Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 19:8
Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
8. in the gate ] Where kings and rulers were accustomed to give audience to their subjects. See note on ch. 2Sa 15:2.
for Israel had fled ] The words should begin a new sentence, But Israel had fled, &c. Israel, that part of the nation which had followed Absalom, is contrasted with “the people,” i.e. David’s army. The sentence resumes the narrative from ch. 2Sa 18:17, and prepares the way for the account which follows.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
David saw the justice of what Joab said, and the new danger which threatened him if he did not rouse himself from his grief.
For Israel … – Not Davids followers, but as before 2Sa 17:26; 2Sa 18:6, 2Sa 18:17, Absaloms army.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Sa 19:8-30
Then the king arose and sat in the gate.
The restoration of David
David, in his extreme and protracted sorrow for the death of Absalom, forgot to do justice to the attachment, sacrifices, and victorious valour of his friends. At news of this great and inopportune grief–no song of victory! no clear-shining eyes, no erect triumphant bearing!–the people gat them by stealth that day into the city as people, being ashamed, steal away when they flee in battle. A perilous ingratitude this on the part of David. Davids forces had been victorious; in the death of Absalom the head of the rebellion had died, and yet David was in no haste to return to Jerusalem. Though the anointed of the Lord, he had been the elect of the people to the throne of Israel. And now, after this great national upheaval, if be is to reascend the throne it must be at the earnest call of the nation. So he remained still at Mahanaim. Now, therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back? The king! Now there was but one. Let him, then, with all clue honour be brought back to his own! So spake the people throughout the country. But the men of Judah, Davids own tribe, were ominously silent–committed too strongly, it may have been, to the cause of Absalom to return quickly to their old allegiance. David would quicken their lagging loyalty. The high priests, Zadok and Abiathar, were sent to the elders of Judah with the question which touched at the tribal love of pre-eminence Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? with the remainder that they were the kings brethren, his bones and his flesh; and with the promise that Amasa, their captain, should supersede Joab in the command of the kings forces. Thus the king bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man. They sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants. That was enough for David, unwise David! Not waiting to be escorted by all the tribes, not even by all the tribes that had been staunchest in their attachment to him, and foremost in resolution for his restoration, David, accompanied by Judah alone, and only half of Israel, crossed the Jordan and came to the ancient, camp at Gilgal. Little likely that the Ten Tribes–with such rivalry as prevailed between the tribes–would consent to be thus largely ignored. Much confusion and trouble to spring from this unwisdom of the king; presently, another spurt of rebellion, and further off–but not wholly unconnected with the rankling memories of this–the division of the nation into two never-again-united kingdoms.
I. Sorrow, however poignant, should not hinder us from duty, or prevent the expression of gratitude. Has this unhappy civil war brought only grief to him? Is his son the only one that has perished? Alas! the many mothers in Israel, never to look again on the brave soldier-son! Sorrow, with impartial, unwelcome step, enters palace and cottage. But, however keen and consuming, lifes duties still remain to the living. We are not to be absorbed from recognition of these–gratitude among them, thankfulness for sympathy. It may speak in lowly tokens of remembrance, in courteous health-inquiries. Let it be recognised.
II. The evil resultant from partiality is written here. To the folly of favouritism not only are liable those in high places. It must be watched against by all who exercise any influence over others. The head of any community, however small, owes a debt of justice to each member of it. In the home, where the father and mother are the uncrowned king and queen, this folly needs especially to be avoided.
III. The beauty of a contented spirit appears in mephibosheth. The crippled prince, not lame in soul as upon his feet–a true unselfish son of Jonathan through all–goes home with words of contentment, and glad, thankful loyalty upon his lips. Goes out of our sight and hearing; goes into the silence of a past which has no further word respecting him to speak to us. Went to the narrowed fortune and duties of his narrow life. Went, we doubt not, quiet and contented, and so on to the end. On with eye fixed on a princedom with no crippling hindrances to service, or to a lot in the eternal Canaan which should be his wholly and for ever. Then, son of Jonathan, Go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and stand–never to be removed–in thy lot at the end of the days. Much might be said of the contentment of that man, as exemplary to us, when we are wronged. Well for us if, with our larger light, we have at all times a spirit as patient and thankful as his! I will be a star of glory, a rose of beauty, in the darkness and desert barrenness of life.
