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2 Samuel
Chapter Sixteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 16
In
this chapter is an account of Ziba
the servant of Mephibosheth
getting his
inheritance by misrepresentation of him
and by presents to David
2 Samuel 16:1; and
of Shimei's cursing David as he passed along
which David bore patiently
and
would not suffer others to avenge it on him
2 Samuel 16:5; and
of Hushai's offer of his service to Absalom
who admitted him to be of his
privy council
2 Samuel 16:15; and
of the counsel which Ahithophel gave
2 Samuel 15:20.
2 Samuel 16:1 When
David was a little past the top of the mountain
there was Ziba the
servant of Mephibosheth
who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys
and on
them two hundred loaves of bread
one hundred clusters of raisins
one
hundred summer fruits
and a skin of wine.
YLT
1And David hath passed on a
little from the top
and lo
Ziba
servant of Mephibosheth -- to meet him
and
a couple of asses saddled
and upon them two hundred loaves
and a hundred
bunches of raisins
and a hundred [of] summer-fruit
and a bottle of wine.
And when David was a little past the top of the hill
.... Of the mount
of Olives
the ascent of which he is said to go up by
and to come to the top
of it
2 Samuel 15:30
behold
Ziba
the servant of Mephibosheth
met him; of whom see 2 Samuel 9:2;
with a couple of asses saddled: and so fit to ride on
but for the present he used them to another purpose:
and upon them two hundred loaves of bread; an hundred on
each ass very probably:
and an hundred bunches of raisins; or dried grapes
as the
Targum:
and an hundred of summer fruits: not in number
but in
weight
as apples
pears
plums
apricots
&c. so the Targum
an hundred
pounds of figs:
and a bottle of wine: a cask or flagon of
wine; for a bottle
such as is in use with us
would have signified nothing in
such a company.
2 Samuel 16:2 2 And the king said to Ziba
“What do you mean to do with these?” So Ziba said
“The donkeys are for
the king’s household to ride on
the bread and summer fruit for the young men
to eat
and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”
YLT
2And the king saith unto
Ziba
`What -- these to thee?' and Ziba saith
`The asses for the household of
the king to ride on
and the bread and the summer-fruit for the young men to
eat
and the wine for the wearied to drink in the wilderness.'
And the king said unto Ziba
what meanest thou by these?.... Are they
to be said
or are they presents?
and Ziba said
the asses be for the king's household to
ride on; for himself
his wives
and children
his courtiers
and the
principal officers of his house; it being usual in those times and countries
for great personages to ride on asses
see Judges 5:10
and the bread and summer fruits for the young men to eat; the king's
menial servants
his guards and his soldiers:
and the wine
that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink; where no
water was to be had
that their fainting spirits might be revived
and they be
able whether to fight or march.
2 Samuel 16:3 3 Then the king said
“And
where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king
“Indeed he is
staying in Jerusalem
for he said
‘Today the house of Israel will restore the
kingdom of my father to me.’”
YLT
3And the king saith
`And
where [is] the son of thy lord?' and Ziba saith unto the king
`Lo
he is
abiding in Jerusalem
for he said
To-day do the house of Israel give back to
me the kingdom of my father.'
And the king said
and where is thy master's son?.... The son
of Saul
who was Ziba's master
meaning Mephibosheth:
and Ziba said unto the king
behold
he abideth at Jerusalem; as there was
reason for it
since he was lame of both his feet
2 Samuel 9:13
though he could have rode upon an ass
and followed the king
as he proposed to
do; but his servant deceived him
and carried off the asses to serve a purpose
for himself
see 2 Samuel 19:26
for he said
today shall the house of Israel restore unto me the
kingdom of my father; his father Saul; which was far from his thoughts; and a most
wicked suggestion of his servant to blacken his character
and get his estate
from him; nor was there the least probability of the kingdom coming to him
but
all the reverse; for let it go how it would with David
Absalom
and not
Mephibosheth
stood fair for the kingdom.
2 Samuel 16:4 4 So the king said to Ziba
“Here
all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said
“I humbly bow before you
that I may find favor in your sight
my lord
O king!”
YLT
4And the king saith to Ziba
`Lo
thine [are] all that Mephibosheth hath;' and Ziba saith
`I have bowed
myself -- I find grace in thine eyes
my lord
O king.'
