k Or rather, goout,as the Word properly ſignifies. Be gone out of thy Kingdom, as thou deſerveſt.
8The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the houſe of Saul 7, in whoſe ſtead thou haſt reigned, and the LORD hath delivered the kindom into the +oenagh hand of Abſalom thy fon: and +} behold, thou «rt in thy evil, 1aken in thy miſchief »:. becauſe thou art a bloody
man.
1 Either, 1, The Blood of Abner and Iſbboſheth ; which he malici- ouſly imputes to David, as if they had been killed by David's Con- trivance : eſpecially the former, becauſe David did only give Joab hard Words, as in Policy he was oblidged to do ; but in ſtead of Puniſhing him,did Reward and Preferr him. Or, 2. The Death of
27.
and
0; Is,
1. SAMUEL.
' ſeems to have been done before : Of which, ſee the Notes on Chap. | I5. 7. m The ſame Miſchief thou didſt bring upon others, is now
God commanded it by his Word ; for that ſeverely forbids it, Exod.
returned upon thy own head. Or, Thy Sin hath found thee out, and thou art now receiving the juſt Puniſhment of ir.
9 Then ſaid Abiſhai the ſon of Zeruiah unto the king, Why ſhould this*dead dog curſe my lord the king? =; Say; let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 24. 14, 10 And the king ſaid, What haveT to do with you », Chap,z g. ye ſons of Zeruiah ? ſo let him curſe, becauſe the LORD hath ſaid unto him +, Curſe David. Who ſhal then ſay p, Wherefore haft thou done || ſo ?
7 To wir, in this Matter I ask not your Advice, nor will Ifo!. low it. ; nor do Idefire you ſhould at ail concern your ſelves in it, but whol'y leave it tome, todo what I think fit. o Not thar
| Or, aoeft thou,
22: 28, or moved him to it by his Spirit; for neither was that neceſſary, nor poſſible, becauſe God tempterh no man, Jam. 1. 13. but that the ſecret Providence of God did order and over-rule him in it- God did not put any Wickedneſs into Shime;'s Heart, for he had of himſelf an heart full of Malignity and VenomeagainſtDavis; but only left him to his own Wickedneſs; took away that common Prudence which would have kept him from ſo fooliſh and dangerous an Attion ; direQed his Malice that it ſhould be exerciſed againſt David, rather than another Man ; as when God gives up one Tras veller into the hands of a Robber, rather than another ; inclined him to be at home, and then to come out of his doors at that time when Dawid paſſed by him ; and brought David into ſo diſtreſſed a condition, that he might ſeem a Proper Obje& of his Scorn and Contempt. And this is ground enough for this Expreſfſion,the Lord Jaid, not by the Word of bis Precepr, but by the Word of his Pro- vidence, in reſpe& whereof he is faid to command the Ravens,1 Kings 17. 4 and to ſend forth his Word and Commandment to ſenſeleſs Crea- tures, Pſal. 147: 16, 18. p Not unto Shimei, for it was juſt'y ſaid ſo to him afterwards, 1 Kings 2.9. but unto the Lord : wi:o ſhall re- proach God's Providence for permitting this? Or, who ſhall b Words or Attions reſtrain him from executing God's juſtJudgment againſt me ?
11 And David ſaid to Abiſbai,and to all his ſervants, Bebold, my ſon,which came forth of my bowels,ſeeketh my life q : how much more now may this Benjamite | [| do it > let him alone, and let bim curſe r : for the LORD hath bidden him,
@ Which isa greater Milchief,than to Reproach me with Words | Of that Tribe and Family from which God hath taken away the Kingdom, and given it to me; which was likely to ſtir up his Rage and Hatred againſt me. r Do not now hinder him violently from it, nor puniſh him for it. Tt is meet I ſhovid bear the Indignation of the Lord manifeſted herein, and ſubmir to his Pleaſure, and poſſeſs my Soul with Patience ; and by bearing theſe leſſer Evils, prepare my ſelf for greater, which are coming towards me.
12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine [| + aflition z, and that the LORD will requite me po: 43 good for his curſing this day. + Heb.m,
5 He ſpeaks doubtfully,becauſe he was conſcious.that by his Sins he had forfcited all his Claim to God's Promiſes. : With an Eye of Commiſeration.
13 Andas David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hills ſide over againſt him, and curſed as he went, and threw ſtones athim, and + caft duſt ».
u Not that he could reach, or hurt him with it ; but only as an expreſſhon of Contempt. And the like is to be thought concerning the Stones, wherewith he could not thu.kto reach David, when he was Encamped with his Men on every ſide.
' 14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came x weary, and refreſhed themſelves there.
x Tothe City of Bahwrim, wv. 5.
15 AndAbſalom and all the people the men of Iſrael came to Jeruſalem, and Ahitophel with them,
16 And it came to paſs when Huſhai the Archite, Davids friend, was come unto Abſalom, that Huſhat ſaid unto Abſalom, F God ſave the king y, God ſave the king.
y Towit, 4ſalm, whom he pretends to own for his King and Liege Lord. :
17 And Abſalom faid to Huſhai; 1: this thy kindneſs to thy friendz? why wenteſt thou not with thy friend?
z Doth this Aion anſwer that Profeſſion of greateſt Friendſhip which thou haſt hitherto made ro him ? Doſt thou thus requite his Fovourand true Friend{hip to thee ? He ſpeaksthus only to try him. And he ſaith, thy Friend, by way of RefleQion upon David ; as one who was a Friend to Huſbar, and to Strangers, but not to his own Son, whom, by his Severity and Deſign to give away his Right to Solomon, he provoked to this Courſe ; and therefore he doth not vouchſafe to call him his Father.
18 And Hulhai faid unto Abſalom, Nay, but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Iſrael
chuſe «, his will I be, and with him will T abide.
# Though as a private Perſon, I owed and payed Friendſhip to David whilſt he was King ; yet I muſt make all my obligations give place to the Authority of God, who putteth down, and ſetteth up Kings at his pleaſure; and to the common Sence and decree of the whole Body of the Natien. But Huſhai exprefſeth himſelf very caue
} Heb! dufed him with duſts
+ Heb. Lei the King live
Sault ſeven Sons, Chap. 21. 8. which, though related after this, |, j
: tiouſly; for though he would be thought to underſtand 4b/alow,
yetin truth this CharaQter did not agree to him, whom neither God, nor all the People had choſen, but only a part, and that the worlt |
Chap. XV,
*Cha
J2, 1
F Heb,
word,
f Heb, as right
his Mugh,
part of them, 19 And again, whom ſhould I ſerve? 5bould I not ſerve , | | in |