20 To H5668 fetch about H5437 this form H6440 of speech H1697 hath thy servant H5650 Joab H3097 done H6213 this thing: H1697 and my lord H113 is wise, H2450 according to the wisdom H2451 of an angel H4397 of God, H430 to know H3045 all things that are in the earth. H776
Then thine handmaid H8198 said, H559 The word H1697 of my lord H113 the king H4428 shall now be comfortable: H4496 for as an angel H4397 of God, H430 so is my lord H113 the king H4428 to discern H8085 good H2896 and bad: H7451 therefore the LORD H3068 thy God H430 will be with thee.
And when David H1732 enquired H7592 of the LORD, H3068 he said, H559 Thou shalt not go up; H5927 but fetch a compass H5437 behind H310 them, and come H935 upon them over against H4136 the mulberry trees. H1057
Let me not, I pray you, accept H5375 any man's H376 person, H6440 neither let me give flattering titles H3655 unto man. H120 For I know H3045 not to give flattering titles; H3655 in so doing my maker H6213 would soon H4592 take me away. H5375
Hast thou entered H935 into the springs H5033 of the sea? H3220 or hast thou walked H1980 in the search H2714 of the depth? H8415 Have the gates H8179 of death H4194 been opened H1540 unto thee? or hast thou seen H7200 the doors H8179 of the shadow of death? H6757 Hast thou perceived H995 the breadth H7338 of the earth? H776 declare H5046 if thou knowest H3045 it all. Where is the way H1870 where light H216 dwelleth? H7931 and as for darkness, H2822 where is the place H4725 thereof, That thou shouldest take H3947 it to the bound H1366 thereof, and that thou shouldest know H995 the paths H5410 to the house H1004 thereof? Knowest H3045 thou it, because thou wast then born? H3205 or because the number H4557 of thy days H3117 is great? H7227 Hast thou entered H935 into the treasures H214 of the snow? H7950 or hast thou seen H7200 the treasures H214 of the hail, H1259 Which I have reserved H2820 against the time H6256 of trouble, H6862 against the day H3117 of battle H7128 and war? H4421 By what H335 way H1870 is the light H216 parted, H2505 which scattereth H6327 the east wind H6921 upon the earth? H776 Who hath divided H6385 a watercourse H8585 for the overflowing of waters, H7858 or a way H1870 for the lightning H2385 of thunder; H6963 To cause it to rain H4305 on the earth, H776 where no man H376 is; on the wilderness, H4057 wherein there is no man; H120 To satisfy H7646 the desolate H7722 and waste H4875 ground; and to cause the bud H4161 of the tender herb H1877 to spring forth? H6779 Hath H3426 the rain H4306 a father? H1 or who hath begotten H3205 the drops H96 of dew? H2919 Out of whose womb H990 came H3318 the ice? H7140 and the hoary frost H3713 of heaven, H8064 who hath gendered H3205 it? The waters H4325 are hid H2244 as with a stone, H68 and the face H6440 of the deep H8415 is frozen. H3920 Canst thou bind H7194 the sweet influences H4575 of Pleiades, H3598 or loose H6605 the bands H4189 of Orion? H3685 Canst thou bring forth H3318 Mazzaroth H4216 in his season? H6256 or canst thou guide H5148 Arcturus H5906 with his sons? H1121 Knowest H3045 thou the ordinances H2708 of heaven? H8064 canst thou set H7760 the dominion H4896 thereof in the earth? H776 Canst thou lift up H7311 thy voice H6963 to the clouds, H5645 that abundance H8229 of waters H4325 may cover H3680 thee? Canst thou send H7971 lightnings, H1300 that they may go, H3212 and say H559 unto thee, Here we are? Who hath put H7896 wisdom H2451 in the inward parts? H2910 or who hath given H5414 understanding H998 to the heart? H7907 Who can number H5608 the clouds H7834 in wisdom? H2451 or who can stay H7901 the bottles H5035 of heaven, H8064 When the dust H6083 groweth H3332 into hardness, H4165 and the clods H7263 cleave fast together? H1692 Wilt thou hunt H6679 the prey H2964 for the lion? H3833 or fill H4390 the appetite H2416 of the young lions, H3715 When they couch H7817 in their dens, H4585 and abide H3427 in the covert H5521 to H3926 lie in wait? H695 Who provideth H3559 for the raven H6158 his food? H6718 when his young ones H3206 cry H7768 unto God, H410 they wander H8582 for lack H1097 of meat. H400
A lying H8267 tongue H3956 hateth H8130 those that are afflicted H1790 by it; and a flattering H2509 mouth H6310 worketh H6213 ruin. H4072
A man H1397 that flattereth H2505 his neighbour H7453 spreadeth H6566 a net H7568 for his feet. H6471
Now G1161 as touching G4012 things offered unto idols, G1494 we know G1492 that G3754 we all G3956 have G2192 knowledge. G1108 Knowledge G1108 puffeth up, G5448 but G1161 charity G26 edifieth. G3618 And G1161 if any man G1536 think G1380 that he knoweth G1492 any thing, G5100 he knoweth G1097 nothing G3762 yet G3764 as G2531 he ought G1163 to know. G1097
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Samuel 14
Commentary on 2 Samuel 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 14
2Sa 14:1-21. Joab Instructs a Woman of Tekoah.
