6 And they came thither into the midſt of the houſe &, as though they would have fetched wheat 1 ; and they {more him under the fifth rib ; and Rechab and Baanah his brother eſcaped ».
k Or,into the horſe : for the midſt is not always taken exaQtly,and Mathemarically,burt for any part within,as Gen: 48; 16. Exod: 8: 22: Joſb: 3. 17. { Which was laid up in publick Granaries in the King's Houſe,and was fetched thence by theC3ptains and Commanders of the Ariny for the Pay of their Soidiers,who,in thoſe ancient Times were not payed in Money,but in Corn,as is well known.Upon this
| Pretence they were admitted into the Houſe, and ſo went from
Room to Room,ro the place where the King lay. » Which was not difhcult to do,when the king was left alone;cither becauſe he deſired to cqmpole himiclf to reſt or ſleep : or, becauſe his Guards, if he had any, were very ſmall, and negligent,now at leaſt,in his declin- ing and forlorn Condition. 7 For when they came into the houſe, he lay on his
bed in his bed-chamber : and they ſmote him and ſlew
, him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat
them away through the plain » all night. z i: e In the way from Mahanaim to Hebron; which for the moſt part was a plain Country.
8 And they brought the head of Tſhboſheth unto David to Hebron,and faid to the king, Behold,the head of Iihboſheth the ſon of Saul,thine enemy, which ſought thy life 0 ; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his ſeed p. -
o z.e. To deſtroy it.or take it away ; as this Phraſe is uſed,1 Sam: 20: 1: and 23: 15. and elſewhere. p They thought their Aion not only blameleſs,but Meritorious ; becauſe they had but executed Juitice upon Sau!'s Houſe, and David's Enemies, and made way for David's obtaining of his Rights. It may ſeem ſtrange, they were not diſcouraged by David's puniſhing of the Amalekite for killing Saul, 2 Sam. 1. and by his Sharp Reproof of Joab for Murdering Abn:r ;, but they thought the firſt Caſe much differing from theirs,
| becauſe Sauf was anointed King by God : whereas Iſbbofheth was
not, but was a' meer Uſurper : and for the latter,they thought that David's ſharp words proceeded rather from Art and Policy, than from any real diſlike of the thing; which they judged, becauſe Da- vid contented himſelf with words, and Feab did not only go uns puniſhed, bur continued in his former Place and Power.
9 4 And David anſwered Rechab, and Baanah his - brother, the ſons of Rimmon the Bzerothire, and laid unto them, 4s the LORD livech, who hath redeemed my ſoul our of all adverſity 4. | |
q Who hath hitherto delivered, and will deliver me from all mine enemies. So that I needed not your wicked help in this way.
10 When * one told me, ſaying, Behold Saul is * Chap: dead, ( Þ thinking co have brought good ridings ) I 14, 15: cook hold of him,and flew him in Ziklak,||who thoughe T wes that I would have given him a reward tor his tidings. {,,.; -
ir How much more when wicked men have flain , 5:;»ge. a righteous perſon 7 in his own houſe, upon his bed? &. Shall L nor therefore now require his blood of your |95,95< hand, and take you away from the earth ? ——
7 For fo he was comparatively, and in reſpett of theſe Men,ha» ,,.,. þim ving nor deſerved dearh ar their hands. for his ti= 12 And David commanded his young men /, and gs: or, they ilew them,and cut oft cheir hands and their feet #, fo whom I and hanged hem up over the pool in Hebron « ; but 79792ve
chey took the head of lihbotherh, and buried it in the AS * ſepulchre of Abner in Hebron. dings [oGr.
J Thoſe of his Guard, wio utecd ro execute Juſtice upon Male- * Chap, faQors at the Kings Command 7 Which had been mott inttrumental 3; 32. in their Villany ; their hands ro cur of his Head, and their Feet to carry them away, and his Head with them. « As Monuments of their Villany, and of David's Abhorrency of ir.
HA P. VY. The tribes come to Hebron to aneint David king over all ljrael : the years
of his reign in Hebron and Feruſalem : his age, 1,---5, He taketh the
frong hold of Zion from the Febuſites and dwelleth there, 6, —— $0.
Hiram maketh a league with David, and ſendeth wood and work-men
ro build an houſe, 11, 12, Ho taketh more wives, and eleven ſons are
born to him at Jeruſakm, 13, 16. David direfed by God ſmiretn
the Philiſitnes at Baal-Perazim, 17, + 21. And again at-the Mule
berry-trees, 2225,
Hen * came all the tribes of Iſrael - to David un- * xChron: to Hebron, and ſpake, ſaying, Behold, we are 1s 1.
thy bone, and thy fleſh 5.
s To wit, by their Ambaſſadors, 1Þboſheh and 4bner being now 3 B dead ;,
II.
Cha V.
$S4 MD E LI.
dead ; and that without David's concurrance. 67. e,Thy Brethren, | Conditional Offers, ſach as this was. # 7. e. Whence it became a
or Kin{men, of the ſame Nation and Parent:ge,:though not of the | ſame Tribe; and therefore, as God's Law,Deur. 17.15. permits Us, ſo our own re/ation and affe&icn inclines us to chuſe thee for our | King ; and we doubt not thou wilt receive us for thy Subjects > and People, and Pardon our Offences againſt thee. 2 Alſo in time paſt, when Saul was king over us, *1 Sam. * thou wa#t he that leddetit out,and broughteſtin Hrael c: 13.5 and the LORD faid ro thee 4, * Thou (halt feed my -8-71, People Iſrael e,and thou ſhalr be a captain over Iſrael. EW £ Thou waſt our chief Commander in our Expcditions againſt the Philiſtines,and therefore art moſt fit to be King over us. d To wit, by Ssmzel,1 Sam. 16: 11,12, 13. for though the words vary, yet the ſence is the ſame. e # e. Rule them, and take care of them, as a Shepherd doth of his Sheep, Pſal. 78. 70, 71. This Exprefli- on he uſeth to admonish David, that he was not made a King to ad- vance his own Glory and Intereſt, but for the good and benefit of his People ; and that he o-ght to Rule rhem with all rendernels, and to watch over them with all diligence. So all the elders of ifrael came to the king to
Hebron, and king David made a leggue with them fin Hebron befo:e the LORD g : and they anointed
David b king over Iſrael. h