2 Samuel 14:10

14:1-20 We may notice here, how this widow pleads God's mercy, and his clemency toward poor guilty sinners. The state of sinners is a state of banishment from God. God pardons none to the dishonour of his law and justice, nor any who are impenitent; nor to the encouragement of crimes, or the hurt of others.

And the king said, whoever saith ought unto thee,.... Demanding her to deliver up her son to justice, and reproaching her for not doing it: bring him to me; give him in charge to a proper officer to be brought before me, and I shall chastise him for it: and he shall not touch thee any more; give her any further trouble, by words or deeds.

The iniquity be on me ... - Compare the principle in Genesis 9:5-6 ; Numbers 35:30-34 . The woman therefore says, if there is any such guilt in sparing my son, may it rest upon me and my house, not on David and his throne. Compare 2 Samuel 3:28 . The cunning speech of the woman extracted a more direct promise of protection from the king 2 Samuel 14:1 .

9. the woman said … O king, the iniquity be on me—that is, the iniquity of arresting the course of justice and pardoning a homicide, whom the Goel was bound to slay wherever he might find him, unless in a city of refuge. This was exceeding the royal prerogative, and acting in the character of an absolute monarch. The woman's language refers to a common precaution taken by the Hebrew judges and magistrates, solemnly to transfer from themselves the responsibility of the blood they doomed to be shed, either to the accusers or the criminals (2Sa 1:16; 3:28); and sometimes the accusers took it upon themselves (Mt 27:25).

The plan succeeded. The king replied to the woman, "Go home, I will give charge concerning thee," i.e., I will give the necessary commands that thy son may not be slain by the avenger of blood. This declaration on the part of the king was perfectly just. If the brothers had quarrelled, and one had killed the other in the heat of the quarrel, it was right that he should be defended from the avenger of blood, because it could not be assumed that there was any previous intention to murder. This declaration therefore could not be applied as yet to David's conduct towards Absalom. But the woman consequently proceeded to say ( 2 Samuel 14:9 ), "My lord, O king, let the guilt be upon me and upon my father's house, and let the king and his throne be guiltless." כּסּא, the throne, for the government or reign. The meaning of the words is this: but if there should be anything wrong in the fact that this bloodshed is not punished, let the guilt fall upon me and my family. The king replied ( 2 Samuel 14:10 ), "Whosoever speaketh to thee, bring him to me; he shall not touch thee any more." אליך does not stand for עליך, "against thee;" but the meaning is, whoever speaks to thee any more about this, i.e., demands thy son of thee again.

Joab then advanced with his army to battle against Aram, and "they fled before him." - 2 Samuel 10:14 . When the Ammonites perceived this, they also fled before Abishai, and drew back into the city (Rabbah); whereupon Joab returned to Jerusalem, probably because as we may infer from 2 Samuel 11:1 , it was too late in the year for the siege and capture of Rabbah.

Verse 14. - So Joab returned. It seems strange to us that Joab should have made no attempt to follow up his victory. But as the Ammonites were posted close to the gate of their city, they would withdraw into it without less as soon as they learned that their allies were defeated. There was thus the certainty of a long siege before Rabbah could be taken. We gather from 2 Samuel 11:1 that it was late in the year when Joab won this victory, and it was part of the weakness of ancient warfare that a long campaign was beyond the power of either side. 2 Samuel 10:14

18–23. Exploits of Abishai and Benaiah 18 . Abishai ] David’s valiant but hard-hearted nephew, who shared the command of the army with his brother Joab in the Ammonite war and in Absalom’s rebellion (ch. 2 Samuel 10:10 ; 2 Samuel 10:14 , 2 Samuel 18:2 ). The characteristic trait of his nature was a blunt impetuous ferocity. See 1 Samuel 26:8 ; 2 Samuel 16:9 ; 2 Samuel 19:21 . chief among three ] The Qrî reads chief of the three ; those namely who were mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:17 . But the Kthîbh has chief of the aides-de-camp , as in 2 Samuel 23:8 . among three ] As before, among the three.