2 Samuele 18:8 Commento

This chapter puts a period to Absalom's rebellion and life, and so makes way for David to his throne again, whither the next chapter brings him back in peace and triumph. We have here, I. David's preparations to engage the rebels (Sa2 18:1-5). II. The total defeat of Absalom's party and their dispersion (Sa2 18:6-8). III. The death of Absalom, and his burial (Sa2 18:9-18). IV. The bringing of the tidings to David, who tarried at Mahanaim (Sa2 18:19-32). V. His bitter lamentation for Absalom (Sa2 18:33).

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 18 In this chapter is an account of David's review of his army, preparing it for battle with Absalom, and those with him, Sa2 18:1; and of the defeat and flight of the rebels, Sa2 18:6; and of the death of Absalom, and the manner of it, and of his burial, Sa2 18:9; and of the news of it brought to David by different persons, Sa2 18:19; and of his great grief and sorrow on that account, Sa2 18:33.

For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country,.... Or the warriors were scattered, as the Targum; Absalom's soldiers, their ranks were broken, and they were thrown into the utmost confusion, and ran about here and there all over the field or plain in which the battle was fought, and into the neighbouring wood: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured; there were more slain in it the in the field of battle, what by one thing or another; as by falling into pits and on stumps of trees, and being entangled in the bushes, and could make but little haste, and so were overtaken by David's men, and slain; insomuch that, as Josephus (h) observes, there were more slain fleeing than fighting, and perhaps some might perish by wild beasts; so the Targum,"and the beasts of the wood slew more of the people than were slain by the sword;''and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render the words to the same purpose. (h) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 10. sect. 2.)

Let us therefore, beloved, consider what sort of glory that of the seditious is, and what their condemnation [is]. For if he that rises up against kings is worthy of punishment, even though he is a son or a friend, how much more the one who rises up against the priests! For by how much the priesthood is more noble than the royal power, since its concern is for the soul, so much has the one a greater punishment who ventures to oppose the priesthood than the one who ventures to oppose the royal power, although neither of them goes unpunished. For neither did Absalom nor Abdadan escape without punishment; nor Korah and Dathan. The former rose against David, and strove concerning the kingdom; the latter against Moses, concerning preeminence. And they both spoke evil; Absalom of his father David, as of an unjust judge, saying to every one, “Your words are good, but there is no one that will hear you, and do justice. Who will make me a ruler?” But Abdadan [said], “I have no part in David, nor any inheritance in the son of Jesse.” It is plain that he could not endure to be under David’s government, of whom God spoke, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my commands.”

David reviews and arranges the people, and gives the command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, Sa2 18:1, Sa2 18:2. On his expressing a desire to accompany them to the battle, they will not permit him, Sa2 18:3. He reviews them as they go out of the city, and gives commandment to the captains to save Absalom, Sa2 18:4, Sa2 18:5. They join battle with Absalom and his army, who are discomfited with the loss of twenty thousand men, Sa2 18:6-8. Absalom, fleeing away, is caught by his head in an oak; Joab finds him, and transfixes him with three darts, Sa2 18:9-15. The servants of David are recalled, and Absalom buried, Sa2 18:16-18. Ahimaaz and Cushi bring the tidings to David, who is greatly distressed at hearing of the death of Absalom, and makes bitter lamentation for him, Sa2 18:19-33.

The wood devoured more people - It is generally supposed that, when the army was broken, they betook themselves to the wood, fell into pits, swamps, etc., and, being entangled, were hewn down by David's men; but the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, state that they were devoured by wild beasts in the wood.

DAVID REVIEWING THE ARMIES. (Sa2 18:1-4) David numbered the people that were with him--The hardy mountaineers of Gilead came in great numbers at the call of their chieftains, so that, although without money to pay any troops, David soon found himself at the head of a considerable army. A pitched battle was now inevitable. But so much depending on the life of the king, he was not allowed to take the field in person; and he therefore divided his forces into three detachments under Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, the commander of the foreign guards.

the wood devoured more people than the sword--The thick forest of oaks and terebinths, by obstructing the flight, greatly aided the victors in the pursuit.

Preparation for war. - Sa2 18:1-2. David mustered the people that were with him, and placed over them captains of thousands and hundreds, and divided them into three companies, under the generals Joab, Abishai, and Ittai the Gathite, who had given such decided proofs, according to Sa2 15:21-22, of his fidelity to David. בּיד שׁלּח, to leave to the hand of a person, i.e., to his power, is used here in the sense of placing under his direction. The people opposed in the most decided manner the wish of the king to go with them to the war, saying (Sa2 18:3), "Thou shalt not go out: for if we flee, they will take no heed of us (i.e., attach no importance to this); and if half of us die, they will take no heed of us: for thou art as ten thousand of us (we must evidently read אתּה for עתּה, and עתּה has merely got into the text in consequence of ועתּה following): and now it is good that thou be ready to give us help from the city" (the Chethib לעזיר, inf. Hiphil for להעזיר, is not to be disputed). David was to stay behind in the city with a reserve, that he might be able to come to their relief in case of need.

The conflict extended over the surface of the whole land, i.e., the whole of that region (the Chethib נפצות is not the plural נפצות, which would be quite unsuitable, but is most probably a noun, נפצוּת ,nuon a, signifying bursting asunder, or wild flight; the Keri נפצת is a Niphal participle, fem. gen.); "and the wood devoured more of the people than the sword ate on the same day." The woody region was most likely full of ravines, precipices, and marches, into which the flying foe was pursued, and where so many perished.