The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 364

etrnng ae Jcruenlom. But we must not sup- household, numerous cnongh to h[lmper bfa pose thot he had a etnnding army, and his moveme,:it~, bu~ not enough to protect him. fow Oherothitee and Pelethitee coulrl ho.vo Al_l Davids Wive~, moreover, w,-nt, a.nrl his mode no head ngn.inet the nn.tion. Probably, ch1ldren, and some of his concubine.; (eh. xix. too, the fortiflcntione of tho city were incom- 5), ten, however, being left in charge of tl,e ploto (Pe. Ii. 18); o.nrl even if in good order, palace. yet, cooped up in Jernsn.lom, David would Ver. 17.-And tarried in e. place that was lmve left the whole country in Abeo.lom'e far oft'; Revised Version, in Beth-merhak. powor, and finn.Ily, after n. long blockade, he "The For House"-eo we may translate this muHt have been driven by fomi11e to snr- proper name-was probably not a. dwe!linno, rendor. Away from Jeruen.lcm ho was the but a pavilion overlooking the Kirlro~1 centre whither oll who disliked Absalom's valley: and here David baited his honee- ottempt would gather, and every day oe it hold until all were assembled, and arr,mnoe- passed would moke men reflect more and ments made for their journey. Here, t~o, more upon whe.t De.vid had done for them, the body-gu1ud would gather, o.nd they o.nd the more etee.dy e.nd thoughtful of them would cross the Kidron only when every- would finally decide in hie favour. There thing was ready for their orderly progress. would be, moreover, the secret conviction tho. t Confusion e.t such a time would breed a De.vid, with such men round him e.s Joab panic and in vita an attack. and Abiehai, if free to take hie own course, Ver. 18.-All the Oittites, six hundred would be more than a match for Absalom men which came after him from Oath. The e.nd hie larger numbers. Thls was what Septuagint reads "Gibborirn," and without Ahithophel fo1·ese.w, and we.s so convinced doubt these are the pereons meant; but the.t, if David were not crushed e.t once, he while they were styled Gibborirn, the would go.in the,day, that he did not even "mighties," for honour's eake, because of wait to see, but destroyed himself. Abar- their prowess, they probably were popularly banel thinks that the wish of the people called David's Gittites, because they were the Imd never been for more than the association six hundred men who had formed his little of Absalom with Dovid on the throne, ac- army when he sought refuge with Achieb, cording to what he hnd himself suggested King of Gath (l Sam. :n:vii. 2; xxx. 9). (ver. 4); e.nd the.t there was a great re- They were not Philistines, but Israelites of vulsion of feeling when they saw that they desperate fortune (1 Sam. xxii. 2); and it is must choose absolntely between father and a proof of David's great ability, and of the son, and that whoever lost the crown must moral influence of his character, that he lose hie life as well. Some commentators was successful, not only in controlling them consider that Pe. xxxi. also belongs to this and maintaining discipline, but also in period, though others ascribe it to Jeremiah. forming them into as noble a set of heroes Parts of it are eingule.rly applicable to the as ever existed, and who were faithful to circumstances of David'e flight, as where the him in o.11 his fortunes. To their number psalmist speaks of Jehovah as being his belonged the thirty-seven champions enu- l!'ortrees in contrnet with Jerusalem, and merated in eh. xxiii., and possibly the title adds, "'fhou hast not shut me up into the "Gibborim" strictly belonged to them only. hnnde of the enemy, but hast set my feet As they are still called "the si:x hun<.lred," in a large space,'' as though "the net which it is probable that the corps was maintained the conspirators had privily laid for him" at this number by new appointments, and had been the design to coop him up within that they had special privileges whlch made the wa.lle of the city, There are touching their position very desirable. Certainly words, too, of distress at the ela.nder and David would never forget men who had reprol\Ch breaking forth on every side, and she.red all his fortunes, and been eo true a.nd at tl.te completenees of his fall, so that so useful to him; and it is evident, from whereas bu_t o. few days before he he.d been Hushai's counsel (eh. xvii. 8), that Absalom t, king, now "he was clean forgotten, RB o. feared their resolute valour, a.nd hesitC1ted .dead ma.n out of mind; and cast aside as to attack without overwhelming numbers . though he were now of no more account Thenius compares these veterans to Napo- than the sherds of a broken vessel." Bnt, leon'8 Old Guard. with the ea.Im strength of faith he adds, Ver. 19.-ltte.i the Oittite. Ittni we.s not "My times are in thy hand;" "Thou ehalt one ol' the six hundred, though there was hide ell who trust in thee in the secret of an Ittai among them, a Beojamite. lie thy presence;" "Oh, then, love Jehovoh, was o. citizen of Gath, who had lately come and be of good courage I for he ehe.11 (" yesterdlly," see ver. 20), with all his hous~ etrongthen the heart of all whose hope is hold of s!C1vee and dependants, his clan, fixed on him." Hebrew, his ta/-translutecl in ver. 22 hi~ Ver. 15.-The king's servants. These "little ones." Ho ha,l evidently been a were the officers of Dnvid's court and person of importonce in his own country, Il, SAMUEL. ~ B  3i0 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [err. xv. 1-37,