Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Verſ. 1. NOw Joab the ſonne of Zeruiah perceived that the kings heart was towards Abſalom, &c.] In ſeeking to fetch home Abſalom, Joab knew well, that he ſhould gratifie him that was now in the eye of all men the heir apparent to the crown and kingdome of Iſrael: but the main thing that moved him was, as here is ſaid, that he ſaw David enclined to it, though he were reſtrained by the conviction of his own conſcience: for had he not found David deſirous of his return, he would hardly have ventured to diſpleaſe David, that he might curry favour with Abſalom; and therefore we ſee, verſ. 28.29. when David would not ſee the face of Abſalom, Joab would not come at him neither.
Verſ 2. And Joab ſent to Tekoah, and fetcht thence a wiſe woman, and ſaid unto her, I pray thee feigne thy ſelf to be a mourner, &c.] This Tekoah was a citie of Judah, 2. Chron. 11, 5, 6. the very ſame where the prophet Amos lived, Amos 1.1. The words of Amos, who was amongſt the herdmen of Tekoah, &c. Now Joab reſolved to employ a woman in this plot that he had in hand: firſt, becauſe men are moſt ready to pitie them in their miſery: and ſecondly, becauſe he thought a woman fitteſt to counterfeit and diſſemble; a man he thought, would hardly have told a forged tale with ſuch lively expreſſions of bitter ſorrow, nor would have been ſo nimble and ready to make fit replies to any thing that David ſhould ſay, and therefore he determined to have a woman to be his inſtrument, becauſe none can better feigne themſelves to be mourners then women can; why he pitched particularly upon this woman of Tekoah it is not expreſſed, onelyonly we may gueſſe, that ſhe was a woman ſingularly famous for her wiſdome, or happely, one of thoſe who were uſually hired to mourn at funerals, and ſo being grown famous for her notable artificiall performance of that ſervice, was therefore choſen to be the agent in this plot.
Verſ. 5. And ſhe anſwered, I am indeed a widow-woman, and my husband is dead.] This ſhe premiſeth, that thereby ſhe might winne the king the more to commiſerate her condition: for firſt, being a widdow, ſhe was the leſſe able to defend her ſelf againſt thoſe that were riſen up againſt her: ſecondly, being under ſuch a heavy weight of ſorrow for the loſſe of her husband, any addition of further grief muſt needs preſſe her the more ſorely: and thirdly, having loſt already the ſtay and ſupport of a husband, ſhe was farre the more unable to bear the loſſe of her onelyonly ſonne too.
Verſ. 6. And thy handmaid had two ſonnes, and they ſtrove together in the field, &c.] In theſe words, ſhe ſeeks to extenuate the pretended offence of her ſonne in killing his brother, to wit, that he did it in heat of bloud, without any premeditated malice; being together in the field, where there was no body by to part them, they fell out and quarrelled, and ſo at laſt fighting together the one (happely being ſorely firſt wronged and provoked) killed the other.
Verſ. 7. And behold the whole family is riſen againſt thine handmaid, &c.] To wit, as knowing that my ſonnes inheritance ſhould come to them, if he were put to death; and indeed to this, thoſe following words ſeem to have relation, which ſhe pretends her kindred had ſpoken, and we will destroy the heir alſo, namely that by that means the land may come to us; but yet ſome Expoſitours do otherwiſe underſtand thoſe words, to wit, that the kindred did thereby imply one chief reaſon why they deſired her ſurviving ſonne ſhould be put to death: which was that he by killing his brother might not come to inherite his eſtate.
And ſo they ſhall quench my coal which is left, &c.] As if ſhe ſhould have ſaid, this ſonne is the onelyonly comfort that is left me in the world, like one poor coal in a heap of aſhes, ſo is he left alive in the ſad ruines of our family, ſo that by ſeeking to take away his life, they go about wholly to extinguiſh my husbands name, and to leave me deſtitute of all comfort.
Verſ. 9. My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me and on my fathers houſe: and the king and his throne be guiltleſſe.] Becauſe David might happely ſcruple, whether he ſhould do well to ſhelter one that had killed his brother upon any pretence whatſoever, therefore to remove this ſcruple, ſhe offereth to take the ſinne upon herſelf. My lord, O king, the iniquity be upon me, &c. there is indeed no weight at all in this kind of pleading: for when men are perſwaded to do evil, if they that perſwade them do engage themſelves to bear the puniſhment that they are liable to, ſet conſenting to do it, they engage themſelves for that they cannot make good; for God will puniſh both the one and the other: but yet becauſe, firſt, there is in this a kind of ſlattering inſinuation which may ingratiate men to thoſe they perſwade, namely, that they had rather the evil, if there were any to be feared, ſhould fall upon themſelves then them: and ſecondly, it implies ſo great a confidence in thoſe that engage themſelves, that there is indeed no evil like to follow upon it, therefore it hath been alwayes a plea uſuall with men; ſo Rebecca pleaded with her ſonne Jacob, when he ſcrupled the courſe preſcribed him for deceiving his father. Gen. 2….…2. Upon me be thy curſe my ſonne, onelyonly obey my voice; and ſo the Jews ſought to winne Pilate to yeild to the crucifying of Chriſt, Matth. 27.25. His bloud be on us, ſay they, and on our children.
