성경 주석서

2 Samuel 19:2. The victory was turned into mourning to all the people — They had so great a regard to their prince, that, when they heard of his distress, they were afflicted with him; and instead of triumphing, they also made lamentations.

2 Samuel 19:3. The people gat them by stealth into the city — Not openly and triumphantly, as conquerors use to do; but secretly, as if they thought themselves a kind of criminals, who had contravened the king’s command, and were, on that score, in disgrace with him, and, therefore, were afraid and ashamed lest he should see them and look upon them with an evil eye, as persons that had had a hand in killing his beloved son. As people steal away when they flee in battle — As if they had lost the day and not been victorious.

2 Samuel 19:4. The king covered his face — As a deep mourner, and as one that neither desired to see nor to be seen by any others.

2 Samuel 19:5-6. Joab said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants — By disappointing their just hopes of praises and rewards, and requiting them with contempt and tacit rebukes; and thus making them hang down their heads, as if they had committed such a crime, that they were ashamed to look men in the face. Which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons, &c. — Who, in all probability, would all have been slain, if Absalom had gained the victory. In that thou lovest thine enemies — Thy rebellious son, and those associated with him, to effect thy destruction. And hatest thy friends — Who have risked their lives in thy defence, but in whose preservation thou seemest to take no pleasure, only grieving for the death of a rebel. If Absalom had lived, and we had all died, then it would have pleased thee well — Joab seems to speak this in reference to the exclamation of the king, Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom! for had this been the case, as the king wished, Joab and the rest of David’s faithful commanders would in course have perished through the power of Absalom, who would then have had none to oppose him. Joab’s words, however, are not to be understood as exactly true, but as spoken hyperbolically: but David’s carriage gave too much colour to such a suggestion; and such sharpness of speech was in a manner necessary to awaken the king out of his lethargy, and to preserve him from the impendent mischiefs.

2 Samuel 19:7. Now, therefore, arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants — Show thyself to thy people, acknowledge their good services, and congratulate their success. For I swear by the Lord — He confirms his threat with the most solemn oath. If thou go not forth, &c. — If thou do not instantly quit thy apartment, appear in public, and treat thy people as they deserve; there will not tarry one with thee this night, &c. — Thy subjects will desert thee as one man. This, he signifies, would be far worse than all the calamities that had hitherto befallen him. David appears to have answered nothing to these harsh words of Joab; but, however offended he might be by such rough treatment, he thought fit to dissemble his resentment for the present. He, therefore, immediately left his chamber, and went to the gate, the seat of public justice, where he gave audience to the people, who immediately resorted thither in crowds to him, and were received and treated by him as kindly as his present distress would allow.

2 Samuel 19:9-10. All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes — Either, 1st, Striving who should be most forward to bring back the king, and blaming one another’s slackness in the business: or, 2d, Censuring and quarrelling one with another, as the authors and abetters of this shameful rebellion, and discoursing privately and publicly of David’s high merits, which God, being now reconciled to him, brings afresh to their memories. Now, therefore, why speak ye not a word, &c. — The people of Israel speak thus to their elders, as appears by comparing this verse with the next. Seeing their designs for raising Absalom to the throne disappointed, they now repented of that undertaking, and were willing to testify this by their forwardness to bring David back, and re-establish him.

2 Samuel 19:11-12. Speak unto the elders of Judah — Absalom had begun his conspiracy in Jerusalem itself, and perfected it in Hebron, both cities of Judah; and the people of that tribe had been the first to join him in his rebellion, and to aid and abet his designs; conscious of this, and that, as David was of their tribe, and had long shown them peculiar kindness, their guilt was the greater, they probably despaired of pardon, and, therefore, were backward to promote the king’s restoration. Seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king — That is, their wishes and desires to bring him back to his throne and palace in Jerusalem. Ye are my bone and my flesh — Ye are related to me by consanguinity, and therefore I cannot be severe with you, nor need you fear lest I should revenge myself of you. Wherefore, then, are ye the last to bring back the king? — This delay doth not suit with the relation you have, and the affection you owe to me.

2 Samuel 19:13. Say to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, &c. — That is, nearly related to me, being my sister’s son. God do so to me, and more also, &c. — He solemnly promises to prefer him to the highest command in the kingdom; for he now thought it a fit time to depress Joab, who was grown insufferably insolent and imperious, and who, through his credit with the army, had protected himself in the commission of the greatest crimes. He had slain Abner most perfidiously in cold blood, and killed Absalom contrary to the king’s express command, and now lately had insulted him in his sorrow. Having, therefore, now an opportunity of transferring the command to another person, who had as great an interest in the people’s favour as Joab, he gladly embraces it, that so he might both chastise Joab for his faults, and rescue himself from the bondage in which that general had hitherto held him. Some, however, have thought that, considering Joab’s very faithful services to David in all the changes of his fortune, and that his violent measures proceeded in part from a regard to him, as judging them necessary for his safety and tranquillity, David’s conduct in this instance, in making Amasa captain of the host in Joab’s room, is not an amiable trait in his character, and was not a prudent step at this time, especially considering Joab’s violent temper: and, it must be acknowledged, it brought on the murder of Amasa.