2Sa 19 | TSK | STEP | Joab causes the king to cease his mourning. The Israelites are earnest to bring the king back. David sends to the priests to incite them of Judah. Shimei is pardoned; Mephibosheth excused; Barzillai dismissed, and Chimham his son taken into the king's family. The Israelites expostulate with Judah for bringing home the king without them.

2 Samuel 19

1 Joab causes the king to cease his mourning.

9 The Israelites are earnest to bring the king back.

11 David sends to the priests to incite them of Judah.

18 Shimei is pardoned;

24 Mephibosheth excused;

32 Barzillai dismissed, and Chimham his son taken into the king's family.

41 The Israelites expostulate with Judah for bringing home the king without them.

18:5,12,14,20,33; Pr 17:25

victory. Heb. salvation, or, deliverance. turned.

into the city.

steal.

covered.

O my son.It is allowed by competent critics that the lamentation of David over his son, of which this forms a part, is exceedingly pathetic; and Calmet properly remarks, that the frequent repetition of the name of the deceased is common in the language of lamentation.

18:33

Thou hast.Every one must admit that David's immoderate grief for his rebellious son was imprudent, and that Joab's firm and sensible reproof was necessary to arouse him to a sense of his duty to his people: but, in his manner, Joab far exceeded the bounds of that reverence which a servant owes to his master, or a subject to his prince.

saved.

Ne 9:27; Ps 3:8; 18:47,48

In that, etc. Heb. By loving, etc. thou regardest, etc.Heb. princes or servants are not to thee. then it had.

3:24,25; Job 34:18; Pr 19:9,10; Ac 23:5

comfortably unto thy. Heb. to the heart of thy.

Ge 34:3; Pr 19:15; Isa 40:1; Ho 2:14; *marg:

there.

Pr 14:28

all the evil.

Ps 71:4-6,9-11,18-20; 129:1,2

sat in the gate.How prudently and mildly David took the reproof and counsel given him! He shook off his grief, anointed his head, and washed his face, that he might not appear unto men to mourn, and then made his appearance at the gate of the city, which was the public place of resort for the hearing of causes and giving judgment, as well as a place to ratify special bargains. Thither the people flocked to congratulate him on his and their safety, and that all was well. When we are convinced of a fault, we must amend, though we are told of it by our inferiors in a way which is peculiarly painful to our natural feelings. This ancient custom still obtains in the East; for when Dr. Pococke returned from viewing the town of ancient Byblus, he says, "The sheik and the elders were sitting in the gate of the city, after the ancient manner, and I sat awhile with them."

18:4,24

for Israel.

3; 18:6-8; 1Ki 22:36; 2Ki 14:12

strife.

Ge 3:12,13; Ex 32:24; Jas 3:14-16

The king.

8:10; 1Sa 17:50; 18:5-7,25; 19:5

he is fled.

15:14

whom.

15:12,13; Ho 8:4

is dead.

18:14

speak ye not a word. Heb. are ye silent?

Jud 18:9

sent.

15:29,35,36; 1Ki 2:25,26,35

Speak.

2Co 5:20

Why are.

Mt 5:16; 2Th 3:9

my bones.

5:1; Ge 2:23; Jud 9:2; Eph 5:30

Amasa.

17:25; 1Ch 2:16,17; 12:18

God.

Ru 1:17; 1Ki 19:2

room of Joab.

5-7; 3:29,30; 8:16; 18:11

he bowed.The measures that he pursued were the best calculated that could be adopted for accomplishing this salutary end. David appears to take no notice of their infidelity, but rather to place confidence in them, that their confidence in him might be naturally excited; and to oblige them yet farther, purposes to make Amasa general of the army, instead of Joab.

even.

Jud 20:1; Ps 110:2,3; Ac 4:32

Gilgal.

Jos 5:9; 1Sa 11:14,15

Shimei.It appears that Shimei was a powerful chieftain in the land; for he had here in his retinue no less than a thousand men.

16:5-13; 1Ki 2:8,36-46

hasted.

Job 2:4; Pr 6:4,5; Mt 5:25

Ziba.

26,27; 9:2,10; 16:1-4

And there.The LXX. connecting this the with preceding verse, render, [kai kateuthynan ton lordanen emposthen tou basileos, kai eleitourgesan ten leitourgian tou diabibasai ton basilea,] "and they made ready Jordan before the king, and did the necessary service to bring over the king;" and the Vulgate has, {et irrumpentes Jordanem, ante regem transierunt vada, ut traducerent domum regis,} "and breaking into Jordan, they passed the fords before the king, to bring over the king's household." Josephus says they prepared a bridge over the Jordan, to facilitate his passage.

what he thought good. Heb. the good in his eyes. fell down.

Ps 66:3; 81:15; Re 3:9

And said.

Ec 10:4

Let not.

1Sa 22:15; Ps 32:2; Ro 4:6-8; 2Co 5:19

remember.

Ps 79:8; Isa 43:25; Jer 31:34

did perversely.

16:5-9,10-14; Ex 10:16,17; 1Sa 26:21; Mt 27:4

take it.

13:20,33; 1Sa 25:25

I am come.

