| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
2 Samuel
Chapter Seventeen
2 Samuel 17
Chapter Contents
Ahithophel's counsel overthrown. (1-21) He hangs himself
Absalom pursues David. (22-29)
Commentary on 2 Samuel 17:1-21
(Read 2 Samuel 17:1-21)
Here was a wonderful effect of Divine Providence blinding
Absalom's mind and influencing his heart
that he could not rest in
Ahithophel's counsel
and that he should desire Hushai's advice. But there is
no contending with that God who can arm a man against himself
and destroy him
by his own mistakes and passions. Ahithophel's former counsel was followed
for
God intended to correct David; but his latter counsel was not followed
for God
meant not to destroy him. He can overrule all counsels. Whatever wisdom or help
any man employs or affords
the success is from God alone
who will not let his
people perish.
Commentary on 2 Samuel 17:22-29
(Read 2 Samuel 17:22-29)
Ahithophel hanged himself for vexation that his counsel
was not followed. That will break a proud man's heart which will not break a
humble man's sleep. He thought himself in danger
concluding
that
because his
counsel was not followed
Absalom's cause would fail; and to prevent a possible
public execution
he does justice upon himself. Thus the breath is stopped
and
the head laid low
from which nothing could be expected but mischief. Absalom
chased his father. But observe how God sometimes makes up to his people that
comfort from strangers
which they are disappointed of in their own families.
Our King needs not our help; but he assures us
that what we do for the least
of his brethren
who are sick
poor
and destitute
shall be accepted and
recompensed as if done to himself
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel》
2 Samuel 17
Verse 2
[2] And
I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed
and will make him
afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the
king only:
And I will
… —
That such a wretch as Absalom should aim at his father's throat is not strange.
But that the body of the people
to whom David had been so great a blessing
should join with him in it
is amazing. But the finger of God was in it. Let
not the best of parents
or the best of princes think it strange
if they are
injured by those who should be their support and joy
when they (like David)
have provoked God to turn against them.
Verse 5
[5] Then said Absalom
Call now Hushai the Archite also
and let us hear
likewise what he saith.
Call Hushai — A
wonderful effect of Divine Providence
influencing his heart
that he could not
rest in Ahithophel's counsel
though it was so evidently wise
and approved by
the general consent of his whole party; and that he should desire Hushai's
advice
though neither his reputation for wisdom was equal to Ahithophel's
nor
had he yet given anyone proof of his fidelity to Absalom. But there is no
contending with that God who can arm a man against himself
and destroy him by
his own mistakes and passions.
Verse 9
[9]
Behold
he is hid now in some pit
or in some other place: and it will come to
pass
when some of them be overthrown at the first
that whosoever heareth it
will say
There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
Pit —
Having been often accustomed to that course
and well acquainted with in all
hiding-places from Saul's time. In one of them
unknown to us
he will lurk
with some of his chosen men
and lie in ambush for us; and
when they see a fit
opportunity
they will suddenly come forth and surprize some of our men
when
they least expect it
and probably at first put them to flight.
Some —
Namely
of Absalom's men sent against David.
At the first —
Implying
that their good success at first would mightily animate David's men
to proceed vigorously in the fight
and intimidate Absalom's army
and
consequently would be both a presage and an occasion of their total defeat.
Verse 11
[11]
Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee
from Dan
even to Beersheba
as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou
go to battle in thine own person.
I counsel —
His pretence was
that they might make sure
though slow work: his design was
to gain David time
that he might increase his army
and make better provision
for the battle; and that the present heat of the people might be cooled
and
they might bethink themselves of their duty
and return to their allegiance.
Thou —
For thy presence will put life and courage into thy soldiers
who will be
ambitious to shew their skill and courage in defending thy person
when they
know that all their actions are observed by him who hath the distribution of
rewards and punishments in his hands. Besides
the glory of the victory will be
wholly thine
which now Ahithophel seeks to get to himself.
Verse 12
[12] So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found
and we
will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the
men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
As dew —
That is
plenteously
suddenly
irresistibly
and on all sides; for so the dew
falls.
Verse 13
[13]
Moreover
if he be gotten into a city
then shall all Israel bring ropes to
that city
and we will draw it into the river
until there be not one small
stone found there.
Bring ropes — It
is an hyperbolical expression
suited to the vain-glorious temper of this
insolent young man: implying
that they would do so if they could not destroy
him another way: or
that they should be enough to do so
if there were
occasion.
