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the king exceedingly; and he denounced to || black garment, and fell down, and lay upon Nathan, that this was a wicked man, who the ground, in sackcloth: entreating God for could dare to do such a thing, and it was but the recovery of the child, for he vehemently just that he should restore the lamb * fourfold, loved the child's mother. But when, on the and be punished with death for it also. Upon seventh day, the child was dead, the king's this Nathan immediately said, that he was servants durst not tell him of it; as supposing himself the man who ought to suffer those pu- that when he knew it, he would still less adnishments; and that by his own sentence: for mit of food, and other care of himself, by that it was he who had perpetrated this great reason of his grief at the death of his son; and horrid crime. He also revealed to him since when the child was only sick, he so the anger of God, who had made him king greatly afflicted himself, and grieved for him. over the army of the Hebrews, and lord of But when the king perceived that his servants all the nations, and those many and great na- were in disorder, and seemed to be affected tions, round about him; who had formerly de- as those are who are very desirous to conceal livered him out of the hands of Saul, and had something, he understood that the child was given him such wives as he had justly and le- dead; and when he had called one of his sergally married; and now this God was despised vants to him, and discovered that it was so, he by him, and affronted by his impiety; when arose and washed himself, and took a white he had married, and now had another man's garment, and came into the tabernacle of God. wife; and by exposing her husband to the He also commanded them to set supper beenemy, had really slain him: that God would fore him, and thereby greatly surprised his inflict punishments upon him on account of kindred and servants; while he did nothing those instances of wickedness; that his own of this when the child was sick; but did it all wives should be violated by one of his sons; when he was dead. Whereupon having first and that he should be treacherously supplant- begged leave to ask him a question, they beed by the same son; and that, although he had sought him to tell them the reason of this perpetrated his wickedness secretly, yet should conduct. He then called them unskilful peothat punishment which he was to undergo be ple, and instructed them how he had hopes of inflicted publicly upon him, and also that the the recovery of the child while it was alive; child which was born to him of Bathsheba and accordingly did all that was proper for should soon die. When the king was troubled him to do, as thinking by such means to renat these messages, and sufficiently confound- der God propitious: but that when the child ed, and said with tears and sorrow that he had was dead, there was no longer any occasion sinned: (for he was without controversy a for grief, which was then to no purpose. pious man, and guilty of no sin at all in his When he had said this, they commended the whole life, excepting those in the matter of king's wisdom and understanding. He then Uriah,) God had compassion on him, and went unto Bathsheba his wife, and she conwas reconciled to him, and promised that he ceived and bare a son; and, by the command would preserve him both his life and his king- of Nathan the prophet, called his name Solodom. For he said, that seeing he repented mon.t of the things he had done, he was no longer displeased with him. So Nathan, when he had delivered this prophecy to the king, returned home.

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But Joab sorely distressed the Ammonites in the siege, by cutting off their waters; and depriving them of other means of subsistence: till they were in the greatest want of drink and meat, for they depended only on one small well of water; and this they durst not drink of too freely, lest the fountain should entirely fail. So he wrote to the king, and informed him thereof; and persuaded him to come himself and take the city, that he might

have the honor of the victory. Upon this Upon this one Jonadab, a kinsman and friend of his, letter of Joab's, the king accepted of his good who discovered his passion; for he was an exwill and fidelity; and took with him his army, traordinary wise man, and of great sagacity and came to the destruction of Rahab; and of mind. When therefore he saw that every when he had taken it by force, he gave it to morning Amnon was not in body as he ought his soldiers to plunder it. But he himself to be, he came to him, and desired him to took the king of the Ammonites' crown, whose tell him what was the cause of it: however weight was a talent of gold;* and it had in he said, that he guessed it arose from the its middle a precious stone called a sardonyx: passion of love. Amnon confessed that he which crown David ever after wore on his was in love with a sister of his, who had the own head. He also found many other vessels same father with himself. same father with himself. So Jonadab sugin the city, and those both splendid and of gested to him by what method and contrivgreat price; but as for the men, he † torment-ance he might obtain his desires. For he ed them, and then destroyed them. And persuaded him to counterfeit sickness; and when he had taken the other cities of the Am-bade him, when his father should come to monites by force, he treated them after the

same manner.

CHAP. VIII.

him, to beg of him that his sister might come and minister to him; for if that were done he should be better, and should quickly recover from his distemper. So Amnon lay down on his bed, and pretended to be sick, as Jona

OF THE VIOLATION OF TAMAR BY HER BROTHER AMNON;dab had suggested. And when his father

THE REVENGE OF ABSALOM, AND HIS BANISHMENT AND
RECALL BY KING DAVID.

