Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. ANd there happened to be there a man of Belial, whoſe name was Sheba, &c.] As bones new ſet are eaſily put out again, ſo a people that have broken out into ſedition and newly quieted, if they be not very charily handled, are apt upon every light occaſion to make a new inſurrection, and ſo it was now with the Iſraelites; for by occaſion of the quarrell between them and the men of Judah, mentioned in the latter end of the foregoing chapter, Sheba the ſonne of Bichria man of Belial, as he is here termed (concerning which ſee the note▪ Deut. 13.13.) perſwaded the Iſraelites preſently to caſt of Davids government; and the motion he made, they as readily embraced, We have (ſaith he) no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the ſonne of Jeſſe: in which words, though it may ſeem he alluded to ſome phraſe of ſpeech uſuall amongſt the Iſraelites when they diſclaimed their intereſt in any thing, and therefore we ſee the ten tribes uſed the ſame form of ſpeech, when they revolted from Rehoboam, 1. Kings 12.16. The people anſwered the king, ſaying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the ſonne of Jeſſe, &c. Yet withall, he intimates the reaſon, why they ſhould no longer be Davids ſubjects: namely, becauſe they were ſleighted, as if they had no part in the king, and therefore ſaith he, what is the ſonne of Jeſſe to us, let the men of Judah enjoy him wholly to themſelves, and let us chooſe a king of our own; his ſcornfull ſpeaking of David ſhews, that as a Benjamite he ſtill grudged at the removing of the kingdome from their tribe in the houſe of Saul.
Verſ. 3. And the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep his houſe, and put them in ward, &c.] This David did, firſt, becauſe they had yeilded to the inceſtuous luſt of Abſalom; (for they ſhould rather have dyed then condeſcended to him) and ſecondly, becauſe he judged it not fit to go in unto them, that had been defiled by his own ſonne, or to leave them to be defiled by others.
Verſ. 4. Then ſaid the king to Amaſa, Aſſemble me the men of Judah, &c.] And thus as he had promiſed, chap. 19.13. David imployed Amaſa as the generall of his forces in Joabs room.
Verſ. 5. But he tarried longer then the ſet time which he had appointed him.] To wit, either becauſe the people that had been formerly commanded by Joab, were not willing to change their Generall and to ſubmit to Amaſa, or becauſe Amaſa did not cordially follow the buſineſſe for David, or becauſe indeed, the time preſcribed by David for raiſing the trained bands of Judah was too little to do it in, for out of a deſire that David had preſently to cruſh this inſurrection of the ten tribes, he had allowed Amaſa but three dayes for that ſervice, as is expreſſed in the former verſe.
Verſ. 6. And David ſaid to Abiſhai, Now ſhall Sheba the ſonne of Bichri do us more harm, &c.] David was much troubled at Amaſa's delay, but yet Joab he would not imploy, both becauſe he was ſtill diſcontented againſt him for his killing Abſalom, and becauſe he knew well that Joab was alſo diſcontented for the loſſe of his place, and ſhould he be now imployed again, would be ready enough to preſſe into that place again, from which he had depoſed him; and therefore he called Abiſhai and ſent out him, and enjoyned him to take his Lords ſervants, that is, Davids the kings guard, and with them to purſue Sheba.
Verſ. 7. And there went out after him Joabs men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, &c.] Thoſe are called Joabs men, that had been under his command, as for the Cherechites and Pelethites, ſee the note, chap. 8.18.
Verſ. 8. And Joabs garment that he had put on, was g…rded unto him, and upon it, a girdle with a ſword, &c.] Hereby it is manifeſt that Joab did of his own accord go along with his brother Abiſhai, as intending to murther Amaſa; to which end alſo it was, that he had girt his garment cloſe about him, that by hanging looſe it might not encumber him: and ſecondly, he had girt his ſword on the outſide of his garment (which perhaps was not his uſuall cuſtome) and had it withall ſo looſe in the ſcabbard, that as he ſtepped forth to Amaſa to bow down, and ſalute him, it fell out of it ſelf, which was no doubt purpoſely done, that under a pretence of taking up the ſword, he might without any ſuſpicion in Amaſa do what he intended (having formerly imbrued his hands in the bloud of Abner, and not puniſhed for it) though his couſin german, as is noted before, chap. 17.25. becauſe David had conferred his office upon him.
