Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 19:11
And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, [even] to his house.
11. the elders of Judah ] The representatives of the tribe, who would naturally be its leaders in the restoration of the king. Cp. ch. 2Sa 5:3. Their backwardness is explained by the prominent part which Judah had taken in the insurrection (see note on ch. 2Sa 15:10), while David’s message to the priests was prompted by the desire to conciliate the good will of the most powerful tribe of the nation, and persuade them to take a leading part in his recall.
seeing the speech even to his house ] The words even to his house give no satisfactory sense, and are probably an accidental repetition of the previous to his house: and the clause seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king may either have stood here originally as well as at the end of 2Sa 19:10, where it is certainly required, or have been repeated by a transcriber’s error.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 11. Speak unto the elders of Judah] David was afraid to fall out with this tribe: they were in possession of Jerusalem, and this was a city of great importance to him. They had joined Absalom in his rebellion; and doubtless were now ashamed of their conduct. David appears to take no notice of their infidelity, but rather to place confidence in them, that their confidence in him might be naturally excited: and, to oblige them yet farther, purposes to make Amasa captain of the host in the place of Joab.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Speak unto the elders of Judah; who being the first and chief abettors of Absaloms rebellion, despaired of ever obtaining the kings grace and pardon, and therefore were backward to promote the kings restoration.
To his house; to his royal palace at Jerusalem.
To the king, even to his house, i.e. even to Mahanaim, where now the kings house and family is. Thus sometimes one word is taken in divers senses in the same verse, as Mat 8:22. Or rather thus, About bringing the king back to his house: for, first, Those words are very fitly and easily understood here out of the foregoing member of the verse; such defects being usual in the Hebrew, which is a very concise or short language. So it is Exo 22:15; Deu 1:4, &c.
Secondly, It seems most reasonable to understand the same phrase,
to his house, being twice here used in the same sense in both places, to wit, of his house in Jerusalem; and this is most agreeable to rule and to Scripture usage.
Thirdly, Thus the words have more emphasis than the other way; for if the speech came to the king at Mahanaim, it matters not whether it found him in his house there, or in the gate-house, or in the field.
Fourthly, David had no house in Mahanaim which could properly be called his house, as he had in Jerusalem. And then the parenthesis should close before those last words,
even to his house, or even to his own house, to wit, that at Jerusalem.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,…. Who were at Jerusalem, and in his interest; perhaps by Ahimaaz and Jonathan their sons:
saying, speak unto the elders of Judah; particularly those that were at Jerusalem, with whom they had an interest:
saying, why are ye the last to bring back the king to his house? to his palace at Jerusalem, since David was of their tribe, and was first anointed their king: what might make them the more backward to it was their being so deep in the rebellion, which was formed and cherished among them, and brought to the height it was, through their connivance and encouragement, both at Hebron and Jerusalem; and therefore they might fear the resentment of David, and that he would not be easily reconciled unto them:
seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, [even] to his house: or he has received invitations from all the tribes of Israel to return to his house or palace at Jerusalem; and so this was a part of the message of David to the priests, to be told to the elders as an aggravation of their backwardness, and as an argument to excite them to their duty; though some think these are the words of the historian, to be inserted in a parenthesis, as in our version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When these words of all Israel were reported to David, he sent to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, why will ye be the last to bring back the king to his palace? … Ye are my brethren, my bones and flesh (i.e., my blood relations): why then,” etc.? The last clause of 2Sa 19:11, “the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house,” is a circumstantial clause inserted in the midst of David’s words, to explain the appeal to the men of Judah not to be the last. In the lxx, and some Codices of the Vulgate, this sentence occurs twice, viz., at the end of 2Sa 19:10, and also of 2Sa 19:11; and Thenius, Ewald, and Bttcher regard the clause at the end of 2Sa 19:10 as the original one, and the repetition of it at the close of 2Sa 19:11 as a gloss. But this is certainly a mistake: for if the clause, “and the speech of all Israel came to the king to his house (at Mahanaim),” ought to stand at the close of 2Sa 19:10, and assigns the reason for David’s sending to Zadok and Abiathar, 2Sa 19:11 would certainly, or rather necessarily, commence with : “The word of all Israel came to the king, and then king David sent,” etc. But instead of this, it commences with , “But king David sent.” This construction of the sentence decidedly favour the correctness of the Hebrew text; whereas the text of the Septuagint, apart altogether from the tautological repetition of the whole of the sentence in question, shows obviously enough that it is nothing more than a conjecture, by which the attempt was made to remove the difficulty occasioned by the striking position in which the circumstantial clause occurred.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(11) The elders of Judah.Judah was naturally particularly slow in returning to its allegiance. It had shown especial ingratitude to David, and had formed the cradle and centre of the rebellion, and even now Jerusalem probably had a garrison of Absaloms soldiers. They might naturally doubt how they would be received, and their military organisation in Absaloms interest threw especial obstacles in their way. The last words of the verse, to his house, may be an accidental repetition from the previous clause.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Speak unto the elders of Judah It was wise in David thus to appeal to his own tribe and secure their co-operation with the rest of Israel in bringing him back to his throne in Jerusalem, for otherwise it would appear that the men of Judah were indifferent about his restoration. But it was unwise to accept their guidance back without also waiting for the co-operation of the ten northern tribes.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 19:11-12. Speak unto the elders of Judah, &c. The authors of the Universal History charge this message with partiality, and with being, on that account, the cause of jealousy and revolt among the other ten tribes: but I see nothing in the history to justify this reflection. Instead of “inviting the elders of Judah to come foremost to relieve him,” as these writers suppose, he only gently reproved them for being the last; urging his being of their own tribe as a reason why they should return to their loyalty, and immediately come to receive him: in all which there appears no sign of partiality.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 19:11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, [even] to his house.
Ver. 11. Speak unto the elders of Judah. ] Who having been most forward in the late horrid rebellion, might haply most despair of pardon, and thereupon hang back. To these David sendeth and sueth; like as Christ also doth to his greatest enemies for reconciliation. 2Co 5:20 His grace doth in a manner kneel to us, who are naturally both averse and adverse thereunto.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sent: 2Sa 15:29, 2Sa 15:35, 2Sa 15:36, 1Ki 2:25, 1Ki 2:26, 1Ki 2:35
Speak: 2Co 5:20
Why are: Mat 5:16, 2Th 3:9
Reciprocal: 2Sa 2:4 – the men of Judah 2Sa 19:40 – all the people
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 19:11-12. Speak unto the elders of Judah Absalom had begun his conspiracy in Jerusalem itself, and perfected it in Hebron, both cities of Judah; and the people of that tribe had been the first to join him in his rebellion, and to aid and abet his designs; conscious of this, and that, as David was of their tribe, and had long shown them peculiar kindness, their guilt was the greater, they probably despaired of pardon, and, therefore, were backward to promote the kings restoration. Seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king That is, their wishes and desires to bring him back to his throne and palace in Jerusalem. Ye are my bone and my flesh Ye are related to me by consanguinity, and therefore I cannot be severe with you, nor need you fear lest I should revenge myself of you. Wherefore, then, are ye the last to bring back the king? This delay doth not suit with the relation you have, and the affection you owe to me.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19:11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the {e} priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, [even] to his house.
(e) That they should reprove the negligence of the elders, seeing the people were so forward.