe not only expreffes their numbers, but the irrefiftible force they fhould come with, and the manner, fecretly, unawares, opportunely; the Romans had a fort of foldiers, called from the dew. Rorarii, who carried light armour, and fought firft

‘in the battle, from whence tliey had their name, becaufe dew falls before it rains": and of him, and of all the men that are with him, there hail not be left fo much as one; fo that for the future 4bfalom would fit eafy upon the throne, there being

/none left to moleft him.

A ftrong fortified place, thinking to fecure himfelf there, where he might hold out againft thofe that were rifen againft him; the former part of the account fuppojes him in the field, where he would foon be detected, if hidden in a pit or any other place, or if he appeared openly, would quickly be overthrown by the numerous forces of Abfalom; and here it fuggefts, fhould he betake himfelf to a city for fhelter, then fhall all Ifrael bring ropes to that city 3 {caling ropes, and thereby get upon and over the walls of it, and take it by ftorm; or engines worked with ropes, ufed for the demolithing of cities; fo Tacitus {peaks of vincula tormentorum, the bands or ropes of engines, as Grotius obferves; the. Targum renders it by armies, thus, “ all J/rael thall be gathered againft the city, and fusround it with armies,” befiege it in form, and fo begirt it, that _ David could not poffibly make his efcape out of it, nor could it bold out long againit fuch numerous forces; or this is.an hyperbolical expreffion, as — Kimebi calls it, fignifying that their numbers would) —

/be'fo many, that they could foon and eafily demo= lith it: amd we will draw it into the river; by the fide of which it was built, or the ditch or trench, " arou i around it, or the valley near it, that being built on an hill; and by this boafting, bragging, hyperbolical expreffion he fignifies, that they thould be able eafily and utterly to deftroy its walls, build-

- ings, and towers, as if a number of men were to faiten a rope about any thing, and by their main ftiength, and through their numbers, draw it down whither they pleafed: until there be not one fmall ficne found there, and this being the cafe, David and his men muft inevitably fall into their hands, and none efcape.

y¥.14: And Abfalom and all the men of Ifrael faid,