Harmony Upon 2 Samuel, Book 2 · Chapter 18
CHAP. 18.
1. Quest. v. 1. Whence Dauid had the great supplie of men.
THey come vntounto him partly with those his freinds, which brought him victualls, c. 17.28. partly the tribes of Ruben, Gad, and Manasses, which inhabited beyond Iordan came flocking vntounto Dauid, for these reasons: 1. They abhorred such vnnaturall disobedience in the sonne against the father. 2. They were more remote from the Court, and loued the King the better. 3. And beeing farre off, they were not corrupted and entised with Abshaloms flatterie, as the other were. Pellican.
2. Quest. v. 3. Why the people would not hauehave Dauid goe with them in person.
1. They knew that Dauid was the man, that was sought for, as Achitophel had said before, that they would smite him alone, c. 17.2. and therefore they will hauehave him stay at home. Pellican.
2. As Hushai had giuen counsell, that Achitophel should goe in person, because the Lord had determined to bring vponupon him destruction, c. 11.14. so it falleth out by Gods direction, that Dauid should not goe into the battell, that hee might be preserued. Borrh.
3. When they should perceiue that Dauid was not present, they would not pursue the rest so eagerly, nor greatly care almost for the victorie: Osiand. 4. And Dauid also staying at home, might assist them out of the citie with his counsell, Pell. and prayer, Ch. and with supply of the battell, if neede were. Ioseph.
3. Quest. Of the meaning of these words, v. 3. thou art as tenne thousand of vsus.
1. Some expound it thus, for there are about tenne thousand of vsus: Vatab. but beside that, there is no certaintie of the number, which Iosephus thinketh, exceeded not fowre thousand: in this sense it hath small coherence with the words before going, though halfe of vsus were dead, they would not passe for vsus. 2. Some of the Hebrewes doe thus vnderstand it, though ten thousand such as we should be slain, they would not care: but here beside that these words should be slaine, are not in the text, this in effect they said before, if halfe of vsus should be dead, how many soeuer they were. 3. Others thus, though as we are now we should be tenne thousand: Iun. that is, ten times so many as we are, they would not care: but if this were spoken by way of comparison, their meaning should be, if they were tenne thousand times more, not ten times more. 4. Therefore I preferre the vsuall reading, bur, thou art as tenne thousand of vsus, by the enterlacing of these words, thou art: for beside that most interpreters consent herein, the Chald. Septuag. Latin. Pagnin. Pellic. Borrh. Osiand. it best agreeth with the sense, and answereth to the other part of the comparison, they care not for vsus though halfe of vsus be killed, but thou art the man, more worth then ten thousand of vsus, whom they seeke for: as also the conclusion inferred, that it were better therefore for him to stay in the citie, doth more fitly depend vponupon this sense: as also the peoples speach hath herein relation vntounto Achitophels, who had said before, c. 17.3. that one man whom they sought was as the returning of all the people.
5. Now they say, Dauid was as ten thousand; 1. both because his counsell, and the efficacie of his prayers would stand them in as much stead as ten thousand: Pellic. 2. and in respect of his dignitie and excellencie, he was worthie so to bee esteemed. Borrh. 3. as also in respect of his enemies, who had rather hauehave his life, then the liues of tenne thousand: Iun. 4. and the commonwealth should sustaine greater losse by his death, then if ten thousand of them were slaine. Osiand.
4. Quest. Why Dauid was wished to stay in the citie.
1. Iunius readeth, If thou watch for our sake to helpe: the word megher, hee would hauehave deriued from ghur, to watch, not from gher, a citie: that he should watch his time to helpe them if neede were: but if the word were so deriued, it should be compounded of the preposition min, which signifieth from, which would make a contrarie sense; as Hosh. 7.4. f…om watching or raising, as though hee should nowe leaue watching.
2. The vsuall reading then is to be preferred: they would hauehave him helpe them out of the citie, that is, Mahanaim, whether Dauid was come, chap. 17.24. from thence he should helpe, 1. by his prayer, Chald. 2. by his counsell and aduise: Pellic. Vatabl. 3. by rescuing the armie if they should be put to flight, into the citie: Osiand. 4. and by renewing the battell, and encouraging the soldiers, the enemie also surmising, that Dauid stayed behind with a new supply. Ioseph. lib. 7. c. 9.
5. Quest. out of v. 3. What number of men Dauid had in his armie.
1. Iosephus thinketh, there were about foure thousand of them, and not aboue: but that is not like, because Dauid appointed captaines ouer hundreds, and ouer thousands; and beside ranged his host into three battells, v. 2. this sheweth that his number was greater then of foure thousand.
