Absalom's conspiracy. BEFORE CHRIST 1024. 2 Heb. to come. 3 Or, none will from the king hear thee downward. Judg. 9. 29. II. SAMUEL, XV. 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 2 came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto 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. 3 4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! 5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king 4 Rom. 16. 18. for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. David fleeth from Jerusalem. BEFORE CHRIST 1023. • ver. 6. Judg. 9. 3. 13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. 14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us Pflee; for ch. 19.9. we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and 2 bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. 15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. 4 16 And the king went forth, and all his houshold after him. And And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house. r 17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off. S 18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Chereth- ch. 8. 18. ites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then said the king to Ittaich. 18. 2 the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile. thee wander in going. 20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day 5 make Heb. make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go "whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee. X 21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. 22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him. u 1 Sam. 23. 13. * Ruth 1. 16, 17. Prov. 17. 17. & 18. 24. 23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself Called, John passed over the brook Kidron, and 18. 1. Cedron. m all the people passed over, toward 24 ¶ And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing Numb. 4. 15. the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city. 25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: 26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. с e Ziba's falsehood. and say unto Absalom, I will be r BEFORE CHRIST 1023. 4 ch. 16. 19. ch. 17. 15, 16. with ver. 27. 35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, they have there them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear. 37 So Hushai David's friend came ch. 16. 16. into the city, "and Absalom came into Jerusalem. CHAPTER XVI. 27 The king said also unto Zadok 28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me. 29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Je- h 30 ¶ And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, 2 and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went 1 barefoot: and all the people that was with him Jer. 14.3, 4. covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. * Ps. 126.6. Ps. 3, 1.2.& 55. 12, &c. k 31 ¶ And one told David, saying, 1Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David ch. 16. 23. & said, O LORD, I pray thee, "turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 17. 14, 23 taineth his master's inheritance. 5 At Bahu- 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 an hundred bunches of raisins, and an 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 houshold to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such ch. 15. 23. & as as be faint in the wilderness may drink. с 17.29. 3 And the king said, And where is thy master's son? d And Ziba said ch. 19. 27. 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. e 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Be-Prov. 18. 13. hold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. unto Mephibosheth. And Žiba said, Shimei curseth David. BEFORE CHRIST 1023. 2 Heb. I do obeisance. f ch. 19. 16. 1 Kings 2. 8, 44. 3 Or, he still came forth and cursed. h II. SAMUEL, XVI. 2 I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king. 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 Heb. man of bloody man, and thou man of Belial: blood. Deut. 13. 13. ↳ Judg. 9. 24, 56, 57. 1 Kings 2. 1 See ch. 1. 16. 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, 1 Exod. 22. 28. and take off his head. * 1 Sam. 24. 14. ch. 9. 8. m ch. 19. 22. 1 Pet. 2. 23. 18. 25. Lam. 3. 38. • Rom. 9. 20. 10 And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because See 2 Kings "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. ch. 12. 11. Gen. 15. 4. Hushai cometh to Absalom. 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? "why wentest thou not with thy ch. 19. 25. 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. Prov. 17. 17. 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. * ch. 15. 34. 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. 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 Heb. word. counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. 3 CHAPTER XVII. 1 Ahithophel's counsel is overthrown by Hushai's, according to God's appointment. 15 Secret intelligence is sent unto David. 23 Ahithophel hangeth himself. 25 Amasa is made captain. 27 David at Mahanaim is furnished with provision. c ch. 15. 12. 1 Ahithophel's counsel is BEFORE CHRIST 1023. • See Deut. 25. 18. ch. 16. 14. Zech. 13. 7. ? Heb. was right in the eyes of, &c. 1 Sam. 18. 20. 4 MOR II. SAMUEL, XVII. OREOVER Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will 'smite the king only: 3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. 4 And the saying 'pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us Heb. what is hear likewise what he saith. in his mouth. Heb. word? 3 6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Áhithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou. 7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath 5 Heb. counsel-5 given is not good at this time. led. 8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed Judg. 18. 25. in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. c Hos. 13. 8. 'Heb. fallen. Josh. 2. 11. 9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. d 10 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. 11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto Jud. 20. 1. thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, Gen 22. 17. as the sand that is by the sea for that thy multitude; and that thou go to pre battle in thine own person. Heb. face, sence overthrown by Hushai's. 12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. 13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there. 14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. 15 Th Then said Hushai unto Za- ch. 15. 35. dok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. 16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David. Ahithophel hangeth himself. II. SAMUEL, XVIII. David's charge concerning Absalom. CHAPTER XVIII. 1 David viewing the armies in their march giveth them charge of Absalom. 6 The Israelites are sore smitten in the wood of Ephraim. 9 Absalom, hanging in an oak, is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit. 18 Absalom's place. 19 Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David. 33 David mourneth for Absalom. Aple that were with him, and set ND David numbered the peo captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. 3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not 2 care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city. 4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. с 5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. 6 ¶ So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. 8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood 'devoured more people that Heb. multi day than the sword devoured. 9 And Absalom met the servants plied to de vour. |