me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.

8 For thy servant i vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.

9 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

10 T But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, " David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people P increased continually with Absalom.

r

13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day a make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go bwhither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.

21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall " appoint.

W

16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.

h1 Sam. 16. 2-i Gen. 23. 20, 21-k Chap. 13. 38-11 Sam. 9. 13. & 16. 3, 5. m Gen. 20. 5.--n Psa. 41. 9. & 55. 12, 13, 14-6 Josh. 15. 51.-p Psa 3. 1.-r Ver. 6. Judg. 9. 3-8 Ch. 19. 9. Psa 3, title Heb. thrust-u Heb. choose.

Verse 8. While I abode at Geshur in Syria] Geshur, the country of Talmai, was certainly not in Syria, but lay on the south of Canaan in or near Edom, as is evident from Judges i. 10. 1 Sam. xxvii. 8. 2 Sam. xiii. 37. Hence it is probable that DN Aram, Syria, is a mistake for DIN Edom;daleth, andresh, being easily interchangeable. Edom is the reading both of the Syriac and Arabic.

I will serve the LORD.] Here he pretended to be a strict follower of Jehovah, even while he was in a heathen country; and he now desires liberty to go and perform a vow at Hebron, which he pretends to have made while he was resident at Geshur. And all this was the more perfectly to organize his system of rebellion against his venerable father.

Verse 10. Absalom sent spies] These persons were to go into every tribe; and the trumpet was to be blown as a signal for all to arise, and proclaim Absalom in every place. The trumpet was probably used as a kind of telegraph by the spies: trumpet exciting trumpet from place to place; so that, in a few minutes, all Israel would hear the proclamation.

Verse 11. Went two hundred men] These were probably soldiers, whom he supposed would be of considerable consequence to him. They had been seduced by his specious conduct; but knew nothing of his present design. Verse 12. Sent for Ahithophel] When Absalom got him, he, in effect, got the prime minister of the kingdom to join him.

Verse 13. The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom] It is very difficult to account for this general defection of the people. Several reasons are given;-1. David was old, or afflicted, and could not well attend to the administration of justice in the land. 2. It does appear that the king did not attend to the affairs of state; and that there were no properly appointed judges in the land, see ver. 3. 3. Joab's power was overgrown; he was wicked and insolent, oppressive to the people, and David was afraid to execute the laws against him. 4. There were still some partisans of the house of Saul, who thought the crown not fairly obtained by David. 5. David was under the displeasure of the Almighty, for his adultery with Bathsheba, and his murder of Uriah; and God let his enemies loose against him. 6. There are always troublesome and disaffected men in every state, and under every government, who can never rest, and are ever hoping for something from a change. 7. Absalom appeared to be the real, and was the undisputed heir, to the throne: David could not, in the course of nature, live very long; and most people are

24 And lo, Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, f bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back

v Psa. 3, title-w Heb. at his feet-x Ch. 16. 21, 22-y Ch. 8. 13-1 Ch 18 2 a Heb. make thee wander in going-b 1 Sat 23. 13-c Ruth 1. 16 17. Prov. 17. 17& 18. 24.-d Called, John 18. 1, Cedron.-e Ch. 16. 2-f Nunb. 4. 15.

more disposed to hail the beams of the rising, than exult in those of the setting sun. No doubt some of these causes operated; and perhaps most of them exerted less or more influence in this most scandalous business.

Verse 14. David said—Arise—let us fice] This, I believe, was the first time ever David turned his back to his enemies. And why did he now fly? Jerusalem, far from not being in a state to sustain a siege, was so strong that even the blind and the lame were supposed to be sufficient defence for the walls, see chap. v. 6. And he had still with him his faithful Cherethites and Pelethites; besides six hundred faithful Gittites, who were perfectly willing to follow his fortunes. There does not appear any reason why such a person, in such circumstances, should not act on the defensive; at least till he should be fully satisfied of the real complexion of affairs. But he appears to take all as coming from the hand of God; therefore he humbles himself, weeps, goes barefoot, and covers his head! He does not even hasten his departure; for the habit of mourners is not the habit of those who are flying before the face of their enemies. He sees the storm, and he yields to what he conceives to be the tempest of the Almighty.

