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 241
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS, Ver. 1.--{JuusALEM,) For Jooatltan', eake. David had sworn to his friend Jonathan that he would "not cut off his kindneS8 from his house for ever" (1 Sam. xx. 15). He had been probably unaware of his leaving 11, son behind him (for Mephibosheth wes born while he was in exile, five years…
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(Gnl. Iii. 20 • 2 Cor. I. 20). The no.ture, grounds, nnd extent of his medi:ition cannot he fully expialned; but the fact is certain, tht\t it is "for ChdRt's sake" (Eph. iv. 32), "in Christ" (Revised Version), and "for his Name's sake" (l John il.12), we are forgiven, have nccess_to the Fnther, and are" blessed with e…
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loving-kindnetls, which "ill better than life." 7. For the promotion of 1,,i, glo,·y • "thnl they me.y Bee your good v.•orks, e.nd glorify your Father which is in hee.ven."-D. Ver. 4.-(Gn.un.) Tl1e kind,u,s, Qf MacMr Ben-.Ammiel. One of the obscure che.racten of Scripture.. Be dwelt at Lo-debar, among the mountains o…
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Ver. 13.-Lost and found: a sermon to young people. The story of Mephibosheth may be used as a little parable of the spiritual history of every one who is restored to God. He was: 1. .A prince. To you belongs a more than princely dignity; for you are all "the offspring of God," and bear on you traces of " the image and …
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J. 'l'me IB TRUE AB REBPEOT8 THEIR PARTIOIPATION 01" THE GIFTB OP' Goo's PTIOVI- DENOE. All creatures depend upon him, and he supplies their wants (Ps. civ. 27, 28; oxlv. 16, 16). But the lower creatures partake of hie bonnty unconscious of the hand which feeds them. They are, in relation to God, rather like the horses…
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Ver. 8.-" Tlie kindnus of God." David, settled on the throne and in his ne'\V metro- polis, recalle to mind the fallen house of Saul, not to destroy them, as was usual with Eastern monarchs, but to show them kindneBS for JonathRn's sake. In his inquiry after them he uses substantially the same phrase which Jonathan …
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I. 'l'BIB 18 TRUE AB REBPEOTB THEIR PARTIOIPATION 011' THE GIFTS OF Goo's PTil)VI- DENOE. All creatures depend upon him, nod he supplies their wants (Ps. civ. 27, 28; oxlv, 16, 16). But the lower creatures partake of his bonnty unconscious 0f the hand which feeds them. They are, in relation to God, rather like the hors…
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EXPOSITION, half of their beards. To an Oriental the OHAPTER X. beard was the mark of his being a free man, Ver. 1.-Tb.e king of the children of and to cut it off on one side was not merely Ammon died. Thie war ie very briefly re- Rn insult to David'~ ambasse.dors, but the ferred t.o in oh. viii. 12; bnt we he.ve no…
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Is plain that they were marohing northward, could be taken. We ga.ther from eh. xi. 1 and that Joab was only just in time to r,re• thut it was late in the year when Joan won vent e. Junotlon of the two armies. The this victory, and it wos pe.rt of the weakness Ammomtes, who were expeoting their allies, of ancient warfa…
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HOMILETICS. Vel"II. 1-5.-Rr'iected friendliness. The fact.s are: 1. On the death of the Kin"'•Of Ammon, David resolves to send a kindly message to Hnnun, in remembrance of faviurs received from his father Nahash. 2. On the arrival of David's servants, the chief men of Ammon suggest to the new king that their messag…
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more rndical thnn even the bonds which helcl him to his own nation. It is in these J!Oings out of the best heo.rts of ancient times in ki_ndliness ~owards the politic,illy alien that we see B profigurcment of the broad evangelical charity which would embrace in its consideration every child of Adam. It is the deligh…
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arrange11 also for mutual support., in ce..qe of need, in their respective attacks. 6. On the Syrians yielding to the assault of Joab, the Ammonites also tleo from before Ahishai whereupon Joab returns to Jerusalem. 6. Another effort of the Svrians under Hada~ rezer, aided by others from beyond the Euphrates, draws …
