The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 423

council (ver. 14), Ahithophel left the city and returned to hie own house, whence he hnd been summoned the day before (eh. xv. 12). While Ahimaaz and Jonathan hun-ied cnRtw!lrd toward the Jordan with their message (the decision of the council bein" as yet unknown publicly, or its reversal feared), the renowned counsellor rode sou"'thward toward Giloh, brooding over what might have been (ver. 2) and what would be; the shadows of night thickening around him (1 Sam. xxviii. 1-10); and the same nigl,t (or soon afterwards) "his lo.mp was put out in darkness" (Prov. xiii. 9). "With the deliberate cynicism of a man who had lost all faith, he committed that rare crime in Israel, suicide" (Edersheim). "He was probably not the first man who han::;ed himself, but he bears the unenviable distinction of being the first whose han;::ing himself is recorded; and society would have little reason to complain if all who have since eentonced themselves to this doom were as worthy of it as this father of self-suspenders." (Kitto). "So perished the great Machiavelli of that age, the very wisest of the very wise men of this world!" (Delany). We have here-- I. A DISAPPOINTED POLITICIAN. Like many other eminent politicians, he wa.~ destitute of religious principles; set his heart upon the world, and baa "his portion in this life" (Ps. xvii. 14); was proud of his own wisdom, ambitious of wealth, fame, honour, and power, and hostile to godliness and godly men ; the leading minrl of the ungodly party in Israel. "He had no regard either to the ways of God or the laws of God. Providence made no part of his plan. He considered with great sagacity how he was to act; but he never coBsidered how God would act; a.nd therefore all his wise designs must have been very defective. The rich man said, 'I shall want room for my stores,' etc. But the Gospel calls him a fool, for not considering that God might call him out of the world that night, and that then all his schemes of happiness and prosperity would die with him. Such is he who is wise without God; and such was this Ahithophel" (Jones of Nayland). We now see him under the influence of: 1. Wounded pride, frustrated ambition, and, probably, ungratified malice (ver. 1). The rejection of his counsel was regarded by him as a personal affront, and a fatal blow to his position and prospects ; for "he had been impelled by nothing else than a mad ambition, so that life itself became insupportable when the attainment of the position he had hankered after proved insufficient to satisfy his desires" (Ewald). He would be revenged on Absalom himself, by leaving him to pursue his own course. 2. Unavoidable fear of the disgrace, infamy, and punishment that awaited him. For, by the adoption of Hushai's counsel, he foresaw that all was lost, and that David would live and reign. Although he had the "Roman " courage ( or rather, cowardice and impatience) to face death, he had not courage enough to face disa.ster. "He's not valie.nt that dares die; But he that boldly bears calamity,• 8. Bitter remorse, desperation, and despair. " Perhaps he now began to see for the first time that, as he had been against God, God was against him, and, according to the prnyer of David, was turning his counsel into foolishness. Under this calamity, what had he to support him? Nothing but that policy of a wicked man which never supported anybody long. In the trouble of n. righteous man there is hope; but in the trouble of the wicked there is none. And, for a man like him, there is no refuge but in despair " (Ps. vii. 15, 16). II. A DELIBERATE CRIME. "And put his household in order," etc.; i.e. "he settled his affairs, he made his will, as a person of sound mind and memory; as he would have done if death had been coming upon him in a natural way." He did not co=it the deed in an outburst of passion, but with deliberation and forethought. Suicide is often due to insanity, and without blame (except in so far as it is induced by previous misconduct); but in his case there is no indication of it; nor was there the same justifice.tion or the same extenuation of guilt as in other cases (Judg. xvi. 30; 1 Sam. xxxi. 4, 5). Whatever may have been the measure of his culpability, suicide is a crime: 1. Against a man himself; a violation of the law of self-preservation written upon his nature. 2. Against society. "Nor can any case be put which is not concluded under sin by the peculiar injury or general mischief" (Paley,' Sermons'). 8. Against God, who has " fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter" (Exod. u. 13) ; 432 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [en. XVII, 1-29,