Verse 17. And tarried in a place] He probably waited till he saw all his friends safely out of the city.

Verse 19. Thou art a stranger, and also an exile.] Some suppose that Ittai was the son of Achish, king of Gath, who was very much attached to David, and banished from his father's court on that account. He, and his six hundred men, are generally supposed to have been proselytes to the Jewish religion.

Verse 20. Mercy and truth be with thee.] May God ever show thee mercy, as thou showest it to me; and his truth ever preserve thee from error and delusion.

Verse 23. The brook Kidron] This was an inconsiderable brook; and only furnished with water in winter, and in the rains. See John xviii. 1.

Verse 24. Bearing the ark] The priests knew that God had given the kingdom to David; they had no evidence that he had deposed him; they, therefore, chose to accompany him, and take the ark, the object of their charge, with them.

Verse 25. Carry back the ark] David shows here great confidence in God, and great humility. The ark was too precious to be exposed to the dangers of his migrations; he knew that God would restore him, if he delighted in him and he was not willing to carry off from the city of God that without which the public worship could not be carried on. He felt, therefore, more for this public worship,

27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

m

28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify. me.

29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there. And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went Pbarefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, " turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him, w with his coat rent, and earth upon his head;

33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me: 34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

Ps. 43. 3.-h Numb. 14. 8. 2 Sam. 22. 20. 1 Kings 10. 9. 2 Chron. 9. 8. Isai. 62 4-i 1 Sam. 3. 13.-k 1 Sam. 9. 9.-1 See Chap. 17. 17-m Chap. 17. 16-n Heb. going up, and weeping.-o Ch. 19. 4. Esther 6. 12-p Isai. 20. 2, 4.-r Jer. 14. 3, 4.

Psa. 126. 6.

and the honour of God, than he did for his own personal -safety.

Verse 27. Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace] That is, As thou art the only organ of the public worship, that worship cannot be carried on without thee; and, as thou art the priest of God, thou hast no cause to fear for thy personal safety: the nation has not abandoned their God, though they have abandoned their king. It appears also, that he wished these priests, by means of their sons, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, to send him frequent intelligence of the motions and operations of the enemy.

Verse 30. Had his head covered] This was not only the attitude of a mourner, but even of a culprit; they usually had their heads covered when condemned; see the case of Haman. When the king had pronounced his condemnation, they immediately covered his face, and led him out to punishment. Esth. vii. 8. See also Quintus Curtius, De Philota, cap. 6. I. Lictor; caput obnubito.

35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 Behold, they have there a with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.

с

b

37 So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem. CHAPTER XVI.

Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth, meets David with provisions; and, by false insinua. tions, obtains the grant of his master's property, 1-4. Shimei abuses and curses David; who restrains Abishai from slaying him, 5-14. Hushai makes a feigned tender of his service to Absalom, 15-19. Absalom calls a council; and Abithophel advises him to go to his father's concubines, 2-22 Character of Ahithophel as a counsellor, 23.

d

the top of the hill, behold, Ziba ND 4 when David was a little past An Exod. Isr.

468. Anno ante 1. Olymp. 247.

the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred of summerfruits, and a bottle of wine.

2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer-fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

3 And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, Today shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

h

4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

t Psa. 3. 1, 2 & 55. 12, &c-u Ch. 16. 23. & 17. 14, 23.--y Josh. 16. 2-w Ch. 1. 2 x Ch. 19. 35-y Ch. 16. 19-z Ch. 17. 15, 16.- Ver. 27-b Ch. 16. 16. 1 Chron. 27. 33-c Ch. 16. 15.- Ch. 15. 30, 32-e Ch. 9. 2-f Ch. 15. 23. & 17. 29.-g Ch. 19. 27.h Prov. 18. 13.-i Heb. I do obeisance.

