2 Samuel 19
19
David’s Kingdom Restored
1It was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping. He’s mourning over Absalom.” 2That day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the troops because on that day the troops heard, “The king is grieving over his son.” 3So they returned to the city quietly that day like troops come in when they are humiliated after fleeing in battle. 4But the king covered his face#2Sm 15:30 and cried loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have shamed all your soldiers — those who saved your life as well as your sons, your wives, and your concubines — 6by loving your enemies and hating those who love you! Today you have made it clear that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would be fine with you!#19:6 Lit be right in your eyes
7“Now get up! Go out and encourage#19:7 Lit speak to the heart of your soldiers, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will remain with you tonight.#Pr 14:28 This will be worse for you than all the trouble that has come to you from your youth until now!”
8So the king got up and sat in the city gate,#2Sm 18:4,24,33 and all the people were told, “Look, the king is sitting in the city gate.” Then they all came into the king’s presence.
Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent.#2Sm 18:17 9People throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves, saying, “The king rescued us from the grasp of our enemies,#2Sm 8:1–14 and he saved us from the grasp of the Philistines,#2Sm 5:20; 8:1 but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.#2Sm 15:14 10But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”
11King David sent word to the priests Zadok and Abiathar:#2Sm 15:29 “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace? The talk of all Israel has reached the king at his house. 12You are my brothers, my flesh and blood.#19:12 Lit my bone and my flesh#Gn 29:14; 2Sm 5:1 So why should you be the last to restore the king?’ 13And tell Amasa,#2Sm 17:25 ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood?#19:13 Lit my bone and my flesh? May God punish me and do so severely if you don’t become commander of my army from now on instead of Joab! ’”
14So he won over#19:14 Lit he turned the heart of all the men of Judah, and they unanimously sent word to the king: “Come back, you and all your servants.” 15Then the king returned. When he arrived at the Jordan, Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and escort him across the Jordan.
16Shimei son of Gera,#2Sm 16:5; 1Kg 2:8 the Benjaminite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him. Ziba, an attendant from the house of Saul,#2Sm 16:1–4 with his fifteen sons and twenty servants also rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king. 18They forded the Jordan to bring the king’s household across and do whatever the king desired.#19:18 Lit do what is good in his eyes
When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell facedown before the king 19and said to him, “My lord, don’t hold me guilty, and don’t remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem.#2Sm 16:5–13 May the king not take it to heart. 20For your servant knows that I have sinned. But look! Today I am the first one of the entire house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
21Abishai son of Zeruiah asked, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” #Ex 22:28
22David answered, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything?#2Sm 3:39; 16:10 Have you become my adversary today? Should any man be killed in Israel today? Am I not aware that today I’m king over Israel?” 23So the king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” Then the king gave him his oath.#1Kg 2:8–9,37,46
24Mephibosheth,#2Sm 9:6 Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. 25When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you come with me?”
26“My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said, ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself#19:26 LXX, Syr, Vg read said to him, ‘Saddle the donkey for me so that I may ride it and go with the king’ — for your servant is lame.#2Sm 4:4; 9:3 27Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king.#2Sm 16:1–4 But my lord the king is like the angel of God,#2Sm 14:17,20 so do whatever you think best.#19:27 Lit do what is good in your eyes 28For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table.#2Sm 9:1–13 So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?”
29The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.”#2Sm 9:9; 16:4
30Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all!”
31Barzillai the Gileadite#1Kg 2:7 had come down from Rogelim and accompanied the king to the Jordan River to see him off at the Jordan. 32Barzillai was a very old man — eighty years old — and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the needs of the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.#2Sm 17:27–29
33The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I’ll provide for you#19:33 LXX reads for your old age; Ru 4:15 at my side in Jerusalem.”
34Barzillai replied to the king, “How many years of my life are left that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? 35I’m now eighty years old.#Ps 90:10 Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?#2Sm 15:33 36Since your servant is only going with the king a little way across the Jordan, why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37Please let your servant return so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham;#1Kg 2:7; Jr 41:17 let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him what seems good to you.”#19:37 Lit what is good in your eyes, also in v. 38
38The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you, and whatever you desire from me I will do for you.” 39So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned to his home.
40The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. All the troops of Judah and half of Israel’s escorted the king. 41Suddenly, all the men of Israel came to the king. They asked him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and transport the king and his household across the Jordan, along with all of David’s men?”
42All the men of Judah responded to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our relative. Why does this make you angry? Have we ever eaten anything of the king’s or been honored at all?” #19:42 LXX reads king’s or has he given us a gift or granted us a portion
43The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king,#1Kg 11:31 so we have a greater claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Weren’t we the first to speak of restoring our king?” #2Sm 19:9–10 But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel.
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2 Samuel 19: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
2 Samuel 19
19
1Soon Joab was told, “The king is crying and mourning for Absalom.” 2Victory that day was turned into mourning for the whole army, because they were told, “The king is grieving for his son.” 3They stole back into town that day like defeated people steal in, ashamed of running away from the battle. 4The king held his face in his hands and sobbed loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5Then Joab went inside and told the king, “Today you have humiliated all your men who have saved your life, and the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines. 6You did this by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you. Today you have made it plain that the commanders and the men don't mean anything to you. Today I'm sure that you'd be quite happy if Absalom was alive and all of us were dead! 7So get up, go out, and thank your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don't, you won't have a man left by tonight. That will be far worse for you than all the disasters you've had from your youth until now.”
