M r 1,2. Refreshment brought.
s 3,4. Slander of Ziba.
s 5-13. Imprecations of Shimei.
r 14. Refreshment partaken of.934 B.C.
2 Samuel 16)
1: And when David was a little past the top of the hill (cp.15:32), behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him (now 31. Born in 965. Cp. 4:4), 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 skin-bottle of wine.
2: And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean by these?” And Ziba said, “The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.” (Is this good news? Think for yourself no matter what men say. Don't be to quick to accept gifts.)
3: And the king said, “And where is your master's son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he abides at Jerusalem: for he said, ‘Today shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.’ ” (This is slander. See 19:24-30, and cp. the two Structures.)
4: Then said the king to Ziba, “Behold, yours are all that pertained to Mephibosheth.” And Ziba said, “I humbly beseech you that I may find grace in your sight, my lord, O king.”
s t 5-8. Imprecations.
u 9. Resentment of Abishai.
u 10-12. Forbearance of David.
t 13. Imprecations.
5: And when king David came to Bahurim (= low grounds. On the east side of Olivet; "in tribe of Bejamin"), behold, from that place came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei (= renowned), the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. (He was cussing for all he was worth. God caused this to happen)
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 (out = Begone! or Get out!), you man of bloods (David had all but murdered Uriah), and you man of Belial (Cp.1 Sam.1:16; 10:27):
8: The Lord has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son: and, behold, you are taken in your mischief, because thou art a man of bloods.”
9: Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah to the king, “Why should this dead dog (cp. 1 Sam.17:43) curse my lord the king? let me go over (cp.1 Sam.26:8), I pray you, and take off his head.”
10: And the king said, “What have I to do with you, all you sons of Zeruiah? (cp. 3:39 and Luke 9:35) so let him curse (Uriah's murder closed David's mouth [12:9]), because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who shall then say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ” (When God is correcting you thank Him. Otherwise, don't take it [i.e. if wrongly accused by man])
11: And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeks my soul: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him.
12: It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction (this is one of the 18 emendations of the Sopherim. The primitive text reads "Yehovah will behold with His eye". This was thought to be too anthropomorphic, and so was altered, and the alteration recorded), and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.” (Cp. Ps.109:26-28)
13: And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast much dust.
14: And the king, and all the People that were with him, came weary (perhaps the name of a place, or of a caravansary with the name, "for the weary"), and refreshed themselves there.
N v 16:15-19. Hushai's mission. Ahithophel's defeat.
w 16:20-17:4. Ahithophel. Counsel given.
x 17:5-13. Hushai. Counsel given.
x 17:14. Hushai. Counsel taken.
w 17:15-22. Ahithophel. Counsel reported.
v 17:23. Hushai's success. Ahithophel's death.
15: And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. (Enter a type of false Christ)
16: And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “God save the king, God save the king.” (If you pass an adversary in the street, greet him. Hang tough)
17: And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your kindness to your friend? why went you not with your friend?” ("Why didn't you go with my dad?")
18: And Hushai said to Absalom, “No; but whom the Lord, and this People, and all the men of Israel, has choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. (Irony: he is not lying. He is saving David's life. He's playing on Absalom's ego trip)
19: And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in your father's presence, so will I be in your presence.”
20: Then said Absalom to Ahithophel (instigated by feelings of private revenge agaist David for his sin with Bath-sheba; she being the daughter of his son, Eliam. See 23:24. Cp. 11:3. Foretold by Nathan [12:11,12]. God is in control), “Give counsel among you what we shall do.”
21: And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in unto your father's concubines, which he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that you are abhorred of your father: then shall the hands of all that are with you be strong.”
22: So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house (cp. 11:2); and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. (This will be for a final declaration of his so-called "kingship")
23: And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was according as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God (= Word. The first occ. of "oracle" as a rendering [15 times] of dăbăr, word. The holy of holies, because there the Word of Yehovah was heard. Other occ. 1 kings 6:5,16,19,20,22,23,31; 8:6,8. 2 Chron.3:16; 4:20; 5:7,9. Ps.28:2. Cp. N.T. usage in plural: Acts 7:38. Rom.3:2. Heb.5:12. 1 Pet.4:11): so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.