most sublime genius and character, a prophet of the Most High God, and the deliverer of his country, driven from his dominions by his own son, abandoned by his fickle people, and, for a time, even by his God! See in his desolate state that there is none so exalted that God cannot abase; and none so abased that God cannot exalt. He was forsaken for a time, and his enemies triumphed : God returned, and his enemies were confounded. His crime, it is true, was great; and God had declared by Nathan what has now come to pass. God is just, and in numberless instances sees right to show his displeasure, even at those sins which his mercy has forgiven. In all cases, it is a fearful and bitter thing to sin against the Lord. NOTES ON CHAPTER XVI. Verse 1. Two hundred loaves of bread] The word loaf gives us a false idea of the ancient Jewish bread; it was thin cakes, not yeasted and raised like ours. Bunches of raisins] See on 1 Sam. xxv. 18. Summer-fruits] These were probably pompions, cu

Verse 32. Where he worshipped God] Though in danger of his life, he stops on the top of mount Olivet for prayer! How true is the adage, Prayers and provender never hinder any man's journey. Reader, dost thou do likewise?

Hushai the Archite] He was the particular friend of David; and was now greatly affected by his calamity. Verse 33. Then thou shalt be a burden unto me] It appears that Hushai was not a warrior, but was a wise, prudent, and discreet man, who could well serve David by gaining him intelligence of the success of Absalom's conspiracy: and he directs him to form a strict confederacy with the priests, Zadok and Abiathar; and to make use of their sons as couriers between Jerusalem and David's place of retreat.

Verse 37. Absalom came into Jerusalem.] It is very probable that he and his partisans were not far from the city when David left it; and this was one reason which caused him to hurry his departure.

READER, behold in the case of David a sad vicissitude of human affairs; and a fearful proof of their instability. Behold a king, the greatest that ever lived; a profound politician, an able general, a brave soldier a poet of the

used in those countries to refresh travellers in the burning heat of the summer. Mr. Harmer supposes they are called summer-fruits on this very account.

A bottle of wine.] A goat's skin full of wine: this I have already shown was the general bottle in the Eastern countries, see on 1 Sam. xxv. 18.

Verse 2. The asses be for the king's household] This is the Eastern method of speaking when any thing is presented to a great man. "This and this is for the slaves of the servants of your majesty ;" when at the same time the presents are intended for the sovereign himself, and are so understood. It is a high Eastern compliment. These presents are not worthy of your acceptance; they are only fit for the slaves of your slaves.

Verse 3. To-day shall the house of Israel] What a base wretch was Ziba! and how unfounded was this accusation against the peaceable, loyal, and innocent Mephibosheth.

Verse 4. Thine are all This conduct of David was very rash; he spoiled an honourable man to reward a villain, not giving himself time to look into the circumstances of the case. But David was in heavy afflictions; and these, sometimes, make even a wise man mad. Nothing should be done rashly: he who is in the habit of obeying the first impulse of his passions or feelings, will seldom do a right action; and never keep a clear conscience.

5 And when King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.

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.

m

7 And thus said Shimei, when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou" man of Belial:

8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all P 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, because thou art a bloody man.

9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. ▾ Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so ?

W

11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, w 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. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

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 cast dust.

14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

15 And Absalom, and all the people the men

k Ch. 19. 16. 1 Kings 2. 8, 44-4 Or, he still came forth and cursed.- Heb. man of blood-n Dent. 13. 13-0 Judg. 9. 21, 56, 57. 1 Kings 2 32, 33-p See Ch. 1. 16. & 3 23, 29. & 4. 11, 12 --q Heb. behold thee in thy evil -r 1 Sam. 21. 14. Ch. 9. 8. 8 Exod. 22 23-t Chap. 19. 22. 1 Pet. 2 23-u See 2 Kings 18. 25. Lain. 3. 38. ▾ Rom. 9. 20.-w Ch. 12. 11.-x Gen. 15. 4.-y Or, tears.

Verse 5. David came to Bahurim] This place lay northward of Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin. It is called Almon, Josh. xxi. 18; and Alemeth, 1 Chron. vi. 60. Bahurim signifies youths, and Alemuth youth; so the names are of the same import.

Cursed still as he came] Used imprecations and exe

crations.