8So the king got up and went to sit at the town gate.#19:8. In other words, David made himself accessible to them, rather than stay cooped up in his room. Everybody was told: “Look, the king is sitting at the town gate.” They all came to see the king.
In the meantime the Israelites had run away and gone to their homes. 9Everyone among the tribes of Israel were arguing with each other, saying, “The king rescued us from the persecution of our enemies, he saved us from the Philistines, but now he's had to run from the country because of Absalom. 10Now Absalom, the man we chose to be our king by anointing him, has died in battle. Why don't we do something and invite King David#19:10. “David”: name supplied for clarity. to come back?”
11King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Tell the elders of Judah, ‘Are you going to be the last people to bring the king back to his palace, since the king has heard that all of Israel wants it? 12You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. Why should you be the last ones to want to bring the king back?’ 13Tell Amasa, ‘Aren't you my flesh and blood too? May God punish me very severely if from now on you're not the commander of my army instead of Joab!’”
14Amasa convinced all the people of Judah to unitedly support David,#19:14. “David”: name supplied for clarity. so they sent a message to the king: “Please come back, you and everyone with you.” 15The king began his journey back, and when he arrived at the Jordan, the men of Judah met him at Gilgal to help him cross the river. 16Shimei,#19:16. See 16:5. son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17With him were one thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin, including Ziba, servant of Saul's family, as well as Ziba's fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king. 18They crossed at the ford to bring the king's household over and whatever else he wanted. Shimei crossed the Jordan and fell facedown before the king.
19“Your Majesty, please forgive me and disregard the wrong that I, your servant, did when Your Majesty left Jerusalem. Please forget all about it. 20I, your servant, recognize that I have sinned. But look! Today I'm the first from any of the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet Your Majesty.”
21Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said, “Shouldn't Shimei be executed for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed one?”
22But David replied, “What's that got to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?#19:22. David is not only replying to Abishai, but also to Joab, Abishai's brother. Do you want to be my enemies today? Is this a day to execute anybody in Israel? Aren't I certain that today I'm the king of Israel once more?”
23David turned to Shimei and swore an oath to him, “You're not going to die.”
24Then Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, went to meet the king. He had refused to look after his feet or trim his mustache or have his clothes washed from the day the king left until the day of his peaceful return. 25When he arrived from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?”
26Mephibosheth answered, “Your Majesty, my servant Ziba tricked me. I told him, ‘Saddle up my donkey#19:26. Septuagint reading. Hebrew: “Let me saddle up my donkey.” so I can ride her and leave with the king,’ because you know that I'm lame. 27Ziba has misrepresented me, your servant, to Your Majesty. However, Your Majesty is like an angel of God, so do what you think best. 28All my grandfather's family could only expect death from Your Majesty, but you included me, your servant, among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to ask the king for anything more?”
29“Why talk any more about these issues of yours?” David responded. “I've decided that you and Ziba should divide the land.”
30Mephibosheth replied to the king, “Let him have it all! I'm just happy that Your Majesty has returned home in peace.”
31Barzillai the Gileadite had also come down from Rogelim to help the king cross the Jordan and to make his way onwards from there. 32Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age, and because he was a very wealthy man, he had provided the king with food while he was staying in Mahanaim.
33The king said to Barzillai, “Cross the Jordan with me, and I will provide for you while you stay with me in Jerusalem.”
34“How much longer do you think I have to live so I could go to Jerusalem and stay there with the king?” Barzillai replied. 35“I'm already eighty. I don't enjoy anything anymore. I can't taste what I eat or drink. I can't hear when people sing. There's no point for me, your servant, to be another burden to Your Majesty! 36For your servant to cross the Jordan River with the king is enough reward for me!#19:36. These two verses are set out as questions in the Hebrew, but they work better as statements in English. 37Then let your servant go back home, that I may die in my home town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant, my son#19:37. The text does not explicitly say that Chimham is Barzillai's son, but some Septuagint manuscripts do so and it is a likely conclusion. Chimham. Let him cross over with Your Majesty, and treat him as you think best.”
38The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will treat him as you think best, and I will do for you whatever you want.”
39So everybody crossed the Jordan first, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and then Barzillai went back home. 40Then the king carried on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. The whole army of Judah and half the army of Israel accompanied the king.
41But soon the men of Israel who were there came to the king and asked him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, secretly take Your Majesty away and bring you and your household across the Jordan, together with all your men?”
42The men of Judah explained to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is one of our relatives. Why are you getting upset about this? When did we ever eat the king's food? When did we ever get anything for ourselves?”
43“We've got ten shares in the king,”#19:43. Referring to the ten northern tribes. the men of Israel replied, “so we have a greater claim on David than you do. Why do you look down on us? Weren't we the first ones to talk about bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah argued even more strongly than the men of Israel.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com