Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Verſ. 3. ANd the people gat them by ſtealth that day into the citie, as people being aſhamed ſteal away when they flee in battel.] That is, in ſtead of entring the citie in a triumphant manner, as ſouldiers are wont to do, that return with victory from the battel, they ſcattered themſelves aſunder, and ſtole ſecretly into the citie, as if they had fled in the battel, and as aſhamed of their cowardiſe, were now loth that any body ſhould ſee them.
Verſ. 4. But the king covered his face, &c.] See the note, chap. 15.30.
Verſ. 5, And Joab came into the houſe to the king, and ſaid, Thou haſt ſhamed this day the faces of all thy ſervants, &c.] Joab ſaw that there was ſome danger, leſt the hearts of Davids friends and ſervants, ſhould be alienated from him, by his carrying of himſelf ſo diſreſpectfully to thoſe that had hazarded their lives for him; and he perceived too that his paſſions were ſo violent, that there was no way to winne him to withſtand them, unleſſe he ſpake that which might ſtartle him and ſcare him, and hence it was that he ſpake ſo roughly and ſharply to David, more roughly indeed then otherwiſe it had been fit for a ſubject to ſpeak to his ſovereigne.
Verſ. 7. Now therefore ariſe, go forth, and ſpeak comfortably unto thy ſervants, &c.] This Joab adviſed David to do, that he might prevent the alienating of his ſervants affections from him, and perhaps too becauſe the addreſſing of himſelf to the affairs of his kingdome, would be the beſt means to allay his paſſions, and indeed after that he came forth and ſat in the gate, we heare no more of his violent weeping and wailing.
Verſ. 9. And all the people were at ſtrife throughout all the tribes of Iſrael &c.] That is, throughout all the ten tribes of the Iſraelites, the people began to blame one another, for ſiding with Abſalom in his inſurrrection againſt his father, and to call upon their Elders and Officers to go and ſubmit themſelves to him, and to fetch him back again into the land of Iſrael, to the citie of Jeruſalem, that he might be reeſtabliſhed in the throne, to reigne over them again, as he had done.
Verſ. 10. And Abſalom whom we anointed over us, is dead in battel, &c.] This is another argument wherewith the Iſraelites perſwaded one another to ſubmit themſelves again to David, and it is as if they had ſaid, we ſee that God was againſt us in that attempt of ours to make Abſalom king, and why do we then ſtill ſtand it out, and not go in and ſeek reconciliation with our king whom we have wronged?
Verſ. 11. And king David ſent to Zadok, and to Abiathar the prieſts, ſaying, Speak unto the Elders of Judah, &c.] The men of Judah had been the firſt, and chief in ſiding with Abſalom, and had delivered up to him the citie of Jeruſalem, and the ſtrong fort of Sion, and being therefore conſcious to themſelves of much ingratitude againſt their ſovereigne, and fearing withall his juſt diſpleaſure againſt them, they durſt not think of going forth to meet him; David therefore by the prieſts who had ſtayed all this while in Jeruſalem, ſends them word how ready he was to pardon and forget all that was paſt, Why are you the laſt to bring the king back to his houſe? and aſſures them that his affection to them was ſingular, as being his brethren of the ſame tribe with himſelf, Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones, and my fleſh, and acquainting them what he had heard concerning the reſolution of the other tribes, warns them to take heed that they were not the laſt in fetching home their king that had cauſe to be the firſt: and thus was David a notable type of Chriſt, who doth alſo fetch in rebels to God, by proclaiming the tidings of mercy to them, the terrours of the Law may ſcare ſinners, and make them deſire if it were poſſible, to runne away from God, but it is the tender of grace in the Goſpel, that makes them come in and ſubmit themſelues.
Verſ. 13. And ſay ye to Amaſa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my fleſh, &c.] David doubting that Amaſa, deſpairing of the pardon of his offence, might draw from him a great part of the ſtrength of Iſrael, now under his command, he ſent particularly to him, both to aſſure him that he was ready to receive him into his favour again, and to give him the reſpect of a near kinſman (for he was indeed his ſiſters ſonne, 1. Chron. 2.16, 17.) and alſo to proffer him the place of captain of the hoſt, (the place which Abſalom had given him, and which Joab now enjoyed, and had long ſince purchaſed by his valour, 1. Chron. 11.6.) God do ſo to me, and more alſo, if thou be not captain of the hoſt before me continually, in the room of Joab: and thus did David ſeek both to ſatisfie Amaſa, and winne him to come in, and withall to weaken the exceſſive power of Joab, who had alwayes carried himſelf too too inſolently towards him, and had now lately much provoked him, both by ſlaying Abſalom, againſt his expreſſe command, and ſpeaking ſo roughly and rudely to him, when he was in heavineſſe lamenting his death.