Verse 10. Because the LORD hath said] The particle veki, should be translated for if, not because. FOR if the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David, who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

Verse 11. Let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.] No soul of man can suppose that ever God bade one man to curse another; much less that he commanded such a wretch as Shimei to curse such a man as David: but this is a peculiarity of the Hebrew language, which does not always distinguish between permission and commandment. Often the Scripture attributes to God what he only permits to be done; or what, in the course of his providence, he does not hinder. David, however, considers all this as being permitted of God, for his chastisement and humiliation. I cannot withhold from my readers a very elegant poetic paraphrase of this passage, from the pen of the Rev. Charles Wesley, one of the first of Christian -poets:

"Pure from the blood of Saul in vain,
He dares not to the charge reply:
Urink's doth the charge maintain,
Uriah's doth against him cry!
Let Shimei curse: the rod he bears
For sins which mercy had forgiven
And in the wrongs of man reveres
The awful righteousness of heaven.
Lord, I adore thy righteous will,
Through every instrument of ill
My Father's goodness see:
Accept the complicated wrong

Of Shime's hand, and Shimei's tongue,
As kind rebukes from thee."

Verse 15. The men of Israel] These words are wanting in the Chaldee, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic; and in two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.

Verse 18. Whom the LORD and this people-choose] Here is an equivoke: Hushai meant, in his heart, that

of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

d

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.

f

17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?

18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

19 And again, who should I serve? should 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 T Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left 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. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with David and with Absalom.

CHAPTER XVII.

Ahithophel counsels Absalom to pursue his father with twelve thousand men, 1–4 Hushai gives a different counsel, and is followed, 5-14. Bushai informs Zaduk end Abiathar; and they send word to David, 15-21. David and his men go beyond Jordan, 22 Ahithophel, finding his counsel slighted, goes home, sets his base m order, and hangs himself, 23. David moves to Mahanaim; and Abajom fodows him over Jordan, 24-26. Several friends meet David at Mahanaim, with refreakments and provisions, 27-29.

M Absalom, Let me now choose out

OREOVER, Ahithophel said unto An Exod. I.

twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

466 Anno ante 1. Olymp. 27.

2 And I will come upon him, while he is "weary

z Heb age. Gen 29.32 1Nam 1. 11. Paa. 25 19 Ta Rem và anh Hoa đình trong him with dust-e Ch. 15. 37-d Ch. 15. 37e Heb. Let the king live-f Ch. 19. 25. Prov. 17. 17-g Chap. 15. 34-h Chap. 15. 16. & 20, 3-1 Gen. 34. 30 1 Sam. 13 4 k Chap 2. 7. Zech & 13-1 Chap. 12. 11, 12-m Heb. word.-n Ch. 15. 12-o Sea Deut 25. 19. Ch. 16. 14.

God, and all the people of Israel, had chosen Darid; but he spake so as to make Absalom believe that he spoke of him: for whatever of insincerity may appear in this, Hushai is alone answerable. What he says afterward may be understood in the same way.

Verse 21. Go in unto thy father's concubines] It may be remembered that David left ten of them behind, to take care of the house, see ch. xv. 16. Ahithophel advised this infernal measure, in order to prevent the possibility of a reconciliation between David and his son: thus was the prophecy of Nathan fulfilled, ch. xii. 11. And this was probably transacted in the very same place that David's eye took the adulterous view of Bath-sheba: see ch. xi. 2.

The wives of the conquered king were always the property of the conqueror; and, in possessing these, he appeared to possess the right to the kingdom. Herodotus informs us that Smerdis, having seized on the Persian throne after the death of Cambyses, espoused all the wives of his predecessor, lib. iii. c. 68. But for a son to take his father's wives, was the sum of abomination, and was death by the law of God, Lev. xx. 11. This was a sin rarely found, even among the Gentiles.

Every part of the conduct of Absalom shows him to have been a most profligate young man: he was proud, vindictive, adulterous, incestuous, a parricide, and, in fine, reprobate to every good word and work. We still, how ever, recollect that David had grievously sinned; and we should also recollect that he suffered grievously for it; and that his humiliation, repentance, and amendment, were most decisive and exemplary. Reader! God is as just as he is merciful.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XVII. Verse 1. Let me now choose out twelve thousand men] Had this counsel been followed, David and his little troop would soon have been destroyed: nothing but the miraculous interposition of God could have saved them. Twelve thousand chosen troops coming against him, in his totally unprepared state, would have soon settled the business of the kingdom. Ahithophel well saw that, this advice neglected, all was lost.

and weak-handed, and will make him afraid: and| all the people that are with him shall flee: and I will smite the king only:

3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. 4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not, speak thou.

