In the close of the foregoing chapter we left
David flying from Jerusalem, and Absalom entering into it; in this
chapter, I. We are to follow David in his melancholy flight; and
there we find him, 1. Cheated by Ziba,
1 And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. 3 And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
We read before how kind David was to
Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, how he prudently entrusted his
servant Ziba with the management of his estate, while he generously
entertained him at his own table,
5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. 6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: 8 The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day. 13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. 14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
We here find how David bore Shimei's curses much better than he had borne Ziba's flatteries. By the latter he was brought to pass a wrong judgment on another, by the former to pass a right judgment on himself. The world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns. Observe here,
I. How insolent and furious Shimei was, and
how his malice took occasion from David's present distress to be so
much the more outrageous. David, in his flight, had come to
Bahurim, a city of Benjamin in or near which this Shimei lived,
who, being of the house of Saul (with the fall of which all his
hopes of preferment fell), had an implacable enmity to David,
unjustly looking upon him as the ruin of Saul and his family only
because, by the divine appointment, he succeeded Saul. While David
was in prosperity and power, Shimei hated him as much as he did
now, but he durst not then say anything against him. God knows what
is in the hearts of those that are disaffected to him and his
government, but earthly princes do not. Now he came forth, and
cursed David with all the bad words and wishes he could invent,
1. Why he took this opportunity to give
vent to his malice. (1.) Because now he thought he might do it
safely; yet, if David had thought proper to resent the provocation,
it would have cost Shimei his life. (2.) Because now it would be
most grievous to David, would add affliction to his grief, and pour
vinegar into his wounds. He complains of those as most barbarous
who talk to the grief of those whom God has wounded,
2. How his malice was expressed. See, (1.)
What this wretched man did: He cast stones at David
(
II. See how patient and submissive David
was under this abuse. The sons of Zeruiah, Abishai particularly,
were forward to maintain David's honour with their swords; they
resented the affront keenly, as well they might: Why should this
dead dog be suffered to curse the king?
15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king. 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend? 18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. 19 And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence. 20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. 21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
Absalom had notice sent him speedily by
some of his friends at Jerusalem that David had withdrawn, and with
what a small retinue he had gone; so that the coasts were clear,
Absalom might take possession of Jerusalem when he pleased. The
gates were open, and there was none to oppose him. Accordingly he
came without delay (
I. Hushai would never counsel him to do
wisely. He was really his enemy, and designed to betray him, while
he pretended to be in his interest; so that Absalom could not have
a more dangerous man about him. 1. Hushai complimented him upon his
accession to the throne, as if he had been abundantly satisfied in
this title, and well pleased that he had come to the possession,
II. Ahithophel counselled him to do wickedly, and so did as effectually betray him as he did who was designedly false to him; for those that advise men to sin certainly advise them to their hurt; and that government which is founded in sin is founded in the sand.
1. It seems, Ahithophel was noted as a deep
politician; his counsel was as if a man had enquired at the oracle
of God,
2. His policy in this case defeated its own aim. Observe,
(1.) The wicked counsel Ahithophel gave to
Absalom. Finding that David had left his concubines to keep the
house, he advised him to lie with them (
(2.) Absalom's compliance with this
counsel. It entirely suited his lewd and wicked mind, and he
delayed not to put it in execution,