The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 457

Jeroboam, whom Solomon had me.de "ruler eo, the order or events is not chronologica.1. over e.11 the oherge of the house of Joseph" Zibe. certainly ea.me to the Jordan fords, (1 Kings xl. 28), quickly wrested the ten e.nd the narrative ma.y ha.ve been introduced tribes from him. In Amoe v, 6 " the here to complete the e.ccount of hie doing.s. house of Joseph" signifles nil the northern In neglecting his person and his dress, tribes, for the reason given in 1 Ohron. v. I, Mephibosheth was showing signs of henrf;. 2 ; e.nd suoh is its sense here. And Shimei felt sorrow, a.nd a.a he thus mourned during compressed mo.ny powerful arguments in Absalom'e tenure or power, it exposed him the phrase. For e.s e. BAnjamite he offered to the usurper's displeasure, and was a. David the allegiance of the tribe which had public a.vowal that hie sympathies were gi van faraol its first king; while, as an with David. And hie treatment was un- Isro.clite, he professed also to represent the just; but De.vid we.a in a strait. Zibn ho.d leading house of Ephraim, and all the been actively useful to him in hie flight, northern tribes which usually followed its and had also a.ided greatly in his recnll. bidding. It waa, probnbly, even owing to hie influence Ver. 22.-Ye sons of Zerniah , , . adver- that Shimei came with a thousand men of saries unto me; literally,that ye be to me/or Benjamin. He deserved, therefore, a reurard, a Satan; rende!'ed "adversary" in Numb. but not a.I his ma.ster'a cost. llis beard; x.xii. 22, but by E1<ald in this place Hebrew, the upper lip (see Lev. xiii. 45; "tempter." It probably means "one who Ezek. xxiv. 17, 22). would do me harm." Though David speaks Ver. 25.-Whenhewasoome to J'erusalem of the sons of Zeruiah in the plurul (a.a in to meet the king. This certainly looks a.a eh. xvi. 10), there is no reason to suppose if the meeting took place at Jerusalem, e.nd that Joab shared in Abiahai's impetuosity. apparently when David had reached the Indifferent as he was to the shedding of royal palace (see ver. 30). Bat what, then, blood, he was too prudent and politic to put is meant in ver. 24 by hie " going down " the people out of temper by an execution to meet the king? If, too, he had been a.t on the day of David's return. In Israel ... Jerusalem a.11 the while, how could he come over Israel. There is much force in this there ? Some, therefore, translate, " Then repetition. A short time before Israel had Jerusalem came to meet the king" -e. pos- been for Absalom, but now, by 8hi.mei's sible, but not e. natnral, rendering, nor one submission, and that of the large body of that agrees with ver. 30. Others consider that Benjamites with him, David felt that once he had withdrawn to his house in the high- again he was king over the whole people. lands of Benjamin at Gibeah of Saul; but Ver. 23.-The king aware unto him. David had given these lands to Ziba, and David's magnanimity was not the result the crippled Mephibosheth would have met µierely pf policy, but also of joyful feeling with rough treatment had he endeavoured at seeing all the tribes so readily welcome to contest the ownership. The Arabic him bnck to the throne. But in spite of his Version reads. " when he came from J eru- oath, he orders Solomon to execute him, ealem;" but it is not confirmed by any trust- regarding what he had done as a sin past worthy authorities. The view of Kimchi is forgiveness. In so doing we can hardly probably right, that Mephibosheth did go acquit David of breo.king his oath, even down to the Jordan fords to meet Do.vid, granting that Shimei'~ repentance was in- and certainly his duty required of him no stuce1·e, and that the motive of his actions less. He had been slandered and ill used, was the desire simply to enve his life. But but the king believed him to be guilty, o.nd we must remember that our Lord described regarded him with displeasure. To have his injunction, "that ye love one another," remained, therefore, at home when all Judah as "a new commandment" (John xiii. 3~); and half Israel had gone to welcome David and the utmost that co.n be so.id in David's back, would have been culpable remissness. favour is tliat his charaoter was generous And though he was la.me, yet the ride was and full of chivnlry.. A half-excuse may be not so long as to be very fatiguing. But he found for his order in the supposition the.t did not rush through the river, a.s Shimei Shimei was an in veter11te conspire.tor, e.nd and hie thousand men had done; and when dangerous to Solomon's peace. This view David had crossed, there was too much seems confirmed by the colllDle.nd given to going on for him to get e.n audience. He Shimei to build a houso at Jerusalem (1 followed, therefore, in David's suite; but in Kings ii. 36), where he would always be J erua~lem the meeting aotue.J.ly took place. under surveillance. But had not David Thus the verses briefly record different biu1self pra.iaed the me.n who "swenreth to fe.cl:!: ver. 24 that Mephiboabeth went hie own hurt, nnd ohangeth not" (Ps. xv. 4)? with the vast crowd to welcome the king Ver. 24.-Mephiboaheth. The meeting of baok; var. 25 that in due time, in J erusalew, David and Mephiboaheth possibly took the explanation was given, e.nd Mephibo- plucp o.t Jerqsl.\lClll (see op yef. :;i5), e,nd 1 if ahetl:I restofed to fi.vour,  468 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [oR, XIX, 1-48,