2 Samuel 15:27

_AND THE KING SAID UNTO ZADOK, CARRY BACK THE ARK OF GOD INTO THE CITY: IF I SHALL FIND FAVOUR IN THE EYES OF THE LORD, HE WILL BRING ME AGAIN, AND SHEW ME BOTH IT, AND HIS HABITATION:_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

24-30 David is very careful for the safety of the ark. It is right to be more concerned for the church's prosperity than our own; to prefer the success of the gospel above our own wealth, credit, ease, and safety. Observe with what satisfaction and submission David speaks of the Divine disposal. It is our interest, as well as our duty, cheerfully to acquiesce in the will of God, whatever befalls us. Let us see God's hand in all events; and that we may not be afraid of what shall be, let us see all events in God's hand. David's sin was ever before him, Psalms 51:3; but never so plain, nor ever appearing so black as now. He never wept thus when Saul hunted him, but a wounded conscience makes troubles lie heavy, Psalms 38:4....

Verse 2 Samuel 15:27. ART NOT _THOU A SEER? RETURN INTO THE CITY IN PEACE_] That is, As thou art the only organ of the public worship, that worship cannot be carried on without thee; and as thou art the _priest of God_, thou hast no cause to fear for thy personal safety: the nation has not abandoned their God, though they have abandoned their king. It appears also, that he wished these priests, by means of their sons, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, to send him frequent intelligence of the motions and operations of the enemy....

ART NOT THOSE A SEER? - If the text be correct, the sense would be, “Art thou not a seer? therefore go back to the city, and observe, and certify me of what thou seest” 2 Samuel 15:28. Others, by a slight alteration of the original text, read “Art not thou a chief” (priest), etc....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 15:1 AFTER THIS. The Hebrew is a more precise phrase than that on which we have commented on 2 Samuel 10:1 and 2 Samuel 13:1, and implies that Absalom began his devices soon after obtaining his liberty. CHARIOTS AND HORSES; Hebrew, _a chariot and horses; _that is, a chariot for state occasions, in which Absalom rode, while fifty footmen ran at his side. Probably his grandfather Talmai practised similar magnificence at Geshur. In India it is still common for men of rank to be attended by runners on foot, who will keep up with horses or elephants for an incredible distance....

AND THE KING SAID UNTO ZADOK THE PRIEST, [ART NOT] THOU A SEER?.... A prophet, as well as a priest; see 1 Samuel 9:9; or a seeing, knowing, man; one that can penetrate into men and things, and so might be of more service to David at Jerusalem than with him: wherefore he said to him, RETURN INTO THE CITY IN PEACE; to the city of Jerusalem with peace, quietness, and satisfaction of mind; where he doubted not, at least hoped and wished, he would be in safety and prosperity, being one of the Lord's priests: AND YOUR TWO SONS WITH YOU, AHIMAAZ THY SON, AND JONATHAN THE SON OF ABIATHAR; the one was of the line of Eleazar, and the other of the line of Ithamar....

5. ABSALOM'S CONSPIRACY AND DAVID'S FLIGHT CHAPTER 15 _ 1. Absalom steals the hearts of the men of Israel (2 Samuel 15:1)_ 2. His conspiracy (2 Samuel 15:7) 3. The flight of the king (2 Samuel 15:13) The beautiful prince gradually prepared for the great conspiracy of which we read now and which made of his own father the Lord's anointed, an exile. Chariots and horses with fifty men to run before him won no doubt the admiration of the people. His evident interest in their welfare, kissing those who sought his presence and advice, endeared him still more to the men of Israel. To this must be added his open words, which must have quickly circulated among the people, “Oh, that

2 Samuel 15:1 to 2 Samuel 16:14. REVOLT OF ABSALOM. FLIGHT OF DAVID (J). 2 Samuel 15:1. Absalom makes himself popular by professing an interest in the litigation of the people. 2 SAMUEL 15:7. After four years (so read with Syr. and some texts of LXX), having obtained the king's permission on a false pretext, Absalom goes to Hebron and organises revolt. 2 SAMUEL 15:12. GILOH: Joshua 15:51....

The Ark sent back to Jerusalem 24. _and Abiathar went up_ The Ark halted, to allow the people who were still coming out of the city time to overtake the procession. Meanwhile Abiathar went on up the Mount of Olives, for some purpose which is not stated, possibly to watch the stream of people coming out of the city. He then returned to carry the Ark back. It seems best to suppose that the narrative goes back here, and that the Ark was not taken across the Kidron. Certainly it does not seem to have been carried up the Mount of Olives....

THE KING SAID,—CARRY BACK THE ARK OF GOD— David sent back the high-priests, as knowing that their character was too sacred to suffer any violence from the usurper, though he knew their fidelity to himself; and for the rest, he wholly submitted himself to the divine disposal. He besought God, as Alexander Severus told his soldiers a generous and a wise man should, praying for the best things, and bearing what should befal. David saw plainly that God had raised this war against him in punishment of his guilt; that God had _raised up this evil to him out of his own house:_ find I imagine that I now hear him taking up the same lamentation which Alphonsus the wise, king of Arragon, afterwards did upon a like occasion: "I wonder not so much at my people's ingratitude to _me,_ as at my own to GOD." In this spirit of humiliation, David would not presume to have the ark, the symbol of the divine...