Harmony Upon 2 Samuel, Book 2 · Chapter 17
CHAP. 17.
1. Quest. v. 1. Of Achitophels peruers… and wicked counsell against Dauid.
1. COunsell of it selfe is a sacred thing, and commended in the Scripture; and as it is of necessarie vse in all affaires, so specially in battell, which must be enterprised by counsell, Prou. 24.6. But here it is abused by this craftie man. 2. Who offendeth three waies in this his counsell: in the matter, which is consulted of, the means, and the end. 1. For the matter, there are two things, that doe not fall vnderunder consultation; either such as are certaine and necessarie, and cannot be preuented, or things which are subiect to chaunce, and hauehave no certaintie at all: but of such things counsell is taken, which are electiue, and incident into humane affaires: herein then first Achitophels counsell faileth, because he giueth counsell in a thing impossible: God had determined, that Dauids kingdome should be established. 2. The meanes in deliberation should be honest, but these which he propoundeth, are most dishonest. 3. The ende also is vngodly, in seeking to ouerthrow the Lords Annointed. Mar.
3. Now the speciall cause, why Achitophel is thus bent against Dauid, was for that hee ambitiously aspired to honour and riches: as he was reputed a wise counseller, so now he taketh vponupon him to be the Captaine and leader of Abshaloms armie, that he might every way grow great, and in high reputation with Abshalom and the people. The Hebrewes giuegive another reason of his hatred against Dauid, because of Bathsheba, which is touched before, c. 16. qu. 11.
2. Quest. v. 3. Of the meaning of these words, As the returning of all, (is) the man, whom thou seekest.
1. Some read thus, when all shall returne, and the man, whom thou seekest, (beeing slaine) C.G.B. but there these words, beeing slaine are added, which are not in the text. 2. Some thus, when all the men are returned vntounto thee, whom thou desirest. V.A. But there is a distinction, at hacol, all, which sheweth that it is seuered from the word following haish, the man: which word hauing an article prefixed before it, sheweth some speciall man. 3. The Latine readeth thus, I will bring …ll the people againe, as one man vseth to returne: for thou seekest one man: for here in the former clause, as one man, and in the next, one, are not in the originall. 4. The Septuag. thus, like as (the spouse) returneth (to) her husband: here these wordes inclosed (the spouse) and (to) are not found in the text. 5. Some giuegive this sense, and when eueryevery man is returned, (which is the thing) which thou seekest. Emman. Sa. But there is a distinction at hachal, eueryevery, or all; which sheweth, that it is not ioyned in construction with haish, man, as the substantiue and adiectiue, as is before shewed. 6. Therefore I here preferre Iunius reading, as the returning of all, (is) the man, whom thou seekest: that is, when thou get test him, thou shalt in a manner get all.
3. Quest. v. 7. Of Chushai his counsell in generall.
1. Chushai verie wisely doth not discommend Achitophels counsell in generall, least he might hauehave beene thought to speake of enuie, or be suspected as a dissembler: but he doth (at this time) onelyonly take exception to his counsell, as giuing him the praise of a wise counseller at other times. Mart. Iun. 2. Beside Chushai sheweth his modestie, not preferring himselfe before Achitophel, but giuing him simply the prioritie of sound counsell and aduise: onelyonly in this one thing, and at this time hee dissenteth from him. Osiand. 3. Chushai verie wisely among other suggestions, which were improbable, mingleth diuerse things which are true, as v. 8. that his father was a valiant man, and expert in warre, and of great courage: for he knew, without the inserting of some things euidently true, hee should hardly perswade the rest. Mart. 4. Beside Chushai doth cunningly applie himselfe to the ambitious and insolent young mans humor, insinuating what a mightie people, and large kingdome he had, from Dan to Beersheba, and so Abshalom allectus laudibus suis, beeing allured by his owne praise, giueth eare vntounto Chushai: Pellic. 5. Further his faithfulnesse appeareth toward Dauid: for the end of Chushai was to gaine time, that Dauid should not be set vponupon of a suddaine, but hauehave respite giuen him to prouide for himselfe, and to be better prepared. Mart. 6. He is warie also and circumspect: for though his counsell were approoued, yet he would not trust Abshalom; hee might thinke his minde might alter, and therefore hee sendeth word presently vntounto Dauid. v. 15.