Verſ. 14. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man, &c.] Some underſtand this of Amaſa, that upon this promiſe made to him, by David, he preſently inclined the hearts of all the men of Judah to David, ſo that unanimouſly they ſent to the king, their deſire, that he ſhould return to Jeruſalem again, and the tender of their fealtie and alleageance to him, as in former times; but I rather think with others, that this is ſpoken of David, and that it is mentioned as the happy effect of this his wiſe, and gentle carriage of himſelf, both towards the men of Judah in generall, and Amaſa in particular; namely, that herewith he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, to deſire unanimouſly to ſettle him again in the throne; it might have coſt a great deal of bloud to have ſubdued them by force; but by theſe tenders of grace, he bowed their hearts to him, even according to his own deſire.
Verſ. 17. And they went over Jordan before the king.] That is, before the king came over, to wit, to meet him there on the other ſide, and to fetch him over.
Verſ. 20. I am come the firſt this day of all the houſe of Joſeph, to go down to meet my Lord the king.] It may be juſtly queſtioned why Shimei, who was of the tribe of Benjamin, chap. 16.5. ſhould here ſay, I am come the firſt this day of all the houſe of Joſeph; but to this two anſwers may be given, which have good evidence of reaſon in them (to omit others that are not ſo ſatisfactory as theſe are) to wit, firſt, that hereby is meant, that he was the firſt of all the tribes of Iſrael that came to the king, as conſidered apart from the tribe of Judah: the Scripture is wont ordinarily to divide the tribes into Judah and Iſrael, and the tribes of Iſrael ſo reckoned a part from Judah, are uſually called Ephraim (becauſe that was the chief of thoſe tribes) as Eſa. 7.2. Syria is confederate with Ephraim; and the houſe of Joſeph, Pſal. 80.1. Give eare O ſhepherd of Iſrael, thou that leadeſt Joſeph like a flock: and Zach. 10.6. I will ſtrengthen the houſe of Judah, and I will ſave the houſe of Joſeph: and ſo here in the ſame regard all the tribes of Iſrael, as diſtinguiſhed from Judah, are comprehended under theſe words, the houſe of Joſeph: or ſecondly, that hereby is meant that he was come before any of the houſe of Joſeph, I am come the firſt this day of all the houſe of Joſeph: that is, I am come before any of the tribes of Iſrael, and becauſe indeed where Judah and Iſrael, or the houſe of Judah, are diſtinguiſhed in the Scriptures, Benjamin is uſually reckoned with Judah, therefore many Expoſitours do rather approve of this laſt reſolution of this doubt.
Verſ. 22. And David ſaid, What have I to do with you ye ſonnes of Zeruiah, that ye ſhould this day be adverſaries unto me?] That is, that you ſhould adviſe me to that which may prove ſo exceeding prejudiciall to me; my adverſaries could not wiſh me more hurt, then this which you adviſe may bring upon me.
For do not I know, that I am this day king over Iſrael?] That is, am I not this day reeſtabliſhed again in my kingdome, which I had in a manner loſt? and would it be convenient to damp the joy of this day with ſhedding bloud? or would it be ſafe to beat off them that begin now to ſubmit themſelves, and to endanger my yet unſettled eſtate, by ſhewing ſuch ſeveritie to him that firſt ſtooped, and acknowledged his fault? and ſhould not Gods mercy in reſtoring me to my kingdome, induce me to ſhew mercy to others?
Verſ. 23. Therefore the king ſaid unto Shimei, Thou ſhalt not die, and the king ſware unto him.] Yet at his death, he gave Solomon charge to put him to death, 1. kings 2.9. his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with bloud, as perſwading himſelf happely, that therein he ſhould not break his oath: firſt, becauſe he ſware onelyonly for himſelf, that he would not put him to death, I ſware to him by the Lord, ſaying, I will not put thee to death: ſecondly, becauſe he did not (as it may ſeem) abſolutely enjoyn his ſonne to put him to death for this fact, but to take ſome other occaſion to do it, for ſo much thoſe words ſeem to imply, which there he uſeth: thou art a wiſe man, and knoweſt what thou oughteſt to do unto him, namely, that if he watched and obſerved him well, his malice and wickedneſſe would break forth, and give occaſion enough, in ſomewhat or other, to proceed againſt him in a way of juſtice, and ſo then he might puniſh him for all together.