2. Some thinke, that he had ten thousand or thereabout: Vat. as it may appeare by his reading before, qu. 3. but it seemeth their number was not so great, because they were victualled by three men, Sheba, Machir, and Barzillai, c. 11.17.27. which had beene enough for a king to doe.
3. It may be also coniectured, that they were 20. thousand, because they made mention of the halfe part of them before, and now giuing this instance of tenne thousand, to the which they preferre Dauid, it may be supposed that to be the halfe part; sic fere Pellic. But this opinion is refused for the reason before alleadged.
4. Wherefore, as their number is like not to hauehave beene so small as of foure thousand, so neither is it probable it was so great as of ten or twentie thousand: I therefore take the middle scantling; there might be some sixe thousand, or somewhat more, but vnderunder ten: to each of the three wings two thousand or thereabout might be assigned: for if the number had been so great, the victorie had not beene so glorious: and Dauids host consisted most of his domesticall followers and friends, and therefore they are called his seruants, v. 7.
6. Quest. v. 4. In what place Dauid stood, when he sawe the people goe out by their armies.
1. Some thinke, that Dauid stood before the gate, toward the high way: Chald. where they vse to sit to behold the cōmers by, as Lot sate at the gate of Sodom, Gen. 19.1. Vatab. 2. Some that he sate neere the gate: Lat. or at the side of the gate: S.B.G. not in the verie gate, where the souldiers were to goe through. 3. But the words are el iadh, ad manum, in the hand, that is, the space or place of the gate: for so is the word taken for a place, v. 18. it was called Absaloms place: this space is described to bee betweene the two gates, vers. 24. Iun. that is, between the inward and the outward gate. Osiand. the one of these gates was in the wall, v. 24. the other was in the antemurall, or before the wall: Pell. and it was that place where they vsed to sit in iudgement: Genev. as Dauid came afterward, & sat in the gate to shew himself to the people, c. 19.8 Dauid then stood in the entrance or wide space of the gate, while the people passed by him.
7. Quest. v. 5. Why Dauid would not hauehave Absalom killed.
Dauid gaue charge to the captaines to spare Absalom. 1. Because his owne conscience gaue him, that hee was raised vp as an instrument of Gods iudgement vponupon him for his sinne: Pell. 2. He feared least that if Absalom should be cut off in the midst of his rebellion, he should vtterly perish; and therefore he desired that he might hauehave a time of repentance giuen him: Osiand. 3. Dauid herein, in sparing his enemie, and praying for him that persecuted, him was a type of Christ that prayed for his enemies. Borrh.
8. Quest. v. 6. Of the wood of Ephraim, where the battell was pitched.
1. Some think it was called the wood of Ephraim, though on the other side of Iordan where the Ephraimites had no inheritance, because it was right ouer against the tribe of Ephraim, only diuided by the riuer Iordan: Pel. Bor. 2. The Hebrewes will hauehave it so called, because the Ephraimites vsed to send their cattell ouer Iordan, & feed them in that wood, which was not denied them: Vat. Gen. 3. But it is more probable, that it was so called because of the slaughter of the Ephramites there made by Iephte, Iud. 12. and therefore it had the name of Ephraim though it were situate in the tribe of Manasseh. Iun.
9. Quest. out of v. 8. Of the great slaughter of Absaloms men.
1. They were not only destroyed in battell, but fell in the chase as they fled: Ioseph. 2. And the wood deuoured them, while they ranne among the trees and fell vponupon the stubs: Iun. 3. And tumbling into ditches, and pits, and caues vnknowne: Pell. 4. The wild beasts also might help to deuoure and consume them: Ch. who are by a metonymie vnderstood by the wood. Borr. 5. And whereas twentie thousand fell by the sword, ver. 7. and more were consumed by the wood then by the sword, the whole number in all exceeded 40. thousand. Osiand.
10. Quest. Of Absaloms hanging by the haire in the oake. v. 9.
1. Wherein Absalom delighted, and was most proud of, therein is he punished: he is hanged by the haire, which he nourished and kept long of purpose to glorie in it, c. 14.16. Gods iustice herein appeareth, that punisheth a man wherein he sinneth: Osiand. 2. Euerie creature is readie to take reuenge of the wicked: the oake taking hold aboue, and the mule going away vnderunder him, doe both conspire to punish his wickednesse: the oake had boughs winding and wrapping one within an other, like vntounto a bramble or bush: he was caught by the haire in the oake, as Abrahams ramme by the hornes in the bush, Gen. 22.13. where the same word seboch is vsed, with a litle change in the prints. 3. Absalom hanged aloft betweene heauen and earth, as accursed of God, as that kind of death was accursed by the law of God: the like shamefull death came Achitophel to, for the like sinne of rebellion and disobedience: and Iudas afterward, of whom Achitophel was a type, that after he had betrayed Christ, hung himselfe. Borrh.