Then said the king to Ziba
behold
thine are all that pertaineth
to Mephibosheth
.... Being forfeited to the king by an overt act of treason as
they had been before by the rebellion of Ishbosheth
but had been graciously
restored to Mephibosheth; and had it been true what Ziba suggested
it would
have been a righteous thing to have taken them from him; though it seems to be
too hasty a step in David to take and give them away without further inquiry:
and Ziba said
I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace
in thy sight
my lord
O king; he had found favour already
but seems not
to be sufficiently thankful for it
and satisfied with it
but craved more and
other favours
when opportunity should serve.
2 Samuel 16:5 5 Now when King David came
to Bahurim
there was a man from the family of the house of Saul
whose name was
Shimei the son of Gera
coming from there. He came out
cursing continuously as
he came.
YLT
5And king David hath come in
unto Bahurim
and lo
thence a man is coming out
of the family of the house of
Saul
and his name [is] Shimei
son of Gera
he cometh out
coming out and
reviling;
And when King David came to Bahurim
.... The Targum is
Alemath
perhaps the same that is said to be a city of the Levites
given unto
them out of the tribe of Benjamin
1 Chronicles 6:60
for the man next described
who was of this place
was a Benjaminite
2 Samuel 19:16; See
Gill on 2 Samuel 3:16;
David was not yet come to the city itself
but into the neighbourhood of it
the fields adjacent to it: and
behold
thence came out a man of the family of Saul; a descendant
of a branch of his family
who had entertained a private grudge and secret
enmity against David
to whom he imputed the fall of the family of Saul:
whose name was Shimei
the son of Gera: which might
be a name common in the tribe of Benjamin
one of Benjamin's sons being named
Gera
Genesis 46:21. Some
sayF19Hieron. Trad. Helb. in 2. Reg. fol. 79. B. he was the same
with Nebat
the father of Jeroboam; but he was of the tribe of Ephraim
this of
Benjamin:
he came forth
and cursed still as he came; he came out
of Bahurim
of which place he was
and all the way he came continued cursing
David
until he came near unto him.
2 Samuel 16:6 6 And he threw 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.
YLT
6and he stoneth David with
stones
and all the servants of king David
and all the people
and all the
mighty men on his right and on his left.
And he cast stones at David
and at all the servants of King David
.... Not that
he was within the reach of them
or could hurt them
by casting them at them;
but this he did to show his contempt of them
and to intimate that they
deserved to be stoned
and especially David
at whose adultery he might point
by it:
and all the people
and all the mighty men were on his
right hand
and on his left; that is
of David; which is observed
not
so much to indicate the safety of David's person
as the impudence and madness
of Shimei
to cast stones at David when so guarded.
2 Samuel 16:7 7 Also Shimei said thus when
he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man
you rogue!
YLT
7And thus said Shimei in his
reviling
`Go out
go out
O man of blood
and man of worthlessness!
And thus said Shimei
when he cursed
come out
come out
.... Or
rather
"go out
go out"F20צא צא "egredere
egredere"
Pagninus
Montanus
&c. ; that is
out of the nation
where he deserved not to live
as he
judged
and out of the kingdom
which he had usurped
as he supposed; and the
repeating the words not only denotes his vehement desire to have him gone
but
the haste he should make to get out
or he was liable to be overtaken by
Absalom and his forces; upbraiding him also with the hurry he was in
and the
speedy flight he was making:
thou bloody man
and thou man of Belial; or wicked
man; perhaps referring by these characters in the one to the murder of Uriah
and in the other to his adultery with Bathsheba; and these crimes coming fresh
into David's mind hereby
might make him more mild and humble under his
reproaches.
2 Samuel 16:8 8 The Lord has brought
upon you all the blood of the house of Saul
in whose place you have reigned;
and the Lord
has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are
caught in your own evil
because you are a bloodthirsty man!”
YLT 8Jehovah hath turned back on
thee all the blood of the house of Saul
in whose stead thou hast reigned
and
Jehovah doth give the kingdom in to the hand of Absalom thy son; and lo
thou
[art] in thine evil
for a man of blood thou [art].'