Verſ. 11. Then ſaid ſhe, I pray thee let the king remember the Lord thy God▪ &c.] That is, let the king be pleaſed to remember that this which thou haſt ſaid, hath been promiſed as in Gods preſence, that thou wilt not ſuffer the avengers of blood to deſtroy my ſonne: and thus ſhe covertly alſo preſſeth David to confirm what he had ſaid with an oath, as we ſee thereupon he did, And he ſaid, As the Lord liveth there ſhall not one hair of thy ſonne fall to the earth, indeed nothing the woman had ſaid concerning her ſuppoſed ſonne that had killed his brother, contained any juſt reaſon why he ſhould not be put to death (for the law of God did expreſſely enjoyn that all manſlayers ſhould be put to death, excepting none but thoſe that do it by chance, or in their own defence) and therefore it is ſtrange, that David ſhould undertake ſo ſolemnly to ſecure him from puniſhment. But it ſeems Davids heart did encline to the ſaving of his own ſonne Abſalom, who was guiltie of the like offence, and by this byas was his heart drawn aſide, to ſpare unjuſtly this widdows ſonne too.
Verſ. 13. Wherefore then haſt thou thought ſuch a thing againſt the people of God? &] As if ſhe ſhould have ſaid, ſince thou diſlikeſt the violence of the men of my family againſt me, in ſeeking to deprive me of my ſonne, becauſe he contending with his brother ſlew him, why then ſhouldeſt thou entertain the very like thoughts againſt the whole people of God, which they have entertained againſt me? They would deprive me of my onelyonly comfort, and quench my coal that is left, even ſo haſt thou ſought to deprive Gods people of thy ſonne Abſalom, upon whom their eyes are ſet as the man that ſhould ſucceed thee in the throne, in whom the light of Iſrael ſhould be renued when thou art gone, and that becauſe he hath ſlain his brother that had grievouſly provoked him, by raviſhing his ſiſter: thus Joab by his inſtrument the widdow of Tekoah, ſought to perſwade David that the people were much grieved, and were like indeed to ſuffer very much ſeverall wayes, becauſe Abſalom the kings heir (for it ſeems by this, that Chileab his ſecond ſonne, chap. 3.3. was dead alſo) ſhould thus long live as an exile amongſt an idolatrous people, and ſo endeavours to convince him, that he was blame worthy for this his ſeverity againſt his ſonne, by his own ſentence in her cauſe, as is more fully expreſt in the next words, For the king doth ſpeak this thing, as one that is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his baniſhed, that is, in judging that it is fit my ſonne ſhould be ſpared, thou haſt condemned thy ſelf as faulty, in that thou haſt not fetched home thy baniſhed ſonne.
Verſ. 14. For we muſt needs die, and are as water ſpilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.] Some Expoſitours underſtand this of the people of Iſrael, and the ſtate of their kingdome and common-wealth, to wit, that their welfare did ſo depend upon Abſaloms, that if he were not fetched home again, they eſteemed themſelves but as dead men, and that the ſtate of their kingdome muſt needs come to nothing, and be diſſolved without hope of recovery, even as water ſpilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again: and thus ſhe proves that the king was in the ſame manner faulty againſt the people of God, in not fetching home his Abſalom, as the revengers of bloud were againſt her, in ſeeking to bereave her of her onelyonly ſonne. But rather I conceive it is meant of the inevitable lot of all mortall men, to wit, that they muſt need, die and that being dead they cannot be recalled, no more then water can be gathered up that is ſpilt upon the earth; for this is the plain ſenſe of the words, and is pertinent to make good that which ſhe had ſaid, that the continuing of Abſaloms baniſhment would leave Gods people in as deſolate a condition as ſhe ſhould be, looſing her ſecond, and now onelyonly ſonne: for though David were yet living; and Abſalom (though in a ſtrange countrey) yet againſt this ſhe oppoſeth the uncertainty of their lives; who knows how ſoon David might die? or Abſalom living in ſuch ſorrow as a baniſhed man? if either of theſe ſhould happen, they ſhould be forlorn, looſing him whom they eſteemed the coal that ſhould renew the light of their Iſrael, when it ſeemed to be extinguiſhed by Davids death; or elſe it may be referred to Amnon; that he being dead could not be recalled, and why then ſhould they for him, take away the life of Abſalom too?