4. Quest. Of the seuerall and particular points of Chushai his counsell.
First, Chushai doth infringe Achitophels counsell by fiue seuerall arguments. 1. He alleadgeth that Dauid was himselfe a valiant man, and the rest of his people, that were with him. 2. And beside their ordinarie valour, beeing thus suddenly assaulted, they would be so much the more fierce, as a beare robbed of his whelpes: not her whelpes, as B.G.L.S. for the word dobh is put in the masculine, as is euident by the participle shacul put in the masculine: for the hee beare, as well as the shee doth helpe to hatch vp their young, and both doe rage, when their whelpes are taken away: Borrh. 3. Thy father is an expert warrier, and a warie man, he hath his watch, he will not lodge as a common souldier with the rest, but will withdraw himselfe. 4. Hee vrgeth the inconueniencie of the place, hee is hid in some caue, so that their labour should be frustrate in seeking him. 5. Hee sheweth the daunger, that if they should presently ioyne battell in the night, if but a few of Absalons men should be slaine, it would be noised, that al his forces were discomfited. Mar. And in this maner Chushai shewed the weaknesse of Achitophels counsell.
2. Then hee commeth to giuegive contrarie aduise: in euerie point opposing himselfe to Achitophel. 1. Whereas Achitophel had aduised to follow after Dauid presently that night, Chushai would hauehave some further time taken till more forces might be gathered together. 2. Achitophel required but 12. thousand; Chushai would hauehave all the people gathered together, as the sand of the sea in multitude. 3. Achitophel would goe himselfe as Captaine of the armie, but Chushai perswadeth Abshalom to goe in his owne person. 4. Achitophel pretended to take the King his father onelyonly, v. 2. but Chushai sheweth a course to be taken, that neither hee nor any one of his men should be left: Borrh. 5. And the better to perswade, hee sheweth the facilitie of this enterprise: …ow easily they shall vanquish him, either in the field, by falling vponupon him, as the dew in multitude, or if he get himselfe within a citie, they will pull it with ropes, that is, engines of warre fastened with ropes into the riuer, that is, the ditches and trenches filled with water, which enuironed the walled townes. Mar.
5. Quest. v. 14. Of the approbation of Chushai his counsell before Achitophels.
1. By this example we see, that it is not enough to hauehave good counsell propounded, but it is necessarie to hauehave a good iudgement to discerne of counsells which is the best: Achitophel gaue here most daungerous, and pernicious counsell, but Abshalom was blinded, that he saw not, what was good for himselfe. Mar. 2. It is therfore called the good counsell of Achitophel, not that it was simply good, for the Lord then would not hauehave destroyed it; but it was good and profitable for Abshalom, not that any thing indeed is good and profitable, which is not honest, but this is so said according to the phrase and speach of men, which vse to call those things good, which are commodious and profitable. 3. This came of God, that Achitophels counsel should be reiected: so that Chushai can not be here accused, mendacij & simulationis improbae, of lying and wicked dissembling, it beeing by Gods direction. Borrh. 4. And the end is shewed, why the Lord destroied the counsell of Achitophel, that Abshalom might be punished: who was guiltie of two horrible sinnes, rebellion and parricide intended against his father, and incest in the highest degree: therefore he was worthily punished, and by Chushai his counsell, hee was brought into that battell, where he was slaine.
