28 Now therefore gather the rest of the peo- | thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, ple together, and encamp against the city, and I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. take it: lest I take the city, and it be called 5 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down after my name. on thy bed, and make thyself sick, and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. 29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. 30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. 31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. CHAPTER XIII. Amnon falls in love with his half-sister Tamar, and feigns himself sick, and requests her to attend him, 1-6. David sends her to him, and he violates her, 7-11 He then hates, and expels her from his house, 15-17. She reads her garments, puts ashes on her head, and goes forth weeping, 18, 19. She is met by Absalom, who, understanding her case, determines the death of Amnon, 20-22. Two years after, he invited all his brothers to a sheep-shearing, when he orders his servants to murder Amnon, 23-29. Tilings came to David, that Absalom had slain all the king's sons, which fill him with the bitterest distress, 30, 31. The rest soon arrive, and he finds that Amuon only is killed, 32-36. Absalom flies to Talmai, king of Geshur, where he remains three years, 37, 38. David longs after Absalom, having got reconciled to the death of Amnon, 39. A. M. 2972. An. Exod. lar. Anno ante 6 So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and P make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. 7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat. 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took 9 flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. 9 And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. 10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she AND it came to pass after this, I that had made, and brought them into the chamber Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; Olymp. 256. and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, in the son of Shimeah, David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtle man. 4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, "lean from, day to day? wilt f Heb. my name be called upon it.-g 1 Chron. 20. 5.-h Heb. very great.-i Ch. 3. 2, 3-k 1 Chron. 3. 9.-1 Heb. it was marvellous, or, hidden in the eyes of Amnon-m See 1 Sam. 16. 9.-n Heb. thin.-o Heb. morning by morning. Verse 27. And have taken the city of waters.] The city where the tank or reservoir was, that supplied the city and suburbs with water. Some think that the original ih v ne ♬ labadți et îr hammayim, should be translated, I have intercepted, or cut off, the waters of the city: and Houbigant translates the place et aquas ab urbe jam derivavi; And I have already drawn off the waters from the city." This perfectly agrees with the account in Josephus, who says, των τε υδατων αυτους αποτεμνόμενος, having cut off their waters. Antiq. lib. vii. cap. 7. This was the reason why David should come speedily, as the citadel, deprived of water, could not hold out long. Verse 30. The weight whereof was a talent of gold] If this talent was only seven pounds, as Whiston says, David might have carried it on his head with little difficulty: but this weight, according to common computation, would amount to more than one hundred pounds! If, however, pop mishekelah, be taken for the value, not the weight, then all is plain; as the worth of the crown will be about 5075l. 158. 7d. sterling. Now this seems to be the true sense; because of the added words, with the precious stones; i. e. the gold of the crown, and the jewels with which it was adorned, were equal in value to a talent of gold. to Amnon her brother. 11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come, lie with me, my sister. t 12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for "no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. 13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. p Gen. 18. 6.-q Or, paste.-r Gen. 45 1.8 Gen. 39. 12-t Heb. humble me. Gen. 34. 2-u Lev. 18. 9, 11. & 20. 17-v Hebr. it ought not so to be done. w Gen. 31. 7. Judg. 19. 23. & 20. 6.-x See Lev. 18. 9, 11. hewing human beings, have no place in this text, no more than they had in David's conduct towards the Ammonites. It is surprising, and a thing to be deplored, that, in this and similar cases, our translators had not been more careful to sift the sense of the original words, by which they would have avoided a profusion of exceptionable meanings with which they have clothed many passages of the Sacred Writings. Though I believe our translation to be by far the best in any language, ancient or modern, yet I am satisfied it stands much in need of revision. Most of the advantages which our unbelievers have appeared to have over certain passages of Scripture, have arisen from an inaccurate or false translation of the terms in the original; and an appeal to this has generally silenced the gainsayers. But in the time