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2 Samuel
Chapter Sixteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 16
In
this chapter is an account of Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, getting his
inheritance by misrepresentation of him, and by presents to David, 2 Samuel 16:1; and
of Shimei's cursing David as he passed along, which David bore patiently, and
would not suffer others to avenge it on him, 2 Samuel 16:5; and
of Hushai's offer of his service to Absalom, who admitted him to be of his
privy council, 2 Samuel 16:15; and
of the counsel which Ahithophel gave, 2 Samuel 15:20.
2 Samuel 16:1 When
David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was Ziba the
servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on
them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one
hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
YLT
1And David hath passed on a
little from the top, and lo, Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth -- to meet him, and
a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred
bunches of raisins, and a hundred [of] summer-fruit, and a bottle of wine.
And when David was a little past the top of the hill,.... Of the mount
of Olives, the ascent of which he is said to go up by, and to come to the top
of it, 2 Samuel 15:30,
behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him; of whom see 2 Samuel 9:2;
with a couple of asses saddled: and so fit to ride on,
but for the present he used them to another purpose:
and upon them two hundred loaves of bread; an hundred on
each ass very probably:
and an hundred bunches of raisins; or dried grapes, as the
Targum:
and an hundred of summer fruits: not in number, but in
weight, as apples, pears, plums, apricots, &c. so the Targum, an hundred
pounds of figs:
and a bottle of wine: a cask or flagon of
wine; for a bottle, such as is in use with us, would have signified nothing in
such a company.
2 Samuel 16:2 2 And the king said to Ziba,
“What do you mean to do with these?” So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for
the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men
to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”
YLT
2And the king saith unto
Ziba, `What -- these to thee?' and Ziba saith, `The asses for the household of
the king to ride on, and the bread and the summer-fruit for the young men to
eat, and the wine for the wearied to drink in the wilderness.'
And the king said unto Ziba, what meanest thou by these?.... Are they
to be said, or are they presents?
and Ziba said, the asses be for the king's household to
ride on; for himself, his wives, and children, his courtiers, and the
principal officers of his house; it being usual in those times and countries
for great personages to ride on asses, see Judges 5:10,
and the bread and summer fruits for the young men to eat; the king's
menial servants, his guards and his soldiers:
and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink; where no
water was to be had, that their fainting spirits might be revived, and they be
able whether to fight or march.
2 Samuel 16:3 3 Then the king said, “And
where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is
staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the
kingdom of my father to me.’”
YLT
3And the king saith, `And
where [is] the son of thy lord?' and Ziba saith unto the king, `Lo, he is
abiding in Jerusalem, for he said, To-day do the house of Israel give back to
me the kingdom of my father.'
And the king said, and where is thy master's son?.... The son
of Saul, who was Ziba's master, meaning Mephibosheth:
and Ziba said unto the king, behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; as there was
reason for it, since he was lame of both his feet, 2 Samuel 9:13,
though he could have rode upon an ass, and followed the king, as he proposed to
do; but his servant deceived him, and carried off the asses to serve a purpose
for himself, see 2 Samuel 19:26,
for he said, today shall the house of Israel restore unto me the
kingdom of my father; his father Saul; which was far from his thoughts; and a most
wicked suggestion of his servant to blacken his character, and get his estate
from him; nor was there the least probability of the kingdom coming to him, but
all the reverse; for let it go how it would with David, Absalom, and not
Mephibosheth, stood fair for the kingdom.
2 Samuel 16:4 4 So the king said to Ziba,
“Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said,
“I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord,
O king!”
YLT
4And the king saith to Ziba,
`Lo, thine [are] all that Mephibosheth hath;' and Ziba saith, `I have bowed
myself -- I find grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king.'
Then said the king to Ziba, behold, thine are all that pertaineth
to Mephibosheth,.... Being forfeited to the king by an overt act of treason as
they had been before by the rebellion of Ishbosheth, but had been graciously
restored to Mephibosheth; and had it been true what Ziba suggested, it would
have been a righteous thing to have taken them from him; though it seems to be
too hasty a step in David to take and give them away without further inquiry:
and Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace
in thy sight, my lord, O king; he had found favour already, but seems not
to be sufficiently thankful for it, and satisfied with it, but craved more and
other favours, when opportunity should serve.