The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of
Saul
.... Which he would suggest was shed by David
or
however
that
he was the cause of its being shed; as if he had stirred up the Philistines to
that battle in which Saul and his sons were slain
and had an hand secretly in
the deaths of Ishbosheth and Abner
all which were false insinuations; and it
may be the seven sons of Saul before this time
though after related
were
delivered into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged
to which respect may
be had:
in whose stead thou hast reigned; not by right
but by
usurpation he suggests:
and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom
thy son; in this he seems to contradict himself; for if David had got the
kingdom by usurpation
it would rather have
been delivered by the Lord into
the hand of one of Saul's family
and not of David's:
and behold
thou art taken in thy mischief; punished for
his sins; the mischief he had brought on others was retaliated to him:
because thou art a bloody man; guilty of
slaying
as the Targum of shedding innocent blood
and so worthy of death.
2 Samuel 16:9 9 Then Abishai the son of
Zeruiah said to the king
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Please
let me go over and take off his head!”
YLT
9And Abishai son of Zeruiah
saith unto the king
`Why doth this dead dog revile my lord the king? let me
pass over
I pray thee
and I turn aside his head.'
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king
.... A
sister's son of his
and a general in the army
who could not bear to hear the
king abused in this manner:
why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? be suffered
to do it with impunity; a "dog" he calls him
because of his vileness
and baseness
and because of his impudence
and on account of his reproachful
and abusive language
aptly signified by the snarling and barking of a dog; and
a "dead" dog
as being useless
detestable
and abominable:
let me go over
I pray thee
and take off his head; go over the
plain where David and his men were
to the hill on which Shimei was
and strike
off his head with his sword; which he could easily do
and soon put an end to
his cursing.
2 Samuel 16:10 10 But the king said
“What
have I to do with you
you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse
because the Lord has said to
him
‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say
‘Why have you done so?’”
YLT
10And the king saith
`What
-- to me and to you
O sons of Zeruiah? for -- let him revile; even because
Jehovah hath said to him
Revile David; and who saith
Wherefore hast Thou done
so?'
And the king said
what have I to do with you
ye sons of Zeruiah?.... It seems
as if Joab
the brother of Abishai
joined with him in this request to have
leave to take off the head of Shimei; and though David had to do with them as
his relations
his sister's sons
and as they were generals in his army; yet in
this case he would have nothing to do with them
would not take their advice
nor suffer them to take revenge on this man for his cursing him: or "what is
it to me
or to you"F21מה לי ולכם "quid mihi et
vobis"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus. ? what signifies his cursing? it will
neither hurt me nor you:
so let him curse; go on cursing after this manner; do not
restrain him from it
or attempt to stop his mouth: or
"for he will
curse"F23כי "quia"
Moatanus. ; so is the textual reading; you will not be able to restrain him
for the following reason:
because the Lord hath said unto him
curse David; not by way of
command
or a precept of his; for to curse the ruler of the people is contrary
to the word and law of God
Exodus 22:28
nor
by any operation of his spirit moving and exciting him to it; for the
operations of the Spirit are to holiness
and not to sin; but by the secret
providence of God ordering
directing
and overruling all circumstances
relative to this affair. Shimei had conceived enmity and hatred to David; God
left him to the power of this corruption in his breast
opened a way in
Providence
and gave him an opportunity of exercising it on him: it was not a
bare permission of God that Shimei should curse David; but it was his will
and
he ordered it so in Providence
that he should do it; which action was attended
with the predetermined concourse of divine Providence
so far as it was an
action; though
as a sinful action
it was of Shimei
sprung from his own
heart
instigated by Satan; but as a correction and chastisement of David
it
was by the will
order
and appointment of God
and as such David considered
it
and quietly submitted to it:
who shall then say
wherefore hast thou done so? for though
Shimei might justly be blamed
and reproved for it
yet the thing itself was
not to be hindered or restrained
it being according to the will and providence
of God
to answer some good end with respect to David.
2 Samuel 16:11 11 And David said to Abishai
and all his servants
“See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life.
How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone
and let him curse;
for so the Lord
has ordered him.
