Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 18:5
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man, [even] with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
5. all the people heard ] Cp. “in our hearing” in 2Sa 18:12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2Sa 18:5
Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.
Grace for the graceless
Bishop Hall thus descants on this–What means this ill-placed love? This unjust mercy. Deal gently with a traitor. Of all traitors, with a son? Of all sons with an Absalom? that graceless darling of so good a father? And all this, for thy sake, whose crown, whose blood, he hunts after? For whose sake must he be pursued, if forborne for thine? Must the cause of the quarrel be the motive of the mercy? Even in the holiest parents nature may be guilty of an injurious tenderness, of a bloody indulgence. But was not this done in type of that immeasurable mercy of the true King and Redeemer of Israel, who prayed for his persecutors. Father, forgive them. Deal gently with them for my sake. When God sends an affliction to correct his children it is with this charge, Deal gently with them for my sake; for He knows our frame.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 5. Deal gently – with the young man] David was the father of this worthless young man; and is it to be wondered at that he feels as a father? Who in his circumstances, that had such feelings as every man should have, would have felt, or acted otherwise?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Deal gently with Absalom; if you conquer, (which he presaged they would by Gods gracious answer to his prayer for the turning of Ahithophels counsel into foolishness,) take him prisoner, but do not kill him. Which desire proceeded, partly, from his great indulgence towards his children; partly, from Davids consciousness that he himself was the meritorious and procuring cause of this rebellion, Absalom being given up to it for the punishment of Davids sins, and therefore did indeed deserve some pity from him; partly, from the consideration of his youth, which commonly makes men foolish, and heady, and violent, and subject to ill counsels; and partly, from his piety, being loth that he should be cut off in the act of his sin without any space or means for repentance, whereby both his soul and body would be in danger to perish for ever. All the people, to wit, the citizens and others who stood with the king in the gate when the army marched forth.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Deal gently for my sake with theyoung man, even with AbsalomThis affecting charge, which theking gave to his generals, proceeded not only from his overwhelmingaffection for his children, but from his consciousness that thisrebellion was the chastisement of his own crimes, Absalom beingmerely an instrument in the hand of retributive Providence;andalso from his piety, lest the unhappy prince should die with his sinsunrepented of.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the king commanded Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai,…. His three generals, to whom he had committed his army divided into three parts:
saying, [deal] gently for my sake with the young man, [even] with Absalom; he does not call him his son, being in rebellion against him, but the young man, who was young, and rash, and foolish, and so to be pitied; his request is, that they would spare him, and not take away his life, when in their power; that they would not aim at him, and push him hard, and fall upon him with wrath and fury; but if he fell into their hands, to take him alive, and bring him away, and not put him to death. This flowed from a natural affection to him, and a concern for the welfare of his soul, that he might not die in this sin; and also from a consciousness that it was for his own sins that he was raised up to rebel against him; and he seems to speak as if he was certain that the battle would go for him, and against Absalom; and which he might conclude from the answer of prayer he had in defeating the counsel of Ahithophel:
and all the people heard when he gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom; not only the three generals, but all the captains of hundreds and thousands, and this was heard by the common soldiers as well as by the people of the city that were spectators on this occasion, see 2Sa 18:12.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. Call now Hushai Perhaps he was known to have met David in his flight, and therefore supposed to know the strength of his forces. His age also (compare note on 2Sa 15:33) entitled him to be heard.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
5. Gently for my sake with the young man Josephus says that he was afraid some mischief might befall himself if Absalom were slain. But it was David’s deep affection for the beautiful youth, which, notwithstanding all his errors, still yearned for him. The tenderness of the father exceeded the justice of the king.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 18:5. Deal gently for my sake with the young man, &c. The king yielded to the affectionate entreaties of the people, that he should not hazard his life in the battle; and, no doubt, he did it with less reluctance, upon a reflection that he must otherwise go against his own subjects, and draw his sword against a rebel son, whom he could not think of but with too much tenderness, in spite of all his crimes: and as a proof of this, he here gives the kindest charge concerning him to all his captains. He begs them to deal gently with that young man; as if all his faults were more those of his youth than of his nature: but at the same time that his people could not but discern in these words the excess of his weakness for that profligate son, they could not but observe also in them a calm presage and assurance of their success against their enemies.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(5) And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