2 Samuel 16:5 5 Now when King David came
to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was
Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as
he came.
YLT
5And king David hath come in
unto Bahurim, and lo, thence a man is coming out, of the family of the house of
Saul, and his name [is] Shimei, son of Gera, he cometh out, coming out and
reviling;
And when King David came to Bahurim,.... The Targum is,
Alemath, perhaps the same that is said to be a city of the Levites, given unto
them out of the tribe of Benjamin, 1 Chronicles 6:60
for the man next described, who was of this place, was a Benjaminite, 2 Samuel 19:16; See
Gill on 2 Samuel 3:16;
David was not yet come to the city itself, but into the neighbourhood of it,
the fields adjacent to it: and
behold, thence came out a man of the family of Saul; a descendant
of a branch of his family, who had entertained a private grudge and secret
enmity against David, to whom he imputed the fall of the family of Saul:
whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: which might
be a name common in the tribe of Benjamin, one of Benjamin's sons being named
Gera, Genesis 46:21. Some
sayF19Hieron. Trad. Helb. in 2. Reg. fol. 79. B. he was the same
with Nebat, the father of Jeroboam; but he was of the tribe of Ephraim, this of
Benjamin:
he came forth, and cursed still as he came; he came out
of Bahurim, of which place he was, and all the way he came continued cursing
David, until he came near unto him.
2 Samuel 16:6 6 And he threw 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.
YLT
6and he stoneth David with
stones, and all the servants of king David, and all the people, and all the
mighty men on his right and on his left.
And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of King David,.... Not that
he was within the reach of them, or could hurt them, by casting them at them;
but this he did to show his contempt of them, and to intimate that they
deserved to be stoned, and especially David, at whose adultery he might point
by it:
and all the people, and all the mighty men were on his
right hand,
and on his left; that is, of David; which is observed, not
so much to indicate the safety of David's person, as the impudence and madness
of Shimei, to cast stones at David when so guarded.
2 Samuel 16:7 7 Also Shimei said thus when
he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue!
YLT
7And thus said Shimei in his
reviling, `Go out, go out, O man of blood, and man of worthlessness!
And thus said Shimei, when he cursed, come out, come out,.... Or
rather, "go out, go out"F20צא צא "egredere, egredere", Pagninus, Montanus,
&c. ; that is, out of the nation, where he deserved not to live, as he
judged, and out of the kingdom, which he had usurped, as he supposed; and the
repeating the words not only denotes his vehement desire to have him gone, but
the haste he should make to get out, or he was liable to be overtaken by
Absalom and his forces; upbraiding him also with the hurry he was in, and the
speedy flight he was making:
thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial; or wicked
man; perhaps referring by these characters in the one to the murder of Uriah,
and in the other to his adultery with Bathsheba; and these crimes coming fresh
into David's mind hereby, might make him more mild and humble under his
reproaches.
2 Samuel 16:8 8 The Lord has brought
upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned;
and the Lord
has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are
caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!”
YLT 8Jehovah hath turned back on
thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and
Jehovah doth give the kingdom in to the hand of Absalom thy son; and lo, thou
[art] in thine evil, for a man of blood thou [art].'
The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of
Saul,.... Which he would suggest was shed by David, or, however, that
he was the cause of its being shed; as if he had stirred up the Philistines to
that battle in which Saul and his sons were slain, and had an hand secretly in
the deaths of Ishbosheth and Abner, all which were false insinuations; and it
may be the seven sons of Saul before this time, though after related, were
delivered into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged, to which respect may
be had:
in whose stead thou hast reigned; not by right, but by
usurpation he suggests:
and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom
thy son; in this he seems to contradict himself; for if David had got the
kingdom by usurpation, it would rather have, been delivered by the Lord into
the hand of one of Saul's family, and not of David's:
and behold, thou art taken in thy mischief; punished for
his sins; the mischief he had brought on others was retaliated to him:
because thou art a bloody man; guilty of
slaying, as the Targum of shedding innocent blood, and so worthy of death.
