PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel
Robert Payne Smith [1818-1895] · 562,410 words · 620 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 61
m11teri11lism" (Von Moltke). But this ie the view of one who has been "a man of war from hie youth" and "sbecl much blood" (1 Chron. xxii. 8). And it may be said that: (1) War ie not ordained by God like tempests and earthquakes or even pestile::ice, but ie directly due to the wickedness of men, That which is in itself…
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S. Rogers): The rejoicing by which it is attended is usually mingled with weeping nnd sometime~ swallowed up of grief. Various persons are thus affected for various reasons. 'l'hink of the ~orrows endured : 1. .At the fall of fellow-soldiers, "Nineteen men and Asabel " (vers. 23, 30) who come not to the muster after…
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II. llow suon INQUIRY BilOULD DE CONDUCTED. 1. By what methods. Where shall we find a Divine oracle to answer our inquiries? (1) Reason and conscience will often (if we allow them free speech) give a response which at once commends itsdf as e. Divine reply. If one course be morally right and the other morally wrong, on…
863 wordsSECTION 64The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 64
foelinge towards Saul, both during bis life and after his death. 2. How he expreB.,es his gratitude. (1) By sending the messengers and message. "I also will requite," etc., Bhould be (according to Otto Thenius and the 'Speaker's Commentary') "I nlso show you this goodness," viz. sending the messengers with a kind mos…
885 wordsSECTION 65The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 65
not hence, even of your lusts?" (Jae. iv. 1). The evil passions of men are their cause- lust of territory, of dominion, of glory, of money; the spirit of revenge Bnd retaliation; even tho love of e:itcitement and adventure. Not lees, but if possible more hideouB, is the cool, calculating policy of rulers, which sets ar…
1,065 wordsSECTION 66The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 66
CHAPTER m a.re due both the crimes which stained his character and the distress of the last twenty Ver. 1.-There was long wa.r. As Ish- years of his life. (For Amllon, his first-born, bosheth reigned only two years, and as see oh. xiii.) " the house of Saul " is the phrnse used., V ers. 3-5.~ee.b. The Midrash ex- …
683 wordsSECTION 67The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 67
ne bolonging, therefore, equally to eA.Ch of This day-th1tt is, at this very tim!l-I nm the six. 1howing kindnH1 unto the house of Saul Ver. 6.-Abner made himself strong for ... and this day thou wouldeBt visit upon the house of Baul. '.rhe Hebrew ree.lly me-that is, punish me for-the fault about menne tho.t until thi…
1,045 wordsSECTION 68The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 68
A nrl fnr this real!On Da,·id sent liis mes- not t'Ommitted this wrong, Da\"hl miid1L ~en~c1-. dil'\.>0tly tn lehbosbeth, because the nc,·er have sought RII evil solace in multi- i11,port,mco of Michal's SUITender to him plying to himself othor wives. Ja_.- iu it,; being e. public acl. of the state. Vor. 17,-And Abn…
1,068 wordsSECTION 69The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 69
snd woro loft to rcAist tho prcrlntory bo.nde out o.nd coming in, tlrnt ie, hiA prn.srnt. of tho Philietinoe ne boat thoy could. So manne1' of lifo llnd mul,,rtnldnga. All th,.~ wnrlike IL tribe too would deepiso lehh()shoth, thou doest j liter;1,lly, all that tlwn nrt ond long for a. hro.ver man to aid thom in doin…
1,058 wordsSECTION 70The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 70
Still, Abner did not expect 1my ench retri- e. life of poverty. Thie curse of David ie bution, and supposing that Joab k,iew of regnrded iu the Tnlmud (' Banbedr.,' 48. 2) t.he purpose that he.d brougb t him to Hebron, e.s very sinful. Undeniably it wna uttered he C<\uld not suppose that he would be so in violent itnge…
1,098 wordsSECTION 71The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 71
le, by crime, and not by law. These words Ver. 38.-A prlnoe and a great man. Rre probo.bly the refrain of the dirge, like David pronounces tbia high estimllto of those in oh. i. 19, 25, 27, and were followed Abner's worth to his servants, that i•, to his by the celobmtion of Abner's bravery, but officers, and especiall…