11. Quest. Out of v. 11. Of the reward promised by Ioab to him that brought tydings of Abshaloms hanging by the haire.
1. The reward promised by Ioab to the souldier, was not 50. shekels, as Iosephus: but tenne shekels, and a soldiers girdle, which was a signe of strength and valour, and an ornament, and ensigne of honour: Osiand. 2. The shekel here is to bee valued at the rate of the common and vsuall shekel, which was but halfe so much as the shekel of the Sanctuarie, which waighed 20. gerahs, Exod. 30.13. the gerah waighed 16. barry cornes, the common shekel then waighed 10. gerahs, that is, an 160. barley corns, which maketh two drachmaes, and somewhat more, that is, a quarter of an ounce, the fourth part of a doller, containing an ounce of siluer, about 14. pence sterling. Osiander then is deceiued, that here iudgeth the shekel to be in value and weight equall to the doller. 3. Iosephus also is here in an errour, that so reporteth this storie, as though Ioab should hauehave offred the soldier these shekels to go, and thrust Absalom through; whereas he only saith, it was in me, or with me, that is, in my power to hauehave rewarded thee.
12. Quest. v. 13. Of the souldiers answer to Ioab.
1. Some read, If I had committed a trespasse against his soule: because the affix hath the letter of the pronoune, which signifieth his, which is vaf: Osiand. but it retaineth the vowel of the affix of the first person, which is chirik, which is more to bee regarded, benopshi: therefore it is rather to be read, my soule. 2. Which Iunius vnderstandeth to be ex meipso, of my selfe, that is, of mine owne head: but rather hee signifieth, that it should hauehave beene with the danger of his life: Vat. B. 3. The third word sheker, is not generally to be translated foreign, S. if I had done this wickednesse or vniust thing, but it signifieth a lie: A.P. or falsitie: C. Iun. both in that he should hauehave done falsely, in going against the kings commaundement: V. as also in denying the fact afterward, & so telling a lie: Iun. which yet he could not hauehave hidden, because the king by his wisdome would hauehave searched it out. 4. And the last words are better read with an interrogation, wouldst thou hauehave stroue against it? that is, hauehave opposed thy selfe against the kings sentence in my defence? I.V. then to read them affirmatiuely, thou wouldest hauehave stood against me thy selfe, as it is vsually read: for the souldier would not hauehave so vnmannerly charged his generall to his face.
13. Quest. Why Ioab taketh three darts.
1. The Hebrews think that Ioab did this, because he had thrice dissembled with Dauid, with the Elders of Israel, and with the 200. whom he had seduced, c. 15.11. 2. But it is more likely, that Ioab did remember how thrice he had broken his faith, after he had reconciled him to his father. Pel. first, when he plaied those pranks in burning Ioabs corne while he dwelt in Ierusalem: and afterward when he stole away the hearts of the people, and accused his fathers gouernment, after he was admitted to his presence: and thirdly, when he rebelled, making his father to beleeue, that hee went to Hebron to pay his vow. 3. Or rather this might be, because Absalom had committed three great sinnes, murther against Amnon, rebellion against his father, and incest in lying with his wiues: Osian. 4. Or because Absalom had three kinds of death; he was thrust through of Ioab, and afterward killed of his men, and lastly ouerwhelmed with stones. 5. But these coniectures need not: for he took three darts to make sure work, that he might throughly dispatch him.
14. Quest. Whether Ioab sinned in killing Absalom contra…y to Dauids charge.
1. Some think that Ioab & the yong men sinned in killing Absalom, because the king had otherwise charged them: Osiand. 2. But I rather encline to their opinion, which commend in this act the faithfulnesse, iustice, and wisedome of Ioab, and vponupon these reasons. 1. Ioab had good experience of Absalom alreadie, whome he had twice reconciled to his father, and still broke his faith, and therefore had no hope of his amendement. 2. He had Gods warrant, beeing now a cheife Iusticiarie in the battell, to put to death a murderer not onelyonly of Amnon, but by whose meanes twentie thousand of the Lords people were slaine, beeing now offered of God into his hands: neither needed any witnesses to conuince him, the euidence of the fact shewing it self: Pellic. 3. He knowing that Absalom would be still a dangerous man to the whole state, thinketh it best to take him out of the way, preferring the safetie of the whole commonwealth, before the priuate affection of the king. 4. And that Ioab herein offended not appeareth, both for that Dauid neither expostulated with him after the battell, neither when he accused Ioab to Salomon for the murther of Abner and Amasa, made he any mention of the killing of Absalom. Bor.