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armng~ment give gre_at advantBgeR for acJion when unexpected and trying evenh tmnsp1re. The same is true of eBrly education and culture, of Chnrch orc,a.nization, of the personal Rpiritu11l life. The world is evil; events at cross-purposes with our plans nnd adverso to our peace will nrise; it is "impossible but that o…
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conflict inevitable. To this the growing J.?Ower of DBvid and hie reoent subjugation of th11ir kindrPd, the Moabites (cb. viii. 2), doubtless contributed. Their deliberate, "'•llnton, and she.meless treatment of hi8 m£Ssengers waa the occasion of " the fierceet 1,truggle, and, so far BB the lsraelitiah kingdom of Go…
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1our beards be grown, nnd then return" (ver. 6). It has been the endeavour of men in all ages to make the objects of their aversion appear contemptible and ridiculous. 1rew things ere more painful end humiliating than exposure to popular derision. The fear of it, no doubt, sometimes exerts a salutary influence in restr…
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David had 11ent forth II all the host, the mighty men," under JO<ib (eh. iii. 22-30), who now found himself between the two hostile forces; and, selecting a portion of the anny, placed him&elf opposite to the Syrians, whilst he left the rest, under Abisbai, to cover his rear and hold the Ammonites in check. He doubtleS…
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genuine, was probably superficial and transient, po.esing awa.y with the critica.l occasion which called it forth, We have now to consider, not the character of the speaker, bnt the import of his words. They indicate the ne.ture, motive, e.nd pervading principle of godly martial CO'Urage; the.t it should be disple.yed-…
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written by David, but they might have been with truth. It doea not appear that he deBired war with the ne~hbouring peoplea; but for a time he wu oontlnua\ly at war ~th one or other of them. Jealous of the growing greatness and power of Israel under his rule, they BOugbt to bumble them, but only to their own discomfi…
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hostility. 'fo have returned civility for civility could have done them no harm, and would have P.revented the severe retribution for their barbarity which followed. 2. In its effects. (1) On those who a.re guilty of it. It deprives them of the happine~s and other good which they would gain from kindness exercised towa…
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or to wBl!te energie11 and resources in fierce conflicts with one another, ls to be dieloyal t.o their Sovereign, unbrotherly to each other, and unfaithful to the eoula of men. 2. Wny it off-en is ,wt ao. (1) Deficiency of spiritual insight. Incapacity, voluntary or involuntary, to diecern: (a) The real nature of th…
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EXPOSITION. than an archaic method of spelling, instances CHAPTER XI. of which have been made rare by the extreme Ver. 1.-After the year was expired; fastidiousness of Hebrew scribes. There is, IIP-brew 1md Revised Version, at the re- however, another example not far off, where turn of the year; that is, ne J oeephu…
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her. David's fall 111eem1 BI! ■udden 1111 it wu made with the view of explaining whnt oomplete ; but we may feel l!Ul'e that there 1eemed to hlm strange, that a foreigner had been gradual preparation for it during should hold so distinguished a plaoo among the p'l'evious period of great prosperity. the oaptaina of Is…
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a.re thu■ oompelled to conclude that David when he l_eamed, as he certainly soon wonld, eent it, with its ottendant priests, with that David had me.de him bis tool, and Joab, thot he might oonsult the Deity oe.used him to murder one of" the mightiee" by its means. In the Talmud (' Shek. in order to cover the ebame of b…
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to mention the death of Uriah only after ehip -.vith Batheheba la dwelt upon by hia the king h1111 given utt.eranoe to hie anger. being twioe called " her husband," and she Poeeibly the meaning of this is the.t the "Uriah'e wife." Having been the cause of 1088 of one so high in rank, e.nd the king's his murder, she …