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give e. representation, from a J)Olitioal point of view, of David prior to the CLction of Abner in his favour; and in vers. 6-11 to state the circumstance that led to CL trnnafcr of Abner's !!Upport from one 11ide to the othor. 'l'he general effect of the war between the two royal houses and the growth of David's do…
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the conflict of the "old" nnd tho "new m11n." The one is on the way to perish; tho other is "ronewod day by day." III. •ruE UNEXPRESSED WOES 011' LIFE ARE VERY RF.AL. "There was Ion~ war." 'l'he sentence is brief, and understandable by a. child. It is repeated with careless en•"· As a rule, it connotes to the ordinary…
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gratitude should have been violated by the young monarch. ThuB men, p111'Bning a colll'l!e which they know to be contrary to the will of God, become, when personal and family matte!'B are involved, zealous, ea.eh in his own fashion, for what iB right and proper. Truly, man is a strange compound of mor11.l light and …
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Faiellful,ness in small things. The passage here in reference to David and Michnl brings out a feature in the character of the king which was prominent from first to Inst. According to the common estimate of things, the a priori belief would be that, when a ruler desires the subjugation of a kingdom, be will readily ac…
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act in faith that an overruling Providence is at work above us and above all forces, l\nd that the greRt issue will in some unknown way and time be brought to pRBs, 'l'ho stat,esman cannot mRke the nation great and strong; he can only set in motion socinl and m:1terial forces which in due course may accomplish the p…
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WISE UNA0COUNTADiiEl, It certainly does eeem strange that e. man of Abaer's abilitie~, brought up in full knowledge of the special relation of David to s~muel and Jonatbau, and therefore fully aware of the reason why, after the exile from Palestine, David Hhoulcl assumo royal state at Hebron a.ad claim dominion also…
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The policy In all such OABes h&s been to subordinate publio Interests to certain oherish~ feeli!1ge· A t:orm of soon? prinoiple!! may be adopted for the ~ery enme reMon ae prevtou!!ly 1t was reJected. Evil men a.re prone to do the Pame in ecclesiastica.l affairs. In private life men have been known even to A.BIIUme …
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However gratifying the completion of one's aims may seem, it is a vain anrl mieerahlp issue when regarded in the clear light of pure principle. In the real moral world-the sphere in which God alone a.wards the prizes of life-he is not crowned who does not "strive lawfully" (2 'rim. ii. 6), that is, is not observant of …
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R~ mnn Bhould be. It wns his moat 11nd drink to <lo hie I<'atlrnr's will. 'l'ho p;onl uf redempt;ion is to rniee us to tho full ~tature of men in Christ Jeeue, 'l'hie view of iiunum life, inwrought M a principle into 11ll the operations of heart 11nn mind, will tlo much to hring about the final harmony of our 0l\'n …
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wlll\l, merinB an,l methods in detail may be safely and honourably 11sed for seckin~ the end we havo in viow. lIJ. A POLIOY THUS J.l'OUNr>ED ON PRINOIPLE IS BURE JN THE COURSE OF' TIME TO JBBUl!l JN '1'IIE TRIUMl'Il 01r J.JirJ',, '!'here is evidence in David's early career that he 110.d to endure the blame of eager an…
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a messenger, unl:nown to David, after Abner, he induces him to return to Hebron and, under pretence of II quiet conference, be leads him asido l\nd assassinates him~ 4-. Hearing of the affair, David at once repudil\tes it, and in strong terms desires that heavy judgments may fall on the head of Joab and his house. 6. D…
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h11d,been taken; for he Bctually dares to rebuke him for not perceiving the cunnin~ spy m the man of peace. So far was he out of sympathy with tho principles anrl ,,flli~y of the king, that he stealthily, and with the aid of his brother (ver. 30), even allr,wecl the personal resentment of his heart to issue in an act w…
1,013 wordsSECTION 84The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 84
The incidence of guilt. When a great crime ha.s been committed, the first question in the pnblic mind is-Who is guilty? In national affairs, where personal actions are supposed to ~ connected with public interests, it is not always clear at first whether one or another party is to be charged with blame for what ha.s be…