Reader! pause over the perusal of this verse, and remark with me, the astonishing love of David to this most worthless child. Of all the base, ungrateful sons we read of in history, perhaps none, take it altogether, exceeds the character of Absalom. We find, very frequently, in the feelings of nature, parents unaccountably passing by the worth, and tenderness, and affection of many dear children, to bestow their partiality and favors on one the most undeserving. Certain it is, that Abraham preferred Ishmael to Isaac, in that he begged of the LORD that he might have the blessing. See Gen 17:18 . And Isaac evidently preferred Esau to Jacob, in that, contrary to the divine command, he would have conferred the blessing of the covenant upon him. See Gen 27:4 . There is no explaining this upon any other principle than that, in these matters as well as others, nature and grace are everlastingly opposite to each other. Thus in the case of David: his commanding his servants to deal gently with Absalom meant, no doubt, not to hurt his person. It should seem as if David had strong confidence of victory. No doubt his communion with the LORD was at this time most lively and fervent. But what an infatuation was David under, concerning this unnatural son. The sole cause of the war was on his account; and yet, in David’s wish, he must he saved. Supposing he had been spared; did David hope that his clemency would reclaim him? And could David feel so little regard to the lives of his faithful subjects, as to sacrifice numbers to the saving such a son? But, Reader! while we look at David with wonder and astonishment, let us turn our thoughts to that stupendous contemplation, the love of our GOD and FATHER towards us, whose affection, after all our rebellion and baseness, as far exceeds the love of David to Absalom, as the heavens are higher than the earth. GOD our King and FATHER, in the dreadful war induced by our rebellion, usurpation, and hatred against him and his government, not only commands all his servants sent to subdue us to his government again, to deal gently for his everlasting love’s sake; but that mercy shall be shown, and grace abundantly displayed, gives up his Son, his only begotten Son, to the accursed death of the cross! Hear O heavens, and be astonished O earth, for the LORD hath done it! And while we thus contemplate thine unequalled love, O thou most gracious and Almighty FATHER, in this unparalleled instance of it, let us no less admire and adore the matchless grace of our JESUS, who in the accomplishment of all this wonderful design, hath dealt, and still continues to deal most gently with us, in all the manifestations of his love. Yes! dearest LORD! on the very cross, thou pleadest for thine unnatural murderers, whose salvation thy death was then accomplishing!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 18:5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man, [even] with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
Ver. 5. Deal gently for my sake. ] Heb., Leniter propter me, sc., agite. Though he hath deserved no favour, yet do something for me, who cannot grow out of kind, though he doth, who cannot choose but love him after all the unkindness, and am much afraid lest he should die in his sins. This is said to be the best line in all Terence,
“ Pro peccato magno paulum supplicii satis est patri. ”
A little punishment for a great offence seemeth to a father to be enough. It doth so surely to our heavenly Father. Laudent alii pietatem Dei, ego misericordiam. a
And all the people heard.
a August.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
heard. this explains 2Sa 18:12
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Deal gently: 2Sa 16:11, 2Sa 17:1-4, 2Sa 17:14, Deu 21:18-21, Psa 103:13, Luk 23:34
all the people: 2Sa 18:12
Reciprocal: 1Sa 26:6 – to Abishai 2Sa 18:14 – thrust them 2Sa 18:20 – because 2Sa 19:1 – General 1Ki 2:5 – Joab Phm 1:10 – my son
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 18:5. Deal gently for my sake, &c. If you conquer, (which he expected they would, from Gods gracious answer to his prayer, in turning Ahithophels counsel into foolishness,) take him prisoner, but do not kill him. Which desire proceeded from his great indulgence toward his children; from his consciousness that he himself was the meritorious cause of this rebellion, Absalom being given up to it for the punishment of Davids sins; from the consideration of Absaloms youth, which commonly makes men foolish, and subject to ill counsels; and from Davids own piety, being loath that his son should be cut off in the act of his sin without any space for repentance. But what means, says Bishop Hall, this ill-placed mercy? Deal gently with a traitor? Of all traitors, with a son? And all this for my sake, whose crown, whose blood he hunts after? Even in the holiest parents, nature may be guilty of an injurious tenderness. But was not this done in type of that unmeasurable mercy of the true King of Israel, who prayed for his murderers, Father, forgive them! Deal gently with them for my sake! Yea, when God sends an affliction to correct his children, it is with this charge, Deal gently with them for my sake: for he knows our frame.