Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 19:22
And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I [am] this day king over Israel?
22. adversaries ] Opposing my true interests. The Heb. word is satan. Cp. Mat 16:23.
that I am this day king ] The rejoicing of the day which saw him restored to his kingdom must not be marred by any bloodshed. Cp. 1Sa 11:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2Sa 19:22
For do not I know that I am this day king over Israel.
Conscious kingship
What wonderful applications this doctrine admits ell It touches life at every point; it is full of lessons to men in all stages of life and in all degrees of influence.
I. Know the great man by his goodness. Know real power, not by its tyranny, but by its kindness. David was given to this kind of expression of his greatness. Once he cut off Sauls skirt and spared the fool; he could have cut off Sauls head. It is better not to use all your power. Always have a great reserve of strength. Never deal your deadliest blow until you are wholly driven to it. You will win more victories by forgiveness than by vengeance, by retaliation, by so-called self-defence.
II. Apply this to the matter of personal character and the defence of personal reputation. Some men are always defending themselves. They had better let it alone. Some little natures are always taking revenge. They will say, Mark: he shall account for this; I have made a note before his name in my diary; he shall hear of this some other day. Oh, shame! That is not the spirit of Christ, the spirit of kingship, the spirit of divinest royalty; that is littleness, yea the veriest meanness.
III. Apply this to pretended rulers. In proportion as a man is only a pretended ruler in anything, in business, in the Church, in Parliament, anywhere–in proportion as he is only a pretence he will be full of vengeance. Cut off their heads! is his policy: make short work of them: we must have a spirited policy; there must be no dillydallying here. Foolish talk; foolish heart! We are not to judge things by stones that are thrown, by dust that is poured upon the wind, by the shouting and crying of poor natures: we must remember that Gods eternity moves slowly but surely, and all his mills grind exceedingly small. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves: do not take yourselves into your own keeping, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written–written in nature, written in every star, written in history, written in life–Vengeance is mine. Vengeance can only belong to one court. All other vengeance is minor, trivial, partial, unjust.
II. Apply this to the christian argument. How slow it is sometimes to human seeming; how indifferent almost to its own issue! It looks calmly upon all the little fray of words, and says, For do not I know that I can save men, bless men, help men, as no other power or force upon earth can do? Why should I follow all these people that are trying to pull my letters to pieces? Why should I take vengeance upon them? The Christian argument often takes no notice of the metaphysical strife, the angry contest, the loud dispute; it does not come down to avenge itself; it says, I am the most beneficent power in human thought, I can therefore afford to wait, and be quiet, and be calm, and not a single life will I take if I can possibly help it.
V. See how wondrously all this fits the character of Christ. In Christ there is nothing vindictive, nothing clamorous, nothing precipitant. When the people would take him by force and make him king he vanished out of their sight. This was the difficulty he had to contend with in his life–refusing so long to declare himself. This might do for a refrain to the music of Christs words–Do not I know that I am the Saviour of the world? Do not I know that I am this day King? Haste thee, smite thine enemies, crush all opposition, shine out of the heavens, out-dazzle the glory of summer noonday, and by that ineffable blaze declare thyself to be King! He says, No; that is not the way; that would be foolish, precipitant, impetuous, irrational: we must move with the currents of life: I have not come to institute a reformation, but to work out a regeneration. Why do the heathen rage? Because they are the heathen. Why do the people imagine a vain thing? Because they are the people, without regulation, discipline, lofty control, spiritual inspiration. Why is the Lord quiet upon His throne? Because He is upon it, and it is His. In one of two ways Jesus Christ is to be King over us all: He is to be King either with our consent, or against it. Choose ye this day. Or you must know that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; and if you will not accept the sovereignty of His love you must accept the sovereignty of His fear. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
What have I to do with you? I do not ask, neither will I take, your advice in this matter.
Ye sons of Zeruiah; implying that Joabs hand was in this contrivance, or that he suspected it.
That ye should this day be adversaries unto me, i.e. that you put me upon things unfit for me to do, and contrary to my present interest; for it was Davids interest at this time to appease the people, and reconcile them to him, and not now to give them any new distaste by acts of severity; for this would make others jealous, that David will not forgive them neither, but would watch an opportunity to be revenged on them. You pretend friendship herein, and would have me take it for an effect of your zeal for my service; but in truth you give me such counsel as my enemies would wish me to follow, that thereby I might awaken the fears and jealousies of my people which are now asleep, and cast them into a second rebellion: which either Joab and Abishai really designed by this advice, that so Joab might recover his place again, and be made necessary for the kings service; or David suspected that they did so.
Do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? is not my kingdom, which for my sins was in a manner wholly lost, just now restored and assured to me? And when God hath been so merciful to me in forgiving my sin, shall I now show myself revengeful to Shimei? Shall I sully the public joy and glory of this day with an act of such severity? or shall I alienate the hearts of my people from me, now when they are returning to me?
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And David said, what have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah?…. [See comments on 2Sa 16:10];
that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? or a Satan unto me, as the word is, by advising him to do what would be prejudicial to his interest; see Mt 16:22; as to use severity at such a time as this would have been; for had he immediately ordered Shimei to be put to death, though he deserved it, who was the first man that came to ask pardon, the Israelites in general, or all however concerned in the rebellion, would have concluded they must share the same fate, and so would not have submitted, but have raised a new rebellion against him; and some think Joab and Abishai had this in view, that they might keep their posts in the army:
shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? there shall not: the glory of this day shall not be sullied by the death of any; nor the joy of it be turned into sorrow in any family in Israel, as would, if any was put to death for what had passed during the rebellion:
for do not I know that I [am] this day king over Israel? and can and will do as I please; as he had been driven from his throne and palace, and was now invited back again, and upon his return, it was as if he was made king anew, and afresh inaugurated into his office; and therefore no blood should be split on that day on which he was restored to his kingdom.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(22) Adversaries.The word in the original here is Satan.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. Shall any man be put to death this day His feelings were like those of Saul after his first great victory. Compare 1Sa 11:13.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 19:22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I [am] this day king over Israel?
Ver. 22. Shall there any man be put to death this day? ] Which is, as it were, a day of my new election and inauguration into the kingdom, and should therefore be auspicated not with bloodshed, but with an act of oblivion.
That I am this day king over Israel?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
What have I to do . . . ? See note on 2Sa 16:10.
adversaries. Hebrew Satan.
shall . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
for do not I . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
What have: 2Sa 3:39, 2Sa 16:10, 1Sa 26:8, Mat 8:29
shall there any man: 1Sa 11:13, Isa 16:5, Luk 9:54-56
Reciprocal: 1Ki 17:18 – What have I 1Ch 2:16 – the sons of 1Ch 18:12 – Moreover Job 2:10 – Thou speakest Job 31:31 – the men Jer 38:5 – for Mat 16:23 – Satan Mar 8:33 – he rebuked Luk 9:55 – and rebuked Joh 2:4 – what