combined to keep Mephibosheth faithful to David's cause." Innocent men are often suspected and accused groundlessly. "When much treachery and ingratitude have been experienced, men are apt to become too suspicious, and to listen to every plausible tale of calumny" (Scott). "I cannot but pity the condition of this good son of Jonathan; into ill hands did honest Mephihosheth fall, first of a careless nurse, then of a treacherous servant; she maimed his body, he would have overthrown his estate" (Hall). "A false witness will utter lies " (Prov. xiv. 5). 5. Receiving an undeserved recompense, "Behold, thine is all that belonged to Mephibosheth" (ver. 4). "David, in the excitement of a momentary misfortune, is here guilty of a double wrong-first in treating the faithful Mephibosheth as a. traitor, and then in royally rewarding the false and slanderous Ziba" (Erdmann). "Hearsay is no safe ground of any judgment. Ziba slanders, David believes, and Mephibosheth suffers" (Hall). 6. Followed by flattering servility. "I humbly beseech_ thee," etc. "He pretends to value the king's favour more than the gift he had bestowed" (Patrick). 7. Revealed at length in its true character ( eh. xix. 27), as a selfish, deceitful, and base procedure; though even then the wrong done to the master is not fully repaired, nor the wickedness of the servant adequately punished. APPLI0ATION. 1. Look beneath the outward appearance (John vii. 24). 2. Guard against plausible detraetors. 3. Avoid hasty jud~ments (Ps. cxvi. 11; Prov. xiv. 15): and bear the other side. 4. Wait for the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.-D. Vers. 6-13.-(BAHURIM.) The reviling of Shimei. (References: eh. xix. 16; 1 Kings ii. 8, 9, 36-46.) On pursuing his flight until he reached the Benjamite village of Bahurim (eh. iii. 6), David was encountered by another man connected with the house of Saul, who, instead of bringing flatteries and presents, flung "grievous curses" and stones; and (from a safe distance) gave vent to the long-repressed rage which, in common with other partisans of the fallen dynasty, he felt on account of David's exaltation (ver. 8). "Along the ridcre he ran, throwing stones, as if for the adulterer's punishment, or when he came to a patch of dust on the dried hillside, taking up and 11cattering it over the royal party below, with the elaborate curses of which only Eastern partis1rns are fully masters--curses which David never forgot, and of which, accordiu·..-; to Jewish tradition, every letter was significnnt" (Stanley). Abishai returned reviliug 410 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [ctt, xvt. 1-23,
for reviling, and wi11bed to take instant l"engea.nce, But David said, " Let him a'one " etc.; presenting an instructive contrast to both. "He strikes the aame strl~g ~f nobleneBB RB before." We have here- !, AN INSTANCE OF RAILING AOOUBATION. "Out, out [of the kingdom], thou ma.n of blood," etc. I The language and conduct of Shimei were: 1. Cruel,, He rails against ~avi~ in the dny of his calamity, and has "!10 pity," 2_. Cowardly. !!~ear had kept him silent all these years; but •• he that smiled on David on his throne curseth him in his flight" (Hall). Seeing that he is not pursued, he is encouraged to continue his imprecations, and becomes more furious (ver.13). 3. Malicious; imbued with personal hatred. "'l'he ungodly are always selfish. They judge of others, not by the la.ws of impartial justice, but by the standard of self-interest. David was called a usurper, a man of Belial, a murderer ; and why? Because he had made himself the slave of lust, e.nd had cruelly al&in the noble Uriah? No; because be had been elevated by God to the throne of Israel, and had thus marred the prospects of the ambitious Shimei" (C. Bradley). 4. Un/011,nded and unjust. "Every word of Shimei was a slander." His accusations of wickedness in general, and of " the blood of the house of Sa.ul" in particular (eh. iv. 11; xxi. 6), are the offspring of a wicked heart. "Shimei curses and stones at David, and barks like a live dog, though Abishai calls him a dee.d one. 'l'he only unjust act that ever David had done S,,,<TlLinst the house of Saul he had newly done; that was, giving Mepbibosbeth's land ; and here a man of the house of Saul is soon upon him" (Lightfoot), 5. Misinterpretive. (Ver. 8.) Whilst recognizing the judgment of God, he makes a wrong application of it. "We may here learn how falsely and wickedly men sometimes wrest the providence of God, to justify their unjust surmises and gratify their malignant passions" (Lindsay). 6. Criminal. He is guilty of high treason and ble.sphetny, and might justly suffer the penalty of the Law (Exod. nii. 28; eh. xix. 21 ; 1 Kings xxi. 13) ; and if David had put him to death at the time, he would not have been condemned for injustice. 7. Provocative of wrath. Surely no man might more reasonably feel resentment than David; no man was ever more strongly incited to inflict punishment; and nothing but "a spirit of meekness" could have restrained him. It is not improbable that Ps. cix. records "the very words of Shimei, and. the curses which he threw ont against David, and which, as they could not but make a deep impression on his memory, he here repeats and then con- demns. They are directly contrary to that temper and disposition shown by David in the other parts of the psalm; and they run all along in the singular number, whereas David speaks of his enemies in the plural" (C. Peters, 'Sermons: ' 1776; see 1 Sam. :u:ii. 18, 19; :uvi. 13-25; Expositor, ii. 325). " 0 God of my praise, be not silent! For a wicked mouth and a deceitful mouth have they opened against me; They hnve spoken against me with a lying tongue," etc. (Ps. cix. 1-5,) ,. And they have requited me with evil for good, And with hatred for my love (saying): Set thou a wicked man over him, And let an adversary stand at his right hand: When he is judged, let him go forth guilty, And let hie prayer become sin," etc. (Ps. cix. 6-19.) "Thie will be the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, And of those who speak evil age.inst my soul. But thou, 0 Jebovab Lord, deal with me for thy Name's sake; Beca.UBe thy loving-kindness is good, deliver thou me I They curse, but thou blessest ; They ari.ie and a.re ashamed, and thy servant is glad," etc. (Ps. cix. 20-81.) II. AN EXAKPLE OP PATIENCE AND FOBBEABANCE, "Let him curse," etc. (vere. 10-12). 'l'he manner in which David endured it was: 1. Uncomplaining. He does not retaliate; does not even vio.dica.te himself; but iij Bilent (1 Sain. x. 26, 27 ; Isa. liii. Ort. 11.VI. 1-23.) '1'Ilt SECONO BOOK OF SAMUEL. 411