2 Samuel 16:9 9 Then Abishai the son of
Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Please, let me go over and take off his head!”
YLT
9And Abishai son of Zeruiah
saith unto the king, `Why doth this dead dog revile my lord the king? let me
pass over, I pray thee, and I turn aside his head.'
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king,.... A
sister's son of his, and a general in the army, who could not bear to hear the
king abused in this manner:
why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? be suffered
to do it with impunity; a "dog" he calls him, because of his vileness
and baseness, and because of his impudence, and on account of his reproachful
and abusive language, aptly signified by the snarling and barking of a dog; and
a "dead" dog, as being useless, detestable, and abominable:
let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head; go over the
plain where David and his men were, to the hill on which Shimei was, and strike
off his head with his sword; which he could easily do, and soon put an end to
his cursing.
2 Samuel 16:10 10 But the king said, “What
have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord has said to
him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”
YLT
10And the king saith, `What
-- to me and to you, O sons of Zeruiah? for -- let him revile; even because
Jehovah hath said to him, Revile David; and who saith, Wherefore hast Thou done
so?'
And the king said, what have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah?.... It seems
as if Joab, the brother of Abishai, joined with him in this request to have
leave to take off the head of Shimei; and though David had to do with them as
his relations, his sister's sons, and as they were generals in his army; yet in
this case he would have nothing to do with them, would not take their advice,
nor suffer them to take revenge on this man for his cursing him: or "what is
it to me, or to you"F21מה לי ולכם "quid mihi et
vobis", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus. ? what signifies his cursing? it will
neither hurt me nor you:
so let him curse; go on cursing after this manner; do not
restrain him from it, or attempt to stop his mouth: or, "for he will
curse"F23כי "quia",
Moatanus. ; so is the textual reading; you will not be able to restrain him,
for the following reason:
because the Lord hath said unto him, curse David; not by way of
command, or a precept of his; for to curse the ruler of the people is contrary
to the word and law of God, Exodus 22:28, nor
by any operation of his spirit moving and exciting him to it; for the
operations of the Spirit are to holiness, and not to sin; but by the secret
providence of God ordering, directing, and overruling all circumstances
relative to this affair. Shimei had conceived enmity and hatred to David; God
left him to the power of this corruption in his breast, opened a way in
Providence, and gave him an opportunity of exercising it on him: it was not a
bare permission of God that Shimei should curse David; but it was his will, and
he ordered it so in Providence, that he should do it; which action was attended
with the predetermined concourse of divine Providence, so far as it was an
action; though, as a sinful action, it was of Shimei, sprung from his own
heart, instigated by Satan; but as a correction and chastisement of David, it
was by the will, order, and appointment of God, and as such David considered
it, and quietly submitted to it:
who shall then say, wherefore hast thou done so? for though
Shimei might justly be blamed, and reproved for it, yet the thing itself was
not to be hindered or restrained, it being according to the will and providence
of God, to answer some good end with respect to David.
2 Samuel 16:11 11 And David said to Abishai
and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life.
How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse;
for so the Lord
has ordered him.
YLT
11And David saith unto
Abishai, and unto all his servants, `Lo, my son who came out of my bowels is
seeking my life, and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone, and let
him revile, for Jehovah hath said [so] to him;
And David said to Abishai, and all his servants,.... In order
to make them easy, and reconcile them to this usage of him:
behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life; meaning
Absalom:
how much more now may this Benjamite do it? who was not
only of the same tribe that Saul was, but of the same family, and so bore an
ill will to David because of his succession in the throne:
let him alone, and let him curse; do nothing to restrain
him, not even by words, and much less by any violent actions, and still less by
taking away his life:
for the Lord hath bidden him; in the sense explained
in 2 Samuel 16:10.