Neither doth God reſpect any perſon, yet doth he deviſe means, that his baniſhed be not expelled from him.] In theſe words, ſhe moveth David to ſhew mercy to Abſalom, even from the example of the Lord himſelf: if David ſhould ſay, that though he be his ſonne, yet he muſt not be reſpected in point of Juſtice, ſhe hath given here an anſwer to this, that neither doth God reſpect any perſon, yet doth he deviſe means, that his baniſhed be not expelled from him, that is, though to ſhew his deteſtation of bloudſhed, he hath impoſed a kind of baniſhment upon thoſe that kill a man unwillingly, yet he hath appointed cities of refuge for them, in the land of Iſrael, and hath not expelled them from him out of the land, to live where their ſouls ſhould be endangered, amongſt an idolatrous people; yea, he hath deviſed a means, that their baniſhment ſhould not be hopeleſſe there, for he hath given way, that at the death of the high prieſt, they ſhould be freed from that reſtraint, Numb. 35.25. Some Expoſitours do otherwiſe underſtand this which is ſaid, that the Lord doth deviſe means, that his baniſhed be not expelled from him: for ſome conceive it is meant of his favour, in receiving repenting ſinners, that though without reſpect of any mans perſon, he hath caſt off all mankind for ſinne, yet he hath deviſed a means, that ſuch as will repent, ſubmit, and believe in Chriſt, ſhould be received into his favour again; and thus they conceive, that this woman did covertly put David in mind of Gods pardoning his adulterie with Bathſheba, and murder of Uriah, as a ſtrong inducement to move him to ſhew mercy unto Abſalom. Others underſtand it of Gods providence in regard of Abſalom, to wit, that though he had chaſtiſed him by this baniſhment he had ſuffered, yet he had hitherto kept him alive, and had now moved the people to ſet this woman a work to ſolicite David for him, and ſo had deviſed a means that his baniſhed, that is, Abſalom ſhould not be for ever expelled from him; but the firſt expoſition I conceive is moſt proper.
Verſ. 15. Now therefore that I am come to ſpeak of this thing unto my Lord the king, it is becauſe the people have made me afraid.] That is, becauſe their diſcontent made me fear what the event of this would prove; or, becauſe I was afraid for the peoples ſake, to wit, firſt, leſt he ſhould make an invaſion upon the land, being aided therein by his father-in-law, the king of Geſhur, to whom he is fled: or ſecondly, leſt the people ſhould riſe up in ſome uproar, becauſe of him, and ſend for him home without thy conſent, and perhaps proceed further to ſome more mutinous and miſcheivous courſes: or thirdly, leſt the people ſhould hereafter be corrupted in point of Religion, by means of him, who hath lived ſo long amongſt idolatrous heathens.
Verſ. 16. For the king will heare to deliver his handmaid, &c▪] As if ſhe ſhould have ſaid, I reaſoned thus with my ſelf, ſurely the king will heare me his poore handmaid in this caſe of my ſonne; and if ſo, his anſwer will be comfortable alſo, when I come to propound the caſe of his own; now this confidence of hers, that the king would grant her requeſt, ſhe alledges here, not onelyonly to ſhew what it was that did embolden her to come to the king with this requeſt, but alſo as an argument whereby to move him to ſatisfie her deſire; for all men are naturally loth to deny thoſe that come to them with full aſſurance, that what they crave ſhall be done for them.
Verſ. 17. For as an Angel of God, ſo is my Lord the king, to diſcern good and bad.] That is, thou art exceeding wiſe to diſcern between good and evil in any thing that is propounded to thee: ſome Expoſitours hold that ſhe ſaid, David was as an Angel of God to diſcern good and bad, becauſe he was a Prophet, and inſpired by God, to judge of any thing propounded to him. But I rather joyn with them that ſay it was proverbiall phraſe uſed in thoſe times, to expreſſe a mans excellency in any thing, by comparing him to an Angel of God: for thus Achiſh ſaid to David, 1. Sam 27.9. thou art good in my ſight, as an Angel of God: and Mephiboſheth to David, chap. 19.27. My Lord the king is as an Angel of God: however, the aim of the woman of Tekoah in extolling David thus, was partly to give a reaſon why ſhe was ſo confident that he would rightly judge in this cauſe, and partly to curry favour with him, that hereby he might be the better wonne to grant her deſire, and therefore we ſee in what an exceſſive ſtrain ſhe extolls his wiſdome (as flatterers are wont to do, when they extoll Princes) verſ. 20. My Lord is wiſe, according to the wiſdome of an Angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
Therefore the Lord thy God will be with thee.] Becauſe thou judgeſt rightly (and no doubt wilt ſo do in this which I have adventured to commend to thee) the Lord will be with thee to bleſſe thee in all thy enterprizes, proſpering thy government, and making thy kingdome to flouriſh.