WHE

came, and inquired how he did, he begged of him to send his sister to him. Accordingly WHEN the king returned to Jerusalem, he presently ordered her to be brought to a sad misfortune befell his house, on him: and when she was come, Amnon bade the following occasion. He had a daughter, her make cakes for him, and fry them in a named Tamar, † who was yet a virgin, and pan, and do it all with her own hands; bevery handsome; insomuch that she surpassed cause he should take them better from her all the most beautiful women. She had the than from any one else. So she kneaded the same mother with Absalom. Now Amnon, flour in the sight of her brother, and made David's eldest son, fell in love with her, and him cakes, and baked them in a pan, and being not able to obtain his desires, on ac-brought them to him. But at that time he count of the custody she was under, his grief preyed upon him so much that he grew lean, and his color was changed. Now there was

A talent of gold was about seven pounds weight. Nor could Josephus well estimate it higher, since he here says, that David wore it on his head perpetually.

+ Whether Josephus saw the words of our other copies, 2 Sam. xii. 31. and 1 Chron. xx. 3, that David put the inhabitants, or at least the garrison, of Rabbah, and of the other Ammonite cities, which he besieged and took, under, or cut them with, saws; and under, or with, harrows of iron; and under, or with, axes of iron; and made them pass through the brick-kiln; is not here directly expressed. If he saw them, as is most probable he did, he certainly expounded them of tormenting these Ammonites to death, who yet were none of those seven nations of Canaan, whose wickedness had rendered them incapable of mercy. Otherwise I should be inclined to think that the meaning, at least as the words are in Samuel, might only be this, that they were made the lowest slaves, to work in sawing timber or stone; in harrowing the fields; in hewing timber; in making and burning bricks; and the like hard

would not taste them, but gave order to his servants to send all that were there out of his chamber; because he had a mind to repose

services; but without taking away their lives. We never elsewhere, that I remember, meet with such methods of cruelty in putting men to death in all the Bible, or in any other ancient history. Nor do the words in Samuel seem naturally to refer to any such thing.

Virgins of the blood royal were kept secluse in apartments, separate from the commerce of men, into which not only strangers, but even their own fathers, were not permitted to enter. Amnon, however, at some time or other, had seen the beautiful Tamar, or otherwise he could not have conceived so strong a passion for her. Upon some certain ceremonial occasions, indeed, it was customary for the young women to walk out, and shew themselves; but, considering their close confinement at other times, it was hardly possible for Amnon to find an opportunity of declaring his passion, much more of gratifying it; and therefore, out of pure despair, he pined himself into a consumption. Calmet's Commentary. B.

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himself free from tumult and disturbance. As || (for the virgins of old time wore such loose soon as what he had commanded was done, coats, tied at the hands, and let down to the he desired his sister to bring his supper to ankles, that the inner coats might not be him into the inner parlour; which, when the seen ;) and sprinkled ashes on her head; and damsel had done, he took hold of her, and en- went up the middle of the city, crying out, deavored to persuade her to lie with him. and lamenting for the violence that had been Hereupon the damsel cried out, and said, offered her. Now Absalom, her brother, hapNay, brother, do not force ine, nor be so pened to meet her, and asked her, what sad wicked as to transgress the laws, and bring thing had befallen her, that she was in that upon thyself the utmost confusion. Curb this plight? and when she told him, he comforted thy unrighteous and impure lust: from which her, and desired her to be quiet, and to take our house will get nothing but reproach and all patiently, and not to esteem her being cordisgrace." She also advised him to speak to rupted by her brother as an injury. So she his father about this affair, as he might pro- yielded to his advice, and left off crying out, bably permit him to marry her. This she and discovering the force offered her to the said, as desirous to avoid her brother's violent multitude. And she continued as a widow,‡ passion at present. But he would not yield with her brother Absalom, a long time. to her; but, inflamed with love, and blinded with the vehemency of his passion, he forced his sister. But, as soon as Amnon had gratified his desires, he hated the object of them: and, giving her reproachful words, bade her rise up and be gone. And when she said, that this was a more injurious treatment than the former, because, now he had forced her, he would not let her stay with him till the evening, but bid her go away in the day time, and while it was light, that she might meet with people that would be witnesses of her shame, he commanded his servant to turn her out of his house. Hereupon she was sorely grieved at the injury and violence that had been offered her:† and rent her loose coat,

*

* Interpreters seem to be at a great loss to find out the reason why Amnon's love to his sister should so soon be converted into such a hatred as to make him act so rudely, so brutally, towards her; but it is no uncommon thing for men of violent and irregular passions to pass from one extreme to another. The shame which accom

panies every base action, the remorse and repentance, and many bad consequences, that immediately pursue it, make a recoil in every man's temper; and therefore it is no wonder that a libidinous young man, who would not spare so much as his own sister, should after fruition, and

when the ardor of his lust was satisfied, be seized with a contrary passion, and hate the object he loved so much before, when he came coolly to compare the pleasure and the sin together, the shortness of the one, and the heinousness of the other. He hated his sister when he should have hated himself; and as this outrageous treatment made it impossible for his guilt to be concealed, so God seems to have abandoned him to the tumult of his intemperate mind, on purpose to make this punishment of David's adultery more flagrant, and the prophet's prediction of raising up evil to him out of his own house, 2 Sam.

