Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Samuel 14

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  Joab, suborning a widow of Tekoah by a parable to incline the king's heart to fetch home Absalom, brings him to Jerusalem.
25  Absalom's beauty, hair, and children.
28  After two years, Absalom is brought into the king's presence by Joab.
Verse 1

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
A. M. 2977. B. C. 1027. An. Ex. Is. 464. Joab
2:18, 1 Chronicles 2:16
toward Absalom
13:39, 18:33, 19:2,4, Proverbs 29:26
Verse 2

And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
to Tekoah
Tekoah was a city of Judah, situated, according to Eusebius and Jerome, twelve miles south of Jerusalem. Josephus says it was not far from the castle of Herodium; and Jerome (Prologue to Amos) says it stood on a hill six miles south from Bethlehem. Dr. Poccocke places it at the same distance; and says there are still considerable ruins on the top of a hill, which is about half a mile long and a furlong broad.
2 Chronicles 11:6, 20:20, Nehemiah 3:5,27, Jeremiah 6:1, Amos 1:1
Tekoa
mourning.
11:26, Ruth 3:3, Psalms 104:15, Ecclesiastes 9:8, Matthew 6:17
Verse 3

And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
put the words
19, Exodus 4:15, Numbers 23:5, Deuteronomy 18:18, Isaiah 51:16, 59:21, Jeremiah 1:9
Verse 4

And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
fell on her
1:2, 1 Samuel 20:41, 25:23
Help
Heb. Save.
2 Kings 6:26-28, Job 29:12-14, Luke 18:3-5
Verse 5

And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
I am indeed
It is very possible that the principal incidents mentioned here were real; and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances bore a near resemblance to that which he wished to represent. She did not make the similitude too plain and visible, lest the king should see her intention before she had obtained a grant of pardon; and thus her circumstances, her mournful tale, her widow's dress, her aged person, (for Josephus says she was advanced in years,) and her impressive manner, all combined to make one united irresistible impression on the heart of the aged monarch.
12:1-3, Judges 9:8-15
Verse 6

And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
and they two
Genesis 4:8, Exodus 2:13, Deuteronomy 22:26,27
none to part
Heb. no deliverer between.
Verse 7

And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
the whole
Genesis 4:14, Numbers 35:19, Deuteronomy 19:12
so they
Genesis 27:45, Deuteronomy 25:6
quench
12:17
upon the earth
Heb. upon the face of the earth.
Verse 8

And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
I will give
12:5,6, 16:4, Job 29:16, Proverbs 18:13, Isaiah 11:3,4
Verse 9

And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
the iniquity
Genesis 27:13, 1 Samuel 25:24, Matthew 27:25
and the king
3:28,29, Numbers 35:33, Deuteronomy 21:1-9, 1 Kings 2:33
Verse 11

Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
let the king
Genesis 14:22, 24:2,3, 31:50, 1 Samuel 20:42
thou, etc
Heb. the revenger of blood do not multiply to destroy. the revengers.
Numbers 35:19,27, Deuteronomy 19:4-10, Joshua 20:3-6
As the Lord
1 Samuel 14:45, 28:10, Jeremiah 4:2
not one hair
1 Kings 1:52, Matthew 10:30, Acts 27:34
Verse 12

Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
Let thine
1 Samuel 25:24
speak one word
Genesis 18:27,32, 44:18, Jeremiah 12:1
Say on
Acts 26:1
Verse 13

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
Wherefore
12:7, 1 Kings 20:40-42, Luke 7:42-44
people
7:8, Judges 20:2
in that the king
13:37,38
Verse 14

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
we must
11:25, Job 30:23, 34:15, Psalms 90:3,10, Ecclesiastes 3:19,20, 9:5, Hebrews 9:27
as water
Job 14:7-12,14, Psalms 22:14, 79:3
neither, etc
or, because God hath not taken away his life, he hath also devised means, etc. God.
Deuteronomy 10:17, Job 34:19, Matthew 22:16, Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, 1 Peter 1:17
he devise
Exodus 21:13, Leviticus 26:40, Numbers 35:15,25,28, Isaiah 50:1,2
Verse 17

Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.
comfortable
Heb. for rest. as an angel. This is very much like the hyperbolical language which is addressed by the Hindoos to an European when they desire to obtain something from him: "Saheb," say they, "can do every thing. No one can prevent the execution of Saheb's commands. Saheb is God." Though the expression may be imputed to the hyperbolical genius of these countries, yet there was, perhaps, more of real persuasion than we are apt to suppose. Sir John Chardin states, that having found fault with the king of Persia's valuation of a rich trinket, the grand master told him that if a Persian had dared to have done such a thing, it would have been as much as his life was worth. "Know," said he, "that the kings of Persia have a general and full knowledge of matters, as sure as it is extensive; and that, equally in the greatest and smallest things, there is nothing more just and sure than what they pronounce."
20, 19:27, 1 Samuel 29:9, Proverbs 27:21, 29:5
to discern
Heb. to hear.
1 Kings 3:9,28, Job 6:30, 1 Corinthians 2:14,15; *marg:; Hebrews 5:14
Verse 18

Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
Hide not
1 Samuel 3:17,18, Jeremiah 38:14,25
Verse 19

And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
of Joab
3:27,29,34, 11:14,15, 1 Kings 2:5,6
As thy soul
11:11, 1 Samuel 1:26, 17:55, 20:3, 25:26, 2 Kings 2:2
turn
Numbers 20:17, Deuteronomy 5:32, 28:14, Joshua 1:7, Proverbs 4:27
he put
3, Exodus 4:15, Luke 21:15
Verse 20

To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
fetch
5:23
according
17, 19:27, Job 32:21,22, Proverbs 26:28, 29:5
to know
Genesis 3:5, Job 38:16-41, 1 Corinthians 8:1,2
Verse 21

And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
I have done
11, 1 Samuel 14:39, Mark 6:26
Verse 22

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.
thanked
Heb. blessed.
19:39, Nehemiah 11:2, Job 29:11, 31:20, Proverbs 31:28
I have found
Genesis 6:8, Exodus 33:16,17, Ruth 2:2, 1 Samuel 20:3
his
or, thy.
Verse 23

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
Geshur
3:3, 13:37
Verse 24

And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
let him not
28, 3:13, Genesis 43:3, Exodus 10:28, Revelation 22:4
Verse 25

But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
But in all Israel, etc
Heb. And as Absalom there was not a beautiful man in all Israel to praise greatly.
1 Samuel 9:2, 16:7, Proverbs 31:30, Matthew 23:27
from the sole
Deuteronomy 28:35, Job 2:7, Isaiah 1:6, Ephesians 5:27
Verse 26

And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
when he polled
18:9, Isaiah 3:24, 1 Corinthians 11:14
two hundred shekels
If the shekel be allowed to mean the common shekel, the amount will be utterly incredible; for Josephus says that "two hundred shekels make five minæ:" and the mina, he says, "weighs two pounds and a half;" which calculation makes Absalom's hair weigh twelve pounds and a half! But it is probable that the king's shekel was that which Epiphanius and Hesychius say was the fourth part of an ounce, half a stater, or two drachms: the whole amount, therefore, of the 200 shekels is about 50 ounces, which make 4 lb. 2 oz. troy weight, or 3 lb. 2 oz. avoirdupois. This need not be accounted incredible, especially as abundance of oil and ointment was used by the ancients in dressing their heads. Josephus informs us, that the Jews also put gold dust in their hair.
Genesis 23:16, Leviticus 19:36, Ezekiel 45:9-14
Verse 27

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
born
18:18, Job 18:16-19, Isaiah 14:22, Jeremiah 22:30
Tamar
13:1
Verse 28

So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
A. M. 2977-2979. B.C. 1027-1025. An. Ex. Is. 464-466. and saw not
Verse 29

Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.
but he would
30,31, Esther 1:12, Matthew 22:3
Verse 30

Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
near mine
Heb. near my place. go and set.
13:28,29, Judges 15:4,5
And Absalom's
1 Kings 21:9-14, 2 Kings 9:33, 10:6,7
Verse 32

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
it had been
Exodus 14:12, 16:3, 17:3
if there
Genesis 3:12, 1 Samuel 15:13, Psalms 36:2, Proverbs 28:13, Jeremiah 2:22,23, 8:12, Matthew 25:44, Romans 3:19
Verse 33

So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
A. M. 2979. B.C. 1025. An. Ex. Is. 466. kissed Absalom
Genesis 27:26, 33:4, 45:15, Luke 15:20

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