15. Quest. Out of the 17. v. of Abshaloms manner of death.
1. Absalom beside the smiting through with darts, was also stoned by Gods iust iudgement, by whose lawe, they which were disobedient to their fathers and mothers were stoned to death: Osiand. 2. This was also a iust punishment of Absaloms pride, that as he had beene too much giuen to ambitious ostentation while hee liued, and to that ende had reared vp a pillar to be a monument of his fame vntounto posteritie, now in stead of that pillar, he shrowded vnderunder an heape of stones: Pellic. 3. So was the king of Hai serued, there was laid vponupon him beeing dead an heape of stones, Iosh. 8.29. and the fiue Kings whom Ioshua ouercame, Iosh. 10.27.
16. Quest. Of Absaloms children, v. 18.
1. Some thinke, that whereas it is said before, c. 14.27. that Absalom had three sonnes and a daughter, that all his children were now dead: sic Geneuens. but it is not necessarie to thinke, that all of them were taken away, but onelyonly his sonnes, as the words of the text are, for he said, I hauehave no sonne, &c. 2. Iosephus is of opinion, that his sonnes were not dead alreadie, but he prouided, if they should chance to die without issue, that by this pillar he should be remembred: but the text is plaine, that they were dead at this time, as the Chalde well expresseth, non est mihi filius superstes, &c. I hauehave no sonne left. 3. God therefore had now depriued him of his three sonnes mentioned before, c. 14. Iun. he that was so vnnaturall to his father, was not worthie to hauehave any children. Pellic.
17. Quest. v. 21. Of the Cushite whom Ioab sent with the newes vntounto Dauid.
1. Some read Cushai, as though he were the same with that Cushai before mentioned, which was Dauids friend: Osiand. but there is great difference in the names: that is Cushai, with pathah, this Cushi, with chirieh, and that Cushai was yet a follower of Absalom, and was not returned to Dauid. 2. The most take it for a proper name, that he was called Cushi; Montan. Pag. with others. 3. But he was rather a Cushite, that is, an Aethiopian, as the word is taken, Ierem. 13.23. and in diuerse others places: and therefore he is afterward called the Kings seruant, v. 29. for that cursed posteritie of Cham, became seruants to Sems seede according …o Noahs prophesie, Gen. 9. sic Iun. Pellic. Borrh. some thinke he might be so called of his colour, and yet an Israelite born, Vat. but the other is more probable.
18. Quest. v. 29. Whether Ahimaaz knewe not of Absaloms death.
It is without question, that Ahimaaz was not ignorant of Absaloms death: for Ioab had yeilded that as a reason, v. 20. why he would not send him with the message to the King, because the kings son was dead. But Ahimaaz of purpose concealed it for these reasons. 1. Because as before he had brought heauie newes to Dauid, c. 17.20. so now he desireth to bring good newes. Bor. 2. He would not all at once tell the king of his death, least he might hauehave bin oppressed with grief, but leaues him in suspence, that he might by little and little digest his sonnes death. 3. Ahimaaz did it also in respect of himselfe; for he knew that as the euil tidings is not welcome, so neither is the messenger thereof accepted; like as the patient doth loath the very cup out of the which he drinketh his bitter potion. 4. By this then we are taught these points of good discretion: first, that we put off the relation of euill newes to others, where we are not vrged by necessitie: secondly, that when we doe tell hard newes, we should doe it by degrees: for many vponupon the sudden report of heauie things hauehave presently died. Osiand.
19. Quest. v. 33. Why Dauid mourneth for Absalom.
1. Dauids naturall affection, which he could not hide, did mooue him thus to take on for his sonne; as also the consideration of Gods iust iudgment against him for his sinne: Genev. 2. As also Dauid therin saw the accomplishment of Nathans prophesie against his house for his owne sinne: which was the cause of these great calamities: Bor. Pell. 3. He considered that Absalom died in his sinne without repentance, and therefore he mourneth not so much for Absaloms corporal death, as for the perill and danger of the saluation of his soule. Osiand.
20. Quest. v. 33. Why Dauid wished to die for Absalom.
1. He feared least his sonne dying in his sinne without repentance, died out of the fauour of God: his owne death he feared not, beeing assured that he should die in Gods fauour, and therefore he desired by his corporall death, that he had redeemed his sonnes life, that he might hauehave liued to repent him: Osiand. 2. He wished to die rather then to liue to see the miserie and calamitie, which he foresawe by Nathans prophesie, was like to fall vponupon his familie and posteritie: Pellic. 3. He was herein a type and figure of Christ, who offered himselfe to death for those which persecuted him: Bor. 4. The Hebrewes vainely here imagine, that Absalom by Dauids teares and prayers was deliuered from hell, and taken into paradise: but no mention is here made of Dauids prayers at all: Pellic. which he would not hauehave omitted, if he had thought that prayers were auaileable for the dead: Osiand. nay he had shewed the contrarie, when he left praying for the child, after he knew it was dead.