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moml laws with impunity. Private vice is not one with public crime, The evil deed~ 11nd imperfect che1rnctor of men whose names are ir. the records of revelation must not be ohe1rged'on the revelation of God or his mcthocl of educating tho worlcl for something better. The foul deeds done during the dark days of the Ch…
1,005 wordsSECTION 86The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 86
Deferred punishment. It is natural to ask-If Joa.b's crime was so base, and David's repudiation of complicity with it so emphatic, why was he not punished as an offender against morality and the principles of the new administration? Tile answer is 11icril at hand. David was averse to signalize the establishment of h…
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ness or mnlice, but of a mind anxious to show its sense of the desert of the evil-doer; and no doubt it intimated his belief the.t some such terrible issue would in the conrsP, of provi<lonce be tho reward of the crime. This is analogous to what God has been pleased to do. To remove the fears and perplexities arising f…
844 wordsSECTION 88The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 88
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUl'HORS. Vers. 1-5.-(BEBRON.) .. The house of David." 1. The theocracy bad its ohleC ~upport in David and his house. On him also rested tho Messianic hope (eh, vii. 13), Hence the importance which attaches to events of his life that would otherwise have boen left unrecorded. 2. "The summary nar…
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marriage into which he now entered" (Edersheirn). In addition to his three wivco, Michal, Ahinoom (mother of Amnon), and Abigail (mother of Chileab, who appearn tc, Jmve died earl1,), he had ",Moocoh the,daughter of 'falmai king of Geshur" (mother r,f Absalom nnd fnmor), Haggith (mother of Adonijah), Abital, and Eglah;…
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3. Hu passionate resent=t, which, as is commonly the case, was an indication of the truth of the che.rge brought age.inst him; nor did be deny it, but contemptuously declared the.t be we.s too gree.t a man and bad rendered too many services to be accused of such e. "fe.ult;" 11.Ild then took e.n oe.th to avenge the ins…
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their crimes connived at for the sake of the benefits which they confer. 4. Nothing more surely tests and manifests the charo.cter of the wicked than being reproved hy each other for their faults. " Proud men will not bear to be reproved, especially by those to whom they have been obliged" (M. Henry). It is otherwise w…
888 wordsSECTION 92The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 92
Vera.17, 18.-.An urgmt appeal: an evangelistic address. "Now then do it" (ver. 18). Having resolved to transfer his allegie.nce, Abner here persuades the elders of Israel to mal"e David 'king over the whole land; as they afterwe.rds did (eh. v. 1-3). A simile.r e.ppeal may be addressed to other&, urging them to subm…
1,616 wordsSECTION 93The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 93
(vors: 27,_ 30~ as _the ost~nsible ground, and was perhap_s popularly regarded as n sufficient Justification of his deed. "The act of Abner was Justifiable homicide• but it was pi:ecisely to _such Clll!es that the rule applied, ~ot to those of murder, e.galnst the penalt1os of which no sanctuary afforded 11rotect1on…
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uix. 1). Joab sinned with e. strong and violent hand, and by a stron"' and violent : ind he at length perished (1 Kings ii. 34; Pa. !viii. 11). • "0 blind Ju1t I 0 fnnlieh wrath I who eo dost goe.d us on In tho brief life, and in the eternal then Tbus miserably overwhelm us!" (Daute, 'Purg.,' xii.) D. . VP.rs. 8…
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Vers. 36--38.-(HEDRON.) .Acceptance with the people. "And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them," etc. (ver. 36). David's conduct not only freed him fr_,!m suspicion, but also won the confidence and affection of "all the people" (1 S,un. XII. 3-5). L THE CONDUCT OF ONE IN AUTHORITY IS CAREFULLY OBSE…
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Ver. 30.-(HEnnoN.) The sons of Zeruiah. The mental and moral qualities of men a.re ln.rgely tmcen.ble to hereditary tendencies. If Joab and Abishai resembled their mother, sho must have been o. woman of strong mind, and of a suspicious, irascible, and intolerant temper, rn.ther than noted for her simplicity, meekness, …