IV. Pious forecasts, comely in all and especially in the aged, is sees in Barzillai. Little do we know of him. But how much we seem to know, so vividly does he live to us in this ancient chronicle. Let Chimham go to the great city, take a place at Court, bear his part in the high places of the national life, this was not for Barzillai. His eyes were not so bright as once, nor his ears so alert. He would abide among his own people. He would die in his nest. He would be buried by the grave of his father and his mother. There, in the hallowed, familiar spot, he would have his dust to rest till the great awakening.
V. In David, victorious over rebellion, and restored to his throne, we have suggestion of His Greater Son coming back to his own. Over rebellious hearts, over a rebellious world, Christ is triumphing onward to His universal reign. Not by weapons of war, but by love, he is vanquishing men unto Himself. The rebellious world is His world. The rebels are HIS creatures. He is but coming back to His own. He has the right of Creation to us. He re-enforces it by the winning right of redeeming love. Back to His own! In a sense you are all His. In the full, willing sense–surrendered to Him, be wholly His. Be the usurper dethroned. Be the rightful King acclaimed–obeyed. (G. T. Coster.)
The peaceful return
We talk about submission to the will of God; we speak of the Christians peace, that it should abide with him even in times of deep distress; but preaching and practice are two very different things. Our religion may satisfy us when all is going well, when not suffering under any great misfortune; but when the floods come, when the rain descends, and the winds blow, though the house may not fall, it often totters. A complete and easy victory had been won. But how could the king think of this now? His son, who had stained his soul with grievous sins, had been suddenly cut off, and summoned to his account. Who cannot feel for David at this moment? Never, probably, did he feel so much as now the weight of public business: he would wish he were a private individual; then he might have indulged his grief, and mourned for many days. It certainly is very difficult sometimes to go through our ordinary duties;. the wheels do sometimes go very heavily; still David would soon find the advantage of having much to occupy him; and there can be no doubt that, hard as it is to work when we are sad, yet sorrows are much harder to bear when we are at leisure. David would never forget his unhappy son! And now that Absalom was dead, there was nothing to prevent the kings triumphant entry into Jerusalem: but there was much wisdom, as well as moderation and clemency, in his conduct at this time. The breach between the king and the people had been of their causing, and therefore it was right that they should acknowledge their fault: they had driven him from the capital, and therefore it was right that they should acknowledge their fault: they had driven him from the capital, and therefore they ought now to invite his return: coming back at their request, they would, in fact, choose him a second time for their king. The message sent to Amasa, and the promise that he should be commander-in-chief, would be the clearest proof of the sincerity of the general amnesty now proclaimed. David once more takes the reins of government; and we shall see in his conduct that singular mixture of weakness and decision, of kindness and want of judgment, which we have so often observed before. One of the first persons that he encounters on the banks of the Jordan is Shimei the son of Gera. According to the law, this man deserved to die. But it would not, do to begin by putting any man to death now; such an execution would shake mens confidence as to the former promise of pardon. Accordingly, Shimei is pardoned, although his crime, as we see afterwards, was not forgotten. If Shimeis confession was sincere, it should have been completely pardoned; if he was a hypocrite, he should have been punished. Perhaps some excuse for Davids conduct may be found in the fact that he could not know for certain what was in his heart. But Jesus knows whether we are sincere or not, and when He grants us pardon, it is complete and full; he never qualifies it, He never recalls it; but our sins are cast into the depths of the sea. The next person whose case is mentioned is Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan. Having given him the place of one of his children, David expected that he would have accompanied his household into exile. Annoyed at his absence, gratified by the contributions of Ziba, and too easily believing the story of the servant. But now Mephibosheth tells his own tale. The same motives of policy that induced David to pardon Shimei make him now pass over the offence of Ziba; besides, he cannot forget, perhaps, how opportunely the provisions had been brought to him. Certainly, so far, there is little to admire in Davids conduct; there may be great worldly wisdom, but there is not much grace; he acts as a politic, rather than a religious, man. What we want is that depth of Christian principle which shall influence all our conduct, so that in all the relations of life it shall be plain that we are spiritual men. And now we gladly turn to the most interesting picture in this part of Davids history, the last interview between him and Barzillai. Whatever Davids failings may have been, he can never be said to be wanting in gratitude. What had David learned by all the events that had recently taken place? I think lust this, that it is utter folly to seek for satisfaction here, or to set our affections upon earthly things. And this is the end God has in view in all the various trials of life. Every public position requires grace in him who holds it; and certainly one of Satans devices to keep men from a life of contemplation, from constant prayer, and from a close walk with God, is to give them many secular occupations. Barzillai says wisely, If there is a time to undertake these things, there is a time also when it is well to lay them aside; and the aged should be content with obscurity. (C. Bosanquet, M. A.)