Verſ. 10. But Amaſa took no heed to the ſword that was in Joabs hand &c.] That is, he never thought of any danger that was in that, he took that to be occaſioned, by the caſuall and unexpected falling of his ſword out of his ſcabbard as he came to ſalute him, and therefore hearing him ſpeak ſo ſmoothly, and ſeeing him embrace him ſo lovingly, he never ſuſpected any danger in his ſword; and thus was Amaſa puniſhed by the juſt hand of Gods providence for his unnaturall rebellion againſt his uncle David his Lord and Sovereign; though David had pardoned him, God would not ſuffer him to go unpuniſhed.
Verſ. 11. And one of Joabs men ſtood by him, and ſaid, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab, &c.] Leaſt the ſight of their ſlain Generall ſhould beat off the ſouldiers from going any further, one of Joabs men ſtood by him, no doubt by Joabs appointment, as it were to juſtifie the fact, and to adviſe them if they were friends to Joab, and the king, to go on after him, who would now be their leader in this enterprize, which David had neither juſtly nor ſafely committed to Amaſa's truſt.
Verſ. 12. And Amaſa wallowed in bloud.] To wit, by reaſon of the pangs of death that were upon him.
And when the man ſaw that all the people ſtood ſtill, &c.] That is, when the man mentioned in the foregoing verſe, that had encouraged the ſouldiers to march on after Joab, ſaw that for all this, they ſtood ſtill as aſtoniſhed at that which was done, he removed Amaſa's dead body out of the high way.
Verſ. 14. And he went through all the tribes of Iſrael unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah, &c.] That is, Sheba having gone through all the tribes to ſtirre them up againſt David, came at length to Abel, and to the places adjoyning, where Joab found him.
Verſ. 18. They were wont to ſpeak in old time, ſaying, They ſhall ſurely ask counſel at Abel, and ſo they ended the matter.] According to the tranſlation that is ſet in the margin, the meaning of the place muſt needs be this, that in the beginning the citizens of Abel perſwaded themſelves, that ſurely Joab would before he proceeded to force them, propound his demands to them, and ſo they ſhould make an end of the difference: but as the words are rendred in the text, they may have a double ſenſe: for firſt, ſome expound it much after the ſame manner, to wit, that in old time they were wont to ſay according to the expreſſe law of God, Deut. 20.10. that when they came againſt a citie, they were firſt to make their demands and to propound conditions of peace, and ſo they ended the matter, as if ſhe had ſaid, ſurely had this enterpriſe been undertaken in former times, they would not have done as thou haſt, they would have ſaid, Surely we will firſt ask at Abel, and ſee whether they will conſent to do what we ſhall require of them: ſecondly, ſome conceive it to be an allegation of an old proverb, They were wont to ſpeak in old time, ſaying, They ſhall ſurely ask counſel at Abel: to wit, becauſe it ſeems there were in times paſt in this citie, men eminent: for wiſdome and abilitie to give counſel, eſpecially concerning the laws, inſomuch that they uſed to come up from all parts of the kingdome to take advice there, and ſo they ended the matter; that is, many a controverſie was thus peaceably dec…ded, and that this ſhe putteth Joab in mind, either as an inducement to winne him to mercy, not to go about to deſtroy ſo famous a citie, or elſe, as by way of giving him a hint not to deſpiſe her counſel, yea, though ſhe were a woman, ſince counſel given out of Abel, had wont to be held in high eſteem, but the firſt expoſition is beſt, and moſt generally received.
