Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 3:35
And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David swore, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down.
35. to cause David to eat meat ] Fasting was the usual accompaniment of mourning. To shew his grief and his respect for Abner David refused to eat until sunset, the regular time for terminating a fast. Cp. ch. 2Sa 1:12.
meat ] Lit. bread. In Biblical English the word denotes food in general, and is never restricted to its modern meaning flesh.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
To eat meat … – Fasting was a sign of the deepest mourning 2Sa 1:12. The fast lasted until the sun was set.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
To eat meat; to refresh and cheer up his depressed spirits, as they used to do at funerals. See Jer 16:5; Eze 24:17.
Till the sun be down, i.e. till evening; for then fasting days ended of course.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day,…. The custom was to bury in the daytime, and after the funeral was over to provide and send in food to the relations of the deceased, and come and eat with them; as was also the usage with the Greeks and Romans w; [See comments on Jer 16:5] and
[See comments on Jer 16:7]; and kings themselves used to attend those feasts; for the Jews say x,
“when they cause him (the king) to eat, all the people sit upon the ground, and he sits upon the bed;”
but in this case David refused to eat with them:
David sware, saying, so do God to me, and more also; may the greatest evils, and such as I care not to mention, befall me; and even more and worse than I can think of and express:
if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down; perhaps the funeral was in the morning, as funerals with the Jews generally now are; for otherwise if it was now towards evening, his abstinence from food till that time would not have seemed so much, nor required much notice, and still less an oath.
w Vid. Kirchman. de Funer. Roman, l. 4. c. 5. & 6. x Misn. ut supra. (Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 3.) David de Pomis ut supra. (Lexic. fol. 119. 4.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(35) To eat meat.The fasting of David in his grief had already attracted attention, so that the people came to urge him to take food; but he utterly refused till the sun be down, the usual time of ending a fast. Davids conduct had a good effect upon the people, and, indeed, they were generally disposed to look favourably upon whatever the king did.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 3:35. All the people came to cause David to eat When any one died among the Jews, it was customary with the friends of the family to resort to the house immediately after the funeral, and bring the best provisions they had along with them, to support and refresh their friends in afflictions to the utmost of their power, The presumption was, that the people in affliction forgot, or, it may be, neglected their proper refreshment, at a time when they most needed it; and therefore it was the business of friendship, and one of its kindest offices, to supply that care. Agreeably to this usage, all the people waited upon the king, to cause him to take meat, as the text express it, whilst it was yet day; but David absolutely refused to touch a morsel; and confirmed the refusal by an oath, that he would taste nothing till the sun went down. He was resolved to clear his innocence by all the tests of real sorrow; and, to satisfy the people that this was a just occasion of grief, he put them in mind of his dignity to whom he paid it: 2Sa 3:38.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 3:35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
Ver. 35. To cause David to eat meat. ] They had feasts at funerals, and cups of consolation. Jer 16:7 Eze 24:17
If I taste bread.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
meat. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species) for food in general.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
cause: 2Sa 12:17, Jer 16:7, Eze 24:17, Eze 24:22
So do: 2Sa 3:9, Rth 1:17
till the: 2Sa 1:12, Jdg 20:26
Reciprocal: 1Sa 3:17 – God 1Sa 20:13 – The Lord do 1Ki 2:23 – God 2Ki 6:31 – God do so 1Ch 10:12 – fasted
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 3:35. All the people came to cause David to eat This was agreeable to the usage of the Jews; for when any one died among them, it was customary with the friends of the family to resort to the house immediately after the funeral, and bring the best provisions they had along with them to support and refresh their friends in affliction, to the utmost of their power. And surely a more humane and benevolent usage never obtained in any country. The presumption was, that people in affliction forgot, or, it may be, neglected, their proper refreshment at a time when they most needed it; and therefore it was the business of friendship, and one of its kindest offices, to supply that care. David sware, saying, God do so to me, &c. He absolutely refused to touch a morsel, and confirmed the refusal by an oath, that he would taste nothing till the sun went down. He was resolved to clear his innocence by all the tests of real sorrow, and to satisfy the people that this was a just occasion of grief, he put them in mind of his dignity to whom he paid it. See 2Sa 3:38, Delaney.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat {o} meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
(o) According to their custom, which was to feast at burials.