18. The indignity thus offered to Absalom's corpse is contrasted with the splendid 'pillar' or monument which, having no son, he had erected to perpetuate his name 8.

This 'pillar' was in the 'king's dale.' Tradition has identified it with a monument in the valley of Jehoshaphat or the Kidron, about a quarter of a mile east of Jerusalem. 'The modern Jews... have buried its sides deep in the stones, which they throw against it in execration' (Stanley, J. C. ii. 127). Others suppose it to have been near the site of Sodom, as the king of that city is described in Gen. xiv. 17 as meeting Abraham at 'the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.'

19-23. Joab, knowing that David's grief for Absalom will be greater than his joy at the rebellion being crushed, does not wish one of the king's friends to be the bearer of the tidings, but proposes to send the news by 'the Cushite' (R. V.), an Ethiopian slave. Ahimaaz takes the longer but more level route, and so arrives first h.

The words 'no tidings ready' should rather be 'no sufficient (margin, 'convenient') tidings'; or thou wilt have no reward for the tidings' (R. V.).

24-32. The king sat, waiting for news, between the two gates, which connected the double city of the two camps of

Cain its enormous size resulting from every passer-by, for generations, throwing another stone on the heap So, on the grave of Absalom 'every passer-by afterwards, doubtless, threw a stone, as Arabs still do with detested graves' (Geikie, iii. p. 341).

In 2 Sam. xiv. 27 we are told that Absalom had three sons. But no names are given, and it is probable that they died in infancy.

h Those who maintain that the battle was fought on the west of Jordan explain the way of the plain' as the Jordan valley, for which the expression is commonly used. But both messengers must in that case have gone by way of the plain (Smith, Hist. Geog. p. 335).

230

David's Grief at Absalom's Death.

30. And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.

31. And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

32. And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

33. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

24. THE RETURN FROM MAHANAIM.

2 SAMUEL xix.

The king has withdrawn into privacy, to indulge in his grief for Absalom's death. This turns the victory into mourning,' the people stealing into the city as if defeated and ashamed. But Joab rouses him from his dejection', telling him that if he does not show himself, his followers will all desert him in despair. David therefore comes forth, and 'sits in the gate 2'

There is need of wise counsel and prompt action. The whole country is in a state of anarchy. David is still an exile. Absalom is dead. 'The people are at strife throughout all the tribes.'

David adopts a course, which is conciliatory; but, as the

Mahanaim' (Stanley, J. C. ii. 127). The watchman was on the look-out on the tower above i. Ahimaaz, afraid to make the whole truth known, only reports the victory. It is reserved for the rough Ethiopian slave abruptly to reveal the rest of the news.

33. The glad tidings that the rising is crushed are forgotten in the passionate outburst of sorrow for the son, so deeply loved, so sadly slain in the midst of his rebellion. David retires to the watchman's tower; and there in solitude gives way to that grief, in which, with the feeling of the bereaved father, there may well have mingled the bitter thought that all their troubles were the outcome of his own flagrant sin.

We may compare with this the story of the watchman at Jezreel, who recognizes the driving of Jehu, as this man recognizes the running of Ahimaaz (2 Kings ix. 17, 20).

1

24.

THE RETURN FROM MAHANAIM.

2 SAMUEL xix.

Joab claims that, if Absalom has been killed, the victory has saved the lives of all the rest of David's family. For, among Orientals, a usurper, to secure his being the founder of a new dynasty, commonly puts out of the way all who may prove rivals (see p. 149).

2 'Israel had fled every man to his tent' (ver. 8) refers to the dispersion of the followers of Absalom, of whom the name Israel is used throughout in this narrative (ch. xvi. 15, 18; xvii. 24, 26; xviii. 6, 7, 16, 17).

3 Amasa, as one of the leading rebels, deserves punishment. But David, while anxious to conciliate him, also desires some one to take the place of Joab, after the share the latter has had in Absalom's death.

232

David's Return to Jerusalem.

result proves, unwise. He sends Zadok and Abiathar, to urge his own tribe of Judah to take the lead in restoring him, in spite of the prominent part taken by this tribe in the insurrection; and he wins over Amasa, by promising to make him 'captain of the host' instead of Joab 3. So the men of Judah come to Gilgal, ‘to conduct the king over Jordan.'

With them comes Shimei, full of professions of remorse and of loyalty. Abishai wishes to put him to death, for having 'cursed the Lord's anointed'; but David spares his life. Ziba has accompanied Shimei.

The next arrival is Mephibosheth, unwashed and dishevelled, in sign of deep mourning. He exposes Ziba's deceit and slander. David, in spite of this, decides that he and Ziba shall divide the land 5.

Barzillai has accompanied David to the Jordan valley. The king tries in vain to tempt him to join the court at Jerusalem. He pleads his old age, and sends his son Chimham instead.

The king has been conducted to Gilgal by'all the people of Judah, and half the people of Israel.' The fact of the former having, by David's invitation, taken the lead in his restoration, provokes the jealousy of the rest; and a violent altercation takes place. The men of Judah assert their right to take precedence on the ground of nearness of kin, and deny that they have been in any way bribed to act as they have done. The others put forward their claim on the ground of being by far the more numerous; having‘ten parts' in the king, as including ten tribes. And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel '.'

David is bound by his oath for his lifetime, but he afterwards enjoins Solomon to punish Shimei, who is at last executed by Benaiah, for breaking his pledge to remain in Jerusalem (1 Kings ii. 8, 9, 36-46).

5 David thus revokes his hasty transfer of all Mephibosheth's property to Ziba (ch. xvi. 4). But his decision now is perplexing, unless there is some secret reason for it. It has been suggested that David knew that Mephibosheth was at heart disloyal, and saw through his story, which was as lame as the tale-bearer' (Blunt, Script. Coinc. pp. 168, 169).

This jealousy had been shown as long before as the times of Gideon and of Jephthah (pp. 22, 23, 40, 41. The haughty Ephraimites could not bear on any occasion to take a subordinate place. The division of the kingdom on the death of Saul had widened the gap between the northern and southern tribes.

The controversy here is quickly followed by the revolt of Sheba. It is the most open display as yet of that bitter feeling which leads to the disruption of the kingdom on the death of Solomon.

6

Three elements,' says Dean Stanley, had been at work in the late insurrection

'i. The personal struggle of Absalom to gain the throne. 'ii. The still lingering hopes of the house of Saul and of the tribe of Benjamin.

'iii. The deep-rooted feeling of Ephraim and the northern tribes against Judah' (Stanley, J. C. ii. 129).