When David knew this, he was grieved at the actions of Amnon. But because he had an extraordinary affection for him, for he was his eldest son, he was compelled not to afflict him. But Absalom watched for a convenient opportunity of revenging this crime, for he thoroughly hated him. Now the second year after this wicked affair was over, and Absalom was about to shear his own sheep at . Baalhazor, a city in the portion of Ephraim, he besought his father, as well as his brethren, to come and feast with him. But when David excused himself, as not being willing to be burdensome, Absalom desired he would, however, send his brethren, whom he did send accordingly. Then Absalom charged his serxii. 11, more conspicuous. Calmet's and Le Clerc's Comments, and the History of the Life of King David. B.

The manner of Tamar's signifying her vexation for the injury and disgrace which her brother had put upon her is expressed by her putting ashes upon her head, 2 Sam. xiii. 19. And that this was an ancient custom, whereby to denote one's grief and concern for any great loss or calamity, is evident from that passage of the prophet concerning the people of Tyre: "They shall cry bitterly, cast dirt upon their heads, and wallow themselves in the ashes." Ezek. xxvii. 30. from Achilles's beha viour upon the death of Patroclus, as we have it in Homer, * Αμφοτέρησι δὲ χερσὶν ἐλών κονιν αιθαλόεσσαν Κέυαλο κακκεφαλῆς χάρειν δ' ήσχυνε πρόσωπον.

Iliad. 18.

and from what Mezentius did upon the death of his Lausus, according to Virgil:

Canitiem immundo deformat pulvere, et ambas Ad cœlum tendit palinas t2 Sam. xiii. 20.

Eneid. 10. B.

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account of the injury he had offered to Tamar.
In the mean time a great noise of horses, and
a tumult of some people that were coming, ex-
cited their attention. They were the king's
sons, who were fled away from the feast. So

When they had done as they were commanded, the rest of his brethren were asto-their father met them, as they were in their nished, and alarmed for themselves. So they grief, and he himself grieved with them. But immediately got on horseback, and rode away it was more than he expected to see those his to their father.* But somebody prevented sons again, whom he had a little before heard them, and told their father that they were to have perished. However, there were tears all slain by Absalom. Whereupon he was and groans on both sides; they lamenting overcome with sorrow, as for so many of his their brother who was killed, and the king sons that were destroyed at once; and by lamenting his son, who was killed also: but this consideration, that it was their brother Absalom fled to Geshur, to his grandfather,† that appeared to have slain them, he aggra- by his mother's side, who was king of that vated his sorrow for them. So he neither in-country, and he remained with him three quired what was the cause of this slaughter, whole years. nor stayed to hear any thing else; which yet it was but reasonable to have done, when so very great, and, by that greatness, so incredible, a misfortune was related to him. He rent his clothes, and threw himself upon the ground, and there lay lamenting the loss of all his sons, both those who, as he was informed, were slain, and of him that slew them. But JoBut Jonadab, the son of his brother Shimeah, entreated him not to indulge his sorrow so far; for as to the rest of his sons, he did not believe they were slain, for he found no cause for such a suspicion. But he said it might deserve inquiry as to Amnon. For it was not unlikely that Absalom might venture to kill him, on

2 Sam. xiii. 29. + 2 Sam. iii. 3.

About An. 1068 B. C.

I

§ The art and contrivance of this widow of Tekoah's speech is very remarkable. "When the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face on the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king! And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she answered, am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead. And thy handmaid had two sons, and the two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him. And, bebold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, (i. e. deprive me of the little comfort of my life that remains, which is, as it were, a coal buried in the ashes,) and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth. 2 Sam. xiv. 4, &c. Now the scope of all this speech was to frame a case as like to David's as she could devise, that, by prevailing with him to determine it in her favor, he might be con