Davids policy on his return to Jerusalem
1. Davids return to Jerusalem. In his account of what followed, as of what preceded the crisis of the rebellion (chaps. 15., 16.), the historian has east the bulk of his narrative into the form of personal interviews with the king.
2. Davids secret overtures to the tribe of Judah. Himself a member of the tribe whose ancient sanctuary had been the locus of the rebellion, David, with his statesmans eye, saw in the new situation a favourable opportunity of binding the southern clans anew to his person. Accordingly, he opens negotiations with Zadok and Abiathar. In thus playing off the South against the North, David was doubtless aware of the risk he ran of increasing the jealousy, already of long standing, between them, but in the circumstances David can scarcely be blamed for seeing in his southern kinsfolk, in the men who, as he says, were his bone and his flesh (2Sa 19:12), the natural support of his dynasty. (The Century Bible.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 8. The king – sat in the gate.] The place where justice was administered to the people.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The king arose, and sat in the gate; He was come forth out of his retirement, and appeared in public on the seat of judgment, at the gate of the city, to receive the addresses of his people, and mind the affairs of the kingdom.
All the people came before the king, to congratulate him for the victory, and to profess their subjection to him. So Joabs speech, though very severe and presumptuous, was it seems a word in season, and had that good effect which he designed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. the king arose, and sat in thegateHe appeared daily in the usual place for the hearing ofcauses.
all the people came beforethe kingthat is, the loyal natives who had been faithful tohis government, and fought in his cause.
Israel had fledthatis, the adherents of Absalom, who, on his defeat, had dispersed andsaved themselves by flight.
2Sa19:9-43. THEISRAELITES BRINGTHE KING BACK.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Than the king arose, and sat in the gate,…. Of the city, a public place, where the inhabitants met on divers accounts at times, and where there were always people passing and repassing:
and they told unto all the people; or it was reported to the soldiers particularly:
saying, behold the king doth sit in the gate; has laid aside his mourning, appears in public, and receives his friends, and attends to business:
and all the people came before the king; to congratulate him on the victory obtained, to receive his thanks and his favours:
for Israel had fled every man to his tent: or to his city, as the Targum; that is, those that followed Absalom; which is observed not on account of what goes before, but of what follows after; see 2Sa 18:17.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
David Recalled to the Throne, vs. 8-15
Though David was highly displeased with Joab and concluded to dismiss him from the captaincy of the host, he must admit the sense of what he had told him concerning the loyalty of his men. Therefore he put away his grief sufficiently to sit in the gate and receive the people as the lord of a victorious army should. Soon the word spread that the king was now sitting in the gate. The entire army came before him in review, for the men of Israel had all given up and returned to their own abode. There was no longer any to oppose David in the field.
Israel was now a land with no ruling monarch in Jerusalem, and there was strife throughout the tribes. People began to think of David again and to remember how much more smoothly affairs ran when he was there on the throne. He had vanquished their old time enemies, the Philistines, who may now have been thinking of rising against them again since David was in exile. David had fled from Absalom out of the land, they had anointed Absalom their king, but he was dead in battle, and they argued about bringing David back to the throne.
The initiative was finally taken by David himself, through the chief priests, Zadok and Abiathar. They were to speak to the elders of Judah to begin the movement to recall David. Why should they be the last to seek his return, since the other tribes were urging his recall? They were his brethren of the same tribe, his own flesh and bones. Furthermore, David tendered to Amasa the captaincy of the host in the place of Joab. This would be a move to soothe the feelings of Judah, who had been in the forefront of Absalom’s rebellion and, at the same time, remove the troublesome Joab from a place of great influence.