2-21. And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman—The king was strongly attached to Absalom; and having now got over his sorrow for the violent death of Amnon, he was desirous of again enjoying the society of his favorite son, who had now been three long years absent. But a dread of public opinion and a regard to the public interests made him hesitate about recalling or pardoning his guilty son; and Joab, whose discerning mind perceived this struggle between parental affection and royal duty, devised a plan for relieving the scruples, and, at the same time, gratifying the wishes, of his master. Having procured a countrywoman of superior intelligence and address, he directed her to seek an audience of the king, and by soliciting his royal interposition in the settlement of a domestic grievance, convinced him that the life of a murderer might in some cases be saved. Tekoah was about twelve miles south of Jerusalem, and six south of Beth-lehem; and the design of bringing a woman from such a distance was to prevent either the petitioner being known, or the truth of her story easily investigated. Her speech was in the form of a parable—the circumstances—the language—the manner—well suited to the occasion, represented a case as like David's as it was policy to make it, so as not to be prematurely discovered. Having got the king pledged, she avowed it to be her design to satisfy the royal conscience, that in pardoning Absalom he was doing nothing more than he would have done in the case of a stranger, where there could be no imputation of partiality. The device succeeded; David traced its origin to Joab; and, secretly pleased at obtaining the judgment of that rough, but generally sound-thinking soldier, he commissioned him to repair to Geshur and bring home his exiled son.
7. they shall quench my coal which is left—The life of man is compared in Scripture to a light. To quench the light of Israel (2Sa 21:17) is to destroy the king's life; to ordain a lamp for any one (Ps 132:17) is to grant him posterity; to quench a coal signifies here the extinction of this woman's only remaining hope that the name and family of her husband would be preserved. The figure is a beautiful one; a coal live, but lying under a heap of embers—all that she had to rekindle her fire—to light her lamp in Israel.
9. the woman said … O king, the iniquity be on me—that is, the iniquity of arresting the course of justice and pardoning a homicide, whom the Goel was bound to slay wherever he might find him, unless in a city of refuge. This was exceeding the royal prerogative, and acting in the character of an absolute monarch. The woman's language refers to a common precaution taken by the Hebrew judges and magistrates, solemnly to transfer from themselves the responsibility of the blood they doomed to be shed, either to the accusers or the criminals (2Sa 1:16; 3:28); and sometimes the accusers took it upon themselves (Mt 27:25).
13-17. Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God, &c.—Her argument may be made clear in the following paraphrase:—You have granted me the pardon of a son who had slain his brother, and yet you will not grant to your subjects the restoration of Absalom, whose criminality is not greater than my son's, since he killed his brother in similar circumstances of provocation. Absalom has reason to complain that he is treated by his own father more sternly and severely than the meanest subject in the realm; and the whole nation will have cause for saying that the king shows more attention to the petition of a humble woman than to the wishes and desires of a whole kingdom. The death of my son is a private loss to my family, while the preservation of Absalom is the common interest of all Israel, who now look to him as your successor on the throne.
2Sa 14:22-33. Joab Brings Absalom to Jerusalem.
22. To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight—Joab betrayed not a little selfishness amid his professions of joy at this act of grace to Absalom, and flattered himself that he now brought both father and son under lasting obligations. In considering this act of David, many extenuating circumstances may be urged in favor of it; the provocation given to Absalom; his being now in a country where justice could not overtake him; the risk of his imbibing a love for heathen principles and worship; the safety and interests of the Hebrew kingdom; together with the strong predilection of the Hebrew people for Absalom, as represented by the stratagem of Joab—these considerations form a plausible apology for David's grant of pardon to his bloodstained son. But, in granting this pardon, he was acting in the character of an Oriental despot rather than a constitutional king of Israel. The feelings of the father triumphed over the duty of the king, who, as the supreme magistrate, was bound to execute impartial justice on every murderer, by the express law of God (Ge 9:6; Nu 35:30, 31), which he had no power to dispense with (De 18:18; Jos 1:8; 1Sa 10:25).
25, 26. But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty—This extraordinary popularity arose not only from his high spirit and courtly manners, but from his uncommonly handsome appearance. One distinguishing feature, seemingly an object of great admiration, was a profusion of beautiful hair. Its extraordinary luxuriance compelled him to cut it "at every year's end;" lit., "at times," "from time to time," when it was found to weigh two hundred shekels—equal to one hundred twelve ounces troy; but as "the weight was after the king's shekel," which was less than the common shekel, the rate has been reduced as low as three pounds, two ounces [Bochart], and even less by others.
28. So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face—Whatever error David committed in authorizing the recall of Absalom, he displayed great prudence and command over his feelings afterwards—for his son was not admitted into his father's presence but was confined to his own house and the society of his own family. This slight severity was designed to bring him to sincere repentance, on perceiving that his father had not fully pardoned him, as well as to convince the people of David's abhorrence of his crime. Not being allowed to appear at court, or to adopt any state, the courtiers kept aloof; even his cousin did not deem it prudent to go into his society. For two full years his liberty was more restricted, and his life more apart from his countrymen while living in Jerusalem, than in Geshur; and he might have continued in this disgrace longer, had he not, by a violent expedient, determined (2Sa 14:30) to force his case on the attention of Joab, through whose kind and powerful influence a full reconciliation was effected between him and his father.