2 Samuel 18:4

18:1-8 How does David render good for evil! Absalom would have only David smitten; David would have only Absalom spared. This seems to be a resemblance of man's wickedness towards God, and God's mercy to man, of which it is hard to say which is most amazing. Now the Israelites see what it is to take counsel against the Lord and his anointed.

And the king said unto them, what seemeth you best I will do,.... Which was an instance of great condescension in him; and it was his wisdom and prudence to yield to them at such a time as this, and especially as their sentiments were founded on affection and loyalty to him: and the king stood by the gate side; of the city of Mahanaim: and all the people came out by hundreds, and by thousands; and passed by him, to whom no doubt he gave his blessing and best wishes; and, as Abarbinel thinks, now it was he composed and said the twentieth psalm, "The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble", &c. Psalm 20:1.

(4) What seemeth you best. —David was nothing loth to avoid the personal encounter with his son, and readily yielded, He, however, encouraged the troops by reviewing them as they passed out, and improved the opportunity to give his generals special and public charge concerning Absalom. He speaks of him tenderly as “the young man” ( 2Samuel 18:5 ; comp. 2Samuel 18:29 ; 2Samuel 18:32 ), to imply that his sin was a youthful indiscretion.

Ahimaaz was a well-known runner 2 Samuel 18:27 . Speed was a heroic virtue in those simple times (compare 2 Samuel 2:18 ). In Hezekiah's reign 2 Chronicles 30:6 , 2 Chronicles 30:10 we find an establishment of running post-men; and the same name ("runners") is given Esther 3:13 to the Persian posts, though at that time they rode on mules and camels. Bear tidings - The original word is used almost exclusively of bearing good tidings, and hence, is rendered in the Septuagint (though not always) εὐαγγίζεσθαι euangelizesthai 2 Samuel 4:10; 1 Samuel 31:9. In 2 Samuel 18:21, it is not "carry the good tidings," but "tell," simply "announce."

CHAPTER 18 2Sa 18:1-4. David Reviewing the Armies. 1, 2. David numbered the people that were with him—The hardy mountaineers of Gilead came in great numbers at the call of their chieftains, so that, although without money to pay any troops, David soon found himself at the head of a considerable army. A pitched battle was now inevitable. But so much depending on the life of the king, he was not allowed to take the field in person; and he therefore divided his forces into three detachments under Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, the commander of the foreign guards.

The king gave his consent to these proposals, and went to the side of the gate, whilst the people went out by hundreds and thousands; but in the hearing of all he commanded the principal generals, "Mildly for me (i.e., deal gently for my sake) with the boy Absalom." לאט is not the imperative of לאט, to cover over, which would not suit the connection, and could not be construed with ל, but an adverb from אט, as in Isaiah 8:6 ; 1 Kings 21:27 ; Job 15:11 .

2 Samuel 21:18 . After this — After the battle last mentioned. There was again a battle at Gob — Or in Gezer, as in 1 Chronicles 20:4 , whereby it seems Gob and Gezer were neighbouring places, and the battle was fought in the confines of both. Sibbechai the Hushathite — One of David’s worthies, 1 Chronicles 11:29 ; slew Saph — One of the same race of Rephaims, descended from the Anakims.

Bibl . iii. 2977, n. 14. the stone of Israel ] If used as a Divine title, the “stone” ( ’eben ) is here substituted for the more usual “rock” ( ṣûr ). Cf. Deuteronomy 32:4 ; 1 Samuel 2:2 ; 2 Samuel 22:2 ; Psalm 18:2 ; Psalm 18:31 . It is very possible that the allusion may be to the stone ( ’eben ) of Bethel ( Genesis 28:18 ), or even to the great stone of Shechem ( Joshua 24:26-27 ), the sanctuary of the tribe and the burial-place of Joseph. “The Name of the Shepherd of the Stone of Israel” is thus a possible, though a cumbrous title with a reference to the stone of Bethel ( Genesis 31:13 ). Genesis 49:24