The men of Judah were pleased with the king’s proposal, the Scriptures say their heart was bowed as the heart of one man. So they sent word to the king to return again, with all his servants. So David took his people and moved down to the Jordan, and the men of Judah moved down to Gilgal to meet him and conduct him over the river.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) For Israel had fled.Translate, but Israel fled; Israel being used here, as throughout this narrative (see 2Sa. 16:15; 2Sa. 16:18; 2Sa. 17:5; 2Sa. 17:14-15; 2Sa. 17:24; 2Sa. 17:26; 2Sa. 18:6-7; 2Sa. 18:16-17), for those who had espoused the cause of Absalom.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Arose, and sat in the gate He left that chamber in the tower where he had poured out his grief, (2Sa 18:33,) and sat in the court between the two gates, near where the multitude of the people passed. He obeyed Joab, but never forgot the offence of this reproof. See 2Sa 19:13, and 1Ki 2:5-6.
All the people This phrase, so common throughout the historical books of the Old Testament, is not to be taken anywhere in its utmost literal sense, but is equivalent to multitudes of the people.
Every man to his tent To his home or lodging place.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
David Calls On Judah For The Restoration Of His Power Among The People (19:8b-15).
The rebellion over, discussion began to break out all over Israel about yielding allegiance to David and hoping for forgiveness. They recognised now that they had made a treacherous, foolish and ungrateful choice. David meanwhile was ready to respond to their desires, but he was cautious of acting unless Judah was also involved. It was after all they who had first rebelled, and it was they over whom he had been king for the longest period. Furthermore he probably recognised that anger over the removal of precedence from Hebron in favour of Jerusalem had been at least partly responsible for the rebellion. He did not therefore wish to exacerbate matters further, by allowing Israel to be the ones who welcomed him back alone. So he sent dependable messengers to negotiate with the elders of Judah in order to get matters settled.
Analysis.
a
b And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom” (2Sa 19:9).
c “And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you not speak a word about bringing the king back?” (2Sa 19:10).
d And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? Seeing that the spoken word of all Israel is come to the king, to bring him to his house’ ” (2Sa 19:11).
c “You are my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh, why then are you the last to bring back the king?” (2Sa 19:12)
b “And say you to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, so that they sent to the king, saying, “Return you, and all your servants” (2Sa 19:13-14 a).
a So the king returned, and came to the Jordan (2Sa 19:14 b).
Note that in ‘a’ Israel fled to their tents, while in the parallel David returned to the Jordan on his way to his ‘tent’. In ‘b’ David had fled from the land because of Absalom and in the parallel Judah now called on him to return. In ‘c’ Israel are arguing their way to bringing back the king, and in the parallel David asks why Judah are the last to bring back the king. Centrally in ‘d’ David contacts the High Priests, calling on them to ask the elders of Judah why they are the last to bring back the king when Israel have already chosen to do so.
2Sa 19:8 b (e-Sword Note: For comments on 19:8a, see the commentary on 2Sa 19:7
‘Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.’
The rebellious Israelites had all returned to their homes after their defeat by David’s forces, and the question now was what they should do next.
2Sa 19:9-10
‘ And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom. And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you not speak a word about bringing the king back?”
As a result there was disputation and discussion taking place throughout Israel as to the next step. They were beginning to realise how foolish and ungrateful they had been, recognising only too late that it was because of David that they no longer feared the Philistines. And now as a result of their anointing Absalom as their king, and as a result of Absalom’s consequent rebellion, this saviour-king had fled from the land from Absalom. But now Absalom was dead and they were without a king, and all the king’s sons were with him in Mahanaim, while the Philistines were no doubt waiting across the border considering the position and wondering whether to act. Thus the people of Israel were beginning to point out to each other that they would be wise to call for the king to return to rule them, which according to 2Sa 19:11 they accordingly did.
2Sa 19:11
‘ And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? Seeing that the spoken word of all Israel is come to the king, to bring him to his house.’ ”
David, however, was well aware that in returning to rule over Israel alone (notice the clear distinction between Israel and Judah even at this stage) he would be cutting himself off from Judah. After all, they had been the first to approve of him as their king, and they had also been the first to approve of the rebellion. But he wanted a united Israel-Judah. Thus he sent the two High Priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to parley with the elders of Judah, and to call on them to invite the king back as well. By that means he hoped (unavailingly) to avoid friction between the two parts of the nation. He pointed out that Israel had spoken the word which had invited him back. What then about Judah?
2Sa 19:12
“ You are my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh, why then are you the last to bring back the king?”