in which our translation was made, Biblical criticism was in its infancy, if indeed it did exist; and we may rather wonder that we find things so well, than be surprised that they are no better. NOTES ON CHAPTER XIII. Verse 1. Whose name was Tamar] Tamar was the daughter of David and Maacah, daughter of the king of Geshur, and the uterine sister of Absalom. Amnon was David's eldest son, by Ahinoam. She was, therefore, sister to Amnon only by the father's side, i. e. half-sister; but whole sister to Absalom. Verse 2. Amnon was so vexed-for she was a virgin] It has been well remarked, that "the passion of love is nowhere so wasting and vexatious, as where it is unlawful. A quick sense of guilt, especially where it is enormous, as in the present instance, strikes the soul with horror: and the impossibility of an innocent gratification loads that horror with desperation. A conflict too cruel and too dreadful for human bearing." Delaney. Verse 31. He brought forth the people] And put them under saws. From this representation, a great cry has been raised against "David's unparalleled, if not diabolic, cruelty." I believe this interpretation was chiefly taken from the parallel place, 1 Chron. xx. 3. where it is said, he cut them with saws, and with axes, &c. Instead of vaiyaser, he sawed, we have here (in Samuel) vaiyasem, he put them; and these two words differ from each other only in a part of a single letter,resh, for D mem. And it is worthy of remark, that instead of vaiyaser, he sawed, in 1 Chron. xx. 3. six or seven MSS., collated by Dr. Kennicott, have Dw vaiyasem, he put them; nor is there found any various reading in all the MSS. yet collated for the text in this chapter, that favours the common reading in Chronicles. The meaning, therefore, is, he made the people slaves; and employed them in sawing; making iron harrows, or mining, for Verse 12. Nay, my brother] There is something exthe word means both; and in hewing of wood, and mak-ceedingly tender and persuasive in this speech of Tamar : ing of brick. Sawing asunder, hacking, chopping, and but Amnon was a mere brute, and it was all lost on him. Verse 3. Jonadab was a very subtle mun. And most diabolic advice did he give to his cousin. We talk of the simplicity and excellence of primitive times! "Say not thou what is the cause that the former days were better than these." Take them altogether, we may thank God that they art past; and pray him that they may never return. 14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice; but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. 15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone. 16 And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. 17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. 18 And she had a garment of divers colours upon her; for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying. 20 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. 21 But when King David heard of all these things he was very wroth. B. C. 1030. 22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. A. M. 2974. 23 And it came to pass after two An. Exod. Iar. 461. full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons. Anno ante 1. Olymp. 254. 24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheep-shearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants, go with thy servant. 25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him. 27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. 28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's * heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. 29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man "gat him up upon his mule, and fled. 30 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left. 31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and Play on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent. 32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead. 34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him. 35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king's sons come: as thy servant said, so it is. 36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very sore. 37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 So Absalom fled, and went to Ge- A M_254 shur, and was there three years. 9977 B. C. 10601027 461-464 39 And the soul of king David a long- An Exod. lg. 26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, leted to go forth unto Absalom: for he my brother Amnon go with us. And the king was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he said unto him, Why should he go with thee? was dead. y Deut. 22. 25. See Ch. 12. 11.-2 Heb with great hatred greatly-a Gen. 37. 3. Julg. 5. 30. Psa. 45. 14-b Josh. 7. 6. Ch. 1. 2 Jɔb 2. 12. c Jer. 2. 37-d Heb. Ainone Heb. set not thine heart-fleb, and desolate.-g Gen. 24. 50. & 31. 24. h Lev. 19. 17, 18.- See Gen. 31. 12, 13. 1 Sain 25. 4, 36.-k Judg. 19. 6, 9, 22. Ruth 3. 7. 1 Sam. 25. 36. Esth. 1. 10. Ps. 101. 