River —
Adjoining to the city; it being usual to build cities near some river
both for
defence
and for other accommodations.
Verse 14
[14] And
Absalom and all the men of Israel said
The counsel of Hushai the Archite is
better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the
good counsel of Ahithophel
to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon
Absalom.
Absalom and all
… — Be
it observed
to the comfort of all that fear God
he turns all mans hearts as
the rivers of water. He stands in the congregation of the mighty
has an
over-ruling hand in all counsels
and a negative voice in all resolves
and
laughs at mens projects against his children.
Verse 16
[16] Now
therefore send quickly
and tell David
saying
Lodge not this night in the
plains of the wilderness
but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed
up
and all the people that are with him.
Lodge not —
Lest the king's and people's mind's change
and Ahithophel persuade the king to
pursue you speedily.
Verse 17
[17] Now
Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into
the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.
Enrogel —
Or
the fullers well. A place near Jerusalem
Joshua 15:7; 18:16.
Wench —
Pretending to go thither to wash some cloaths
or to draw water.
Verse 19
[19] And
the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth
and spread ground
corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
Spread corn —
Under pretence of drying it by the sun: which shews it was summer-time.
Verse 20
[20] And
when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house
they said
Where is
Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them
They be gone over the brook
of water. And when they had sought and could not find them
they returned to
Jerusalem.
Over the brook of water — That is
over Jordan. This was a manifest lie.
Verse 23
[23] And
when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed
he saddled his ass
and
arose
and gat him home to his house
to his city
and put his household in
order
and hanged himself
and died
and was buried in the sepulchre of his
father.
Hanged himself —
See here contempt poured upon the wisdom of man! He that was more renowned for
policy than ever any man was
played the fool with himself more than ever any
man did. See likewise honour done to the justice of God! The wicked is snared
in the work of his own hands.
Verse 24
[24] Then
David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan
he and all the men of
Israel with him.
Passed —
Not speedily
but when all the men of Israel were gathered together according
to Hushai's counsel.
Verse 25
[25] And
Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's
son
whose name was Ithra an Israelite
that went in to Abigail the daughter of
Nahash
sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
Nahash —
Nahash is the name of Jesse's wife
by whom he had this Abigail
as he had
Zeruiah by another wife; so they were sisters by the father
but not by the
mother.
Verse 27
[27] And
it came to pass
when David was come to Mahanaim
that Shobi the son of Nahash
of Rabbah of the children of Ammon
and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar
and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim
Shobi —
Who
as it may seem
disliked and disowned that barbarous action to the
ambassadors; and therefore
when the rest were destroyed
was left king or
governor of the residue of the Ammonites.
Machir —
See above chap. 9:4.
Verse 29
[29] And
honey
and butter
and sheep
and cheese of kine
for David
and for the people
that were with him
to eat: for they said
The people is hungry
and weary
and
thirsty
in the wilderness.
In — Having been in the
wilderness. Thus God sometimes makes up to his people that comfort from
strangers
which they are disappointed of in their own families.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on 2
Samuel》
17 Chapter 17
Verses 1-14
Verses 7-23
And Hushai said unto Absalom.
Hushai’s advice preferred
The wisest man in the world is not wise at all times: though
Achitophel commonly gives successful counsel
yet
with his good leave
he hath
missed the mark at this time
and in this case.
I. Hushai’s grand
design was first to invalidate the perilous counsel Achitophel had given
before he gave his own opinion he hereupon discovers the danger of Achitophel’s
advice from three topics.
1. The first is taken from the valour of David
which he amplifies by
a similitude of a
bear robbed of her whelps.
2. The second argument m taken from the policy and prudence of David
as the first is from his courage and valour.
3. His third argument or topic is a periculoso from the dangerous
consequences of this expedition of Achitophel’s. (2 Samuel 17:9-10.)
II. When Hushai had
thus invalidated Achitophel’s counsel
then he produceth and introduceth his
own to Absalom
and partly contrary and partly congruous and consentaneous to
that of Achitophel’s. (2 Samuel 17:11-13.)
1. Hushai’s counsel was contrary to that of Achitophel’s in three
respects.
2. Mark
it was congruous as to the effect
the same in the end with
that Achitophel now had advised
to wit
the destruction of David
and of his
despicable company
saying
David shall not be able to defend himself neither.