6. Quest. v. 15. Whether Chushai did well to discouer the counsell of Achitophel.
1. If Chushai were not sworne to keepe secret this counsell, therein there was no offence at all: nay he had sinned, if hee had not reuealed it, seeing the king and the commonwealth were now in great daunger: otherwise it is the part of counsellers to be faithfull in keeping to themselues the counsells of the kingdome:In ff. de re militar. l. omni. by the Ciuill law it was made death, to betraie the secrets of the state, especially in warlike and militarie affaires: Papinus is commended in the Romane Histories, because hee would not reueale to his mother, beeing but a child, the secret consultations of the Senate.
2. Yea though Chushai had taken an oath to be secret in this case, he might lawfully breake his oath: seeing it was an vnlawfull oath against the glorie of God, and tending to the ruine and subuersion of the Commonwealth. Mart.
7. Quest. Of Gods prouidence in deliuering the messengers from daunger, that were sent to Dauid.
1. The Preists within the citie, Zadok and Abiathar could not themselues goe forth of the citie, without suspition, the gates beeing kept and watched, but they sent a maid with the message vntounto their sonnes, that waited in the field, of whose fidelitie they had experience: so Dauids safetie depended here vponupon the faithfulnesse of a maid: God many times vseth weake meanes to deliuer his seruants by. 2. This matter is espied by a young man, not (as Iosephus saith) by Abshaloms horsemen, as the Deuill neuer wanteth instruments in such case… to worke mischiefe. 3. But by Gods prouidence, the messengers escaped, and were hid in a drie pit, where it seemeth there was small store of water, such an one, as that was, into which Iosephs brethren let him downe: which beeing couered with a cloth whereon ground corne was spread, by the wife of the house, was not discerned: the woman making a present excuse (as that sex is verie ingenious in their readie inuentions, Osiand.) that they were gone: this excuse of the woman, was like vntounto that of the midwiues in Egypt, Exod. 1. and of Rahab: the good seruice, which she did, and her faithfull heart to God and his Anointed, doe hide her womanly infirmitie therein. 4. Thus, although that God had certainely determined, that Dauids kingdome should be confirmed, and the Lord had promised him by his Prophet Nathan, that hee should not die: yet all cautelous meanes, and circumspection is vsed of eueryevery side, that Gods decree might take place: for though wee be sure of Gods fauour, yet the meanes must not be neglected.
8. Quest. v. 22. How Dauid escaped and passed ouer Iordan.
1. Dauid was here driuen to a great streight, who beeing wearied with the trauaile of the day, and grieued also and perplexed in mind trauaileth all night till he came to Iordan, and was passing ouer till the dawning of the day: hee was not farre from Baburim, Pellican. which was not aboue foure or fiue miles from Ierushalem, for it was but two miles from Anathoth, which was distant some three miles from the citie,in Iosu. c. 22. v. 17. Mas. ex Hieronym. when the messengers came to him: so that hee trauelled all night, and that with great speed, that hee might come to Iordan, and hauehave time to passe ouer it. 2. But Dauid in this extremitie findeth great comfort, that God so strengthened them, that there was not one of his companie missing, but all safly went ouer Iordan. 3. Wherein Dauid was an euident type of Christ, who lost not any of those which were committed vntounto him, sauing the child of perdition. Mart. This Iordan which saued Dauid and his companie going and returning, Borrhaius also maketh a type of baptisme, which saueth those, which are baptised indeed into the death of Christ.
9. Quest. Of Achitophels desperate end.
1. Achitophel is assaulted with two violent affections at once, feare and pride: for if Dauid preuailed, which thing hee foresaw was like to come to passe, his counsell beeing reiected, then he feared, that Dauid would be reuenged of him for his treacherie: for he measured him by himselfe: if Abshalom had the better, yet he saw hee should liue in disgrace, because his counsell was refused: and so hee hangeth himselfe in despaire. Mar.
2. Thus it falleth out, that wicked counsell doth cheifly redound to the hurt of the author thereof. Borrh.
3. This wicked man set his house in an order before hee died, but he hath no care of his soule: all his minde is of his money, goods, lands, but of his soule he is carelesse: he bethinketh not himselfe what should become of that, as many other worldly men doe. Mar.