Now David had a design to send to Absolam; not that he should come to be punished, but that he might be with him. For the effects of his anger were abated by length of time. It was Joab, the captain of his host, that chiefly persuaded him so to do. For he suborned a woman that was stricken in age to go to the king in mourning apparel, § who said to him, that two of her sons had some difference between them, and that, in the progress of that difference, they came to an open quarrel; and that one was smitten by the other, and was dead, and she desired him to interpose in this case, and to save this her son from her kindred, who were very zealous to have

vinced how much more reasonable it was to preserve
Absalom. But, how plausible soever the likeness might
be, there was a wide difference between her case and
his: for her son, as she pretended, was slain in a scuffle
with his brother; whereas Amnon was taken off by a
premeditated murder: he was slain in the field, where
there were no witnesses whether the fact was wilfully
done or no; whereas all the king's sons saw Amnon bar-
barously murdered by his brother. And, lastly, he was
her only son, by whom alone she could hope to have her
husband's
's name perpetuated; whereas David's family was
in no danger of being extinct, even although he had given
up Absalom to justice. But there was a great deal of po-
licy in not making the similitude too close and visible, lest
the king should perceive the drift of the woman's petition
before she had obtained a grant of pardon for her son,
and came to make the application to the king. And
though, upon her making the application, the king might
have argued the disparity of the two cases, yet he thought
proper to wave this, and admit her reasoning to be good,
because he was as desirous to have Absalom recalled as
were any of his subjects. Patrick's Cominent. B.

1

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him that had slain his brother put to death; that so she might not be farther deprived of the hopes she had of being taken care of in her old age by him; and that if he would hinder this slaughter of her son, by those that wished for it, he would do her a great favor, because the kindred would not be restrained from their purpose by any thing else than by the fear of him.

been under, or by the want of such care as was
proper to be taken of a king's son; for he still
surpassed all men in the talness of his stature,
and was more eminent in a fine appearance
than those that dieted the most luxuriously.
And indeed such was the thickness of the hair
of his head, that it was with difficulty he was
polled every eighth day; and his hairt weigh-
ed two hundred shekels, which are five pounds.
However, he dwelt in Jerusalem two years,
and became the father of three sons and one
beautiful daughter; which daughter Reho-
+
boam, the son of Solomon, took to wife after-
wards, and had by her a son named Abijab.
But Absalom sent to Joab, and desired him to
pacify his father towards him; and to beseech
him to give him leave to come to see him, and
speak with him. But when Joab neglected

And when the king had given his consent to what the woman had begged of him, she made this reply, "I owe thee thanks for thy benignity to me in pitying my old age, and preventing the loss of my only remaining child. But, in order to assure me of this thy kindness, be first reconciled to thine own son, and cease to be angry with him. For how shall I persuade myself that thou hast really bestowed this favor upon me, while thou thy-so to do, he sent some of his own servants, self continuest after the like manner in thy and set fire to the field that adjoined to him: wrath to thine own son? For it is a foolish which thing when Joab understood, he came thing to add wilfully another to thy dead son; to Absalom and accused him of what he while the death of the other was brought about had done, and asked him the reason why he without thy consent." The king now perceiv- did so. Absalom replied, "I have found ed that this pretended story was a fabrication out this stratagem, that might bring thee to devised by Joab; and when, upon inquiry of me, while thou hast taken no care to perform the old woman, he understood it to be so in the injunction I laid upon thee, which was reality, he called for Joab, and told him he to reconcile my father to me. And I really had obtained what he requested, according to beg it of thee, now thou art here, to pacify his own mind; and he bade him bring Absa- my father as to me: since I esteem my comlom back, for he was not now displeased, but ing hither to be more grievous than my bahad already ceased to be angry with him. So nishment, while my father's wrath against me Joab bowed himself down to the king, and continues." Joab was hereby persuaded, went immediately to Geshur, and brought Ab- and pitied the distress that Absalom was in, salom with him to Jerusalem. and became an intercessor with the king for him.

However, the king sent a message to his son beforehand, as he was coming, and commanded him to retire to his own house; for he was not yet in such a disposition as to think fit to see him. Accordingly, upon the father's conmand, he avoided coming into his presence; and contented himself with the respects paid him by his own family only. Now his beauty was not impaired, either by the grief he had

2 Sam. xiv. 21.

Of this weight of Absalom's hair, how in twenty or thirty years it might well amount to two hundred shekels, or to somewhat above six pounds avoirdupois, see the Literal Accomplishment of Prophecies, page 77, 78. But a late very judicious author thinks that the Septuagint meant not its weight, but its value, was two hundred

t

And when he had discoursed with his father, he soon brought him to that amicable disposition towards Absalom, that he presently sent for him to come to him. And when he had cast himself down upon the ground, and begged for the forgiveness of his offences, the king raised him up, and promised to forget what he had formerly done. §

shekels. Dr. Wall's Critical Notes on the Old Testament
upon 2 Sam. xiv. 26. It does not appear what was Jose-
phus's opinion. He sets the text down honestly, as he
found it in his copies. Only he thought, that "at the end
of days," when Absalom polied and weighed his hair,
was once a week.
§ 2 Sam. xiv. 35.
CHAP.

2 Chron. xi. 20.

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