David indulging to too much grief for the death of his son, is rebuked by Joab, and threatened with a revolt of the people from him, if he did not change his conduct, which be accordingly did, 2 Sam.

And it was told Joab When returned to Mahanaim, or on his way to it; perhaps by the messengers he sent; and this report he had before he saw the king: behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom; for the death of him, instead of rejoicing at the victory obtained, and the deliverance from his…

And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people They also mourned too, instead of expressing joy upon the occasion: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son; this report was spread among them, which damped their joy, and hindered them from giving…

And the people got them by stealth that day into the city Did not march into it in companies, in a public and triumphant manner, as conquerors used to do; but entered in a private manner, one by one, or a very few together, not caring to be seen or known, at least by the king, as fearing they had…

But the king covered his face And would not see his generals, and thank them for their services: but wrapped himself in his mantle, after the manner of mourners: and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son! and this was some time, perhaps some days after he had…

And Joab came into the house to the king For by this time he was removed from the chamber over the gate to his own dwelling house or palace, where he continued the same doleful ditty as at first: and said, thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants; they cannot lift up their heads, and…

In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends Which though not strictly true, there was some appearance of it, which is here greatly exaggerated; in that he expressed so much grief and sorrow for Absalom his enemy, who had rebelled against him, and showed so little regard to his…

Now therefore arise, go forth Arise from his couch, he was watering with his tears, and go forth from his house, where he had shut himself up retired from all company, to the gate of the city, where the people passed and repassed, and there was a concourse of them: this he said not by way of…

Than the king arose, and sat in the gate Of the city, a public place, where the inhabitants met on divers accounts at times, and where there were always people passing and repassing: and they told unto all the people; or it was reported to the soldiers particularly: saying, behold the king doth sit…

And all the people were at strife through all the tribes of Israel Excepting the tribe of Judah; they blamed and reproved one another for taking part with Absalom in the rebellion, and especially for their coldness and backwardness in bringing back David to Jerusalem: saying, the king saved us out…

And Absalom, whom we anointed over us To be king; which either was really done by Absalom’s party, or in effect by proclaiming and appointing him king: is dead in battle; which shows the thing was not of God, and by which means they were released from their oath of allegiance to him: now therefore…

And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests Who were at Jerusalem, and in his interest; perhaps by Ahimaaz and Jonathan their sons: saying, speak unto the elders of Judah; particularly those that were at Jerusalem, with whom they had an interest: saying, why are ye the last to bring…

Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh Being of the same tribe, and therefore he should deal gently with them, as if they were parts of his body; and not be severe upon them, for the hand they had in the conspiracy, as they might fear: and wherefore then are ye the last to bring the king…

And say ye to Amasa Who was the general of Absalom’s army, and who might fear he should never be pardoned, whoever was, and looked upon his case as desperate; who had led on the army with Absalom against the king’s threes, and fought them: art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? nearly related to…

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man This the Jewish commentators generally understand of Amasa that he used his interest with the men of Judah, and so wrought upon them, that they agreed as one man to send for the king, and bring him back; but it seems best…

So the king returned, and came to Jordan From Mahanaim thither, which according to Bunting [[8]] was twenty eight miles: and Judah came to Gilgal; that is, the elders, or principal men of the tribe of Judah, came thither; which place, according to the same writer [[9]], was twelve miles from…

And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim Of whom see ; hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David: he took the first opportunity to meet the king, and ask his pardon for his ill treatment of him when he fled from Jerusalem; for, hearing: that Absalom was…

And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him Of which tribe he was, and these were either a band of soldiers, of which he was the chiliarch; or tenants of his, which showed him to be a great man; or his neighbours, and persons of some figure, whom he prevailed upon to come as intercessors for…

And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household His wives and children, who could not so well ford the river on foot: some will have this to be a bridge of boats, a pontoon; and Abarbinel thinks it might be a company of men, who carried the women and children on their shoulders,…

And said unto the king, let not my lord the king impute iniquity unto me That is, deal with him according to the desert of it, punish him for it, but forgive it: for non-imputation of sin is in effect the pardon of it: neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day my lord…

For thy servant doth know that I have sinned He was sensible of it, and sorry for it, and publicly acknowledged it before all the men he brought with him, and before all the servants of David; and as a token of the sincerity of his repentance, and as an earnest of his future fidelity, he made this…

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said The same person that would have taken off the head of Shimei at the time he cursed David, if he would have given him leave, ; shall not Shimei be put to death for this? this humiliation and acknowledgment he has made, shall he be forgiven on that…

And David said, what have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? &c.] (See Gill on 2 Sam. 16:10); that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? or a Satan unto me, as the word is, by advising him to do what would be prejudicial to his interest; see (Matt. 16:22, Matt.

