1-8 Joab causes the king to cease his mourning 9,10 The Israelites are earnest to bring the king back 11-17 David sends to the priest to incite them of Judah 18-23 Shimei is pardoned 24-31 Mephibosheth excused 32-40 Barzillai dismissed, and Chimham his son taken into the king's family 41-43 The Israelites expostulate with Judah for bringing home the king without them

2Sa 18:5,12,14,20,33 Pr 17:25

2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.

victory [heb] salvation, or, deliverance
turned Pr 16:15 19:12

3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

into the city 2Sa 19:32 17:24

steal Ge 31:27

4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

covered 2Sa 15:30

O my son. It is allowed by competent critics that the lamentation of David over his son, of which this forms a part, is exceedingly pathetic; and Calmet properly remarks, that the frequent repetition of the name of the deceased is common in the language of lamentation. 2Sa 18:33

5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

Thou hast Every one must admit that David's immoderate grief for his rebellious son was imprudent, and that Joab's firm and sensible reproof was necessary to arouse him to a sense of his duty to his people: but, in his {manner}, Joab far exceeded the bounds of that reverence which a servant owes to his master, or a subject to his prince.

saved Ne 9:27 Ps 3:8 18:47,48

6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

In that, etc. [heb] By loving, etc.
thou regardest, etc. [heb] princes or servants {are} not to thee
then it had 2Sa 3:24,25 Job 34:18 Pr 19:9,10 Ac 23:5

7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

comfortably unto thy [heb] to the heart of thy Ge 34:3 Pr 19:15 Isa 40:1 Ho 2:14

there Pr 14:28

all the evil Ps 71:4-6,9-11,18-20 129:1,2

8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

sat in the gate How prudently and mildly David took the reproof and counsel given him! He shook off his grief, anointed his head, and washed his face, that he might not appear unto men to mourn, and then made his appearance at the gate of the city, which was the public place of resort for the hearing of causes and giving judgment, as well as a place to ratify special bargains. Thither the people flocked to congratulate him on his and their safety, and that all was well. When we are convinced of a fault, we must amend, though we are told of it by our inferiors in a way which is peculiarly painful to our natural feelings. This ancient custom still obtains in the East; for when Dr. Pococke returned from viewing the town of ancient Byblus, he says, `The sheik and the elders were sitting in the gate of the city, after the ancient manner, and I sat awhile with them.' 2Sa 18:4,24

for Israel 2Sa 19:3 18:6-8 1Ki 22:36 2Ki 14:12

9 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

strife Ge 3:12,13 Ex 32:24 Jas 3:14-16

The king 2Sa 8:10 1Sa 17:50 18:5-7,25 19:5

he is fled 2Sa 15:14

10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?

whom 2Sa 15:12,13 Ho 8:4

is dead 2Sa 18:14

speak ye not a word [heb] are ye silent Jud 18:9

11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.

sent 2Sa 15:29,35,36 1Ki 2:25,26,35

speak 2Co 5:20

Why are Mt 5:16 2Th 3:9

12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?

my bones 2Sa 5:1 Ge 2:23 Jud 9:2 Eph 5:30

13 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

Amasa 2Sa 17:25 1Ch 2:16,17 12:18

God Ru 1:17 1Ki 19:2

room of Joab 2Sa 19:5-7 3:29,30 8:16 18:11

14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

he bowed The measures that he pursued were the best calculated that could be adopted for accomplishing this salutary end. David appears to take no notice of their infidelity, but rather to place confidence in them, that their confidence in him might be naturally excited; and to oblige them yet farther, purposes to make Amasa general of the army, instead of Joab.

even Jud 20:1 Ps 110:2,3 Ac 4:32

15 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.

Gilgal Jos 5:9 1Sa 11:14,15

16 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.

Shimei It appears that Shimei was a powerful chieftain in the land, for he had here in his retinue no less than a thousand men. 2Sa 16:5-13 1Ki 2:8,36-46

hasted Job 2:4 Pr 6:4,5 Mt 5:25

17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.

Ziba 2Sa 19:26,27 9:2,10 16:1-4

18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;

And there The LXX. connecting this with preceding verse, render, () `and they made ready jordan before the king, and did the necessary service to bring over the king;' and the Vulgate has, `and breaking into Jordan, they passed the fords before the king, to bring over the king's household.' Josephus says they prepared a {bridge} over the Jordan, to facilitate his passage.

what he thought good [heb] the good in his eyes
fell down Ps 66:3 81:15 Re 3:9

19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.

And said Ec 10:4

Let not 1Sa 22:15 Ps 32:2 Ro 4:6-8 2Co 5:19

remember Ps 79:8 Isa 43:25 Jer 31:34

did perversely 2Sa 16:5-9 Ex 10:16,17 1Sa 26:21 Mt 27:4

take it 2Sa 13:20,33 1Sa 25:25

20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

I am come Ps 78:34-37 Jer 22:23 Ho 5:15

Joseph 2Sa 19:9 16:5 Ge 48:14,20 1Ki 12:20,25 Ho 4:15-17 5:3

21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?

Shall not Ex 22:28 1Ki 21:10,11

cursed 2Sa 16:5,7,13 1Sa 24:6 26:9

22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?