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HOMILETICS. Vcrs. 1-17.-The facte are: 1. During the prosecution of the war arrainet Ammor. in the spring, David remains in Jerusalem. 2. Walking one evening on°his house-top, he sees o. woman washing herself, and observes her beauty. 3. Curiosity being Awakened, he sends to inquire after her, and learns that she is t…
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time11 who, by reaBOn of his affiuenoe, oombined with a certain habit of body, farea 1mmptuously every day, does not, while he is getting into the practice of so doing, reflect on t.he JJOl'l!ible effect of ell thia, in daya not far distant, upon hl11 animal ten- dencies in a certain direction, and his corresponding…
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VJ. 'J'HEBl'l 19 A DIBTURDJNO FOROE IN' OERTAIN' PABl!ION8 BY WHIOH BEASON, THE WJI,L, AND SPIRITUAL INSTINOTS ARE WEAKENED, It is a. psychological fact that a.II emotion affects the exercise of the pure reason for the worse. le is in the experience of men that such passions RB were aroused in David by tho sight he wit…
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The crooked ways of sin. We ha.ve in vers. 6-13 an account of the devices by. which David sought to escape the human discovery of his guilt. The perhaps sleep- less nights speat in painful thought as to what could be safely done o.re not alluded to---only the product of his thinking. After what was said in ver. 6, i…
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trembled not before Golintb, now spends hours in thinking how he may e.~capn thA consequences of his own peoplo knowing wha.t be bas done in private. Is it simply fcnr of civil nnd social loHs? Is it merely dread of physical pain? No; even the guilty tesUfy that sin is abominable; that sin i~ deepest personal disgrace;…
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It wns not the King of Isrnel thAt rAised the arm to slAy, but the wicked Ammonites I Such is the crooked logic of sin. Our Saviour has described Sl\tan as a liar 68 well ns a murderer (John viii. 44). It is evidently very difficult to crush out all light from the conscience. There is a oontinuous protest in the per…
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rcpronched thie rnnn for cruelty and hard-heartcdnesA, now turns to him for the purpose of using those very qunlities for accomplishing his own cruel design. The presence of such a man in Israel for doini the evil work of his superior is typical of a universal foot. There is n vBSt amount of reserve evil in the world, …
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HOMILIES BY VARIO:US AUTHORS. Vers. 1-5.-(THE KING'S PALACE.) Dawi's fall into sin. "But David tarried still at Jerusalem" (ver. 1; 1 Chron. xx. 1). 1. He was about fifty years of age; had been reigning in Jerusalem upwards of twelve years; dwelt in a stately pa.lace on Moiint Zion; and possessed numerous sons and …
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his pillow w11a the rook and hie curtain the cave; when hie sword 1 under Providence, procured him hie daily bread from the foes of his country, and the means of existence formed the object and pursuit of life,-he was pious and immovable; he must have been octive or he muet have resigned hie life. But now the ce.ae …
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o.ace and fervent prayer, but, aleo of inelllnt flight. "The temptation of the fleeh le overoome and impure paesion mortified by flight, and not by fighting fsoe to face. He then who fliee fast.est and furthest ie most sure of victory. Once more I say to theo 1 Fly I for thou art as stubble. Therefore fly, fly, if i…
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(6) the beRutiful B~thsheba, (7) the unfortunate Tamar, (8) the wily woman of 'fek,>ah, (9) the devoted R1zpah, (10) the peo.ceable woman of Abel, and (in a minor degree) (11) the terrified nurse of Mephibosheth (eh. iv. 3), (12) the faithful maidservant at Bn-rogel, (13) the sympathizing woman of Bahurim (eh. xvii.17,…
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I. Gurr.TY FEA1'8. After his sud<len fall he -probRbly felt l!Ome meRsure of compunc- tion ; but. repl"888ed the reproR.Ches of conscience, "nd continued, in the view of men, the same as he hRd ever been. It is evident that, when the message (ver. 6) c1une to him, he Will! not truly penitent. 1. It awakened his fell…
