Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 18:13

Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against [me].

13. I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life ] I should not only have disobeyed the king, but have been false to my own interest and forfeited my life. The Kthbh reads his life, thus: Or if I had dealt deceitfully against his life, there is nothing hid, &c.: i.e., if I had treacherously slain him contrary to the king’s command, it would certainly have come to the king’s ears, and I should have been put to death. The Sept. has a different reading, connecting the first clause of 2Sa 18:13 with 2Sa 18:14, thus: “Take care of the young man Absalom for my sake, that ye do no harm against his life: and there is no matter hid,” &c.

wouldest have set thyself against me ] Wouldest have taken part against me with the king. The man was well aware of Joab’s unscrupulous character.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The man gives a remarkable incidental testimony to Davids sagacity and penetration (compare 2Sa 14:19), and to Joabs known unscrupulousness.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. Thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.] This is a strong appeal to Joab’s loyalty, and respect for the orders of David; but he was proof against every fine feeling, and against every generous sentiment.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Either, first, I should have been guilty of false and perfidious dealing against the kings express injunction, and that with the manifest hazard of my own life. Or, secondly I should have betrayed my own life. I should not only have deceived myself with false hopes, either of concealing my fact from the king, or of obtaining a reward, yea, or a pardon, from him or thee for it; but also have destroyed myself thereby, and laid a plot against my own life.

There is no matter hid from the king; this, as all other things, would certainly come to the kings ear.

Thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me; thou wouldst have been my adversary and accuser; partly because it was thy duty to be so; and partly to vindicate thyself by casting the blame upon another. Or, thou wouldst have stood afar off, as this phrase is used, Psa 38:11. Thou wouldst not have stood to me to intercede for my life or reward, but wouldst keep at a distance from me.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life,…. Or “soul”; he should not only have exposed his life to danger, but acted falsely to the king, by going contrary to his orders; yea, would have done that which was contrary to his own conscience; and if he had buoyed himself up with the hope of impunity, or of a reward, he should have found himself mistaken; the textual reading is, “against his life” l, or “soul”, the life of Absalom, by taking it away:

for there is no matter hid from the king; this, though done ever so secretly, would have come to his knowledge by some means or another, and then I should have incurred his displeasure, and suffered for it:

and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against [me]; to accuse and bring him to justice; he would have been so far from protecting him, that he would have been the first man that would have insisted on it that he should be punished for it; or why dost not thou thyself set thyself against him, and smite him? thou mayest if thou pleasest, yonder he hangs, go and smite him.

l , Sept. “contra animam illius”, Piscator.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(13) Against mine own life.The English, like the Vulg., here follows the margin of the Hebrew; the LXX., in most MSS., following the text, has against his life. Either makes a good sense, but the English is preferable. In this parley Joab thoroughly exposes his unscrupulous and self-willed character, and the man shows that he understood it.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

13. Not one small stone “Hushai speaks in hyperboles of the irresistible power which the whole nation would put forth when summoned together for battle, in order to make his advice appear the more plausible.” Keil.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments