The Second Book of Samuel, otherwise called the Second Book of the Kings
2 Samuel 16
Chapter XVI · Vol. II, pp. 699–700
1 Ziba, by presents and false suggestions, obtaineth his master's inheritance. 5 At Bahurim Shimei curseth David. 9 David with patience abstaineth, and restraineth others, from revenge. 15 Hushai insinuateth himself into Absalom's counsels. 20 Ahithophel's counsel.
1 And when David was a little past athe top of the hill, behold, bZiba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him, cwith a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread,1 and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer-fruits,2 and a bottle3 of wine.
a ch.15.30,32.
b ch.9.2,9-11.
1 The Jewish bread was formed into thin cakes, so that the two hundred would not with all the other parts of the present form an unmanageable load.—C.
2 The Septuagint translates the word 'dates.' The Targum, Grotius, &c., suppose it 'apples, plums,' &c. The quantity, 'an hundred,' forbids this conclusion. Clark's suggestion of pompions, large cucumbers, or water-melons, seems best to agree both with the quantity brought, besides they are very important articles of food in eastern countries.—C.
3 It will be recollected that the eastern bottles were of skin, so that they could easily be carried. The use of them may still be found in Europe, in the mountains of Biscay.—C.
2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to dride on; and the bread and summer-fruit for the eyoung men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
e 1 Sa.25.27.
3 And the king said, And fwhere is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for ghe said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, hthine are all that pertained unto 4Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly5 beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
h Ex.23.8. Pr.18.13,16; 17.8; 19.6. De.19.15.
4 David had therefore no dread of final deposition, but expected to be restored to Jerusalem and the throne so soon as the popular ferment was over.—C.
5 Heb. bow myself down.
5 And when king David came to iBahurim,6 behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name kwas Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and lcursed still as he came.7
i ch.3.16; 17.18; 19.16.
6 A city of Benjamin, evidently not far from Mount Olivet. The Targum considers it identical with Alemeth, 1 Ch. 6.60.—C.
k ch.19.16-23. 1 Ki.2.8,9,36-46.
l Mat.5.12. Jn.16.33. Ex.22.28. Ps.69.26; 55.3; 57.4; 64.3,4; 140.3; 120.2,3; 109.2,3.
7 Or, he still came forth and cursed.
6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people, and all the mighty men, were on his right hand and on his left.
7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou mbloody man,8 and thou nman of Belial:9
m Heb. man of bloods, ch.3.37; 4.11,12, with 12.9. Ps.5.6.
8 'Come out from the guards 'on the right and left,' that I may smite thee—a charge of cowardice to provoke David to expose himself—or 'get out, get out' of the land.—C.
9 'Out, out, thou man of blood, and worthless man.'—P.
8 The LORD hath oreturned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief,1 because thou art a bloody man.2
o Ps.3.2; 7.4. ch.i.iv. Pr.12.18; 10.18. Ju.9.24.
1 Heb. behold thee in thy evil.
2 Like the charges of passionate men in general, this of Shimei was false. The blood of the house of Saul was upon the Philistines, and not upon David. But false accusers and false witnesses may readily rise against David, for they afterwards rose against a greater—even Christ.—C.
9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this pdead dog curse my lord the king? qlet me go over, I pray 3thee, and take off his head.
p 1 Sa.24.14,15. ch.3.8; 9.8. 2 Ki.8.13.
q 1 Sa.26.8,9.
3 David was one of those who hold firm authority over their followers; even in his flight, his valiant friend does not move without asking permission.—C.
10 And the king said, rWhat have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? sso let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him,4 Curse David. tWho shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
r ch.19.22; 3.39. Lu.9.55. Ja.1.20.
s 2 Ki.18.25. La.3.38. Ge.50.20. 1 Sa.3.18. Is.10.5. Ps.39.9; 109.28. 1 Ki.22.21,22. Jn.18.11.
4 'The Lord hath said'—not by command, which were to make him the author of sin, but by that providence which being employed to punish David, affords thus an occasion to Shimei's evil temper and tongue.—C.