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a not11ble people (Gen. :uiii. 3; Ezek. xvi. 3; 1 KingR x. 29; 2 Kings vii. 6), !::a<l ndopted the faith of Israel, and joined David in exile ; he was Clne of the famou~ "thirty" (1 Chron. xi. 41 ; eh. xxiii. 39), married Batbsheba. (the young and beautiful daughter of a brother officer), to whom he was fondly attached…
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"with the 11word of the children of Ammon" (eh. xii, 9). 1, There u seldom wanting a tuitabk accomplice in effecting a ei,ifv,l purpate, however iniquitous it may bo, 'l'he cha.mcter of Joob WM well known to David. " It was- his very wickedness thA.t commended him to the king 1111 the most fitting instrument for carryi…
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Vere. 22-27.-(JERUSALEM, RABBAH,) Ormcealment of •in. Ordf!T' of event8: 1. Report of Urie.h'e dee.eh (vere. 22-26). 2. Batheheba mourns (seven de.ye, 1 Sam. xxxi. 13) for her huebe.nd (ver. 26), being probably unacquainted with the manner in which it we.e broutp;ht about. 3. De.vid makes her hie wife, 4. Joe.b takes R…
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llttd ju~tify itself despite the oondemnRtion of oon&oience, while it obtains no relief from t,be f"Nl_ling of guilt, but rAther bring~ About a shAtper reaction qf conscience, and increases t,be Jl(IIDS that come from the conflict of mutually accu&ing and excusing thoughts " (Erdmann). "The roots of this deceit, whi…
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"'fho wrnth of God is revealed," etc. (Rom. ii. 18). This is confirmed by conscience In which his displeasure is reflected as a clouded sky in the surface of a lake. ' II. DESERVED. Sin is rebellion against his authority, di110bedience to his Law opposi- tion to his holiness, ingratitude toward his goodness; a. tran…
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I. Tm; 'ITTCJKEDKE88 WHTOH DISPLEASED Goo. Many things done by good men of old times which appear t-0 ue very culpRble, were in them Innocent or excu 811 bJc on account of the different l!tandard by which their conduct WM regulated and 'tho differl'nt. public opinion of their days. But the sins of Davi<! recorded in…
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EXPOSITION. fied in the deed of the rich man. On many CHAPTER XII. occasions David had shown a warm and Vor. 1.-Jehove.h sent Ne.than unto David. generous indignation o.t injustice, and a Though David had remained unrepentant righteous pity for those wronged. Would for nearly e. year, for we read in ver. 14 such a f…
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lo burial; and finally like Luarna, given Btrong onl", llnd literally means "thou hnBt over to <'-Orruption. murdore,.l him," though the sword was thnt Ver. 5.---8hall aurely die. It is strange of the enemy. langunge to deole.ro that a man shall be put Ver. 10.-The ■word ■hall never depart to death and then fined f…
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or his repentance, e.nd we moy even feel Bat the death of the adulterouR offspring bore that oon£ession was to him 11, relief. of David and Bathsheba would prove to The deep internal wound wo.s e.t longtb these irreligious men that Jehovah's disclosed, ond bee.ling be.cl become possible. ri_ghteo?s rule could reach and…
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not return to me. These words indica.te, be given him until hia good and gre,d first of RU, muoh pereona.l feelin@: for the qua.lities were developing; and 11.11 it was I\ child. Henoe some ha.ve llUpposed tha.t., a.s sort of indic&tion that he waa the chosen Solomon ie pla.oed lut of Batheheb&.'e four and elect sou…
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tho "we.ter-oity," that is, tho town upon the soon e.e resistance became hopoles@. The Jabbok, whenoe the supply of wator we.a general population would, of course, scatter obto.ined. Tho oitadcl, which occupied B thomsel vee in every direction, but the misery high rook on the north-western side, must, caused by such a …
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possession of Uria.h's wife. 6. He also declares, by way of punishment, that war would srise in his own honee; tha.t the purity and safety of hie domestic life would be invaded• snd that the punishment of his secret sin would be open. 6. On David confessing h~ guilt, Natha.n assures him that the Lord had eo far put …