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b~ G~ to be k(n_g over l\ll ~srl\el. Yet he set up Ishbosheth as king over the cloven tnbe~ ID oppos1t10n to David, and thus caused much unnecessary and usoless delay and bloodshed. When, however, Ishbosheth (whether rightly or wrongly) remonstrated with him for his conduct towards Rizpe.h, he calls to mind the purp…
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of responsibility to God; B truth which others should remember, that they may not idolize the great, nor unduly confide in them (see Ps. cxlvi. 3, 4) or dread their an,,er (Isa. Ii. 12), nor, to secure their favour, sin against him who lives for ever· and that they may be themselves the more content to die. ' III. GRE…
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11re not under law, but under grace" (Rom. vi. 6, 14). The revelation of God &nd man, of sin and holiness, in the cross of Christ ; the deliverance from condemn&tion Hecured thereby; the new Divine power which is imparted to the believer; the love t-0 Iris Redeemer which is planted in his heart; the filial relation int…
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'l'here is, therefore, no poRsibility of resistiog his judgmente. 6. The teaching.~ of expe- rience. 'fhe penalties which follow violations of natural law. The results of wrong- dolog upon body, mind, circumstances. The penalties ioflicted by society on those who practise certain forms of wickedness. Il. THE BATIBFAOT…
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meutioned in eh. iii. 22. Their ORpte.ina and i~ there in its plaoe, while it is out or would be men of import&n<'e with Ishboebeth, place m ver. 6. And that the Mptains would who is here described eomewhat contemptu- ~hemlM:lvee fetoh wheat, instead of hnving ously, not RB king, nor by his own name, but 1t carried f…
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and forbearing alike to Ishbosheth and were out oft' becauee they had committed Haul. How noble his conduct we.a we see the murder; the feet, becauee they hnd by the contrnst with Macbeth, whose better brought the head to Hebron. Still, David nnture wne poisoned and spoiled by the was viola.ting the epirit of the Mosai…
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not know exactly what will occur, we ought to know th&\ all thinge are in the wisest a.nd kindest of h&nds. In human relationships men make troubles by supposing their fellow-men, oft.en, to be otherwise affected than they actually are. Even the disciples were troubled in consequence of their b!R.meworthy ignorance …
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onch its exnct inilncnco; but it is obvious in this case that worldlineRs of view, lack of epiritunl apprehension, undue estimate of a lofty character, rendered tho crime possible, nnd evon cleared a.way tho barriers of reBAon against its accomplishment. They judged Dnvid to ho ne themselves, and they acted accordingly…
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more distinctnese the che.ra.cter of the kingdom which God WM then establishing by means of Dav_id, and eo, incidentally, it forms one of the Jinks in the.t singular chain ol events by which at last the Christ found a we.y prepared for him to dwell among men. There is a base passion in some men for this kind of noto…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-3.-(MAHANAIM.) The unhappy lot of Ishbo.,heth. Of the varied types of character which these chapters furniah, that which appears in Ishbosheth (Eshbaal, 1 Chron. viii. 33) is 11, most pitiable one. The last surviving son of Saul, he ·oore little resemblance to his heroic father; ow…
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be was five yeal'II old the country was invaded by the Philistines (1 Sam. xxix. 1), hia father went forth with the king from Gibeah to fight against them in Jezreel, and ho was left e.t home in the care of a nurHo (bis mother probably being dead). They waited anxiously for news of the conflict; and e.t length there…
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peace. His affliction was the moans of making him humble, thankf11l, pntient, am! devout. His father's property was restored to him by his father's friend; and he had an honourable place assigned to him at the royal table (eh. ix. 13). How often is an orphan taught by the loss of his father to seek his father's God I T…