11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.5
5 See note on ver. 10. As it was a sin, it was of Shimei's evil heart; as an affliction, it was of God—God leaving Shimei to follow his own evil inclinations. Ro.1.24.—C.
12 It may be that the LORD will ulook on mine affliction, and that the LORD will xrequite me good for his cursing this day.
u Ge.29.32,33. Ex.2.24,25; 3.7,8.
A.M. 2983. B.C. 1021.
x De.23.5. Ro.8.28. 2 Co.4.17. Is.27.9. Jn.16.33. Ps.119.65,67,71.
13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and ycast dust.6
y Heb. dusted him with dust, Je.3.5.
6 A figurative form of condemning to death, derived from the first sentence upon sin, 'Dust thou art.'—C.
14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary,7 and refreshed themselves zthere.8
7 Rather to 'Aephim,' a place near Bahurim.—C.
z At Bahurim, ver 5.
8 The adverb of place 'there' seems to point back to the statement in the beginning of ver. 13, 'And David and his men went by the way.' 'The way' appears to be in or near the Jordan valley, from the fact of Shimei going along the hill side above them. Some suppose the Hebrew word Ayephim, translated 'weary,' to be a proper name; and that it was in it David rested.—P.
15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.9
9 Heb. Let the king live.
17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with athy friend?
18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but bwhom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
b 1 Sa.16.12,13. ch.5.1-3.
19 And again, whom should I serve? cshould I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.
20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Gived counsel among you what we shall do.
d Ex.1.10. Ps.37.12-15.
21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, eGo in unto thy father's concubines,1 which he hath leftf to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
e Ge.6.4; 29.21,23,30; 38.16; 35.22. Le.20.11. 1 Co.5.1.
1 In eastern countries the successor in the government inherited the wives of his predecessor—but this particular counsel was doubly contrary to God's law, viz. to the fifth commandment, and to Le. 20. 11. C.——He advised this shameless measure as a means of establishing Absalom in the kingdom, and to preclude the possibility of a reconciliation with David; for the wives of a conquered king were the property of the conqueror, and in possessing them, he possessed a new and peculiar right to the kingdom. Smerdis, having seized on the Persian throne after the death of Cambyses, espoused all the wives of his predecessor.—I.
f ch.15.16. Ge.49.4.
22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon gthe top of the house;2 and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
g ch. 11. 2; 12. 11, 12. Is.3.9. Nu.25.6. Job 31.9,10.
2 The scene of sin is often the scene of disgrace and punishment. From this roof David had seen Bathsheba, and here is fulfilled the terrible prophecy, ch. 12. 11, 12.—C.
Notes
Reflections.—Many, like Ziba, affect to be very generous of what is not really their own. The lying tongues of servants, and the presents of knaves, are snares and plagues to all concerned: and carnal and selfish designs are often concealed under the most seasonable and useful presents. But listening to slander, and a rash bestowal of valuable grants, prepare work for an after-shame and bitter repentance: for surely nothing is so base as to use infirmity for an occasion of injury, or to insult and abuse the miserable. Bitter is the state when an awakened conscience, and a railing neighbour, upbraid us with our guilt, while an angry God fearfully corrects us for it. Wicked revilers are fond of interpreting God's righteous judgments as a patronizing of their malice: and innocence is no protection from a malicious and lying tongue. But no provocation can warrant our revenging ourselves, and returning evil for evil. The vilest reproaches should make us to search our ways, and condemn ourselves for our real faults. To see God's hand in every trial is the way to bear it aright. Patience under reproaches will issue in our full vindication at last. And happy are they who can thus withstand the strongest temptations to revenge, when they meet with the most insolent abuse. What an easy prey are proud men to every subtile flatterer! They take all those for friends whom they would wish to be such. It is hard for crafty politicians to confine themselves to untainted veracity and candour. Nay, such will often stick at nothing, however infamous or wicked, to secure their own purposes. But let us here observe how this most abominable conduct fulfils the righteous threatenings of God. He who murdered his friend to conceal his adultery, has now ten of his concubines publicly debauched by his own son on the top of the same house where he began his crime.