The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 481

both plaoes Ashbel, who ia enumerat.ed as fore with it, in order that the day might not the third son in Gen. :r.lvi. 21, takes the be marred by its e.bsenoe. It came, but only IJl'OOnd place. We muat be content, there- to do mischief; and David went home with fore, to leave this matter in uncertainty; only its escort, and with all the reet in open but evidently Sheba had come with Shimei rebellion. and Ziba to weloome David back, and, with Ver. 8.-They were ■hut up. We are not the rest of the thousand Benjamites, had to conclude that all widows had to live in l"llshed with loud cries of welcome across seclusion, but only that those women who the Jordan, and, but for this altercation, belonged to the royal he.rem, but had been would have remained faithful. But tribal taken by another, were not allowed to return jealousies were always ready to break forth, to it, but condemned to a sort of imprison- and were a permanent source of weakness; ment. Living in widowhood. This is ex- and now, Btung by some jibe at Benjamin, plained by the Che.Idea e.e le.sting only Sheba gave orders to a trumpeter to give during David's life, its rendering being, "in the signal for the breaking up of the meet- widowhood while their husband was alive." ing, and, as is commonly the case in large Ver. 4.-Then ae.id the king to Am.a.ea. and exciied gatherings, the crowd obeyed David thus takes the first step towards de- the unauthorized dictation of one man. His priving Joab of the command (see eh. xix. words are contemptuollS enough. David is 13). This was a most unwise step, however no king, but a private person, and the son, guilty Joe.b may have been in slaying Abse.- not of a great chief, but of Jesse merely, a lom. With all bis faults, Joab had always yeoman of Bethlehem. Every mn to hia been faithful to David, and it was chiefly tents. "To his tent" meant "to his home" his skill in war and statesmanlike qualities (see eh. niii. 17). But this withdrawal which bad raised the kingdom to a position home signified the rejection of David's of great power. Just now, too, he had go'7ernment.. Almost the l!ILIIle words are orusbed with smaller forces a rebellion in UBed in l Kings xii 16. which A.me.ea. had ta.ken the lead. To cast Ver. 2.-So every ma.n of Israel, eta..: him off and put A.masa in his place might literally, IIO all. the men of Illf'ael u,ent up please conspirators, and reconcile them to from after Damd after Sheba. They had their defeat, but it would certainly offend come down to Jordan to bring the king back all those who had been faithful to David in in triumph, but, on finding that. the men of his troubles. Throughout David acts as Judah had forestalled them, they had a one whose affections were stronger than his quarrel, and as no one endeavoured to sense of duty, and his conduct goes far to allay it and mediate between them, it ended justify Joab's complaint, "This day I per- in open revolt, and they transferred their ceive, that if A.bsalom had lived, and all we allegiance to the worthless Sheba. Nothing had died this day, then it had pleased thee could more clearly prove the want of co- well" ( eh. :r.i:r.. 6). If David, in the adminis- hesion among the tribes, and how little tration of his kingdom, acted with e.e little Saul and David had done to knit them to- forethought e.e in the slight he cast upon gether. We need not, therefore, seek for the ten tribes in negotiating with Judah to a:iy deep reasons of state, or for proofs of be the first to restore him, as it had been fe.ilure in David's government, to account the first tribe to rebel, instead of waiting for for the rapid success of A.bse.lom's rebellion. the rest, and doing his best to make the day Israel was a confused mass of discordant of his return one of general concord aud elementa, kept in a state of repulsion by the good will; or with as little justice as in the sturdy independence of the tribes and their matter of Zibe. and Mephibosheth; or with jealousy one of 1mother. Even David's as little tact and good sense as in substi- victories had failed to infuse into them any tuting at the end of a revolt the rebel feeling of national unity, nor did the long general for the brave soldier who had glory of Solomon's reign and the magni- "saved hie life, and the lives of his sons ficence of the temple succeed better. The and of his daughters, and the lives of hi& king. were not as yet much more than the wives and of his concubines" (eh. xix. 5) ; - judges had been-leaders in war, but with we cannot wonder that he had foiled to littlt: authority in times of peace. What is secure the allegiance of a race so self-willed so extraordinary is that David had lost the and stubborn as the Israeliies. One cannot allegiance of his own tribe; and it now, on help ha.If suspecting that Joab had used the returning to its duty, spoiled by its violence power he had gained over the king by the the whole matter. The day must have been part he had taken in the murder of Uriah a great disappointment to David. He was tyrannically, and for cruel purposes, and to have gont: back conducted gloriously by that David groaned under the burden. Bot all the tribes of Israel; but he had fancied if so, it we.s his own Bin that was :dnding that Judah we.s holding back, and grieving him out. over Absa.lom. He had secret dealing there- Ver. 5.-:e:e tarried longer than the set OIJ. xx. l-2G.J THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 493