15. Verse 13. Speak unto the king] So, it appears, that she thought that the king, her father, would give her to him as wife. This is another strong mark of indelicacy in those simple but barbarous times. There might have been some excuse for such connexions under the patriarchal age, but there was none now. But, perhaps, she said this only to divert him from his iniquitous purpose, that she might get out of his hands. Verse 15. Hated her exceedingly] Amnon's conduct to his sister was not only brutal, but inexplicable. It would be easy to form conjectures concerning the cause, but we can arrive at no certainty. Verse 18. A garment of divers colours] See the note on Gen. xxxvii. 3. where the same words occur. 66 Verse 21. But when King David heard] To this verse the Septuagint add the following words: και ουκ έλύπησε το πνεύμα Αμνών του υιού αυτού, ότι ηγαπα αυτόν, ότι προτοτοκος αυτου ην But he would not grieve the soul of Amnon his son, for he loved him, because he was his firstborn." The same addition is found in the Vulgate, and in Josephus; and it is possible that this once made a part of the Hebrew text. Verse 23. Absalom had sheep-shearers] These were times in which feasts were made, to which the neighbours and relatives of the family were invited. Verse 26. Let my brother Amnon go] He urged this with the more plausibility, because Amnon was the firstborn, and presumptive heir to the kingdom; and he had disguised his resentment so well before, that he was not suspected. Verse 30. Absalom hath slain all the king's sons] Fame -754 b 1 Or, will you not, since I have commanded you? Josh. 1.9-m Heb_sons of valour-n feb. rodeo Ch. 1. 11-p Ch. 12 16—g Ver. 3.—r Heb. mouth — Or, settled Ch. 19. 19.-n Ver. 38-y fleb. according to the word of thy servant w Heb with a great weeping greatly-x Ch. 3 3-y Or, Ammihur.—z Ch. 14.2, . 32 & 15. 8. Or, was consumed. Psa. 84. 2-b Gen. 38. 12. never lessens, but always magnifies, a fact. Report, contrary to the nature of all otlier things, gains strength by going. Virgil has given, in his best manner, a fine personification of fame, or evil report. En. iv. 173. Extemplo Libya magnus it Fama per urbes; Fama malum qua non aliud relocius ullum, Mobilitate viget, viresque adquirit eundo, &c. Now Fame, tremendous fiend! without delay, Through Libyan cities took her rapid way; Fame, the swift plague, that every moment grows, And gains new strength and vigour as she gues, &c. Verse 32. And Jonadab-said-Amnon only is dead] This was a very bad man; and here speaks coolly of a most bloody tragedy, which himself had contrived. Verse 37. Absalom fled] As he had committed wilful murder, he could not avail himself of a city of refuge; and was therefore obliged to leave the land of Israel, and take refuge with Talmai, king of Geshur, his grandfather, by his mother's side. See ch. iii. ver. 3. Verse 39. David longed to go forth unto Absalom] We find that he had a very strong paternal affection for this young man; who appears to have had little to commend him, but the beauty of his person. David wished either to go to him, or to bring him back; for the hand of time had now wiped off his tears for the death of his son Amwork on it, in order to procure the return of Absalom. It non. Joab had marked this disposition, and took care to would have been well for all parties, had Absalom ended his days at Geshur. His return brought increasing wretchedness to his unfortunate father. And it may be generally ments are thus rewarded. observed, that those undue, unreasonable paternal attach CHAPTER XIV. and we will destroy the heir also; and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not A woman of Tekoah, by the advice of Joab, comes to the king; and, by a fictitious leave to my husband neither name nor remainder story, persuades him to recall Absalom, 1-20. Joab is permitted to go to Geshur, and bring Absalom from thence, 21-23 Absalom comes to Jerusalem, to his own house, but is forbidden to see the king's face, 24. An account of Absalom's beauty, and the extraordinary weight of his hair, 25, 26. His children, 27. He strives to regain the king's favour, and employs Joab as an intercessor, 23---32 David is reconciled to him, 33. An Exod. Isr. 461. Anno ante NOW Joab the son of Zeruiah per- 1. Olymp 251. toward Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead; 3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab 'put the words in her mouth. 4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king. 5 And the king said unto her, What aileth | thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead. 6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was Inone to part them, but the one sinote the other, and slew him. m 7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; e Chap. 13. 39-d 2 Chron 11. 6-e See Ruth 3 3- Ver. 19. Exol. 4. 15. 1 Sam 20. 41. Ch. 1. 2-h Hebr. Save-i See 2 Kings 6. 26, 24-k See Ch. 12. 1. Heb. no deliverer between them-in Numb. 35, 19. Dent. 19. 12- Heb. upon the face of the earth-o Gen. 27. 13. 1 Sain. 25. 24. Matt. 27. 