YLT
11And David saith unto
Abishai
and unto all his servants
`Lo
my son who came out of my bowels is
seeking my life
and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone
and let
him revile
for Jehovah hath said [so] to him;
And David said to Abishai
and all his servants
.... In order
to make them easy
and reconcile them to this usage of him:
behold
my son
which came forth of my bowels
seeketh my life; meaning
Absalom:
how much more now may this Benjamite do it? who was not
only of the same tribe that Saul was
but of the same family
and so bore an
ill will to David because of his succession in the throne:
let him alone
and let him curse; do nothing to restrain
him
not even by words
and much less by any violent actions
and still less by
taking away his life:
for the Lord hath bidden him; in the sense explained
in 2 Samuel 16:10.
2 Samuel 16:12 12 It may be that the Lord will look on
my affliction
[a] and that
the Lord
will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”
YLT
12it may be Jehovah doth look
on mine affliction
and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling
this day.'
It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction
.... Through
the rebellion of his son
and now aggravated by the cursing of Shimei; that is
with an eye of pity and commiseration
and deliver him out of it: or "look
upon my eye"F24בעיני "in oculum
meum"
Montanus; "oculum meum lachrymantem"
Munster. ; for
there is a various reading; the tear of mine eye
as the Targum; so Jarchi and
R. Isaiah; the tears in it
which fell plentifully from it
on account of his
troubles
and particularly the curses and reproaches of Shimei:
and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day; he does not
speak with assurance
yet with hope; he knew his sins deserved such treatment
but also that God was gracious and merciful
and pitied his children
and
resented all ill usage of them; and therefore hoped he would favour him with
such intimations of his love as would support him
comfort
refresh him
and do
him good
see Romans 8:28.
2 Samuel 16:13 13 And as David and his men
went along the road
Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as
he went
threw stones at him and kicked up dust.
YLT
13And David goeth with his
men in the way
and Shimei is going at the side of the hill over-against him
going on
and he revileth
and stoneth with stones over-against him
and hath
dusted with dust.
And as David and his men went by the way
.... In the
high road that led to Bahurim
taking no notice of the cursing of Shimei
which
made him bolder and more impudent; here is a large pause in the Hebrew text
in
the midst of this verse:
Shimei went along on the hill side over against him; as David and
his men walked in the plain
he went on a range of hills that ran along right
against them:
and cursed as he went; continued his curses and
imprecations
to which he was the more emboldened by the behaviour of David and
his men:
and threw stones at him
and cast dust; in a way of
contempt
though the stones recoiled on his own head
and the dust flew in his
own face
as the consequence of things showed; and now David composed and
penned the seventh psalm
Psalm 7:1.
2 Samuel 16:14 14 Now the king and all the
people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.
YLT
14And the king cometh in
and
all the people who [are] with him
wearied
and they are refreshed there.
And the king
and all the people that were with him
came
weary
.... With their journey
and through grief and trouble at what
they met with:
and refreshed themselves there: that is
at Bahurim
with food and rest; which revived their spirits
and put as it were new life
and soul into them
as the word used signifies. JosephusF25Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 9. sect. 4. says
when David came to Jordan
he refreshed his weary
men.
2 Samuel 16:15 15 Meanwhile Absalom and all
the people
the men of Israel
came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was
with him.
YLT
15And Absalom and all the
people
the men of Israel
have come in to Jerusalem
and Ahithophel with him
And Absalom
and all the people
the men of Israel
came to
Jerusalem
.... At the same time that David and his people came to Bahurim;
which
as JosephusF26Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 4. says
was a place
near to Jerusalem; and
according to BuntingF1Travels
&c. p.
144.
was little more than a mile from it; though elsewhereF2Ib. p.
150. he makes it three miles; so that had not David made the hasty flight he
did
he had fallen into the hands of Absalom:
and Ahithophel with him: a famous counsellor
and
who had been of David's privy council
and chief in it
see 2 Samuel 15:12 and
whom David refers to in Psalm 55:12.
2 Samuel 16:16 16 And so it was
when Hushai
the Archite
David’s friend
came to Absalom
that Hushai said to Absalom
“Long
live the king! Long live the king!”
YLT
16and it cometh to pass
when
Hushai the Archite
David's friend
hath come unto Absalom
that Hushai saith
unto Absalom
`Let the king live! let the king live!'