Verſ. 26. And he anſwered, My Lord O king, my ſervant deceived me, for thy ſervant ſaid, I will ſadle me an aſſe, &c.] To wit, in that when Mephiboſheth had told him that he would have an aſſe ſadled, that he might ride to the king, he took away the aſſes, and went ſecretly to David, leaving him behind, a poore lame man, no way able to help himſelf.
Verſ. 28. For all of my fathers houſe were but dead men before my Lord the king, &c.] That is, we were in thy power, thou mighteſt have put us all to death, and enough thou hadſt been provoked by our family eſpecially by the attempt which Iſhboſheth made, and therefore, ſaith he, what right have I yet to cry any more unto the king? that is, what cauſe have I therefore to complain, though that which was given me, when there was ſo little cauſe for it, be now taken away.
Verſ. 29. And the king ſaid unto him Why ſpeakeſt thou any more of thy matters? I have ſaid, Thou and Z…ba divide the land.] Some underſtand this thus, as if he had ſaid, thou needeſt ſay no more, I believe and approve thy excuſe, the latter ſentence given upon Ziba's ſlander to wit, that he ſhould have thy land. I recall, and do reeſtabliſh my former, which was, that thou and Ziba divide the land that is, that Ziba ſhall occupy the land to halves for thy uſe, for this they conceive was the order which David appointed at firſt chap. 9.10. to wit that Ziba ſhould till the land, &c. and then he ſhould have …alf the encreaſe for his coſt and labour and the other half Mephiboſheth ſhould have, and that this David did now again eſtabliſh, and that therefore David uſeth theſe words, I have ſaid, as having reſpect to his firſt order. But moſt Expoſitours do farre otherwiſe underſtand this ſentence, and I think rightly, to wit, that David as ſtill ſcarce fully ſatisfied concerning Mephiboſheth, and not willing to give any diſcontent to Ziba, eſpecially at this time, pretended haſte, that he had not leiſure to examine the buſineſſe any further, and therefore at all adventures reſolved to go a middle way, and ſo to determine it thus, that they ſhould divide the land betwixt them; I have ſaid, that is, this I decree, and it ſhall not be altered, thou and Ziba divide the land: and indeed, if this were not the meaning of his words, why ſhould Mephiboſheth have anſwered David to ſhew himſelf contented, verſ. 30. Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace, &c. It is indeed very ſtrange, that David ſo good and juſt a king, ſhould paſſe ſuch an unjuſt ſentence, eſpecially againſt Mephiboſheth, the ſonne of his beloved Jonathan, with whom he had made a ſolemn covenant, that he would ſhew kindneſſe to him, and to his ſeed after him: for firſt, the tale that Mephiboſheth told was in it ſelf very fair and probable: ſecondly, even the poor plight wherein he was (for he had neither dreſſed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor waſhed his clothes, ſince the king went from Jeruſalem) made his report of the buſineſſe the more credible, there being no appearance in this of one that affected to be king of Iſrael, as Ziba had ſlandered him: and thirdly, Ziba's being preſent and not anſwering a word to what Mephiboſheth ſaid, made the truth of this charge unqueſtionable: but it ſeems David was loth to diſpleaſe Ziba by taking back from him all that he had given him, eſpecially at this time, when he was ſo deſirous to endear himſelf to every body as much as he might, and therefore he hoped to ſalve all by appointing them to divide the land between them.
Verſ. 33. And the king ſaid unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jeruſalem.] Thus David was carefull to requite thoſe that had ſhewed him kindneſſe in his affliction; and ſo will Chriſt remember their love, and requite their kindneſſe abundantly that afford any help or relief, to him or to his poor members, Matt. 25.34, 35. Come ye bleſſed of my father, inherit the kingdome: For I was an hungry, and ye gave me meat, I was thirſty and ye gave me drink, &c.
Verſ. 40. And all the people of Judah conducted the king, and alſo half the people of Iſrael.] That is, thoſe of Iſrael that had ſtuck to the king in the warre, and fell not from him, and ſuch as were ſince come and were reconciled to him, as that thouſand of Benjamin, verſ. 17. yet the preciſe half is not to be underſtood, but onelyonly a part, to wit, that they were not ſo wholly there, as the men of Judah were.
Verſ. 43. And the men of Iſrael anſwered the men of Judah, and ſaid▪ We have ten parts in the king, &c.] To wit, as being ten of the twelve tribes, for the men of Benjamin were with Judah.
And the words of the men of Judah, were fiercer then the words of the men of Iſrael &c.] To wit, when they anſwered this objection of the men of Iſrael, they did not ſeek to appeaſe the Iſraelites of the ten tribes, but when they came to reply upon them, their language was fiercer and rougher then the others had been.