The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 264

to mention the death of Uriah only after ehip -.vith Batheheba la dwelt upon by hia the king h1111 given utt.eranoe to hie anger. being twioe called " her husband," and she Poeeibly the meaning of this is the.t the "Uriah'e wife." Having been the cause of 1088 of one so high in rank, e.nd the king's his murder, she is oe.reful to make for him the near nei~hbour, is so serious e. matter that cuetome.ry mourning. How long it luted ia it must be gradually broken to him, lest hie uncertain. The mourning for Aaron (Numb. indignation at Joa.b should be too violent. xx. 29) and that for Moses (Deut. x::niv. Probably there was e.leo the suggestion that 8) were each for thirty days: while that for Uriah had been himself too l'RBh, and had Jacob a.t Atad (Gen. I. 10) and that of the incurred hie fate by hie own fault. The men of Je.besh-Gilead for Saul (1 Barn. reference to the fate of Abimelech (Judg. x:xri. 13) lasted only for seven days. Both ix. 53) proves that the history of the times these, however, were under suoh exceptional of the judges was generally known. Very circumstances as made them no rule: but probably not only reoorde of the several in Ecolus. x:x:ii. 12 we read, "Seven days do evenl!! existed. but the Book of Judges wa.e men mourn for him that is dead," and the already written. In Samuel's schools the national lamentation for Judith lasted the youth of Israel were instructed in the anna.ls same time (Judith xvi. 24). Probably, how- of their country, and men like Nathan and ever, the mourning of e. widow for her Gad, o.nd others who aided Samuel in hie husband would last e. month. work. would be sure quickly to turn their Ver. 27.--she ... be.re him a son. This attention to the orderly arrangement and would be the child whose death is reoorded digest of the records in their possession. in the next chapter. Afterwards she be.re Ver. 21.-1erubbasheth; in Judg. 'Vi. David four sons (1 Chron. iii. 5), of whom 82 called Jen,.bbaal, that is, Gideon. (On one wa.e Solomon, and another Ne.than, the the ~ubetitution of Besheth, or more oor- ancestor of our Lcrd. The thing . , . die- rectlv Bosheth, for Ba.a.I. see notes on eh. ple&11ed the Lord. It was probably during the ii. ll; ix. 6.) It is remarkable that the time of David's victories that success began LXX., Vnlgete, and Syriac all read here to work in him its usual results. Too com- Jerubbaal, though, like the Hebrew, they monly men who have conquered kingdoms have lshboeheth o.nd Mephiboeheth. Pro- have been vanquished by their own strong bably the change, which was not made until passions: and David had always evinced aft.er the days of Jezebel, w&B only gradually e. keen appetite for sensuous plea11ures. carried out by the scribes. Even at Hebron he had multiplied unto Ver. 23.-The men prevailed against 111. himself wives, and now, raised by repeated The real meaning is "the men ma.de a sortie victory to be the lord of e. vast empire, he against us in force, and came even to the ceased to be "base in his own sight" (eh. open field; but we were upon them (and vi. 22), and lost hie self-control. And, e.s drove them back) unto the entry of the was to be expected in e. man of such sh·ong gate, and the archers from off the wall shot qualities, hia fall was terrible. But this at th v servant.&," etc. declaration of the inspired narrator is not Ver. 25.-Let not this thing displease me.de solely for ethical reasons, but is the thee. David professes to be satisfied with key to all that follows up 1o the end of eh. Joab's apology, o.nd bide him, if the war is x:x. In this chapter we have had the history in the main going on prosperously, not to be of David's sin: a year's respite succeeds, as too much dietreePed at e. temporary reverse. if God would wait and see whether the .AB for Uriah'e death, of oonrse it is to be sinner's own conscience would wakeq. up, regretted. but such is the fortune of war, and bring him to repentance; but it slum- e.nd the sword devollrl! now one and now bers on. Then comes the message of reproof, another. The last words, enoourage thou followed by earnest penitence, and severe him, have provoked comment, as though the punishment. It was, perhaps, during thia messenger was to aid end abet Joab. They year of hardened persistence in crime that simply mean "Give him e. message of en- Amnon and his cousin Jone.dab also gave couragement from me," the exact form of the reins to their passions, and prepared the which is left to the meseenger, but of which way for the first of the series of crimes that his report would be that the king wished polluted Uavid's home. An early repentance Joab to take courage. might have saved the son ; but the absence Ver. 26.-And when the wife of Uriah of paternal discipline, the loss of respect for heqd that Uriah her hnaband ,ru dead, she his father, and the evil influence of that mourned for her hnaband. There is some- father's bad example, all urged on the son thing pathetic in this repetition of the name to the commission of his abominable crime. of the murdered 11111,n, and hi.s close relation- OR. XI. 1-27.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 269