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Vera. 9-11.-(HEBRON.) .A good man's motto. "As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity," et.c. 1. An oath, such as David took, is properly an a.et of worship-a direct and solemn appeal to God as a witness, in confirmation of an 11888rtion or of a promise or expressed obligation. There is impli…
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Ver. 12.-(HEBRON,) The reward of the wicked. This book contains an account of many sudden and violent deaths (in addition to those that took place in battle) by asse.ssinatioo, suicide (eh. xvil. 23), the direct judgment of God (eh. vi. 7), the judicial sentence of man. Capital punishment for murder was of old deemed r…
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pntienoe, cheerfulness, nnd thankfulness displayed, move the hearts of others towards him who is their source, 'fbe habitual sufferer might often adopt St. Paul's words in 2 Cor, iv. 10-12; xii. 9, 10. His weakness may be made the occasion of the more powerful manifestation of the living energy of Christ through him fo…
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incident11 which hnd contributed to his deliverance, a.II rendered conspicuous the hand of C'TOd. To him, thorefore, he gRve the glory. Most of our lives will, if carefully roviewed, furnish similar proofs of the operation of the living God, not merely of matter and dead IRWS, and of friend11. And we 11hould gratefu…
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occupy, evon for those most remote, little The first, the.t they wore Davirl'e hono and more than o week; ond it was well worth flesh. In other words, the tri:,es wero all of the while of the tribes thus to oome to- one re.ce, and united by tho closest ties of gether. It made them feel the value of relationship. For th…
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not ~ve any rip:bt over the people ";thout e.n entrance, he finds the city divided by the con~ent of the people themselves. But another rl\vine into two pints; whereof tho all religious men would see in the Divine "·estcrn portion contnius the strong cit11dol command nn obligation upon their oon- of llrount Zion, wh…
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lost for us. But eviclently it wa.s a. bonstful Solomon, and through it,or some sn~h tnnncl. dcfl[lnco, a.nrl mny menu tha.t the Jobusites Joab e.nd e. fow men may have worked focir pretenclccl thnt it would be enough to post way, and so he.ve effected nn entmnco i11to only their feeblest men, the blind e.nd the the ci…
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o.t.taok. Probably it stood e.t 11, oomer, or ten yo1us after he becn1ne king of nll whence the phrase, " round about from Israel. Now, we are told by Josopbna ,the Millo and inwaro," or e.s it is (' Contr. A pion,' i. 18), on the authority of expreBl!ed in l Chron. xi. s,' "from the Mene.nder of Ephesus, that Hiram …
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Philistines hod deb~rred from the nee of became the virtual rulers of much of tho even the simplest tools (1 Sam. xiii. 19). country w:est of the Jordan, and prohnhly Possibly in Saul's time there w11s a faint even Da.v1d and Judah po.id them tribute. reetorntion of the o.rte of civilized life (eh. i. On its eastern ba…
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with no other protC'ction than 1h11.t of hie crRzc in past times. Tho Ileplll\im scorn, "mighty men." Saul h11.d cndmwourcd to howr.ver, to have been phyeirnlly n "·cll- havl' alwe.ys round him three thousand t!Molopcd people, And ecvornl races of tmiaetl men (1 Sam. 'li:iii. 2), nnd David snb- Canaan of greRt statu…
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hove gothered round him the chivalry of For Gibeon lay directly on the road from the Israel. Rophe.im valley towards Gazer, and the Ver. 28.-Tbou shalt not go up. The armies must have passed it in the fight. ntlnok in front is forbidden, and the answer But if" Gebo." be the right rending here, ~hows that tho priest wi…
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The triumph of patient fidelity. The first three \rersee bring into view the realization of David's most cherished desires, the ripe consummation of all his wCA.rying toils nnd cares. The goal on which Samuel had directed his eye (1 Sam. x. 1 ; xvi. 1-13) was now attained. The wisdom of his Belf-restraint ,vhen pers…
836 wordsSource & rights
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.