What have 2Sa 3:39 16:10 1Sa 26:8 Mt 8:29

shall there any man 1Sa 11:12 Isa 16:5 Lu 9:54-56

23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

Thou shalt 1Ki 2:8,9,37,46

sware 1Sa 28:10 30:15 Heb 6:16

24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

Mephibosheth 2Sa 9:6 16:3

dressed his feet Literally, {made his feet}, which seems to mean washing the feet paring the nails, and perhaps anointing or otherwise perfuming them, if not tinging the nails with {henna}; see Note on De 21:12. Sir John Chardin, in his MS note on this place, informs us, that it is customary in the East to have as much care of the feet as the hands; and that their barbers cut and adjust the nails with a proper instrument, because they often go barefoot. The nails of the toes of the mummies inspected in London in 1763, of which an account is given in the Philosophical Transactions for 1764, seem to have been tinged with some reddish colour. 2Sa 15:30 Isa 15:2 Jer 41:5 Mt 6:16 Ro 12:15 Heb 13:3

trimmed Literally, {made his beard}, which may mean, combing, curling, and perfuming it. but Mr. Morier says that they almost universally dye the beard black, by successive layers of a paste made of henna, and another made of the leaf of the indigo: the first tinging with an orange colour, and the next with a dark bottle gray, which becomes jet black when exposed to the air for twenty-four hours.

25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?

Wherefore 2Sa 16:17

26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.

I will saddle 2Sa 16:2,3

thy servant 2Sa 4:4

27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

slandered 2Sa 16:3 Ex 20:16 Ps 15:3 101:5 Jer 9:4

as an angel 2Sa 14:17,20 1Sa 29:9

28 For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?

were Ge 32:10

dead men [heb] men of death 1Sa 26:16

didst thou 2Sa 9:7,8,10,13

to cry 2Ki 8:3

29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.

Why speakest Job 19:16,17 Pr 18:13 Ac 18:15

thou De 19:17-19 Ps 82:2 101:5

30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.

Yea 2Sa 1:26 Ac 20:24 Php 1:20

31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

1Ki 2:7 Ezr 2:61 Ne 7:63

32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

fourscore Ge 5:27 9:29 25:7 47:28 50:26 De 34:7 Ps 90:3-10 Pr 16:31

provided 2Sa 17:27

for he was 1Sa 25:2 Job 1:3

33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.

Come thou 2Sa 9:11 Mt 25:34-40 Lu 22:28-30 2Th 1:7

34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

How long have I to live? [heb] How many days are the years of my life? Ge 47:9 Job 14:14 Ps 39:5,6 1Co 7:29 Jas 4:14

35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

can I discern Job 6:30 12:11 Heb 5:14 1Pe 2:3

taste Ec 12:1-5

I hear Ezr 2:65 Ne 7:67 Ex 2:8 12:4

a burden 2Sa 13:25 15:33

36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

the king Lu 6:38

37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

Let thy The whole of this little episode is extremely interesting, and contains an affecting description of the infirmities of old age. The venerable and kind Barzillai was fourscore years old; his ear was become dull of hearing, and his {relish} for even royal dainties was gone: the evil days had arrived in which he was constrained to say, `I have no pleasure in them.' Ec 12:1 As he was too old either to enjoy the pleasures of a court, or to be of any further service to the king, he finishes his affecting address to the aged monarch with the request, that he would suffer him to enjoy what old men naturally desire, to `die in mine own city, be buried by the grave of my father and mother;' at the same time commending his son Chimham to his kind offices.

I may die Ge 48:21 Jos 23:14 Lu 2:29,30 2Ti 4:6 2Pe 1:14

by the grave Ge 47:30 49:29-31 50:13 1Ki 13:22

Chimham 2Sa 19:40 1Ki 2:7 Jer 41:17

38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.

require [heb] choose

39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.

the king The kiss was the token of friendship and farewell; the blessing was a prayer to God for his prosperity: probably a prophetical benediction.

kissed Barzillai Ge 31:55 45:15 Ru 1:14 1Ki 19:20 Ac 20:37 1Th 5:26

blessed 2Sa 6:18,20 13:25 Ge 14:19 28:3 47:7,10 Lu 2:34

returned Ge 31:55 Nu 24:25 1Sa 24:22

40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

Chimham [heb] Chimhan
all the people 2Sa 19:11-15 Ge 49:10 Mt 21:9

41 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

Why have Jud 8:1 12:1 Joh 7:5,6

stolen 2Sa 19:3 Ge 31:26,27

42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift?

Because 2Sa 19:12 5:1 1Ch 2:3-17

43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

We have 2Sa 20:1,6 1Ki 12:16

ten parts 2Sa 5:1 Pr 13:10

despise us [heb] set us at light
our advice 2Sa 19:9,14 Ga 5:20,26 Php 2:3

the words Jud 8:1 9:23 12:1-6 Pr 15:1 17:14 18:19 Ro 12:21 Ga 5:15,20 Jas 1:20 3:2-10,14-16 4:1-5

Whatever value or respect the men of Israel at this time professed for their king, they would not have quarrelled so fiercely about their own credit and interest in recalling him, if they had been truly sorry for their former rebellion.