Ps 78:34-37; Jer 22:23; Ho 5:15

Joseph.

9; 16:5; Ge 48:14,20; 1Ki 12:20,25; Ho 4:15-17; 5:3

Shall not.

Ex 22:28; 1Ki 21:10,11

cursed.

16:5,7,13; 1Sa 24:6; 26:9

What have.

3:39; 16:10; 1Sa 26:8; Mt 8:29

shall there any man.

1Sa 11:13; Isa 16:5; Lu 9:54-56

Thou shalt.

1Ki 2:8,9,37,46

sware.

1Sa 28:10; 30:15; Heb 6:16

Mephibosheth.

9:6; 16:3

dressed his feet.Literally, made his feet, which seems to mean washing the feet paring the nails, and perhaps anointing or otherwise perfuming them, if not tinging the nails with henna; see Note on De 21:12. Sir John Chardin, in his MS. note on this place, informs us, that it is customary in the East to have as much care of the feet as the hands; and that their barbers cut and adjust the nails with a proper instrument, because they often go barefoot. The nails of the toes of the mummies inspected in London in 1763, of which an account is given in the Philosophical Transactions for 1764, seem to have been tinged with some reddish colour.

15:30; Isa 15:2; Jer 41:5; Mt 6:16; Ro 12:15; Heb 13:3

trimmed.Literally, made his beard, which may mean, combing, curling, and perfuming it. But Mr. Morier says that they almost universally dye the beard black, by successive layers of a paste made of henna, and another made of the leaf of the indigo: the first tinging with an orange colour, and the next with a dark bottle green, which becomes jet black when exposed to the air for twenty-four hours.

Wherefore.

16:17

I will saddle.

16:2,3

thy servant.

4:4

slandered.

16:3; Ex 20:16; Ps 15:3; 101:5; Jer 9:4

as an angel.

14:17,20; 1Sa 29:9

were.

Ge 32:10

dead men. Heb. men of death.

1Sa 26:16

didst thou.

9:7,8,10,13

to cry.

2Ki 8:3

Why speakest.

Job 19:16,17; Pr 18:13; Ac 18:15

Thou.

De 19:17-19; Ps 82:2; 101:5

Yea.

1:26; Ac 20:24; Php 1:20

1Ki 2:7; Ezr 2:61; Ne 7:63

fourscore.

Ge 5:27; 9:29; 25:7; 47:28; 50:26; De 34:7; Ps 90:3-10; Pr 16:31

provided.

17:27

for he was.

1Sa 25:2; Job 1:3

Come thou.

9:11; Mt 25:34-40; Lu 22:28-30; 2Th 1:7

How long have I to live? Heb. How many days are the years ofmy life?

Ge 47:9; Job 14:14; Ps 39:5,6; 1Co 7:29; Jas 4:14

can I discern.

Job 6:30; 12:11; Heb 5:14; 1Pe 2:3

taste.

Ec 12:1-5

I hear.

Ezr 2:65; Ne 7:67; Ex 2:8; 12:4

a burden.

13:25; 15:33

the king.

Lu 6:38

Let thy.The whole of this little episode is extremely interesting, and contains an affecting description of the infirmities of old age. The venerable and kind Barzillai was fourscore years old; his ear was become dull of hearing, and his relish for even royal dainties was gone: the evil days had arrived in which he was constrained to say, "I have no pleasure in them." (Ec 12:1.) As he was too old either to enjoy the pleasures of a court, or to be of any further service to the king, he finishes his affecting address to the aged monarch with the request, that he would suffer him to enjoy what old men naturally desire, to "die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and mother;" at the same time commending his son Chimham to his kind offices.

I may die.

Ge 48:21; Jos 23:14; Lu 2:29,30; 2Ti 4:6; 2Pe 1:14

by the grave.

Ge 47:30; 49:29-31; 50:13; 1Ki 13:22

Chimham.

40; 1Ki 2:7; Jer 41:17

require. Heb. choose.

the king.The kiss was the token of friendship and farewell; the blessing was a prayer to God for his prosperity: probably a prophetical benediction.

kissed Barzillai.

Ge 31:55; 45:15; Ru 1:14; 1Ki 19:20; Ac 20:37; 1Th 5:26

blessed.

6:18,20; 13:25; Ge 14:19; 28:3; 47:7,10; Lu 2:34

returned.

Ge 31:55; Nu 24:25; 1Sa 24:22

Chimham. Heb. Chimhan. all the people.

11-15; Ge 49:10; Mt 21:9

Why have.

Jud 8:1; 12:1; Joh 7:5,6

stolen.

Because.

We have.

ten parts.

despise us. Heb. set us at light. our advice.

9,14; Ga 5:20,26; Php 2:3

the words.

Jud 8:1; 9:23; 12:1-6; Pr 15:1; 17:14; 18:19; Ro 12:21; Ga 5:15,20

Jas 1:20; 3:2-10,14-16; 4:1-5Whatever value or respect the men of Israel at this time professed for their king, they would not have quarrelled so fiercely about their own credit and interest in recalling him, if they had been truly sorry for their former rebellion.