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Yet God is not indifferent. He slnmbereth not. Government does not relax its hold on each man. 'l'he explanation is that God is in no haste in what he does ; be reserves hle action for a while for reasons more complicate and far-reaching than we can trace. The very reserve only renders the judgment, when it comes, mo…
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Rnd a judgment, He wu true to his bett~r qualities when he denounced the sin and pronounced Bentence of death. The 11tory beoame to David a pamble the moment the prophet !!II.id to him, " Thon art the man I " The whole figures then becon:ie specific, and be was the one most oonspicuous against whom the judgment Wl!.II …
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dare not. 'l'he conYcience knows the awful voice of God, and, when that voice speaks straight to it, all thought of men and opinions vanishes, and the soul in its solemn individuality feels itself in the actual presence of the Eternal. In true conviction the man "comes to himself." The deed of evil is brought home. In …
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tJ:)at evil is coming on the eonl as a con11eqnence of ail'I done, Sin Is transgression of law; law involves authority to vindicate itB righteousness; and, as soon as the conviotion of ein ie real, the lo1tic of conscience points to ooming judgment. Whether it be a temporal judgment, as in Old Testament references, or …
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their own guilt. A prepared state of mind ie neceesary to get good out of gospel state• mente. 4. The Ohristian religion especially lays stress on intense individuality in our relationships to God and to good and evil, and aims to bring us to a true self-know ledge. 6. It is an astonishing illustration of the tremendou…
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nature were broup:ht about by God ; they were the outcome of his wi11 1 as enrely as would be the death of this child RCCOrding to the ,vorrl of the prophet. Divine ordinu.- tioos were silent and epoken. Yet the silent ordinations In d1\lly providence were modified by_ rrayer e.nd to meet new conditlone; and why, th…
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time for II good man to recover from the natural, and, therefore, reasonable, outflow of his feelings; but when he does recover, he retains all the sanctity and softening influence of his anguish in combination with a calm spirit, concerned now in ministering to the consolation of others (ver. 24), and cheered by the h…
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Rcibbah's lesson to mankind. The fall of David occurred while the war was going on under Joab (eh. xi. 1, 7, 25). It is probable that, as the historian began to·tell the llk>ry of the fall, he thought well to finish it, with the account of the restoration, before he took up e.ga.in the account of the campaign being …
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HOMILIES BY VA.RIO US AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-(JERUSALEM.) .A.faithful reprovei· of sin. "And Jehovah sent Nathan to David." The sin of David could not be hid. It was known to bis servants (eh. xi. 4) and to Joab; it must have been surmised by many from his hasty marri&.11:e; and now it was fully manifest (eh. xi. 27). About…
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Rabbak's lesson to mankind. The fall of David occurred while the war was going on under Joob (eh. xi. 1, 7, 25). It is probable that, as the historian began to tell the 1!\ory of the fall, he thought well to finish it, with the account of the restoration, before he took up again the account of the campaign being car…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-(JERUBALEM.) Afaithful reprove:r of sin. "And Jehovah sent Nathan to David." The sin of David could not be hid. It was known to his servants (eh. xi. 4) and to Joab; it must have been surmised by many from his hasty marriaj!;e; and now it was fully manifest ( eh. xi. 27). About a y…
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ment. '!'here ie one instance of a fable of earlier date (Judg. ix. 8-15). The former belongs to a higher order of teaching than the latter (Smith's 'Diet. of the Bible,' art. "Fable;" Trench, 'Notes on the Parables'); and it was employed most perfectly by the great 'l'eacher, Compare hie parables of the unmerciful …
879 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.