2 Samuel 16:12 12 It may be that the Lord will look on
my affliction,[a] and that
the Lord
will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”
YLT
12it may be Jehovah doth look
on mine affliction, and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling
this day.'
It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction,.... Through
the rebellion of his son, and now aggravated by the cursing of Shimei; that is,
with an eye of pity and commiseration, and deliver him out of it: or "look
upon my eye"F24בעיני "in oculum
meum", Montanus; "oculum meum lachrymantem", Munster. ; for
there is a various reading; the tear of mine eye, as the Targum; so Jarchi and
R. Isaiah; the tears in it, which fell plentifully from it, on account of his
troubles, and particularly the curses and reproaches of Shimei:
and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day; he does not
speak with assurance, yet with hope; he knew his sins deserved such treatment,
but also that God was gracious and merciful, and pitied his children, and
resented all ill usage of them; and therefore hoped he would favour him with
such intimations of his love as would support him, comfort, refresh him, and do
him good, see Romans 8:28.
2 Samuel 16:13 13 And as David and his men
went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as
he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust.
YLT
13And David goeth with his
men in the way, and Shimei is going at the side of the hill over-against him,
going on, and he revileth, and stoneth with stones over-against him, and hath
dusted with dust.
And as David and his men went by the way,.... In the
high road that led to Bahurim, taking no notice of the cursing of Shimei, which
made him bolder and more impudent; here is a large pause in the Hebrew text, in
the midst of this verse:
Shimei went along on the hill side over against him; as David and
his men walked in the plain, he went on a range of hills that ran along right
against them:
and cursed as he went; continued his curses and
imprecations, to which he was the more emboldened by the behaviour of David and
his men:
and threw stones at him, and cast dust; in a way of
contempt, though the stones recoiled on his own head, and the dust flew in his
own face, as the consequence of things showed; and now David composed and
penned the seventh psalm, Psalm 7:1.
2 Samuel 16:14 14 Now the king and all the
people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.
YLT
14And the king cometh in, and
all the people who [are] with him, wearied, and they are refreshed there.
And the king, and all the people that were with him, came
weary,.... With their journey, and through grief and trouble at what
they met with:
and refreshed themselves there: that is, at Bahurim,
with food and rest; which revived their spirits, and put as it were new life
and soul into them, as the word used signifies. JosephusF25Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 9. sect. 4. says, when David came to Jordan, he refreshed his weary
men.
2 Samuel 16:15 15 Meanwhile Absalom and all
the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was
with him.
YLT
15And Absalom and all the
people, the men of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him,
And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to
Jerusalem,.... At the same time that David and his people came to Bahurim;
which, as JosephusF26Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 4. says, was a place
near to Jerusalem; and, according to BuntingF1Travels, &c. p.
144. , was little more than a mile from it; though elsewhereF2Ib. p.
150. he makes it three miles; so that had not David made the hasty flight he
did, he had fallen into the hands of Absalom:
and Ahithophel with him: a famous counsellor, and
who had been of David's privy council, and chief in it, see 2 Samuel 15:12 and
whom David refers to in Psalm 55:12.
2 Samuel 16:16 16 And so it was, when Hushai
the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long
live the king! Long live the king!”
YLT
16and it cometh to pass, when
Hushai the Archite, David's friend, hath come unto Absalom, that Hushai saith
unto Absalom, `Let the king live! let the king live!'
And it came to pass that when Hushai the Archite, David's friend,
was come unto Absalom,.... Who came into Jerusalem at the same time that Absalom did,
and who, no doubt, took the first opportunity to make his court to him, 2 Samuel 15:37,
that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the
king; or "may the king live"F3יחי
המלך "vivat rex", Pagninus. Montanus,
&c. , live long, and his kingdom be permanent; these words are very
ambiguous, he might mean David, who was true and lawful king, though he would
have them understood of Absalom, who was king by usurpation, in which he used
great deceit and flattery; and that he might not be suspected of it, but be
thought to be sincere and truly loyal to Absalom, he repeats the wish.
