2 Samuel 18:1-8. The battle in the forest of Ephraim 1. _And David_, &c. The events here recorded cannot have followed immediately on David's arrival at Mahanaim. An interval of a few weeks must be assumed, during which the rival armies were mustered and organized. Cp. note on ch. 2 Samuel 17:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
_sent forth … under the hand of Joab_ Better, PUT … INTO THE HAND OF JOAB, i.e. under his command. The army does not take the field until 2 Samuel 18:6. The division of an army into three bodies seems to have been a common practice. See Judges 7:16; Jdg 9:43; 1 Samuel 11:11. David intended to take t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou shalt not go forth_ Compare the protest of David's followers on an earlier occasion (ch. 2 Samuel 21:17). _but now_thou art _worth ten thousand of us_ As the Heb. text stands it must be rendered, _and now there are ten thousand like us_; but, it is implied, none besides like thee. But if we f... [ Continue Reading ]
_all the people heard_ Cp. "in our hearing" in 2 Samuel 18:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
_in the wood of Ephraim_ "The forest of Ephraim" might naturally be expected to mean the great forest covering the high lands of central Palestine in which the tribe of Ephraim settled (Joshua 17:15-18). But all the circumstances are in favour of supposing the battle to have been fought on the easte... [ Continue Reading ]
_the wood devoured more_, &c. The explanation generally given is that they perished in the pits and precipices and morasses of the forest: but this seems unlikely. More probably it means that owing to the nature of the ground more were slain in the pursuit through the forest, than in the actual batt... [ Continue Reading ]
Absalom's Death 9. _And Absalom_, &c. AND ABSALOM HAPPENED TO FIND HIMSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF DAVID'S SERVANTS: NOW ABSALOM WAS RIDING UPON HIS MULE, AND THE MULE, &c. In the course of the flight, Absalom found himself among enemies: he turned to escape into the denser part of the forest. The mule... [ Continue Reading ]
_ten_shekels] _Shekels_is rightly supplied, as in 1 Kings 10:29, and elsewhere. The shekel weighed about half an ounce; but its real value at the time cannot be fixed. _a girdle_ An essential article of Oriental dress, often of costly materials and highly ornamented. Cp. 1 Samuel 18:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beware that none touch_ Or, HAVE A CARE, ALL OF YOU, OF THE YOUNG MAN ABSALOM: lit. as in the margin, _whosoever_ye be. But the Sept. and Vulg. read _for my sake_, as in 2 Samuel 18:5, in place of _whosoever_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life_ I should not only have disobeyed the king, but have been false to my own interest and forfeited my life. The Kthîbh reads _his life_, thus: _Or if I had dealt deceitfully against his life, there is nothing hid_, &c.: i.e., if I had treacherousl... [ Continue Reading ]
_three darts_ Since the word used means elsewhere _rods_or _staves_(Exodus 21:20; 2 Samuel 23:21), and the wounds inflicted were not at once mortal, it seems that Joab struck Absalom brutally with pointed wooden staves, the first weapons which came to hand, in fact in a kind of way _impaled_him as a... [ Continue Reading ]
_slew him_ Absalom's death was unquestionably the speediest and surest means of putting an end to the rebellion; and Joab probably took credit to himself for serving his country while he satisfied his private revenge (ch. 2 Samuel 14:30).... [ Continue Reading ]
_blew the trumpet_ Sounded the recall to stop further pursuit. Cp. ch. 2Sa 2:28, 2 Samuel 20:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a very great heap of stones_ A monument of shame over the rebel's grave, as over that of Achan (Joshua 7:26), and the king of Ai (Joshua 8:29). Some think it was symbolic of the stoning which was the penalty of a rebel son (Deuteronomy 21:20-21). It is still a custom in the East for passers by to c... [ Continue Reading ]
_the king's dale_ In Genesis 14:17 "the king's dale" is given as an alternative name for "the valley of Shaveh" in which the king of Sodom met Abram. But its situation is uncertain. Josephus (_Antiq._VII. 10. 3) says that Absalom's monument was two furlongs distant from Jerusalem, and in accordance... [ Continue Reading ]
The news carried to David 19. _hath avenged him of his enemies_ Lit. _judged him out of the hand of his enemies_: pronounced a favourable verdict in his cause and delivered him. Cp. 1 Samuel 24:15; Psalms 43:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
_bear tidings_ The word with rare exceptions means _to bear good tidings_, and this meaning should be retained here and in 2 Samuel 18:19. Joab would not let Ahimaaz have the thankless task of carrying news which to the king would be no good news.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cushi_ Rather, THE CUSHITE, an Ethiopian slave in Joab's service, who would have little to lose by the king's displeasure.... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou hast no tidings ready_ Probably, THOU HAST NO GOOD TIDINGS TO GET A REWARD; cp. the Sept. "thou hast no good tidings for profit if thou goest:" and the Vulg. "thou wilt not be a bearer of good tidings.... [ Continue Reading ]
_by the way of the plain_ "The plain" (Heb. _kikkar_) is the technical term for the floor of the valley through which the Jordan runs. In our ignorance of the exact position of the battlefield, we cannot trace the routes taken by the rival runners with certainty. But in all probability what is meant... [ Continue Reading ]
_between the two gates_ In the space between the inner and outer gates of the city gateway. _to the roof over the gate unto the wall_ To that side of the flat roof of the gateway which was in the outer wall of the city.... [ Continue Reading ]
_If he be alone_, &c. If the army had been routed, a number of fugitives would have been seen coming together.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto the porter_ The Sept. reads "into the gate." The difference is a question of vowel points only.... [ Continue Reading ]
_He is a good man_, &c. The king rightly judged, that Joab would not choose a distinguished messenger like Ahimaaz to carry bad news (2 Samuel 18:20).... [ Continue Reading ]
_All is well_ Lit. PEACE! The usual word of greeting had special significance at such a time. _he fell down_ An act of homage to the king. See note on ch. 2 Samuel 14:4, and cp. 1 Samuel 20:41; 1 Samuel 25:23. _delivered up_ Lit. _shut up_: restrained and confined within bounds, instead of leaving... [ Continue Reading ]
_Is the young man Absalom safe_ Taking up the exclamation of Ahimaaz; IS IT WELL WITH THE YOUNG MAN ABSALOM? lit. _Is there peace to the young man Absalom?_Cp. 2 Kings 4:26. "Not only the question itself, but the very terms of it, breathe the tenderness of David's feelings. Absalom is -the youth," a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Tidings_, &c. The phrase is not so abrupt in the Heb., and more suitable in the slave's mouth. LET MY LORD THE KING RECEIVE THE GOOD TIDINGS, THAT, &c. _hath avenged_ See note on 2 Samuel 18:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
David's mourning for Absalom 33. _was much moved_ Better perhaps, WAS SORE TROUBLED. Sept. ἐταράχθη is a good rendering. This passionate outburst of grief was due not only to the tenderness of affection, which was so striking a trait in David's character, but to the bitterness of the thought that t... [ Continue Reading ]