Therefore the king said unto Shimei, thou shalt not die This day by my hands, or order, or by the sword, ; and the king sware unto him; that he should not die for that offence, or for that only; but if he committed a new one, this oath was no longer binding on him, and not at all upon his heir and…

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, &c.] Not down to Jordan, but Jerusalem; when the king was come thither, he came from his own dwelling to the king’s palace; he is called the son of Saul, though he was his grandson, and grandsons are sometimes called sons; though in the…

And it came to pass, when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king Perhaps from the place where his estate was; or, as the Arabic version, when he came from Jerusalem, from whence he went a little way to meet the king, as he was coming thither; for it was said he abode at Jerusalem, ; that the king…

And he answered, my lord, O king, my servant deceived me His servant Ziba, who, instead of saddling an ass for him by his order, went off with that and another himself, ; for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass; he not only determined this in his own mind, but gave orders to his servant to…

And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king By suggesting that he stayed at Jerusalem with a view to the kingdom, hoping that the quarrel between David and Absalom would issue in the restoration of it to his father’s family; which was a mere calumny, he having had no such thought, nor…

For all of my, father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king Or “men of death” [[11]]; worthy of death, not on account of Saul’s persecution, for which his family did not deserve to suffer; rather for the attempt of Ishbosheth to get the kingdom from him, which might be deemed treason,…

And the king said unto him, why speakest thou any more of thy matters? &c.] Of his father’s family, and the injuries done by them to David, and of the benefits and favours which he had received from David, or of his temporal affairs, of his estate, which David had given away to Ziba: I have said,…

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, yea, let him take all, &c.] The whole estate, as David had given it to him; he was content that that last grant should stand: forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house; his palace in Jerusalem; which was a strong expression of…

And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim The place of his habitation, to Jordan, see ; and went over Jordan with the king to conduct him over Jordan; to accompany him over the river, and then take his leave of him.

Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old, &c.] Which was ten years beyond the common term of man’s life, and reckoned a very great age in David’s time, and has been ever since, and still is, see ; and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim: had supported…

And the king said to Barzillai, come thou over with me Over Jordan; Barzillai came with an intent to accompany the king over Jordan; but the king meant not only to go over Jordan, but when over to go further with him, even to Jerusalem: and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem; meaning, that he…

And Barzillai said unto the king In answer to the grateful proposal he made: how long have I to live; that could not be said with exactness by any; but it might be probably conjectured from the age he was of, and the infirmities that attended him, that he could not live long; it was but a short…

I am this day fourscore years old Not that that day was precisely his birthday, but that he was about such an age, very little under or over; very probably he was full that age: and can I discern between good and evil? signifying, either that his intellectual powers were impaired, and could not…

Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king, &c.] That is, go a little way after he was over Jordan with him, and then return to his own city: and why should the king recompense it with such a reward? the sense is, why should the king recompense so trifling a thing as I have done,…

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again To his own city, after he is gone ever Jordan, and seen the king a little way on his journey: that I may die in my own city: the city of Rogelim, where perhaps he was born, and had lived all his days, and where it is natural for people to desire to die,…

And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me He admitted of him instead of his father: and I will do unto him that which shall seem good unto thee; he puts it to Barzillai, and leaves it with him to ask what he would for his son, and he would grant it.

And all the people went over Jordan That were with David: and when the king was come over; over Jordan, had got to the other side of it, whither Barzillai accompanied him: the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; took his leave of him with a kiss, as friends were wont to do at parting, thanked…

Then the king went on to Gilgal Which, according to Josephus [[12]], was fifty furlongs from Jordan, six miles and a quarter: and Chimham went on with him; after Barzillai had left them, and accompanied the king to Jerusalem: and all the people of Judah conducted the king; to Jerusalem; who came to…

And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king A large number of them, the other part that did not come over with David, some of their principal men, who met him upon the road: and said unto the king, why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee away; secretly, privately, and unknown…

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel Such of them as went down to fetch the king back, replied to the men of Israel that now met them, and objected to their conduct: because the king is near of kin to us; being of their tribe, and his palace was within their borders, and therefore…

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, &c.] They replied to them, as follows: we have ten parts in the king; being ten tribes, reckoning Simeon in the tribe of Judah, within which it lay, ; and we have, also more right in David than ye; being more numerous than they; or,…