25. NOTES ON CHAPTER XIV. Verse 2. Joab sent to Tekoah] Tekoah, according to St. Jerom, was a little city in the tribe of Judah, about twelve miles from Jerusalem. There are several circumstances relative to this woman, and her case, which deserve to be noticed. 1. She was a widow; and, therefore, her condition of life was the better calculated to excite compassion. 2. She lived at some distance from Jerusalem, which rendered the case difficult to be readily inquired into; and, consequently, there was the less danger of detection. 3. She was advanced in years, as Josephus says, that her application might have the more weight. 4. She put on mourning, to heighten the idea of dis tress. 5. She framed a case similar to that in which David stood, in order to convince him of the reasonableness of sparing Absalom. 6. She did not make the similitude too plain and visible, lest the king should see her intention, before she had obtained a grant of pardon. Thus, her circumstances, her mournful tale, her widow's weeds, her aged person, and her impressive manner, all combined to make one united impression on the king's heart. We need not wonder at her success. See Bishop Patrick. Verse 5. I am indeed a widow woman] It is very possible that the principal facts mentioned here were real; and that Joab found out a person whose circumstances bore a near resemblance to that which he wished to represent. Verse 7. The whole family is risen] They took on them the part of the avenger of blood; the nearest akin to the murdered person having a right to slay the murderer. They shall quench my coal which is left] A man and his descendants, or successors, are often termed in Scripture, a lamp, or light. So chap. xxi. 17.: so the men of David said, when they sware that he should no more go out with them to battle, That thou QUENCH not the LIGHT of Israel. See also Psa. cxxxii. 17. And to raise up a lamp to a person, signifies his having a posterity, to continue his name and family upon the earth: thus, quench my coal that is left, means destroying all hope of posterity; and extinguishing the family from among the people. The heathens made use of the same similitude. The few persons who survived the deluge of Deucalion are termed arwropa, living coals; because, by them, the vital flame of the human race was to be rekindled on the earth. Verse 8. I will give charge concerning thee.] This would not do; it was too distant: and she could not, by it, bring her business to a conclusion; so she proceeds upon the earth. 8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee. 9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; P and the king and his throne be guiltless. 10 And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more. 11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said. As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth. 12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on. 13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again "his banished. W 14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means that his banished be not expelled from him. p. Ch. 3. 29, 29. 1 Kings 2 23-q Heb. that the revenger of blood do not multiply to destroy. Numb. 35. 19- 1 Sam. 14. 45. Acts 27. 31 Judg. 20. 2-u Ch. 13. 37, 38. Job 31 15 Heb. 9. 27-w Or, because God hath not taken away his life, he hath also devised means, &c-x Nunb. 35. 15, 25, 28. Verse 9. The iniquity be on me] She intimates that, if the king should suppose that the not bringing the offender to the assigned punishment, might reflect on the administration of justice in the land, she was willing that all blame should attach to her and her family, and the king and his throne be guiltless. Verse 10. Whosoever saith aught unto thee] Neither did this bring the matter to such a bearing that she could come to her conclusion; which was to get the king pledged by a solemn promise that all proceedings relative to the case should be stopped. Verse 11. Let the king remember the LORD thy God] Consider that when God is earnestly requested to show mercy, he does it in the promptest manner; he does not wait till the case is hopeless: the danger to which my son is exposed is imminent; if the king do not decide the business instantly, it may be too late. And he said, As the LORD liveth] Thus he binds himself, by a most solemn promise and oath; and this is what the woman wished to extort. Verse 13. Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing] The woman having now got the king's promise confirmed by an oath, that her son should not suffer for the inurder of his brother, comes immediately to her conclusion. Is not the king to blame? Does he now act a consistent part? He is willing to pardon the meanest of his subjects, the murderer of a brother, at the instance of a poor widow; and he is not willing to pardon his son Absalom, whose restoration to favour is the desire of the whole nation. Is that clemency to be refused to the king's son, the hope of the nation and heir to the throne, which is showed to a private individual, whose death or life can only be of consequence to one family? Why, therefore, dost thou not bring back thy banished child? Verse 14. For we must needs