And it came to pass that when Hushai the Archite
David's friend
was come unto Absalom
.... Who came into Jerusalem at the same time that Absalom did
and who
no doubt
took the first opportunity to make his court to him
2 Samuel 15:37
that Hushai said unto Absalom
God save the king
God save the
king; or "may the king live"F3יחי
המלך "vivat rex"
Pagninus. Montanus
&c.
live long
and his kingdom be permanent; these words are very
ambiguous
he might mean David
who was true and lawful king
though he would
have them understood of Absalom
who was king by usurpation
in which he used
great deceit and flattery; and that he might not be suspected of it
but be
thought to be sincere and truly loyal to Absalom
he repeats the wish.
2 Samuel 16:17 17 So Absalom said to Hushai
“Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your
friend?”
YLT
17And Absalom saith unto
Hushai
`This thy kindness with thy friend! why hast thou not gone with thy
friend?'
And Absalom said to Hushai
is this thy kindness to thy
friend?.... Meaning to David; though he would not mention his name
nor
his title
nor even the relation of a father he stood in to him
only speaks of
him as Hushai's friend: Hushai had professed great friendship to David
and
David had been a friend to Hushai
had raised him to great honour in making him
a counsellor
and had bestowed many favours and benefits on him
as Absalom
knew full well; and therefore
to try his integrity
he puts this question
not
as displeased with him
but overjoyed that such a trusty friend of David
and a
wise counsellor of his
had deserted him
and come over to him and his party;
nor does he mean to charge him with ingratitude
which he could not do without
reproaching himself; on whom it might be justly retorted
is this thy kindness
to thy father that begot thee
and has always expressed such a strong affection
for thee
as to rebel against him?
why wentest thou not with thy friend? with David
when he went out of Jerusalem; for Absalom knew not that Hushai had been with
David
but thought he stayed behind at Jerusalem
when David fled
which made
him less suspicious of him.
2 Samuel 16:18 18 And Hushai said to
Absalom
“No
but whom the Lord and this people and all
the men of Israel choose
his I will be
and with him I will remain.
YLT
18And Hushai saith unto
Absalom
`Nay
for he whom Jehovah hath chosen
and this people
even all the
men of Israel
his I am
and with him I abide;
And Hushai said to Absalom
.... In answer to his
questions:
nay
but whom the Lord
and his people
and all the men of Israel
choose: here again he speaks very ambiguously; for this circumlocution
or descriptive character of the king of Israel
better agrees with David
whom
he might bear in mind
than with Absalom; for the Lord had chosen David
and he
was anointed by his order
and all the people of Israel had chosen and anointed
him likewise; but as for Absalom
it was only a part of them that had declared
for him
nor was there any evidence of the Lord's choosing him; though Hushai
undoubtedly would be under stood of him
and as interpreting the voice of the
people to be the voice of God:
his will I be
and with him will I abide; though he
designed no such thing
which was a great piece of dissimulation and hypocrisy;
and if he meant David
it was a piece of deceit and equivocation: there is a
various reading in the first clause; we follow the marginal reading
לו
"to him" or "his"
but the textual
reading is לא
"not": and both may be taken
in by rendering the words by an interrogation
"shall I
or should I not
be his"F4לא אהיה
"non ero"
Montanus; "non essem ejus?" Junius &
Tremellius. ? I will; that is
be his servant
faithfully obey his commands
be
closely attached to him
and continue with him as a loyal subject.
2 Samuel 16:19 19 Furthermore
whom should I
serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have
served in your father’s presence
so will I be in your presence.”
YLT
19and secondly
for whom do I
labour? is it not before his son? as I served before thy father so am I before
thee.'
And again
whom should I serve?.... Or
"secondly"F5השנית
"secunda"
Montanus
Munster
Vatablus; "secundo"
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator.
a second reason is here given for serving
Absalom: the first was the choice of God and the people
the second follows:
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: he signifies
that as the kingdom was not translated into
another family
but continued in succession in David's house
the alteration
made was of no great consequence; it was indifferent to him whom he served
the
father or the son; and he could as freely
and would as faithfully serve the
son as the father; nor did he think it any breach of friendship to David
nor
would David resent it
that he should serve his son
and do the best offices
and give him the best counsel he could; and he seems to bespeak the office of a
counsellor
in which he had been to David
that he might be admitted into the
presence of Absalom
and be of his privy council
and have the opportunity of
giving his best advice.
2 Samuel 16:20 20 Then Absalom said to
Ahithophel
“Give advice as to what we should do.”