III. How great is
the power of faithful prayer; David had prayed
Lord
turn Achitophel’s counsel
into folly. Achitophel’s counsel is rejected as foolish counsel
David’s prayer
of faith and fervency was answered over and over again; for
1. Achitophel’s counsel was folly itself (2 Samuel 16:21.)
2. ‘Tis here refused as such; and
3. he died as a fool (verse 28.)
IV. Achitophel’s
counsel was infringed here by a double means
1. by human help
namely
by Hushai’s prudence and policy
humouring
an ambitious bigot to his own destruction
well knowing that his insolent
temper would best be flushed up with flourishing flatteries
and
2. by a Divine hand
God giving Absalom up to believe lies
and so
hasten his own end. (C. Ness.)
The best counsellors
Alphonsus
King of Anagon
being asked who were the best
counsellors
answered
“The dead (meaning books)
which cannot flatter
but do
without partiality
declare the truth.” Now of all such dead counsellors
God’s
testimonies have the preeminence. A poor
godly man
even then when he is
deserted of all
and hath nobody to plead for him
he hath his senate
and his
Council of State about him
the prophets and apostles
and “other holy men of
God
that spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” A man so furnished is
never less alone than when alone; for he hath counsellors about him that tell
him what is to be believed or done; and they are such counsellors as cannot
err
as will not flatter him
nor applaud him in any sin
nor discourage or
dissuade him from that which is good
whatever hazard it expose him to. And
truly
if we be wise we should choose such counsellors as these: Thy
testimonies are the men of my counsel.” (T. Manton.)
Verse 14
The counsel of Hushai the Archite.
Hushai’s Counsel
Hushai saw that it was essential to gain time
“in order
” to
quote the words of Tacitus
“to give the disaffected time to repent
and the
loyal time to unite: crimes gain by hasty action
better counsels by delay.”
His scheme was cleverly devised to appeal to Absalom’s vanity and love of
display. It seemed safe and easy: it was a far more attractive idea for Absalom
to march in person against
David at the head of an immense army than for him
to let Achithophel complete the revolution by a decisive action at once. His
vanity proved his ruin. He forgot that s general levy would involve no slight
delay: he forgot that the rising
was by no means certain to be general
and that when the first surprise of the
insurrection was over many would return their allegiance to David. But Absalom
and his counsellors were blinded by a divinely-ordered infatuation. (A. F.
Kirkpatrick
M. A.)
Verses 15-22
Verse 23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed.
God overthrows the evil wisdom of the worldly wise
As in Ahithophel’s ease
the most subtle counsels of evil men are
often most unexpectedly overthrown. It was so with the men who plotted against
Daniel
Jeremiah
and Mordecai. So the Armada was overthrown in the days of
Queen Elizabeth
though it had been planned in the most deliberate and
sagacious manner. So the invasion of England by Napoleon the First came to
nought
though a most consummate tactician was directing it.
Verse 23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed.
God overthrows the evil wisdom of the worldly wise
As in Ahithophel’s ease
the most subtle counsels of evil men are
often most unexpectedly overthrown. It was so with the men who plotted against
Daniel
Jeremiah
and Mordecai. So the Armada was overthrown in the days of
Queen Elizabeth
though it had been planned in the most deliberate and
sagacious manner. So the invasion of England by Napoleon the First came to
nought
though a most consummate tactician was directing it.
Verses 24-26
Verses 27-29
When David was come to Mahanaim.
Mahanaim
or hosts of angels
(with Genesis 32:27; Genesis 32:29):--Let us go even unto
Mahanaim and see these great sights. First
let us go with Jacob and see the
two camps of angels
and then with- David to observe his troops of friends.
I. God has a
multitude of servants
and all these are on the side of believers. The great army of the Lord of
hosts consists largely of unseen agents
of forces that are not discernible
except in vision or by the eye of faith. Jacob saw two squadrons of these
invisible forces
which are on the side of righteous men.
1. We know that a guard of angels always surrounds every believer.
Ministering spirits are abroad
protecting the princes of the blood royal. They
cannot be discerned by any of our senses
but they are perceptible by faith
and they have been made perceptible to holy men of old in vision.
2. All these agents work in order
for it is God’s host
and the host
is made up of beings which march or fly
according to the order of command.
“Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path.”
3. All punctual to the Divine command. Jacob went on his way
and the
angels of God met him.
4. All engaged personally to attend upon Jacob.
5. Those forces
though in themselves invisible to the natural
senses
are manifest to faith at certain times. Our Mahanaims occur at much the
same time as that in which Jacob beheld this great sight. Jacob was entering
upon a more separated life. He was leaving Laban and the school of all those
tricks of bargaining and bartering which belong to the ungodly world.
