2 Samuel 19:5
Had Absalom gained the victory, it is likely that, according to the manner of Oriental despots, he would have sought to secure his throne by killing all possible competitors Judges 9:5; 1 Kings 15:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
Had Absalom gained the victory, it is likely that, according to the manner of Oriental despots, he would have sought to secure his throne by killing all possible competitors Judges 9:5; 1 Kings 15:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
David saw the justice of what Joab said, and the new danger which threatened him if he did not rouse himself from his grief. FOR ISRAEL ... - Not David’s followers, but as before 2Sa 17:26; 2 Samuel 18:6, 2 Samuel 18:17, Absalom’s army.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF MY BONE ... - Render as in preceding verse, “art thou not my bone and my flesh?” It is curious to note how the phrase is used in 2 Samuel 5:1 of common descent from Israel, in 2 Samuel 19:12 of the closer kindred of the tribe of Judah, and in this verse of the yet nearer kindred between David and... [ Continue Reading ]
Shimei being aware that Judah was unanimous in recalling the king, lost no time in trying to make his peace with David, by bringing a large Benjamite force with him.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE KING - i. e., “to meet the king.” Compare 2 Samuel 20:8. The king was on the east bank, and they crossed over (by the ford) from the west bank to go to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS HE WAS COME OVER JORDAN - Render, “when he was crossing,” i. e., just embarking for the purpose of crossing. The scene still lies on the east bank. Shimei left nothing undone to soften, if possible, David’s resentment.... [ Continue Reading ]
This is the first time that the “house of Joseph,” or “Joseph,” stands for all the ten tribes of which Ephraim was the head and leader. While Saul of Benjamin was king, or while Mahanaim was the capital of his son’s kingdom, it was not natural so to name them, nor does it seem so at first sight in t... [ Continue Reading ]
BEARD - The “moustache,” the beard of the upper lip. The fact related in this verse tends to clear Mephibosheth from the suspicion of unfaithfulness to David.... [ Continue Reading ]
What appears to have happened is, that when Mephibosheth ordered Ziba to saddle the donkeys and ride with him to join David, Ziba left him under pretence of obeying, but instead laded the donkeys with provisions, and went off alone with them, thus making it impossible for Mephibosheth to follow.... [ Continue Reading ]
Unable to get to the bottom of the story, and perhaps unwilling to make an enemy of Ziba, David compromised the matter by dividing the land, thus partially revoking his hasty sentence 2 Samuel 16:4. We still see the impatient temper of David.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHIMHAM - From marginal references it appears that Chimham, having accepted David’s offer, came and settled near Bethlehem. His house was still called after him at the time of the captivity.... [ Continue Reading ]
The “people” is the term especially applied in this narrative to David’s followers 2 Samuel 15:17; 2 Samuel 16:14; 2Sa 17:2; 2 Samuel 18:1; 2 Samuel 19:2. They crossed by the ford, while David and his household, accompanied by Barzillai and Chimham, came over in the ferry.... [ Continue Reading ]
It seems that David and his whole party made a halt at Gilgal 2 Samuel 19:15; 1 Samuel 11:14, and possibly made some solemn agreement there about the kingdom. But while they were there, “all the men of Israel,” representatives from the tribes not included in “half the people of Israel” 2 Samuel 19:4... [ Continue Reading ]