pþ Who according to David's Command, ſpared him, and gave him an opportunity to eſcape. 9 In which probably he was en- tangled by the hair of the head, which being very long and thick, might eaſily catch hold of a Bough,eſpecially when the great God dire&ed it. Eicher he wore no Helmet, or his Helmet was ſuch as lefr much of his Hair viſible; Or he had thrown away his Hel- met as well as his other Arms, to haſten his flight, or becauſe of the heat of the ſeaſon. Thus the matter of his Pride was the in- ſtrument of his Ruine, as alſo Aſabe!'s ſifrneſs, Chapter 2. 18, and Abithophei's Policy, Chapter 17. 23. were the occaſions of their de- ſtruction. r Which might eaſily happen, becaule being in flight the Mule paſſed along very ſwiftly. |
to And a certain man ſaw 3t, and told Joab, and ſaid, Behold, I ſaw Abſalom hanged in an oak.
11 And Joab ſaid unto the man that told him, And
behold thou ſaweſt biz, and why didft chou not ſmite him there to the ground /, and I would have given
the ten ſhekels of ſilver, anda girdle s ?
ſ Why didſt thou not ſmite him down from the Oak, and with thy Spear nail him to the ground? 5 A Military Belt of more than ordinary price, as a teitimony of thy Valour and good Ser- Vice. See ON i Sam. 18. 4.
12 And the man ſaid unto Joab, Though I jhould + receive a thouſand 5hzkets of tilver in mine hand, yet would nor I put forth mine hand againſt the Kings fon : For in our hearing the King charged thee, and Abiſhai, and Ittai, ſaying, F Beware that none zeuch
. the young man || Abſalom.
+ || Or, take heed what ( for ſo the Hebrew Pronoun m7, is ſome- times uſed, as Fudg. 13.17.) ye do with the young man, He expreſ- ſeth David's ſenſe, though not his words.
12 Otherwiſe I thould have wrought falſhood a- gainſt mine own life 7 : for there is no matter hid from the King «, and thou thy ſelf wouldeſt have ſer thy ſelf againſt me x.
z Either, Firſt, I ſhould have been guilty of falſe and perfidious dealing againſt the King's expreſs Injun&ion, and that with the manifeſt hazard of my own Lite. Or, Secondly, I ſhouid have be- tray'd my own Life. I ſhould not only have deceived my ſeifwith falſe hopes, either of concealing my fa& from the King, or of obtaining a Reward; Yea, or a Fardon, from him or thee for it, but alſo have deſtroyed my ſelf thereby, and laid a plot againſt my own Life. % This, as all other things, would certainly come to the King's ear. x Thou wouldſt have been my Adverſary and Accut- er; Partly, becauſe it was thy duty to be to And partly, to vin- dicate thy ſelf by cafting the blame upon another. Or. thou would have ſtood afar off, as this Phraſe is uſcd, Pſal 38. 11. Thou wouldſt not have itood to me to intercede for my Life or Reward. but wouldſt keep at a diſtance from me. |
14 Then laid Joab, L may nor carry thus F with thee
. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrufli them through the heart &z of Abſalom, while he was yer alive 4 in the + midſt of the oak.
i
S$S 4 MU BE EL _
_ Heart was reconcilable to Abſalom notwithſtanding his abominable
| determine.
1 ſon is dead &.
_ Chap. XVIII |
? I muſt not loſe time in contending with thee till I let the oc- cafton flip- 2 Not properly fo called, for he was yet alive after theſe wounds, and was ſlain, verſe 15. but through his middle, as the word heart is oft uſed, as Pſal: 46. 2. and that too, not _ attly, but more largely underſtood, as Deur. &.-8, Ezek: 27. 4. Matth: 12. 49. or through his Boly : Which might be, and yer the wounds not mortal. a Or, yer he continued alive. 1 e. the Darrs did not diſpatch him, and therefore they ſmite him again, and kill him, verſe 15. gy
i5 And ten young men that bare Joabs armour, compatlled about, and ſmote Abſalom, and flew him 6.
6 Judging rhat there could be no ſafery to the King, nor peace to the Kin gdom, nor ſecurity to himſelf, and all David's Friends and Loyal Subje&s, and good Men, if Abſalom had lived, as may ſeem probable from Chapter 19. 10, and yet perceiving that the King's
Crimes of lying with his Father's Concubines, and of horrid and unnatural Rebellion; both which were capital Crimes by the Law of God ; he adventured to fave David's Life againſt his Will. © But whether Joab did well in this, all things conſidered, I ſhall not here
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people turned from purſuing after Iſrael; for Joab held back the peopie c. |
c Whootherwiſe were highly incenſed againſt the Rebels, and DOUty: penny _ _ the head | of the Rebellion being cur
4 e dan xe) ger t _- y paſt, he puts a ſtop to the effuſion of
17 And they took Abſalom, and caft him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of
ſtones upon him 4 : and all Iſrael fled every oneto his rent e,
d As a laſting monument of Abſalom's ſin and ſha the Righteous Judgement of God pon him. cus - and 8. 29. and 10. 27, He was firſt hanged. after a ſort; which was an accuried death, Deur. 21. 23. and then thruſt through with Darts and Swords; And, after all, in a manner ſtoned, which was are eu RR — of a Rebellious Son, Deut. 21. 21. e To
eir houſes and dwellings, t iſh | Oo Oo gs, to avoid the ſhame and puniſhment of
180N ow Abſalom inbis lifetime had taken and rear- ed up for himſelf a pillar f, which jsin the Kings dale g : for he faid, I have no fon to keep my name in re- membrance bh: and he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called to this day Abſaloms place 3.
f To preſerve his name in memory ; whereas it had been more for his honour if his name had been buried in perpetual oblivion; But this was the effe& of his pride and vain-glory. g A place near Jeruſalem ſo called, Geneſis 14+ 17. h Objet, He had three ſons Chapter 14+ 27: Arſw. Either they wereall now dead; Or, if one of them was left alive, he thought him unfit and unworthy to keep up his name and honour; Or. he ereQed this Pillar before his Sons were born.. Burt the firſt opinion ſeems-motit probable : and it was a remarkable Judgment of God, that he who ſtruck at his Father's life, ſhould be puniſhed with the death of all his Sons. - Heb? Ab- ſalom's hand, i. e. his work, made, though not by his hand, yet for him and his glory, and by his procurement.
i9 \ Then faid Ahimaaz the ſon ef Zadek, Let me now run, and bear the King tidings, how that the LORD hath + avenged himſelf of his enemies. : ,