6. Again
the reason why the angels met Jacob at that time was
doubtless
because he was surrounded with great cares.
7. Again
the Lord’s host appeared when Jacob felt a great dread. His
brother Esau was coming to meet him armed to the teeth
and
as he feared
thirsty for his blood. In times when our danger is greatest
if we are real
believers
we shall be specially under the Divine protection
and we shall know
that it
is so.
8. And
once again
when you and I
like Jacob
shall be near Jordan
when we shall just be passing into the better land then is the time when we may
expect to come to Mahanaim.
9. There is no doubt whatever that they are sent for a purpose.
10. Mahanaim was granted to Jacob
not only to refresh his memory
but
to lift him out of the ordinary low level of his life.
II. If such a
special vision be granted to us let us keep it in memory. Jacob called the name
of that place Mahanaim.
II. This brings me
to my second text; for angels did not meet David
but living creatures of
another nature met him
who answered the purpose of David quite as well as
angels would have done.
1. Who is yonder prominent friend? He speaks like a foreigner. He is
an Ammonite. What is his name? Shobi the son of Nahash
of Rabbah
of the
children of Ammon. I have heard of those people: they were enemies
were they
not--cruel enemies to Israel? That man Nahash
you recollect his name; this is
one of his sons. Yes! God can turn enemies into friends when His servants
require succour. Those that belong to a race that is opposed to Israel can
if
God will it
turn to be their helpers. The Lord found an advocate for his Son
Jesus in Pilate’s house--the governor’s wife suffered many things in a dream
because of him. He can find a friend for his servants in their persecutor’s own
family
even as he raised up Obadiah to hide the prophets and feed them in a
cave: the chamberlain to Ahab himself was the protector of the saints
and with
meat from Ahab’s table were they fed.
2. Here comes another person we have heard of before
Machir of Lodebar.
That is the large farmer who took care of Mephibosheth. He seems to have been a
truly loyal man
who stuck to royal families
even when their fortunes were
adverse. As he had been faithful to the house of Saul so was he to David.
3. Here comes Barzillai
an old man of fourscore
and as the
historian tells us
“a very great man.” His enormous wealth was all at the
disposal of David and his followers
and “he provided the king of sustenance
while he lay at Mahanaim.” This old nobleman was certainly as useful to David
as the angels were to Jacob
and he and his coadjutors were truly a part of
God’s forces. The armies of God are varied: he has not one troop alone
but
many. On this occasion Mahanaim well deserved its name
because the help that
came to David from these different persons came in a most noble way
as though
it came by angels. I infer from this that if at any time a servant of God is
marching onward in his Master’s work
and he needs assistance of any sort
he
need not trouble about it
but rest in the Lord
for succour and help will
surely come
if not from the angels above
yet from the church below.
Conclusion: While I have shown you God’s invisible agents
and God’s visible
agents
I want to call to your mind that in either case
and in both cases
the
host is the host of God: that is to say
the true strength and safety of the
believer is his God. The presence of God with believers is more certain and
constant than the presence of angels or holy men. God hath said it--“Certainly
I will be with thee.” He hath said again
“I will not leave thee
nor forsake
thee.” When you are engaged in Christ’s service you have a special promise to
back you up--“Go ye into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every
creature; and
lo
I am with you alway
even unto the end of the world. If
then
God is pleased to grant us help by secondary causes
as we know He
does--for to many of us He sends many and many a friend to help in his good
work--then we must take care to see God in these friends and helpers. When you
have no helpers
see all helpers in God: when you have many helpers
then you
must see God in all your helpers. Herein is wisdom. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The service of love
Robert Louis Stevenson had a remarkable power of attaching hearts
to himself by the very magnetism of his personality
as well as by the
kindliness of his behaviour. A recent book of reminiscences of his life in
Samoa tells that one day when the cook was away
Stevenson told another
servant
Sosimo
lust to bring him a little bread and cheese for lunch to his
writing-room. But to his surprise he was served with an excellent meal--an
omelette
a good salad
and perfect coffee. “Who cooked this?” asked Stevenson
in Samoan. “I did
” said Sosimo. “Well
then
great is your wisdom.” Sosimo
bowed and humbly corrected him: “Great is my love!” It was love that gave skill
and deftness to his hand
mad added welcome to the repast. So with the
provision which David’s timely helpers supply.
──《The Biblical Illustrator》