2 Samuel 19:42

19:40-43 The men of Israel though themselves despised, and the fiercer words of the men of Judah produced very bad effects. Much evil might be avoided, if men would watch against pride, and remember that a soft answer turneth away wrath. Though we have right and reason on our side, if we speak it with fierceness, God is displeased.

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel,.... Such of them as went down to fetch the king back, replied to the men of Israel that now met them, and objected to their conduct: because the king is near of kin to us; being of their tribe, and his palace was within their borders, and therefore they were proper persons to bring him home: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? for bringing the king back, and being the first in it; for who so proper as they, not only to do their duty, but to show their affection to the king as early as possible? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? they had maintained themselves at their own expense, going and returning; they had no self-interest or selfish views to serve, but on the contrary had been at a considerable charge to meet the king, and conduct him home: or hath he given us any gift? no, he had not, nor did they expect any; it was not with a view to any reward that they had taken this step, but purely out of affection to the king, and for the good of their country.

(42) Have we eaten. —Judah justifies its course by its nearness of relationship to the king, and repels the idea of having received any especial favours from him. In this, then, may be a taunt to the Benjamites on account of the partiality shown them by Saul. On the other hand, the Israelites urge their claim of numerical superiority. The whole dispute is a remarkable testimony to the fairness of David’s government as between the tribes.

2 Samuel 19:42. The king is near of kin to us — Of the same tribe with us, and therefore both oweth the more respect to us, and might expect more respect from us. Hath he given us any gift? — We have neither sought nor gained any advantage to ourselves hereby, but only discharged our duty and testified our love to the king, and used all expedition in bringing him back, which you also should have done, and not have come by halves, and so coldly as you have done.

42 . to us ] Lit. to me : and so art thou angry : and in 2 Samuel 19:43 the pronouns are singular throughout; each party being as it were personified and regarded as a unit. 42 . have we eaten at all of the king’s cost , &c.] They defend themselves by alleging the purity of their motives. Some see in the words a side-thrust at the Benjamites, who had enjoyed special privileges during Saul’s reign ( 1 Samuel 22:7 ).

Verse 42. - The king is near of kin to us. The pronouns are singular throughout: "He is near of kin to me. Why art thou angry? Have I eaten... I have ten parts... Why didst thou despise me?" and so everywhere. This is much more piquant; but such personification is contrary to the genius of our language. Have I eaten, etc.? Saul had boasted of enriching the Benjamites ( 1 Samuel 22:7 ), but probably the speaker intended only to protest the purity of his motives. 2 Samuel 19:42

It seems that David and his whole party made a halt at Gilgal 2 Samuel 19:15 ; 1 Samuel 11:14 , and possibly made some solemn agreement there about the kingdom. But while they were there, "all the men of Israel," representatives from the tribes not included in "half the people of Israel" 2 Samuel 19:40 , came up in great wrath at finding that the restoration had been accomplished without consulting them, and accused the men of Judah of unfair dealing.

Near of kin to us; of the same tribe with us, and therefore both oweth the more respect to us, and might expect and challenge more respect from us. Hath he given us any gift? we have neither sought nor gained any advantage to ourselves hereby, but only discharged our duty to the king, and used all expedition in bringing him back, which you also should have done, and not have come in by halves, and so coldly as you have done. See 2 Samuel 19:40 .

40-43. the king went on to Gilgal, … and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel—Whether from impatience to move on or from some other cause, David did not wait till all the tribes had arrived to conduct him on his return to the capital. The procession began as soon as Amasa had brought the Judahite escort, and the preference given to this tribe produced a bitter jealousy, which was nearly kindling a civil war fiercer than that which had just ended. A war of words ensued between the tribes—Israel resting their argument on their superior numbers; "they had ten parts in the king," whereas Judah had no more than one. Judah grounded their right to take the lead, on the ground of their nearer relationship to the king. This was a claim dangerous to the house of David; and it shows the seeds were already sown for that tribal dissension which, before long, led to the dismemberment of the kingdom.

The men of Judah replied against (על) the men of Israel: "The king stands near to us" (inasmuch as he belonged to their tribe), "and wherefore then art thou angry at this matter? Have we eaten from the king (i.e., derived any advantage from our tribe-relationship to him, as the Benjaminites did from Saul, according to 1 Samuel 22:7 ), or received anything for ourselves therefrom?" נשּׂאת is an infinitive abs. Niph. with a feminine termination, borrowed from ה;ל literally, "or has taking been taken for us."