2 Samuel 16:17 17 So Absalom said to Hushai,
“Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your
friend?”
YLT
17And Absalom saith unto
Hushai, `This thy kindness with thy friend! why hast thou not gone with thy
friend?'
And Absalom said to Hushai, is this thy kindness to thy
friend?.... Meaning to David; though he would not mention his name, nor
his title, nor even the relation of a father he stood in to him, only speaks of
him as Hushai's friend: Hushai had professed great friendship to David, and
David had been a friend to Hushai, had raised him to great honour in making him
a counsellor, and had bestowed many favours and benefits on him, as Absalom
knew full well; and therefore, to try his integrity, he puts this question, not
as displeased with him, but overjoyed that such a trusty friend of David, and a
wise counsellor of his, had deserted him, and come over to him and his party;
nor does he mean to charge him with ingratitude, which he could not do without
reproaching himself; on whom it might be justly retorted, is this thy kindness
to thy father that begot thee, and has always expressed such a strong affection
for thee, as to rebel against him?
why wentest thou not with thy friend? with David,
when he went out of Jerusalem; for Absalom knew not that Hushai had been with
David, but thought he stayed behind at Jerusalem, when David fled, which made
him less suspicious of him.
2 Samuel 16:18 18 And Hushai said to
Absalom, “No, but whom the Lord and this people and all
the men of Israel choose, his I will be, and with him I will remain.
YLT
18And Hushai saith unto
Absalom, `Nay, for he whom Jehovah hath chosen, and this people, even all the
men of Israel, his I am, and with him I abide;
And Hushai said to Absalom,.... In answer to his
questions:
nay, but whom the Lord, and his people, and all the men of Israel
choose: here again he speaks very ambiguously; for this circumlocution,
or descriptive character of the king of Israel, better agrees with David, whom
he might bear in mind, than with Absalom; for the Lord had chosen David, and he
was anointed by his order, and all the people of Israel had chosen and anointed
him likewise; but as for Absalom, it was only a part of them that had declared
for him, nor was there any evidence of the Lord's choosing him; though Hushai
undoubtedly would be under stood of him, and as interpreting the voice of the
people to be the voice of God:
his will I be, and with him will I abide; though he
designed no such thing, which was a great piece of dissimulation and hypocrisy;
and if he meant David, it was a piece of deceit and equivocation: there is a
various reading in the first clause; we follow the marginal reading, לו, "to him" or "his", but the textual
reading is לא, "not": and both may be taken
in by rendering the words by an interrogation, "shall I, or should I not
be his"F4לא אהיה
"non ero", Montanus; "non essem ejus?" Junius &
Tremellius. ? I will; that is, be his servant, faithfully obey his commands, be
closely attached to him, and continue with him as a loyal subject.
2 Samuel 16:19 19 Furthermore, whom should I
serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have
served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.”
YLT
19and secondly, for whom do I
labour? is it not before his son? as I served before thy father so am I before
thee.'
And again, whom should I serve?.... Or
"secondly"F5השנית
"secunda", Montanus, Munster, Vatablus; "secundo", Junius
& Tremellius, Piscator. , a second reason is here given for serving
Absalom: the first was the choice of God and the people, the second follows:
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: he signifies, that as the kingdom was not translated into
another family, but continued in succession in David's house, the alteration
made was of no great consequence; it was indifferent to him whom he served, the
father or the son; and he could as freely, and would as faithfully serve the
son as the father; nor did he think it any breach of friendship to David, nor
would David resent it, that he should serve his son, and do the best offices,
and give him the best counsel he could; and he seems to bespeak the office of a
counsellor, in which he had been to David, that he might be admitted into the
presence of Absalom, and be of his privy council, and have the opportunity of
giving his best advice.
2 Samuel 16:20 20 Then Absalom said to
Ahithophel, “Give advice as to what we should do.”
YLT
20And Absalom saith unto
Ahithophel, `Give for you counsel what we do.'