die] Whatever is done must be done quickly; all must die: God has not exempted any person from this common lot. Though Amnon be dead, yet the death of Absalom cannot bring him to life, nor repair this loss. Besides, for his crime, he justly deserved to die; and thou, in this case, didst not administer justice. Horrible as this fratricide is, it is a pardonable case: the crime of Amnon was the most flagitious; and the offence to Absalom, the ruin of his beloved sister, indescribably great. Seeing, then, that the thing is so, and that Amnon can be no more recalled to life than water spilt upon the ground can be gathered up again; and that God, whose vicegerent thou art, and whose example of clemency as well as justice thou art called to imitate, devises means that those who were banished from him by sin and transgression, may not be finally expelled from his 15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid. 16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the men that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. 17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee. 18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak. 19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid: 20 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth. 21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go, therefore, bring the young man Absalom again. 22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his mercy and his kingdom; restore thy son to favour, and pardon his crime, as thou hast promised to restore my son; and the Lord thy God will be with thee. This is the sum and sense of the woman's argument. The argument contained in this 14th verse is very elegant, and powerfully persuasive: but one clause of it has been variously understood, Neither doth God respect any person: the Hebrew is, wo on н velo yissa Elohim nephesh, "And God doth not take away the soul." The Septuagint has it, Και λήψεται ὁ Θεός την ψυχην, and God will receive the soul. This intimates that, after human life is ended, the soul has a state of separate existence with God. This was certainly the opinion of these translators, and was the opinion of the ancient Jews, at least three hundred years before the incarnation; about which time this translation was made. The Vulgate has, Nec vult Deus perire animam, " Nor does God will the destruction of the soul." God is not the author of death; neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living; imitate him; pardon and recall thy son. Verse 21. And the king said unto Joab] It appears that Joab was present at the time the woman was in conference with the king; and, no doubt, others of David's courtiers or officers were there also. Verse 24. Let him not see my face] He would not at once restore him to favour, though he had now remitted his crime; so that he should not die for it. It was highly proper to show this detestation of the crime, and respect for justice. Verse 25. None to be so much praised as Absalom] It was probably his personal beauty that caused the people to interest themselves so much in his behalf; for the great mass of the public is ever caught and led by outward ap pearances. There was no blemish in him] He was perfect and regular in all his features, and in all his proportions. Verse 26. When he polled his head] Not at any particular period, but when the hair became too heavy for him. For this account of the extraordinary weight of Absalom's hair, see the observations at the end of this chapter. 24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face. 25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight. 27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance. 28 So Absalom dwelt two full A. M. 2977years in Jerusalem, and saw not the B king's face. 2979. 1025 An. Exod I 451-406. 29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come. 30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire? 32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. 33 So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king Absalom. B. C. 1025. AM 2979. E101 Isr. 466. Anno ante Olymp kissed g Hebr. And as Absalom there was not a beautiful man in all Israel to prais greatly.-h Isai. 1.6-i See Ch. 18. 18.- Ver. 21.-] Heb. near my place-12 Gea 33. 4. & 45. 15. Luke 15. 20. Verse 27. Unto Absalom there were born] These children did not survive him: see chap. xviii. 