YLT
20And Absalom saith unto
Ahithophel
`Give for you counsel what we do.'
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel
.... Having two such able
counsellors as he and Hushai
he directs his speech to Ahithophel
as being his
first and chief counsellor:
give counsel among you what we shall do; he orders
them to form a counsel
consult among themselves what was proper to be now done
at Jerusalem
whether it was right to stay here or pursue after David and his
men. Absalom did not send to the high priest to ask counsel of God
by Urim and
Thummim before the ark
but wholly confided in his privy council.
2 Samuel 16:21 21 And Ahithophel said to
Absalom
“Go in to your father’s concubines
whom he has left to keep the
house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the
hands of all who are with you will be strong.”
YLT
21And Ahithophel saith unto
Absalom
`Go in unto the concubines of thy father
whom he left to keep the
house
and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father
and the hands of all who [are] with thee have been strong.'
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom
.... Either immediately
of himself
without consulting with others; or after a consultation had been
held between them
he as the president of it
and their mouth
gave the
following advice; though the former seems most correct:
go in unto thy father's concubines
which he hath left
to keep
the house; and lie with them; there were ten of them
2 Samuel 15:16
and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; this fact
will be so abominable to him
and he will so highly resent it
as never to
forgive thee
and be reconciled unto thee:
then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong; he intimates
that they were now weak
and did not act with spirit; they were fearful that
David and Absalom would be reconciled
and then they should be reckoned
traitors
and fall a sacrifice to David's vengeance
for their treason against
him: but by Absalom's taking such a step as this
which would make him for ever
the object of his father's hatred
their hands and hearts would be
strengthened
and their fears removed
and they would not have the least
jealousy of a reconciliation between them
and of their being left to the
resentment of David. Some think this was not his only reason for giving this
counsel
but also to revenge David's abuse of Bathsheba
his son's daughter
as
she is supposed to be; see Gill on 2 Samuel 15:12;
however
it was so ordered in Providence
that this advice should be given and
taken
to fulfil the prophecy of the Lord to Nathan
2 Samuel 12:11.
2 Samuel 16:22 22 So they pitched a tent for
Absalom on the top of the house
and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines
in the sight of all Israel.
YLT
22And they spread out for
Absalom the tent on the roof
and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his
father before the eyes of all Israel.
So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of the house
.... On the
top of his father's palace; this
as houses in Jerusalem and Judea were
was
built flat
Deuteronomy 22:8;
and it was on the very spot from whence David had a sight of Bathsheba
and
conceived an impure lust after her. The Targum renders it
a canopy; which
Kimchi describes as consisting of four pillars
upon and round about which
curtains were hung:
and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of
all Israel; they saw the tent or canopy erected
and saw him go into it
and
might reasonably conclude he lay with his father's concubines
or half wives
in it; and this being done in so public a manner fulfilled the prophecy
which
said it should be done in the sight of the sun
and of all Israel
2 Samuel 12:11;
this shows how corrupt the people of Israel were at this time
at least those
that were with Absalom
that there should be none to object to the counsel
Ahithophel gave
nor any to remonstrate against the execution of it
but all
seemed to look upon it with pleasure; nor even did Hushai
David's friend
oppose it; perhaps he saw it was to no purpose.
2 Samuel 16:23 23 Now the advice of
Ahithophel
which he gave in those days
was as if one had inquired at
the oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahithophel both with David
and with Absalom.
YLT
23And the counsel of
Ahithophel which he counselled in those days [is] as [when] one inquireth at
the word of God; so [is] all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to
Absalom.
And the counsel of Ahithophel
which he had counselled in those
days
.... Both in the days of David
and in the days of Absalom
before and since the rebellion:
was as if a man had inquired
of the oracle of God; such an opinion was entertained of it
so well satisfied were
they with it
and as confident of success in taking it
as if the Lord himself
had been consulted by Urim and Thummim; this is a very great exaggeration of
Ahithophel's counsel
and is observed as a reason why it was so readily taken
though so bad in the preceding instance:
so was all the counsel of Ahithophel
both with David and
with Absalom; Ahithophel was a crafty man
a time server
that temporized with
princes
and knew how to suit his counsels with their tempers and interests: to
David he gave good counsel
what was acceptable with him
and to Absalom bad
counsel
which was pleasing to him.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)