Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 18:21

Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

21. Cushi ] Rather, the Cushite, an Ethiopian slave in Joab’s service, who would have little to lose by the king’s displeasure.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Cushi – The Cushite, a foreign slave, perhaps of Joabs, whom he did not scruple to expose to Davids anger. If, however, it is a name, it must be rendered Haccushi. In the title to Ps. 7, Cush, the Benjamite, cannot mean this Cushi, since the contents of the Psalm are not suitable to this occasion.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. Tell the king what thou hast seen] At this time the death of Absalom was not publicly known; but Joab had given Cushi private information of it. This Ahimaaz had not, for he could not tell the king whether Absalom were dead. To this Joab seems to refer, 2Sa 18:22: “Thou hast no tidings ready.”

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

To Cushi, or, to an Ethiopian; so he might be by birth, and yet by profession an Israelite.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Then said Joab to Cushi,…. The Ethiopian, or blackamoor; who either was an Ethiopian by birth and proselyted, or he was an Israelite of a black complexion, and therefore so called; and was judged a proper person by the general to carry such dismal news to the king, as he knew it would be. Some Jewish writers a take him to be the same with Cush the Benjaminite, in the title of the seventh psalm, Ps 7:1; and that he is the same that told Joab he saw Absalom hanging in an oak, and declared that, if a thousand shekels of silver were offered him, he would not have put forth his hand against him, 2Sa 18:10; though some think this was one of the ten young men that waited on Joab, and by his orders slew Absalom; but it would have been dangerous for one of these to have carried the tidings, had he been known by David to have done it:

go tell the king what thou hast seen: by which it should seem that he was present when Absalom was killed:

and Cushi bowed himself unto Joab; in reverence to him as his general, and in thankfulness for sending him on this errand:

and ran; as fast as he could.

a Pirke Eliezer, c. 53.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Joab therefore entrusted the Cushite with the duty of conveying to David the announcement of what had occurred. It cannot be decided with certainty whether or Cushi is the proper name of an Israelite, or whether it signifies the “Cushite,” i.e., a descendant of Cush. The form of the name rather favours the latter view, in which case it would suggest the idea of a Moorish slave in the service of Joab.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(21) Cushi.Rather, the Cushite, probably an Ethiopian slave in Joabs service, for whose falling under the kings displeasure he had little care.

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

21. Cushi Supposed by some to have been an Ethiopian slave in the service of Joab.

What thou hast seen He was probably among those ten young men (2Sa 18:15) that smote Absalom.

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

2Sa 18:21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

Ver. 21. Then said Joab to Cushi. ] a Cuidam Aethiopi; so Tremellius rendereth it; to a certain blackamoor, some slave that belonged to David’s house, 2Sa 18:31 whose acceptance before the king Joab did not so much regard; and, because of his blackness, he might be the fitter messenger of such doleful tidings, as he knew it would be to David.

a Non est nomen proprium. – Vat.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)