18. Tamar] The Septuagint adds, And she became the wife of Roboam, the son of Solomon, and bare to him Abia: see Matt. i. 7. Josephus says the same. This addition is not found in the other versions. Verse 30. Go and set it on fire] This was strange conduct; but it had the desired effect. He had not used his influence to get Absalom to court; now he uses it, and succeeds. Additional observations on ver. 26. "And at every year's end, he (Absalom) polled his head; and he weighed the hair at two hundred shekels." The very learned Bochart has written a dissertation on this subject, (vide Bocharti Opera, vol. iii. col. 883. edit. Lugd. 1692,) in a letter to his friend M. Faukell. I shall give the substance in what follows. There is nothing more likely than that corruptions in the Scripture numerals have taken place. Budeus de Asse, lib. ii. p. 49 and 51; also lib. iii. p. 67, &c. complains loudly of this. This might easily have happened, as, in former times, the numbers in the Sacred Writings appear to have been expressed by single letters. The letter resh, stands for two hundred; and might, in this place, be easily mistaken for daleth, which signifies four; but this may be thought to be too little, as it would not amount to more than a quar ter of a pound; yet, if the two hundred shekels be taken in, the amount will be utterly incredible; for Josephus says, Antiq. lib. vii. chap. 8. Exλous diakoσious burol de civi EVTE pva-i. e. "two hundred shekels make five minæ :" and in lib. xiv. cap. 12. he says, 'H de uva map' hair coxer Airpas ß' kai nμiov—“And a mina with us, (i. e. the Jews,) weighs two pounds and a half." This calculation makes Absalom's hair weigh twelve pounds and a half! Credat Judæus Apella! Indeed, the same person tells us, that the hair of Absalom was so thick, &c. ὡς μόλις αυτήν ήμεραις αποκείρειν οκτώ, "that eight days were scarcely sufficient to cut it off in !31 This is rabbinism with a witness. CHAPTER XV. Absalom conspires against his father; and uses various methods to seduce the people from their allegiance to their king, 1-6. Under pretence of paying a vow at He bron, he obtains leave from David to go thither; and, by emissaries sent through the land, prepares the people for revolt, 7-11. He gains over Ahithophel, David's counsellor, 12 David is informed of the general defection of the people; on which he, and his lifeguar ls and frien ls, leave the city, and go toward the willernese, 13--13 The stea last friendship of Itai, the Gittite, 19--22. David's affecting Je him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. 3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. 4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were parture from the city, 23. He sen la Zalok and Abiathar with the ark back to Jemade judge in the land, that every man which rusalem, 24--29. He goes up mount Olivet; prays that the counsel of Abithophel may be turned into foolishness, 30, 31. He desires Hushai to return to Jerusalem, and to seul hun word of all that occurs, 32-37. A. M. 2990 An. Exod. Isr. 467. Auno ante ND it came to pass after this, hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! A that Absalom prepared him cha- nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his b riots and horses, and fifty men to run 1. Olymp. 219 before him. 2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto ■ Ch. 12. 11-b 1 Kings 1. 5.- Heb. to com-d Or, none will hear thes from the king downward Epiphanius, in his treatise De Ponderibus et Mensuris, casts much more light on this place, where he says, Exdos δ λέγεται και κυδραντης τέταρτον μεν εσι της ουγκιάς, ήμισυ δε του στατήρος, δύο δραχμας εχων i. e. " A shekel, which is called also the fourth part of an ounce, half a stater; which is about two drachms.' This computation seems very just, as the half-shekel, Exod. xxx. 13. which the Lord commanded the children of Israel to give as an offering for their souls, is expressly called in Matt. xvii. 24. ra didpaxpa, "two drachma;" and our Lord wrought a miracle to pay this, which the Romans then exacted by way of tribute: and Peter took out of the fish's mouth a stater, which contained exactly two drachms, or one shekel, the tributemoney for our Lord and himself. The king's shekel was about the fourth part of an ounce, according to what Epiphanius says above; and Hesychius says the same, Δυναται δε ὁ σικλος δυο δραχμας Αττικας "A shekel is equal to, or worth, two Attic drachma." The whole amount, therefore, of the two hundred shekels is about fifty ounces, which make four pounds two ounces, Troy weight, or three pounds two ounces Avoirdupois. This need not, says my learned author, be accounted incredible, especially as abundance of oil and ointments were used by the ancients in dressing their heads; as is evident, not only from many places in the Greek and Roman writers, but also from several places in the Sacred Writings. See Psa. xxiii. 5. Eccles. ix. 8. Matt. vi. 17. 5 And it was that when any man hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let e Judges 9. 29.—f Rom. 16. 18.-g 1 Sam. 16. 1. and printed books, it might be very easily taken for resh; and the remains of the upper part of the lamed might be mistaken for the stroke over the – which makes it the char acter of two hundred. But how could AND mathayim, two hundred in the text, be put in the place of sheloshim, thirty? Very easily, when the numbers became expressed by words at length instead of numeral letters. The common reading of the text appears to me irreconcilable with truth; and I humbly hope that what I have offered above solves every difficulty, and fully accounts for all that the sacred historian speaks of this vain-comely lad. Verse 27.