Bible Commentaries

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

(a) As they do that mourn.

And Joab came into the ^b 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;

(b) At Mahanaim.

Then the king arose, and sat in the ^c 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.

(c) Where the most resort of the people haunted.

And all the people were at ^d 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.

(d) Everyone blamed another and strove who should first bring him home.

And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the ^e 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.

(e) That they should reprove the negligence of the elders, seeing the people were so forward.

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 ^f room of Joab.

(f) By this policy David thought that by winning the captain, he would have the hearts of all the people.

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

(g) Who had before reviled him, (2 Samuel 16:13).

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

(h) For in his adversity he was his most cruel enemy, and now in his prosperity, seeks by flattery to creep into favour.

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

(i) By Joseph he means Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin (of which he was) because those three were under one standard, (Numbers 2:18).

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

(k) By my hands, or during my life, see (1 Kings 2:8,9).

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

(l) When Mephibosheth being at Jerusalem had met the King.

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

(m) Able for his wisdom to judge in all matters.

For all [of] my father's house were ⁿ 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?

(n) Worthy to die for Saul's cruelty to you.

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

(o) David did evil in taking his land from him before he knew the cause, but much worse, that knowing the truth, he did not restore them.

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 ^p burden unto my lord the king?

(p) He thought it was not fitting to receive benefits from him to whom he was not able to do service again.

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 ^q Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

(q) My son.

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

(r) Where the tribe of Judah waited to receive him.

(s) Who had taken the side of the king.

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 ^t Jordan?

(t) Toward Jerusalem.