wiro of Ilohoboam, and mothor of Abijah. Ver. 32.-If there be (a.nv) iniquity in me, In 1 Kings llV, 2 we nre tolcl tbRt Abijah'e ~et him ~ me. The worri '' any,'' wrongly mother wne "Mna.clJO,h the dnughter of mscrterl m the Authorized Version ,s Abiehnlom; " nnd in 2 Chron, xiii. 2 that omitted in the Revieed Version. It w,;ul<l her no.me woe "Michniah the danghtcr of ~a.ve been m~nstrous for Absulom to profess Uriol of Gibenh." We thus gather tba.t mnoccnce, with the mnrrler of' Amnon fresh 1 ro.mC1r married Urie!, Bncl that it was the in hie memory; but the phrase, "if there be gmnclrlBngbter of Absalom who became ini')uity in me," meane, "it' my offo:1ro is Uchoboam's queen. It is strictly in nc- still unpo.rdonerl." If year after year he oorclanco with Hebrew custom to en.II Absn- wne to bo treaterl ns I\ eriminal, then he Jom'e grancldo.nghler hie dnughter, nnd, ae would rather be put to death at once. A ncl Urie! wa.e a mo.n of no political importBnce, Absalom's plea succeeds. Joab, who had he is pnesed over, as the narrator's object been unwilling to visit the prisoner, now wo.s to show that Abijah's mother was consents to act as mediator, repnrta 1o sprung from the ha.ndeome and notorious David his son's \'CXation at sncli Iona. son of David (see a.lso 2 Chron. xi. 20, 21). continued coldness, and obtains full po.rdo~. Ver. 29.-Abea.lom sent for Joab. As Ver. 33.-The king kissed Absalom. The Joa.b had been the means of bringing him father's kiss was, as in the case of the back, Absalom naturally regarded him as e. •prodigal son (Luke xv. 20), the sign of per- friend. But Joe.b bad performed the former fect reconciliatiou, a.nd of the restoration of service for other reasons, and it does not Absa.lom to his place as a son, with all its seem as if he really ha.d any affection for privileges. But Uod's pardon was immediate Absalom. (eh. xii. 13), while David's was unwilling, Ver. 30.-Go, and set it on :fire. The and wrung from him. The kiss, we may Hebrew ho.s, Go, and I will set it on fire. feel qnite sure, was preceded by a conversa- Absalom represents himself as doing in bis tion between David a.nd his son, the record own person what his servants were to be his of which is omitted simply for the sake of instruments in accomplishing. The versions, brevity. Evidently it satisfied the king, however, agree .with the Mo.ssorites in sub- o.nd ended in the kiss which gave the son stituting the easy phrase in the text. But all he desired. But whatever may have few languages are so indifferent to persons been his professions, Absalom's subsequent and numbers as the Hebrew. conduct is proof that be still regarded Ver. 81.-Then Joa.b arose. This high- Amnon's death a.s a just retribution for his handed proceeding forced Joab to pri.y the conduct to Ta.mar, and secretly cherished wished-for visit. But, while we cannot ac- a. sullen anger against his father for not quit Absalom of petulance, we must not having punished the wrong-doer himself. regard his act o.s one of angry revenge ; had It wa,i the contrast between his own five it been so, Joa.b would have openly resented years of punishment a.nd the mere verbal it, a.nd he was quite capable of ma.king even reproof which was all tba.t Amnon ba.d to the heir-apparent feel his anger. It was suffer for his shameless conduct, which probo.bly intended a.s a. rough practical joke, rankled in Abso.Iom's mind, a.nd gave him which to.ught Joa.b better manners, o.nd an excuse for finally plotting his father's which he must la.ugh o.t, though with in- ruin. ward displeasure.
HOMILETICS, Vera. 1-2O.-The facts are: 1. Joab, observing that the king's heart was still adverse to Absalom, devised, in order to bring him round to a different feeling, that a wiso woman from Tekoah should appear before him and plead a. cause. 2. The woman appears before the king, and narrates as facts certain circumstances, namely, (1) that she was a widow, and that on two of her sons falling into strife, one slew the other; (2) that all the rest of the family connections were urging that the survivor shoulJ. be put to death, much to her grief. 3. David, touched with her story, undertakes to grant her request, _whereupon the _wom_an, recognizing: the usage in sue~ cas~s, d~s~res to exonerate the kmg from blame ID this exercise of Ins clemency. 4. 1he kmg g1vrng her a ren~wed assurance of safety, should any reproach her for thus trading on his clemency, she again, by a reference to God's presence aud knowledge, dwells on tl:_L! royal promise; whereupon he swears most solemnly that the son shall be spared. ;). '!'he woman then ventures to bring the royal concession to her to bear on the case uf Absalom, by suggesting that, in granting her request as a just on_e, he virtually brin<.>,s blame on himsolr' for cherishing revengeful fooling against a. banished one, and he one 31-8 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. Cert. XIV. 1--as.
of the people of God. 6. She fortifies her 11rgument by 11lluding to man's inevitable tnortalitr and to God's w11y of del\ling with wrong-doers, namely, thl\t be devises mean~ of restoring the exile. 7. Reverting to her own suit, she next pretends that the_ pe_ople's desire for vengeance bas caused the fear which prompts this her request behenng, &.s she does, in the king's magnanimity and superior discrimination. 8, David' perceiving that she is presenting a parabolic case, now asks whether Joab is not at tb~ origi_n of it, which, with an Oriental compliment to his discernment, she candidly admits.