-" Absalom had a daughter, whose name was Tamar." NOTES ON CHAPTER XV. Verse 1. Absalom prepared him chariots and horses] After all that has been said to prove that horses here mean horsemen, I think it most likely that the writer would have us to understand chariots drawn by horses; not mules, or such like cattle. Fifty men to run before him.] Affecting, in every respect, the regal state by this establishment. Of this man Calmet collects the following character: "He was a bold, violent, revengeful, haughty, enterprising, magnificent, eloquent, and popular prince; he was also rich, ambitious, and vain of his personal accomplishments: after the death of Amnon, and his reconciliation to his father, he saw no hinJosephus also informs us that the Jews not only used derance in his way to the throne. He despised Solomon, ointments, but that they put gold dust in their hair, that it because of the meanness of his birth, and his tender years. might flame in the sun and this they might do in consid- He was himself of the blood royal, not only by his father erable quantities, as gold was so plentiful among them. I David, but also by his mother Maacah, daughter to Talmai, must own I have known an instance that makes much for king of Geshur; and, doubtless, in his own apprehension, Bochart's argument; an officer, who had upwards of two of sufficient age, authority, and wisdom, to sustain the pounds of powder and ointments put on his head daily, weight of government. There was properly now no comwhose hair did not weigh a fourth part of that weight.petitor in his way: Ammon, David's first-born, was dead: And Absalom, being exceedingly vain, might be supposed to make a very extensive use of these things. There are some, however, who endeavour to solve the difficulty by understanding p shakal, to mean rather the value than the weight. Bochart concludes this elaborate Dissertation, (in which he appears to have ransacked all the Hebrew, Greek, and Roman authors, for proofs of his opinion,) by exhorting his friend in these well-known lines of Horace -Si quid nosti rectius istis, Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecum. To me, the above is quite unsatisfactory; and, with due deference to so great a character, I think I have found out something better. I believe the text is not here in its original form; and that a mistake has crept into the numeral letters. Iimagine that lamed, THIRTY, was first written; which, in process of time, became changed for resh, TWO HUNDRED; which might easily have happened from the similarity of the letters. But, if this be suppossed to be too little, (which I think it is not,) being only seven ounces and a half in the course of a year; let it be observed that the sacred text does not limit it to that quantity of time, for an opp mikets yamim layamim, signifies, literally, "From the end of days to days;" which Jonathan properly renders, SY DID miz'man iddan leiddan, "at proper or convenient times," viz. when it grew too long or weighty, which it might be several times in the year. Besides, this was not all his hair; for his head was not shaved, but polled, i. e. the redundancy cut off. But how was it probable that these two numerals should be interchanged? Thus: if the upper stroke of the lamed were but a little impaired, as it frequently is, both in MSS. of Chiliab, his second son by Abigail, we hear nothing; and Absalom was the third: see chap. iii. 2-5. He, therefore, seemed to stand nearest to the throne; but his sin was, that he sought it during his father's life, and endeavoured to dethrone him in order to sit in his stead. Verse 6. So Absalom stole the hearts] His manner of doing this is circumstantially related above. He was thoroughly versed in the arts of the demagogue; and the common people, the vile mass, heard him gladly. He used the patriot's arguments; and was every thing of the kind, as fas as promise could go. He found fault with men in power; and he only wanted their place, like all other pretended patriots, that he might act as they did, or worse. Verse 7. After forty years] There is no doubt that this reading is corrupt, though supported by the commonly printed Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the Chaldee. But the Syriac has arba shanin, FOUR years; the Arabic the same ) arbah shinin, FOUR years; and Josephus has the same; so also the Sixtine edition of the Vulgate, and several MSS. of the same version. Theodoret also reads four, not forty; and most learned men are of opinion that Dyas arbayim, FORTY, is an error for ya arba, roUR; yet this reading is not supported by any Hebrew MS. yet discovered. But two of those collated by Dr. Kennicott, have or yom, instead of shanah; i. e. forty DAYs, instead of forty YEARS: and this is a reading more likely to be true than that in the commonly received text. We know that Absalom did stay THREE years with his grandfather at Geshur, chap. xiii. 38.; and this, probably, was a year after his return; the era, therefore, may be the time of his slaying his brother Ammon; and the four years include the time from his flight till the conspiracy mentioned here. |