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel,.... Having two such able
counsellors as he and Hushai, he directs his speech to Ahithophel, as being his
first and chief counsellor:
give counsel among you what we shall do; he orders
them to form a counsel, consult among themselves what was proper to be now done
at Jerusalem, whether it was right to stay here or pursue after David and his
men. Absalom did not send to the high priest to ask counsel of God, by Urim and
Thummim before the ark, but wholly confided in his privy council.
2 Samuel 16:21 21 And Ahithophel said to
Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the
house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the
hands of all who are with you will be strong.”
YLT
21And Ahithophel saith unto
Absalom, `Go in unto the concubines of thy father, whom he left to keep the
house, and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father,
and the hands of all who [are] with thee have been strong.'
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom,.... Either immediately
of himself, without consulting with others; or after a consultation had been
held between them, he as the president of it, and their mouth, gave the
following advice; though the former seems most correct:
go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left, to keep
the house; and lie with them; there were ten of them, 2 Samuel 15:16,
and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; this fact
will be so abominable to him, and he will so highly resent it, as never to
forgive thee, and be reconciled unto thee:
then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong; he intimates
that they were now weak, and did not act with spirit; they were fearful that
David and Absalom would be reconciled, and then they should be reckoned
traitors, and fall a sacrifice to David's vengeance, for their treason against
him: but by Absalom's taking such a step as this, which would make him for ever
the object of his father's hatred, their hands and hearts would be
strengthened, and their fears removed, and they would not have the least
jealousy of a reconciliation between them, and of their being left to the
resentment of David. Some think this was not his only reason for giving this
counsel, but also to revenge David's abuse of Bathsheba, his son's daughter, as
she is supposed to be; see Gill on 2 Samuel 15:12;
however, it was so ordered in Providence, that this advice should be given and
taken, to fulfil the prophecy of the Lord to Nathan, 2 Samuel 12:11.
2 Samuel 16:22 22 So they pitched a tent for
Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines
in the sight of all Israel.
YLT
22And they spread out for
Absalom the tent on the roof, and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his
father before the eyes of all Israel.
So they spread Absalom a tent on the top of the house,.... On the
top of his father's palace; this, as houses in Jerusalem and Judea were, was
built flat, Deuteronomy 22:8;
and it was on the very spot from whence David had a sight of Bathsheba, and
conceived an impure lust after her. The Targum renders it, a canopy; which
Kimchi describes as consisting of four pillars, upon and round about which
curtains were hung:
and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of
all Israel; they saw the tent or canopy erected, and saw him go into it, and
might reasonably conclude he lay with his father's concubines, or half wives,
in it; and this being done in so public a manner fulfilled the prophecy, which
said it should be done in the sight of the sun, and of all Israel, 2 Samuel 12:11;
this shows how corrupt the people of Israel were at this time, at least those
that were with Absalom, that there should be none to object to the counsel
Ahithophel gave, nor any to remonstrate against the execution of it, but all
seemed to look upon it with pleasure; nor even did Hushai, David's friend,
oppose it; perhaps he saw it was to no purpose.
2 Samuel 16:23 23 Now the advice of
Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at
the oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahithophel both with David
and with Absalom.
YLT
23And the counsel of
Ahithophel which he counselled in those days [is] as [when] one inquireth at
the word of God; so [is] all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to
Absalom.
And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he had counselled in those
days,.... Both in the days of David, and in the days of Absalom,
before and since the rebellion:
was as if a man had inquired
of the oracle of God; such an opinion was entertained of it, so well satisfied were
they with it, and as confident of success in taking it, as if the Lord himself
had been consulted by Urim and Thummim; this is a very great exaggeration of
Ahithophel's counsel, and is observed as a reason why it was so readily taken,
though so bad in the preceding instance:
so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with David and
with Absalom; Ahithophel was a crafty man, a time server, that temporized with
princes, and knew how to suit his counsels with their tempers and interests: to
David he gave good counsel, what was acceptable with him, and to Absalom bad
counsel, which was pleasing to him.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)