Ver. 1. And there happened to be there.] As all places are full of such beautefeaus and Belialists: so is hell too. God permitted, and the devil instigated this fellow to stir up this rebellion for a further correction to David; and, as some think, for his late unjust dealing with Mephibosheth. A man of Belial.] Iniquus et nebulo, flagellum Reip, et flabellum seditionis; such as amongst us were Jack Cade or Wat Tyler, who dared to say that all the laws of England should come out of his mouth. A Benjamite.] Of the house of Saul likely; and, as some think, one of Absalom’s captains against David, even the next to Amasa. And he blew a trumpet.] Himself being Tuba rebellionis, blew a trumpet, that he might thereby assemble, and get audience among the discontented multitude, that shallow brained but great and many headed beast. We have no part in David,] viz., As the men of Judah say, -thus he maketh use of the late unhappy contention to advance his ambitious design of setting up himself or some other of his tribe, -let us therefore relinquish him as a stranger, and make a new choice of one that will care more for us. It vexed the ten tribes, perhaps, that David sent Zadok and Abiathar to the men of Judah, to persuade with them to fetch back the king, and not unto them, and that he seemed to incline rather to them than to the rest. A prince had need to carry an even hand over his subjects, of various nations especially; or else there will be somewhat to do with them; as was lately here with the English and Scots in King James’s reign. Charles V is famous for this virtue, Ut qui singulis se parem immo patrem exhibebat. In the son of Jesse.] This expression savoureth of Saul, and of the old enmity. Every man to his tents, O Israel.] Look you to your business, and let him look to his. A Lapide.
Ver. 2. So every man of Israel.] So fickle and inconstant is that neutrum modo, mas modo, vulgus, the common people. Our Saviour found it so, when their “Hosanna” was so soon changed into “Crucify him, crucify him.” All this was for David’s good, that he might trust more in God, and less in the creature.
Ver. 3. And David came to his house at Jerusalem.] Which had been in his absence basely defiled, and was therefore by him newly dedicated. (Psalms 30:1, title) And put them in ward.] He committed them to perpetual, yet liberal imprisonment: because they had not rather died, as they ought to have done, than yielded to Absalom’s lust, in so public a manner especially. Pellican here observeth that David was to blame for not punishing such others, now in his power, as were either causers or consenters to that disgrace; such as was Amasa, a chief man, then about Absalom. Of one Ode Severus, Archbishop of Canterbury, A.D. 934, we read that he excommunicated King Edwin’s concubines; and caused one of them, whom the king doted unreasonably upon, to be fetched out of the court by violence, burnt her in the forehead with a hot iron, and banished her into Ireland. Absalom had no such zealots about him; but what should David have done? Godw., Catal., 62.
Ver. 4. Within three days.] This task was long; the time short; but the necessity was pressing. Semper nocuit differre.
Ver. 5. But he tarried longer.] Either through his own remissness, or the people’s unwillingness to be commanded by this new general.
Ver. 6. Do us more harm than did Absalom.] David’s endless troubles kept his body still in action, his mind in passions, and his prowess in use, as one speaketh of our King John. Affliction, saith another, so held in the Saxon kings in the Danish wars, that, having little outlets and leisure for ease and luxury, they were made the more pious, just, and careful in their government. Take thou thy lord’s servants.] That is, My guard, and those other that are in readiness, as 2 Samuel 20:7. Speed. Daniel.
Ver. 7. Joab’s men.] Those that had lately been commanded by him: but he was now Officiperda, which yet held not long, for he would not be ousted.
Ver. 8. And as he went forth, it fell out.] He had taught it, as it were, at a certain motion or posture of his body, to fall out of the scabbard, that taking it up in his hand again, he might inter salutandum smite Amasa, suspecting no harm.
Ver. 9. Art thou in health, my brother?] Of all kinds of revenge that is most execrable and deadly, which, like a serpent in the green grass, lies lurking in the flatteries and fawnings of a fleeting face. The Hebrew here hath it, Art thou peace? Oh, base! And Joab took Amasa by the beard to kiss him.] Indeed, to kill him. But that this was the ancient manner of saluting, see Plin., lib. xi. cap. 5.
Ver. 10. So he smote him therewith in the fifth rib.] Was not David in some sort guilty of this murder of Amasa, by not having all this while punished Joab for the like butchery acted upon Abner? Hemingius telleth of a felon who was found guilty of murdering seven men: and while the judge was considering what punishment heavy enough to inflict upon him, a certain advocate stepped forth, and offered to prove that the judge himself was guilty of the six last of those murders, because he had not punished ths felon for the first.
Ver. 11. And one of Joab’s men stood by him.] This soldier was left there by Joab to justify the fact, and to advise them to march on, notwithstanding it. One interpreter saith that these words are a bitter jeer of a certain servant insulting over dead Amasa, and extolling the wicked act of his master Joab.
Ver. 12. And Amasa wallowed in blood.] Beating himself, and sprunting in the last pangs of death. Thus God punished him for his rebellion against his uncle, though David had both pardoned and preferred him.
Ver. 13. All the people went on after Joab.] So fast affected they were to him, notwithstanding these foul miscarriages and David’s displeasure to boot.