Indeed he pointed out to them that they were his own kinsfolk. Why then were they slower to call on the king to return? (But he no doubt also understood the fears of reprisal that might be at the back of their minds. Most kings in David’s position would have taken a heavy revenge).
2Sa 19:13-14 a
“And say you to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.” And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, so that they sent to the king, saying, “Return you, and all your servants.”
So David offered them a sop, which was also a sign of his genuine forgiveness. Not only did he want them to invite him back, but he promised that he would actually put their own commander-in-chief Amasa, who was his own blood relative, over the army of ‘all Israel’. Thus they could be sure that there would be no reprisals. He was trying his best to give them an undeserved sense of security. It was an act of true forgiveness.
If this appointment of Amasa appears a little surprising we must recognise that it is probable that having found out the whole story of what had occurred during the battle he now recognised that Joab had been directly responsible for the death of Absalom. Thus in some ways this may well have been intended as a kind of punishment. On the other hand it was a convenient appointment in the circumstances, for Judah would undoubtedly have been unhappy for the army of occupation (as they would have seen it) to be under Joab, so while it might seem to have been very unfair to Joab who had always been faithful to him, we must remember that we do not know what he promised Joab in return. He was in fact made commander of David’s bodyguard as we discover from 2Sa 20:7.
David does certainly give the appearance of having constantly wrestled with his conscience about Joab, for while Joab had certainly been a loyal supporter of his from the earliest days, and was also David’s nephew (or half-nephew), there was no question about the fact that he had the bad habit of ‘doing his own thing’ in the face of what he knew that David wanted, for example in the killing of Abner (2Sa 3:26-27). Furthermore we must remember that Joab had also been responsible for the return of Absalom, and that through trickery (2Sa 14:1-21). Such actions were evidence of a hardness and ambition in Joab that David deplored (2Sa 3:39). It may also be that Joab’s co-operation with him in disposing of Uriah (2Sa 11:14-21) was something that weighed on his conscience, even though it had been in response to his own request (a conscience stricken man is not always logical). He appears to have overlooked the fact that it was Joab who had only just recently brought him to his senses about his grief over Absalom (2Sa 19:5-7), although we must not judge too quickly for we do not know what alternative position he offered Joab on top of his being commander of David’s bodyguard. Certainly the appointment of Amasa as commander-in-chief made a lot of political sense in the circumstance. It would make the rebels feel a lot more comfortable, and more willing to welcome David back.
2Sa 19:14 b
‘So the king returned, and came to the Jordan.’
Having sent off his messengers to Judah, and having been invited back by Israel, the king returned from Mahanaim to the east side of the River Jordan and awaited events. He did not want anyone to feel that he was about to launch an invasion.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
(8) Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
Reader! how sweet the thought, that our JESUS, our King sits in the gate to let his people behold his beauty, and to bring all their concerns before him!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 19:8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
Ver. 8. Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. ] Though thus harshly roused out of his passions and rattled up, as we call it, he showeth himself gentle and persuadable: he sat in the gate and did justice, which was an excellent means to allay his passions: neither henceforth hear we any more of his “O Absalom,” &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Israel. Note this name for Absalom’s forces (2Sa 17:24, 2Sa 17:26; 2Sa 18:6, 2Sa 18:7).
man. Hebrew. ‘ish. App-14.
rdrt
rdrs
rdrw5
rdrcf1
rdrr
rdrs
rdrw15
rdrcf1
rdrb
rdrs
rdrw10
rdrcf1
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
sat in the gate: How prudently and mildly David took the reproof and counsel given him! He shook off his grief, anointed his head, and washed his face, that he might not appear unto men to mourn, and then made his appearance at the gate of the city, which was the public place of resort for the hearing of causes and giving judgment, as well as a place to ratify special bargains. Thither the people flocked to congratulate him on his and their safety, and that all was well. When we are convinced of a fault, we must amend, though we are told of it by our inferiors in a way which is peculiarly painful to our natural feelings. This ancient custom still obtains in the East; for when Dr. Pococke returned from viewing the town of ancient Byblus, he says, “The sheik and the elders were sitting in the gate of the city, after the ancient manner, and I sat awhile with them.” 2Sa 18:4, 2Sa 18:24
for Israel: 2Sa 19:3, 2Sa 18:6-8, 1Ki 22:36, 2Ki 14:12
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
19:8 Then the king arose, and sat in the {c} gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
(c) Where the most resort of the people haunted.