The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 67

ne bolonging, therefore, equally to eA.Ch of This day-th1tt is, at this very tim!l-I nm the six. 1howing kindnH1 unto the house of Saul Ver. 6.-Abner made himself strong for ... and this day thou wouldeBt visit upon the house of Baul. '.rhe Hebrew ree.lly me-that is, punish me for-the fault about menne tho.t until this miserable quarrel this woman. I make and maintain theo o.bout Rizpo.h, Abner had been the m11in- e.s king, and thon woulrlst plo.y the king stny of Iehboslioth's throne o.nd dyne.sty. upon me, the kingmaker ! • She is proved to ho.vo beon o. noble woman, Ver. 9.-As the Lord bath sworn to David. with e. we.rm o.nd devoted heo.rt, by the This. not only sh~ws that the pr,,phetic norro.tive in oh. xxi. 8-11. But the harem promise of the kingdom to Davirl was of o. deceased king wo.s looked upon o.s the genemlly known (see note on eh. i. 2), hnt speoio.l inheritance of his successor; e.nd that Abner regarded it as solemniy mtifierl. Abealom, by taking David's concubines There is no express mention of any such (oh. xvi. 21, 22), treated hie father e.e e. oath, but _Abner was o. man of strong worrle, dee.d me.n, e.nd committed so overt e.n a.et of and possibly only meant that Jehonb'a tree.son 11s me.de reconciliation impossible. purpose we.a becoming evident by the course So Solomon put his brother Adonij11h to of events. dee.th for a.eking Abishag to wife (I Kings Ver. 11.-:e:e could not answer Abner. ii. 23-25). Still, 11s Bathshebe. there se.w Though the reply was one of open treason, no impropriety in Adonij11h's request, e.nd e.s e.nd was spoken with violence, yet lsh- Solomon deposed Abie.the.r 11nd put Jo11b to bosheth did not venture to bring the matter death for complicity, a.s we mnst conclude, to an issue. Perhaps he looked ronnrl upon in Adonij11h's request, it we.a probably part his officers to see if e.ny would take his side, of some scheme of conspiracy, e.nd that, if and, when all were silent, be was too feeblo granted, it would have been used by Adoni- to dare to order the arrest and trie.l of his jah e.s e. proof that the kingdom really was too-powerful captain. his. Here there was no plot, and as Rizpah Ver. 12.-Abner sent messengen to David had probably always lived apart from Ish- on his behalf; Hebrew, under him. The bosheth, Abner may ha\"e expected that the Revised Version renders this "where he king would see no difficulty in the matter. w11s;" bnt the phrase really means "im- Ver. 8.-Then was Abner very wroth. mediately" (see note on eh. ii. 23). And This extreme indignation on Abner's part this 11grees with the haughty temper of is not easy to understand ; for he could Abner. Without waiting for advice, or scarcely have expected Ishbosheth to endure allowing his anger to cool, he a.t once sent quietly what e.t lee.et was a great insult. trusty envoys to open negotiations with But probe.bly the question, Wherefore hast De.vid. Whose is the land 1 Abner's mean- thou gone in unto my fe.ther's ooncubine 1 ing in these words is plain. You, David, does not mean a mild expostulation on the he seems to say, will answer tho.t the land king's part, but the purpose to degrade is mine; for Jehovah has promised it to me. Abner and strip him of his office. Probably But, 11s a. m11tter of fact, mnch of the land after the defeat by Joab a.t Gibeon, the is mine ( Abner's ), or e.t lee.at belongs to the army was less satisfied with its leader, and house of S11ul, whose prime minister I am. his detractors may gladly have encouraged Yours is an abstract right; mine is e.ctual the king to use this opportunity for bring- possession. Come, let us make the two ing Abner down to his proper place. Weak agree. Give me fitting e.ssurances of safety kings often try to ple.y the strong man ; but 11nd reward, and I will me.ke your cliWD a the attempt here only drove the imperious reality. soldier to put the matter to the proof,and show Ver. 13.-Except thou first bring Michal. that the strength we.a his. We know the.t Besides David's 11ffection for Michal, there De.vid groaned all his life through under were political reasons for demanding her Jo11b's iron will, 11nd, though he tried,yet that restoratiou. Saul's despotic act in giving he never succeeded in throwing off the yoke. her in marriage to another m11n (1 Sam. But Joa.b never behaved unfaithfully to his xxv. 44) had been 11, public disavowal of sovereign e.s Abner did here, and his crimes D11vid as the son-in-le.w of the roval house, were deeds of violence committed in Do.vid's and equivalent to II proclame.tion of out- ea.use. Am I a dog's head, whioh against lawry. David's rights were all declared Judah, etc.? The words literally are, Am I null by such an act. But now Ishbosheth a dog'a head that i8 for Judah f 11nd e.re must with equal publicity reverse his father'8 rightly1·endererl in the Revised Version, Am deed, 11nd restore to David his lost position. I a dog's head that belongeth to Judah 1 Am It must have been 11, most painful humilia- I a.t once worthless 11nd a. traitor, a thing of tion to him to be driven thus to cancel his no e.ccount, 11nd on the side of thy enemies? father's decree, and declare thereby to all In the words tho.t follow he protests, not so Ismel that he was mrnble to refuse his much his innocence 11s his great deserts. assent to whatever his rival dem11nded. II. SAMUEL, ..  f\(i THE SECOXD DJOK OF ::i.:\.~lliF.L.