Ver. 14. And he went through all the tribes of Israel.] First Sheba did, and then Joab at the heels of him, as our forces were at the heels of th e gunpowder plotters, who fled from one county to another, after that they were discovered, but could not escape the divine vengeance: which the Greeks fitly call Αδραστεια, because it cannot be avoided.
Ver. 15. And they came and besieged him.] Who now probably repented him of his bold and treacherous enterprise; sicut Leo cassibus irretitus ait, Si praescivissem? Battered the wall to throw it down.] It had been pity those walls should have stood, if they had been too high to throw a traitor’s head over. Sheba, likely, thought himself very safe when gotten into a walled city: but what said the voice from heaven to Phocas the traitor?—if Nicephorus may be believed—Though thou build thy walls as high as heaven, and as strong as thou canst make them, yet s in lying at the bottom will easily undermine and overturn them: ευαλωτος η απολις, the city of thy defence will soon be taken.
Ver. 16. Then cried a wise woman out of the city.] There are wise women, then, as well as men: souls have no sexes. It was a foolish speech of him— “ Μισω σοφην γαναικα ” God delighteth oft, by weak means, to effect great matters.
Ver. 17. And he answered, I do hear.] He slighted her not, though a weak woman. If he had, she might fitly have said unto him, as Bernard once did to his brother when he gave him good counsel, and he being a soldier minded it not: A spear shall one day make way to that heart of thine, for instructions and admonitions to enter at.
Ver. 18. They shall surely ask counsel at Abel,] q.d., You need not take scorn to take my counsel, since I was born and bred at Abel, the common oracle of the whole country, and so famous for wisdom, as some places are for folly, that people came from all parts to take advice there; the men of Abel were so well seen in the laws. Most interpreters think that in these words, read according to the margin, she had respect to Deuteronomy 20:10,11, and blamed Joab that he had not first made proposals of peace: therefore in the next verse she saith in the name of her city, “I am one of those which are peaceable,” i.e., which will not refuse the offer and order of peace. Baeotum in patria, crassoque sub aere natus. Brabanti quo magis senescunt eo magis stultescunt. -Erasm. Saw so well into.
Ver. 19. I am one of them, &c.] See on 2 Samuel 20:18. Thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel,] i.e., A metropolis that hath many towns belonging to it; which sucking in the air of this city, as Plutarch speaketh of Rome in Numa’s days, do breathe peaceableness and faithfulness to their rightful sovereign. Or, A mother in Israel, that is, a city that can give mother-like counsel. Or, A mother, that is, a university, such as was afterwards Athens, spared therefore by Sulla, when as else he had destroyed it. Why wilt thou swallow up] As a greedy beast doth his prey. The inheritance of the Lord?] Will not such a murdering morsel be thy bane? Art thou so good at committing of sacrilege, at robbing God of his right? Plut., Apoph.
Ver. 20. Far be it, far be it from me.] He utterly disclaimeth and disavoweth all such bloodthirstiness as wherewith she chargeth him. He affected not the title of Poliorcetes or city-destroyer: but rather of Euergetes, a preserver of his country, a general benefactor.
Ver. 21. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.] Spiritually the case is ours, saith a right reverend writer. Every man’s breast is as a city enclosed. Every sin is a traitor that lurketh within those walls. God calleth to us for Sheba’s head, neither hath he any quarrel to us for our person, but for our sin. If we love the head of our traitor above the life of our soul, we shall justly perish in the vengeance. We cannot be more willing to part with our sins, than our merciful God is to withdraw his judgments. Bp. Hall, Contempl.
Ver. 22. Then the woman went to all the people.] Josephus telleth us what she said, Vultis mali male perire cure liberis ac coningibus? &c. Will you utterly undo yourselves, your wives and children, for this wicked fellow’s sake, who is both a stranger to you and a rebel against David, from whom you have received so many benefits? And they cut off the head of Sheba.] A fit death for a traitor. There was a young man among the Swiss that went about to usurp the government, and to alter their free state. Him they condemned to death, and appointed his father to cut off his head, as the cause of his evil education. It were happy if all such traitors might hop headless. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.] Who was so glad, it seemeth, of this victory without bloodshed, that he never so much as mentioned to Joab, for aught we find, the murder of Amasa; which he should have reproved him for at least, though he durst not punish him.
Ver. 23. Now Joab was over all the host.] He would be so; neither was it in David’s power to put him by; so great a sway bare he in the army, who were all for General Joab. Neither, indeed, could David well spare him, so necessary was his service.
Ver. 24. And Adoram was over the tribute.] All was as before, (2 Samuel 8:15-18) David being fully reestablished; save that this Adoram praeerat pecuniae recipiendae, was treasurer for the tribute, which came in from those many nations, since subdued by David.
Ver. 25. And Sheva was scribe.] The same with that Seraiah, (2 Samuel 8:17) or else some other succeeding him, being now dead.
Ver. 26. Was a chief ruler about David,] Heb., A prince, or a priest: whence some make him president of the council; others, the king’s chaplain or his almoner; others, his peculiar and familiar friend. Amicus intimus et consiliarius. -Vat.