28 See, H7200 I will tarry H4102 in the plain H6160 H5679 of the wilderness, H4057 until there come H935 word H1697 from you to certify H5046 me.
Now therefore send H7971 quickly, H4120 and tell H5046 David, H1732 saying, H559 Lodge H3885 not this night H3915 in the plains H6160 H5679 of the wilderness, H4057 but speedily H5674 pass over; H5674 lest the king H4428 be swallowed up, H1104 and all the people H5971 that are with him.
And all the country H776 wept H1058 with a loud H1419 voice, H6963 and all the people H5971 passed over: H5674 the king H4428 also himself passed over H5674 the brook H5158 Kidron, H6939 and all the people H5971 passed over, H5674 toward H6440 the way H1870 of the wilderness. H4057
And the king H4428 said H559 unto Ziba, H6717 What meanest thou by these? And Ziba H6717 said, H559 The asses H2543 be for the king's H4428 household H1004 to ride on; H7392 and the bread H3899 and summer fruit H7019 for the young men H5288 to eat; H398 and the wine, H3196 that such as be faint H3287 in the wilderness H4057 may drink. H8354
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 15
Commentary on 2 Samuel 15 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 15
Absalom's name signifies "the peace of his father,' yet he proves his greatest trouble; so often are we disappointed in our expectations from the creature. The sword entailed upon David's house had hitherto been among his children, but now it begins to be drawn against himself, with this aggravation, that he may thank himself for it, for, had he done justice upon the murderer, he would have prevented the traitor. The story of Absalom's rebellion begins with this chapter, but we must go over three or four more before we see the end of it. In this chapter we have,
2Sa 15:1-6
Absalom is no sooner restored to his place at court than he aims to be in the throne. He that was unhumbled under his troubles became insufferably proud when they were over; and he cannot be content with the honour of being the king's son, and the prospect of being his successor, but he must be king now. His mother was a king's daughter; on that perhaps he valued himself, and despised his father, who was but the son of Jesse. She was the daughter of a heathen king, which made him the less concerned for the peace of Israel. David, in this unhappy issue of that marriage, smarted for his being unequally yoked with an unbeliever. When Absalom was restored to the king's favour, if he had had any sense of gratitude, he would have studied how to oblige his father, and make him easy; but, on the contrary, he meditates how to undermine him, by stealing the hearts of the people from him. Two things recommend a man to popular esteem-greatness and goodness.
2Sa 15:7-12
We have here the breaking out of Absalom's rebellion, which he had long been contriving. It is said to be after forty years, v. 7. But whence it is to be dated we are not told; not from David's beginning his reign, for then it would fall in the last year of his life, which is not probable; but either from his first anointing by Samuel seven years before, or rather (I think) from the people's desiring a king, and the first change of the government into a monarchy, which might be about ten years before David began to reign; it is fitly dated thence, to show that the same restless spirit was still working, and still they were given to change: as fond now of a new man as then of a new model. So it fell about the thirtieth year of David's reign. Absalom's plot being now ripe for execution,
2Sa 15:13-23
Here is,
2Sa 15:24-30
Here we have,
2Sa 15:31-37
Nothing, it seems, appeared to David more threatening in Absalom's plot than that Ahithophel was in it; for one good head, in such a design, is worth a thousand good hands. Absalom was himself no politician, but he had got one entirely in his interest that was, and would be the more dangerous because he had been all along acquainted with David's counsels and affairs; if therefore he can be baffled, Absalom is as good as routed and the head of the conspiracy cut off. This David endeavours to do.