: Who being the fiiſt and chief Abettors of Ab[alom's Rebellion, deſpaired of ever obtaining the King's Graceand Pardon,andthere- fore were backward to promote the King's Reſtauration. « To his Royal Palace at Jeruſalem. x i. e, Even to Mahanaim, where now the King's Houſe and Family is. Thus ſometimes one word is taken in divers ſenſes in the ſame Verſe, as Matth: 8.22, Or ra- ther thus: About bringing the King back to his houſe : For, Firſt, Thoſe words are very fitly and eaſily underſtood here, out of the foregoing member of the Verſe ; ſuch defe&s being uſual in the Hebrew, which is a very conciſe or ſhort Language, So it is Exodus 22, 15. and Deut: 1, 4, &, Secondly, It ſeems moſt rea- ſonable to underſtand the fame Phraſe, to his houſe, being twice here uſed in the ſame ſenſe in both places, To wir, of his Houſe in Jeruſelew: And this is moſt agreeable to rule, and to Scripture- uſage Thirdly, Thus the words have more Emphaſis than the other way: For if the Speech came to the King ar Mabanaim, it matters not whether it found him in his Houſe there, or ” the
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*chap? 16, 1+
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L XIX. p. Ny
te-houſe, or in the Field. Fourthly, David had no Houſe in Ck, which could properly be called his houſe ; as he had in Jeruſalem. And then the Parentheſis ſhould cloſe before thoſe laſt words, even ro hu houſe, or, even to h1s 0wn houfe, to wit, that at Je» ruſalcm.
i2 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my
fleſh y: wherefore then are ye the laſt ro bring back.
the King z2* ”
y Of the ſame Tribe,and ſome of you of the ſame Family with my ſelf; and therefore ifI ſhould revenge my {cIf of you, which perhaps you may fear I will do when I have fully regained my pow-
er, I ſhould bur tear my own Fleſh in pieces, and hare my own
Body, which Nature and Intereſt obligeth every Man to preſerve.
2 This delay doth nor ſuit with the relation you have, and the at- fetion you owe to me.
13 And ſay ye to Amaſa #, Art thou not * of my . bone, and of my fleſh b? God do fo to me, and more ' alſo, if thou be not captain of the hoſt before me c
continually, in the room of Joab d.
a 4b(a/mm's late General ; who judging his caſe,above all others, deſperate, might be ready. to uſe all his Intereſt with that Trive, to delay or hinder the King's return. 6 1.e. My near Kinſman, my Nephew- See 1 Chron: 2; 6,17. & le E. In my preſence; or, now whilſtI live; le{t he ſh. uld think he promiſed him only the reverſion of it. d Who, beſides his other Crimes, had lately ex+ aſperated the King by his wilful mu-ther of Abſalom, contrary to David's expreſs Command ; and by his infolent Carriage towards
him. An therefore the King having now the opportunity of a- '
nother Perſon who had a greater Intereſt both in Judah and 1rael than Joab, he gladiy complies with ir, that ſo he might both cha- ſtiſe Joab for his fauits, and reſcue himſelf from the Bondage in which Joab had hitherto h<1d him. Yet it is not neceſſary, from thoſe words in the room of Joab, to conclude that Joab was to be dit- placed to make room for Amaſa; but that he might be in like con- dition with joab : Bur, whar follows in the next Chapter, makes very probable that he was indeed di:placed, and maſa put in his place. ; 14 And he e bowed.the heart of all the men of Judah, * even as rhe beart of one man, fo that they : ſent this word unto the King, Return thou and all thy
ſervants.
e Either, Firſt, Amala by his great influence upon them. Or, rather, Secondly, David by this prudent and kind Meflage, and his free offer of Pardon and Favour to them, as if they had ne- ver offended
t5 So the King returned, and came to Jordan: and Judah came to Gilgal, to go ro meetthe King, to con- duct the King over Jordan f. . f To atrend upon the King in his paſſage over Jordan, and to furniſh him with convenicacics for his paflage and journey. See below, Yerſes 41, 4 EE
16 4 Ana * Shimei, the ſon of Gera, a Benjamite. which was of Bahurim, haſted and came down witn
_ 2? the men of Judah, to meer king David.
17 And there were a thouſand men of Benjamin with him g, and * Ziba the ſervant of che houſe of Saul b. and his fifteen ſons, and bis twenty ſervants with him, and they went over Jordan before the Kirg 5.
g Whom he brought, partly to ſhew his power and intereſt "in the People, whereby he was able to do David either great ſervice, or great diſſervice; And part'y, as Interceſſors on his behalf, and as witneſſes of David's clemenency or .everity,that-in him they might ſee whar the reſt of them might exp: & +. Who, being conſci- ous of his former abuſe of David, ans of his Maſter Mephib»ſhe:h, which he knew the King would underſtand, deſigned to {weeten David's Spirit towards him, by his great officiouineis and forward- neſs in meeting him, and congratulating his return. # They did Not tar'y on this ſide Jordan waiting ti:] the King came ove”, as the moſt of the men of Judah did ; but went over Jjurdan to pay their reſpeQs and duty to rhe King there, to expreſs their eager and impatienr deſire to ice the King.
18 And there went over a ferry-boart & to carry the Kings houſhold, and to do f what he thougi:t good : ang Shimei the ſon of Gera fell down befoie the King as he was come over Jordan / ;
k Made by the men of Judah for the King's proper uſe ; beſides which there were doubtleſs many Boats ready tor the uſeof others. I Or rather, as he was paſſmg, or about to paſs over Jordan ; But this was beyond Jordan, for as he went over Jordan to the K ng, verſe 17. ſo doubtleſs he fell down before him at his firit coming into his preſence there. ; :
19 And faid unto the King, Let not my lord im- pute iniquity unto me, neicher do thou remember * that which thy ſervant did perverſely the day thag my lord the King went out of Jeruſalem, that the King ſhould take it to his heart m.
m 1.e. Be affeQed with it, or excited to revenge it.
20 For thy ſervant doth know that I have ſinned »: therefore behold, I am come the firſt s this day of ail the houſe of Joſeph p, ro go down to meet my lord the King,