Verſ. 19. I am one of them that are peaceable and faithfull in Iſrael.] Here this wiſe woman of Abel doth further diſſwade Joab from proceeding with ſuch ſeverity againſt this Citie by three ſeverall Arguments; firſt, by pleading their innocency, I am one of them that are peaceable and faithfull in Iſrael: for this ſhe ſpeaks not of her ſelf in particular, there being no reaſon that the whole citie ſhould be ſpared, becauſe ſhe was peaceable, but ſhe ſpeaks in the name and perſon of the whole citie; to wit, that their citie Abel was peaceable and faithfull; and indeed it may well be, that either the citie knew nothing of Sheba's guilt, and did ſhut their gates not to defend Sheba but onelyonly becauſe they heard of an Army that was coming againſt them: or at leaſt that though there might be a faction in the citie, that were abettors of Sheba, yet for the generality of the people they were otherwiſe minded; and this ſhe alledgeth to juſtifie the citie, and to ſtay the rage of Joab: ſecondly, by pleading the dammage that would redound to the Iſrael of God by the ruine of this citie, Thou ſeekest to destroy a citie, and a mother in Iſrael, that is, the chief citie of a Province, a mother citie. The chief cities of a Countrey are called in the Scripture, mothers, partly in regard of the multitude of the Inhabitants which are there bred and brought up as it were in the lap and boſome of a mother, and are by her defended and ſheltred from the violence of thoſe that would hurt them, and liberally provided for, and ſent forth perhaps into other parts of the land with a large portion of outward things, but principally in regard of the towns and villages about them, either becauſe the cities had the command over them, or at leaſt becauſe the towns and villages had much dependance upon them, as children upon their mother, for counſell and direction in their weightieſt affairs, for defence againſt invading enemy, and for a ſupply of thing, convenient for them; and ſo this woman tearms her citie a mother in Iſrael, to ſhew what a miſchief he ſhould do to the land of Iſrael, in ruinating ſuch a citie; and thirdly by pleading the wrong that therein would be done unto the Lord, in that the people were the people of God that were like to be deſtroyed in it, and the citie a part of the inheritance wherein God had placed his people, Why wilt thou ſaith ſhe, ſwallow up the inheritance of the Lord? where alſo the expreſſion ſhe uſeth of ſwallowing up the inheritance of the Lord, is very obſervable, for thereby ſhe covertly blames him for his violent and furious proceedings againſt them, and intimateth that if he would not do all in a paſſion, but would a little deliberate of theſe his proceedings, he would be ſoon of another mind.
Verſ. 21. But a man of mount Ephraim (Sheba the ſonne of Bichri by name) hath lift up his hand againſt the King.] He was of the Tribe of Benjamin, but dwelt it ſeemeth in mount Ephraim, and therefore Joab calls him a man of mount Ephraim.
And the woman ſaid unto Joab, behold his head ſhall be thrown to thee over the wall.] This ſhe promiſeth with ſuch confidence, either becauſe ſhe knew already the minds of thoſe that were able to do it, or becauſe ſhe was aſſured they would be wonne to it, and not hazard the citie to ſhelter a Traitour; and indeed that the inhabitants were by her perſwaded to yield to this, the words in the following verſe ſeem clearly to imply, Then the woman went unto all the people in her wiſdome, &c. that is, by her wiſdome in pleading with them, and the ſtrong reaſons ſhe alledged, ſhe perſwaded the Citizens to cut off his head, &c.
Verſ. 23. Now Joab was over all the hoſt of Iſrael.] As before when David was firſt ſettled in the kingdome the names of his chief Officers were expreſſed chap. 8.16. So here again, firſt to let us ſee that Joab recovered his place, David perhaps not knowing how to oppoſe it; and ſecondly to ſhe how fully David was reetabliſhed in the kingdome, all things being ſetled again in the former order.
Verſ. 24. And Adoram was over the tribute.] This office was not mentioned before, chap. 8. for ſince that, David had enlarged his Dominions, and made many nations tributary to him, and thereupon this office was committed to Adoram.
Verſ. 25. And Sheva was ſcribe.] Or Seraiah, chap. 8, 17.