4. This Achitophel is here an euident type and forerunner of the traytor Iudas, who by his treacherous counsell betraying his Master hanged himselfe, as here Achitophel doth, that betrayed Dauid; the like ende to like Counsellers God send.
10. Quest. v. 25. Of Iithrah the father of Amasa, and Nahash.
1. Iithrah is here called an Israelite, but 1. Chron. 2.17. he is said to be an Ismaelite: R. Kimhi thinketh he was an Israelite by nation and kinred, but an Ismaelite by habitation: so also Vatablus: but he was an Ismaelite rather by nation, and an Israelite in habitation: Iun. because here he had his wife, and here were his children. 2. Nahash some take for Ishai Dauids father, who had two daughters, Zeruiah, who had three sonnes, Ioab, Abishai, and Asahel; and Abigail the mother of Amasa: and R. Kimhi thinketh he was called Nahash, or Nachash, which signifieth a serpent, by the contrarie, because he was without any venome or bitternesse: And some doe further shew this out of that place, Isai. 14.29. Out of the serpents roote shall come a cockatrice: where the word Nachash is put: which they expound of Hezekiah, that was descended of the roote of Ishai: but out of such propheticall predictions, where all things are vttered in parables and figuratiue speaches, no certaintie of historicall names can be gathered. Therefore this Nahash seemeth rather to be the name of a woman Abigails mother, not the sister of Zeruiah as Osiander; but the wife of Ishai. Iun.
11. Quest. v. 27. Of Shebi the sonne of Nahash that came to succour Dauid, who hee was.
1. R. Salomon thinketh that this Shebi was the same, who before was called Hanun King of Ammon, who so despightfully vsed Dauids messengers, who after the victorie was preserued, and became a Proselyte of the Israelites religion: but that is not like, because after the first discomfiture, Ioab a whole yeare laied seige to Rabbah, which businesse they needed not to hauehave beene put vntounto, if Hanun had yeelded.
2. R. Dauid Kimhi thinketh hee was an Israelite: but the text saith, that he was of Rabbath of the children of Ammon.
3. Some thinke he was the sonne of Hanun: but the text saith, he was the sonne of Nahash: and if he had beene Hanuns sonne, it is like he would hauehave rather reuenged his fathers quarrell.
4. Their opinion is then more probable, that thinke this Shebi to hauehave beene the brother of Hanun, both sonnes to Nahash, whom Dauid shewed merciemercy vntounto in the ouerthrow of Rabbah: and hee to requite Dauids kindnesse, now comforteth him: Mart. Borrh. Osiand. Iosephus calleth him Siphar, a prince of the Ammonites countrie.
12. Quest. v. 27. Of the compassion and releefe, which was shewed and ministred to Dauid.
1. Dauid is persecuted of his sonne, and his nephew Amasa his sisters sonne is the Captaine of the host against him: he findeth more fauour at the hands of strangers, euen of the Ammonites, which had beene his enemies, then of his owne kinred: as Christ was receiued of the Samaritans, when the Iewes reiected him. Mart. 2. Their merciemercy is much to be commended in these three respects: they minister releefe vntounto Dauid vnasked, they come of themselues, Shebi, Machir, Barzillai: Mart. and they succour Dauid in great extremitie, when the people were both hungrie and thirstie, v. 29. and at such a time, as was most daungerous, the conspiracie against Dauid beeing so strong. 3. And this is worthie to be considered, that such a victorious and rich King as Dauid was, now hath not a bed to lie on, or any earthen vessell to wash his hands in; for all these things were brought him: which is a mirrhor for Princes to see the vncertaintie of their estate, and how soone their honour may be laid in the dust. 4. And herein Dauid was a type of the true Dauid, who in the dayes of his flesh was hungrie, wearie, thirstie, and ministred vntounto by others: Pellican.