7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counrel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.

8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be "chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

9 Behold, he is hid now in some pít, or in some other place and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

Χ

10 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant

men.

11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

a

12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.

14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

d

15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did

p Zech. 13 7-q Heb. was right in the eyes, of &c. 1 Sam. 18. 20.-r Heb. what is in his mouth. Heb. wordt Heb. counselled-u Heb. bitter of soul. Julg. 19. 25. -v Hos 13 8-w Heb. fallen-x Josh. 2 11-y Judg. 20. 1.---z Gen. 22 17-a lleb that thy face, or presence go, &c.--b Ch. 15. 31,34.- Heb. commanded-d Ch. 15. 35-e Ch. 15. 23.-f Ch. 15. 27, 36.-g Josh. 2. 4, &c.

Verse 3. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned] Only secure David, and all Israel will be on thy side. He is the soul of the whole; destroy him, and all

the rest will submit.

Verse 8. As a bear robbed of her whelps] All wild beasts are very furious when robbed of their young: but we have some remarkable instances of the maternal affection of the bear in such circumstances; see one at the end of the chapter.

Verse 13. Shall all Israel bring ropes to that city] The original word n chabalim, which signifies ropes, and from which we have our word cable, may have some peculiarity of meaning here: for it is not likely that any city could be pulled down with ropes. The Chaldee, which should be best judge in this case, translates the original word by masheryan, towers; this gives an easy

sense.

Verse 17. En-rogel] The fullers' well; the place where they were accustomed to tread the clothes with their feet; hence the name y ein, a well, and a regel, the foot, because of the treading above-mentioned.

And a wench went and told them] The word wench occurs nowhere else in the Holy Scriptures; and indeed, has no business here, as the Hebrew word now shiphchah, should have been translated girl, maid, maid-servant. The word either comes from the Anglo-Saxon pencle, a

Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled,

16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told King David.

18 Nevertheless, a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.

19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. 20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told King David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

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22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not "followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and P put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra, an Israelite, that went in to Abigail" the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

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26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and y Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

h Josh. 15. 7. & 18. 16.-i Ch. 16. 5.-k See Josh. 2 6-1 See Exod. 1. 19. Josh. 2 4,5-m Ver. 15, 16.-n Heb. done.-- Ch. 15. 12.-p Heb. gave charge concerning his house. 2 Kings 20. 1.-q Matt. 27. 5.--r Gen. 32. 2 fosh. 13. 26. Chap. 2. S s Or, Jether an Ishmaelite.t 1 Chron. 2. 16, 17.- Heb. Abigal. Or, Jesse. See 1 Chron. 2. 13, 16.-w See Ch. 10. & 12. 30.---x Ch. 9. 4.-y Ch. 19. 31, 32 1 Kings 2 7. maid, or the Belgic wunch, desire, a thing wished for: multum enim ut plurimum Puelle, a Juvenibus desiderantur, seu appetuntur. So Minsheu. Junius scems more willing to derive it from wince, to frisk, to be skittish, &c.; for reasons sufficiently obvious, and which he gives at length. After all, it may as likely come from the Gothic wens, or weins, a word frequently used in the Gospels of the Codex Argenteus for wife. Coverdale's Bible, 1585, has damsell. Beck's Bible, 1549, has wenche. The same in Cardmarden's Bible, 1566; but it is maid in Barker's Bible, 1615. Wench is more of a Scotticism than maid or damsel; and King James probably restored it, as he is said to have done lad, in Gen. xxi. 12. and elsewhere. In every other place where the word occurs, our translators render it handmaid, bondmaid, maiden, woman-servant, maid-servant, and servant. Such is the latitude with which they translate the same Hebrew term, in almost innumerable instances!

Verse 23. Pul his household in order] This selfmurder could not be called lunacy, as every step to it was deliberate. He foresaw Absalom's ruin; and he did not choose to witness it, and share in the disgrace. He was a very bad man, and died an unprepared and accursed death.

Verse 25. Amasa captain of the host] From the account in this verse, it appears that Joab and Amasa were sisters' children, and both nephews to David.