And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
1. Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth
met him—This crafty man, anticipating the certain failure of
Absalom's conspiracy, took steps to prepare for his future
advancement on the restoration of the king.
a bottle of wine—a
large goatskin vessel. Its size made the supply of wine proportioned
to the rest of his present.
And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
2. The asses be for the king's
household to ride on—The royal fugitives were moving on foot,
not from inability to procure conveyances, but as being suitable to
their present state of humiliation and penitence.
And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
3. To-day shall the house of Israel
restore me the kingdom of my father—Such a hope might not
unnaturally arise at this period of civil distraction, that the
family of David would destroy themselves by their mutual broils, and
the people reinstate the old dynasty. There was an air of
plausibility in Ziba's story. Many, on whom the king had conferred
favors, were now deserting him. No wonder, therefore, that in the
excitement of momentary feeling, believing, on the report of a
slanderer, Mephibosheth to be among the number, he pronounced a rash
and unrighteous judgment by which a great injury was inflicted on the
character and interests of a devoted friend.
. SHIMEI CURSES
DAVID.
Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
5-12. when king David came to
Bahurim—a city of Benjamin (2 Samuel 3:16;
2 Samuel 19:16). It is, however, only
the confines of the district that are here meant.
Shimei, . . . a man of the
family of Saul—The misfortune of his family, and the occupation
by David of what they considered their rightful possessions, afforded
a natural, if not a justifiable cause for this ebullition of rude
insults and violence. He upbraided David as an ambitious usurper, and
charged him, as one whose misdeeds had recoiled upon his own head, to
surrender a throne to which he was not entitled. His language was
that of a man incensed by the wrongs that he conceived had been done
to his house. David was guiltless of the crime of which Shimei
accused him; but his conscience reminded him of other flagrant
iniquities; and he, therefore, regarded the cursing of this man as a
chastisement from heaven. His answer to Abishai's proposal evinced
the spirit of deep and humble resignation—the spirit of a man who
watched the course of Providence, and acknowledged Shimei as the
instrument of God's chastening hand. One thing is remarkable, that he
acted more independently of the sons of Zeruiah in this season of
great distress than he could often muster courage to do in the days
of his prosperity and power.
And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
13. went along on the hill's side
over against him—as he descended the rough road on the eastern
side of the Mount of Olives, "went along on the hill's
side"—literally, "the rib of the hill."
threw stones at him—as
a mark of contempt and insult.
cast dust—As if to add
insult to injury, clouds of dust were thrown by this disloyal subject
in the path of his unfortunate sovereign.
And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
14. refreshed themselves there—that
is, in the city of Bahurim.
And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
15-19. Hushai said unto Absalom, God
save the king—Hushai's devotion to David was so well-known,
that his presence in the camp of the conspirators excited great
surprise. Professing, however, with great address, to consider it his
duty to support the cause which the course of Providence and the
national will had seemingly decreed should triumph, and urging his
friendship for the father as a ground of confidence in his fidelity
to the son, he persuaded Absalom of his sincerity, and was admitted
among the councillors of the new king.
. AHITHOPHEL'S
COUNSEL.
And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.
And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?
And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.
And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
20. Give counsel among you what we
shall do—This is the first cabinet council on record, although
the deference paid to Ahithophel gave him the entire direction of the
proceedings.
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
21. Ahithophel said unto
Absalom—This councillor saw that now the die was cast; half
measures would be inexpedient. To cut off all possibility of
reconciliation between the king and his rebellious son, he gave this
atrocious advice regarding the treatment of the royal women who had
been left in charge of the palace. Women, being held sacred, are
generally left inviolate in the casualties of war. The history of the
East affords only one parallel to this infamous outrage of Absalom.
So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
