The history of the remaining period of the rebellion is comparatively brief. Mahanaim was the capital of David's exile, as it had been of tbe exiled house of Saul (2 Sam. xvii, 24; comp. ii, 8, 12). Three great chiefs of that pastoral district are specially mentioned as supporting him : one, of great age, not before named, Barzillai the Gileadite ; the two others, bound to him by former ties, ShoU, the son of David's ancient friend Nahash, probably put by David in his brother's place (xii, 80 ; x, 2), and Machir, the son of Ammiel, the former protector of the child of David's friend Jona- than (2 Sam. xvii, 27 ; ix, 4). Strengthened by the warlike Eastern tribes, and surrounded by his experi- enced captains, the king no longer hesitated to meet Absalom in the field. His forces were arranged un- der the three great military officers who remained faithful to his fortunes — Joab, captain of the host; Abishai, captain of "the mighty men;" and Ittai, who seems to have taken the place of Benaiah (had he wavered in his allegiance, or was he appointed after- wards ?), as captain of the guard (2 Sam. xviii, 2). On Absalom's side was David's nephew, Amasa (ib. xvii, 25). The warlike spirit of the old king and of his faithful followers at tiiis extremity of their fortunes is well depicted by Hushai, "chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the * field' (or a fierce wild boar in the Jordan valley, Sept.) ;" the king him- sell^ as of old, '* lodging not with the people," but "bid in some pit or some other place" (2 Sam. xvii, 8, 9). The final battle was fought in the "forest of Ephraim," resulting in a decisive victory on tbe part of David's forces, and terminating in the accident leading to tbe death of Absalom at the hand of Joab during the re- treat. David was waiting the event of the battle in the gateway of Mahanaim. Two messengers, each endeavoring to outstrip the other, were seen running breathless fh>m the field. The first who arrived was Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, already employed as a messenger on the first day of the king's flight. He had been entreated by Joab not to make himself tho bearer of tidings so mournful ; and it would seem that when he came to the point his heart failed, and bo spoke only of the great confusion in which he had left the army. At this moment the other messenger burst in — a stranger, perhaps an Ethiopian — and abruptly revealed the fktal news (2 Sam. xviii, 19-82). See CusHi. The passionate burst of grief which followed is one of the best proofs of the deep affection of David's character. He wrapped himself up in his sorrow, and even at the very moment of his triumph he could not forget the hand that had slain his son. He made a solemn vow to supersede Joab by Amasa, and in this was laid the lasting breach between himself and his powerful nephew, which neither the one nor the other ever forgave (2 Sam. xix, 18). Perhaps Joab on the former occasion, when he murdered Abner, had blinded the king by pleading revenge for the blood of Asahel, but no such pretence could here avail. The king was now probably brought to his determination partly by his disgust at Joab, partly by his desire to give tbe in- surgents confidence in his amnesty. If Amasa is the same as Amaaai, David may likewise have retained a grateful remembrance of the cordial greeting with which he had led a strong band to his assistance at the critical period of his abode in Ziklag (1 Chron. xii, 18) ; moreover, Amasa, equally with Joab, was David's nephew, their two mothers, Abigail and Zeruiah, being
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sisters to David hy at least one parent (2 Sam. xvii, 25; 1 Chron. ii, 13, 16). The unscrapuloos Joab, however, was not so to be set aside. Before long, catching an opportunity, he assassinated his unsus- pecting cousin with his own hand ; and David, who had used the instrumentality of Joab to murder Uriah, did not dare to resent the deed (2 Sam. xx, 5-12).
The return was marked at every stage by rejoicing and amnesty — Shimei forgiven, Mephibosheth partial- ly reinstated, Barzallai rewarded by the gifts long re- membered, to his son Chimham (2 Sam. xiz, 16-40; 1 Kings ii, 7). Judah was first reconciled. The em- bers of the insurrection still smouldering (2 Sam. zix, 41-43) in David's hereditary enemies of the tribe of Benjamin were trampled out by the mixture of bold- ness and sagacity in Joab, now, after the murder of Amasa, once more in his old position. David again reigned in undisturbed peace at Jerusalem (2 Sam. xx, 1-22).
(4.) A quarrel, however, which took place between the men of Judah and those of the other tribes in bringing the king back, had encouraged a Benjamite named Sheba to raise a new insurrection, which spread with wonderful rapidity. " Every man of Israel, " are the strong words of the text, ** went up from after Da- vid, and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri," a man of whom nothing besides is known. This strikingly shows that the later unpatriotic features of David's reign had to a great degree exhausted the enthusiasm once kindled by his devotion and chivalry, and that his throne now rested rather on the rotten foundation of mere military superiority. Amasa was collecting troops as David's general at the time when he was treacherously assassinated by his cousin, who then, with his usual energy, pursued Sheba, and blockaded him in Beth-maachab before he could collect his par- tisans. Sheba's head was cut off and thrown over the wall ; and so ended the new rising (2 Sam. xx, 1-22). Yet this was not the end of trouble, for the intestine war seems to have inspired the PhilistineB with the hope of throwing off the yoke. Four successive bat- tles are recorded (2 Sam. xxi, 16-22), in the first of which the aged David was nigh being slain. His faithful officers kept him away from all future risks, and Philistia was once more, and finally, subdued.