Verſ. 22. And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himſelf, and thanked the king, &c.] Though Joab knew well that David deſired Abſaloms return more then he (for this it was which put him at firſt upon this plot, as is expreſſed before verſ. 1.) yet becauſe David would ſeem to do it merely upon his requeſt, and he knew it would endear him to David, that he ſhould deſire and rejoyce at the welfare of his children, therefore he alſo carried himſelf, as if he thought that David had done it for his ſake, profeſſing that he accepted it with much thankfulneſſe, and as a clear argument of the kings favour to him.
Verſ. 24. And the king ſaid, Let him turn to his own houſe, and let him not ſee my face.] This David enjoyned: firſt, to humble Abſalom the more for his ſinne, and that too that the recovery of his fathers favour, might not embolden him to do evil again: and ſecondly, out of a reſpect to his own credit amongſt the people, that he might not ſeem too facil, to one that was guilty of ſo foul a fact, but that rather it might be thought he was in a manner conſtrained to fetch him home: and thirdly, to deterre others from doing the like.
Verſ. 25. But in all Iſrael there was none to be ſo much praiſed as Abſalom, for his beauty &c.] This mention of Abſaloms rare beauty, is here inſerted to intimate one reaſon of Davids ſtrong affection to him, and to ſhew how hard it was to hide himſelf from him, or it is prefixed before the ſtory of his rebellion: firſt, becauſe this was one main thing that made him ſo proud and high minded: and ſecondly, becauſe this was one thing that did much winne the hearts of the people towards him.
Verſ. 26. He weighed the hair of his head at two hundred ſhekels, after the kings weight.] Which was about foure pound weight.
Verſ. 27. And unto Abſalom there were born three ſonnes, &c.] Chap. 18, 18. It is ſaid he had no ſonne, of which ſee the note there.
Verſ. 29. Therefore Abſalom ſent for Joab, to have ſent him to the king, &c.] This being thus prefixed before the ſtory of Abſaloms rebellion, it makes it probable, that the diſcontent he took at this, did firſt ſtirre in him that purpoſe of riſing againſt his father, and knowing not well how to accompliſh this as long as he continued baniſhed from the court, this might make him ſo violently earneſt to be brought again into the kings favour.
Verſ. 32. Wherefore am I come from Geſhur? it had been good for me to have been there ſtill.] Firſt, becauſe his fathers diſpleaſure was farre the more grievous the nearer he was to him: ſecondly, becauſe the infamy of not being ſuffered to ſee his father, would not have been ſo notorious and remarkable had he continued in Geſhur, as it was now that he was come home to Jeruſalem: and thirdly, becauſe in Geſhur he injoyed his libertie, whereas now he was cooped up in his houſe, and might not come to the court, therefore he profeſſeth that he had rather have ſtayed in Geſhur ſtill, then live in that manner as he did. It ſeems he minded not much the libertie of Gods ordinances, which he was wholly deprived of in Geſhur, and now might enjoy again being returned to Jeruſalem. No, what cared he for Gods ordinances? becauſe he might not come to the court, Jeruſalem was to him no better then Geſhur.
Now therefore let me ſee the kings face, and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.] That is, if he will not ſuffer me to ſee his face, as being one that have deſerved to die, let him put me to death: for I had rather die then live thus: but whence was this confidence of Abſalom? perhaps out of an opinion that he did well in revenging the rape of his ſiſter, but eſpecially from a ſecret perſwaſion he had of his fathers gentleneſſe and indulgence towards him, by reaſon whereof he knew he would not put him to death.
Verſ. 33. So Joab came to the king and told him, and when he had called for Abſalom, he came to the king, &c.] As ſoon as David heard that Abſalom took it ſo heavily, that he was debarred from his fathers preſence, and that he choſe rather to die then not to ſee his face, he concluded, that now he was throughly humbled, and that this proceeded from tender affection to his father (when indeed there was no ſuch matter, but he deſired onelyonly to be at the court, that he might ingratiate himſelf amongſt the people, and advance himſelf to his fathers throne) and ſo thereupon he ſent for him, kiſſed him, and was fully reconciled to him.