2Sa 18:1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
And set captains of thousands - By this time David’s small company was greatly recruited; but what its number was we cannot tell. Josephus says it amounted to four thousand men. Others have supposed that they amounted to ten thousand; for thus they understand a clause in 2Sa_18:3, which they think should be read, We are now ten thousand strong.
And set captains of thousands - he divided his army into companies, which consisted some of a thousand and others of a hundred; over each of which he set captains, to lead them on, direct, and command them in battle.
2Sa 18:2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
A third part - This seems to have been a favorite division with the Hebrew commanders (see Jdg_7:16; Jdg_9:43; 1Sa_11:11; 2Ki_11:5-6) and with the Philistines also 1Sa_13:17. 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.
2Sa 18:3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
Succour us out of the city - David, with a reserve, would hold the city, and either support the bands in case of need, or receive them within the walls should they be compelled to flee.
neither if half of us die, will they care for us - they will make no account of the victory; but if they could slay David, or get him into their hands, it would be more to them than if the whole army was routed: most of the Jewish commentators understand it of helping them by his prayers and counsels.
2Sa 18:4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
And the king said unto them - Which was an instance of great condescension in him; and it was his wisdom and prudence to yield to them at such a time as this, and especially as their sentiments were founded on affection and loyalty to him:
and all the people came out - and passed by him, to whom no doubt he gave his blessing and best wishes.
2Sa 18:5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
Deal gently with the young man – How does David render good for evil! Absalom would have only David smitten; David would have only Absalom spared. This seems to be a resemblance of man's wickedness towards God, and God's mercy to man, of which it is hard to say which is most amazing.
Deal gently with the young man – he does not call him his son, being in rebellion against him, but the young man, who was young, and rash, and foolish, and so to be pitied; his request is, that they would spare him, and not take away his life, when in their power; This flowed from a natural affection to him, and a concern for the welfare of his soul, that he might not die in this sin; and also from a consciousness that it was for his own sins that he was raised up to rebel against him; and he seems to speak as if he was certain that the battle would go for him, and against Absalom; and which he might conclude from the answer of prayer he had in defeating the counsel of Ahithophel:
2Sa 18:6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
Against Israel - Implying that the revolt was in a great measure that of the ten tribes, against the kingdom.
2Sa 18:7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
Twenty thousand men - including both those that fell in the field of battle, and that were slain in the pursuit; and this is to be understood only of Absalom's party.
2Sa 18:8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
The battle was scattered - Probably Absalom’s forces were far more numerous than David’s; but, most likely by Joab’s skillful generalship, the field of battle was such that numbers did not tell, and David’s veteran troops were able to destroy Absalom’s rabble in detail. The wood entangled them, and was perhaps full of pits, precipices, and wild animals.
The battle was scattered - their ranks were broken, and they were thrown into the utmost confusion.
2Sa 18:9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
and his head caught hold of the oak - either the hair of his head was twisted and entangled in the thick boughs of the oak; or his head was jammed into a forked branch of the oak:
And his head caught hold of the oak - It would seem that the two things which his vain-glory boasted in, the royal mule, and the magnificent head of hair by which he was caught in the “oak” (rather, terebinth or turpentine tree), both contributed to his untimely death.
And his head caught hold of the oak - It has been supposed that Absalom was caught by the hair, but no such thing is stated in the text. Possibly his neck was caught in the fork of a strong bough, and he was nearly dead when Joab found him; for it is said, 2Sa_18:14, he was yet alive, an expression which intimates he was nearly dead.
2Sa 18:10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
I saw Absalom hanged in an oak - He must have hung there a considerable time. this man saw him hanging; how long he had been hanging before he saw him, we cannot tell. He came and informed Joab; this must have taken up a considerable time. Joab went and pierced him through with three darts; this must have taken up still more time. It is therefore natural to conclude that his life must have been nearly gone after having been so long suspended.
2Sa 18:11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
A girdle - The military belt was the chief ornament of a soldier, and was highly prized in all ancient nations; it was also a rich present from one chieftain to another. Jonathan gave his to David, as the highest pledge of his esteem and perpetual friendship, 1Sa_18:4. Girdles were costly articles of Hebrew dress used to put money in Mat_10:9, and given as presents 1Sa_18:4.
2Sa 18:12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
And the man said unto Joab - Disdaining his proposal choosing instead to remain obedient to the wishes of David.
for in our hearing the king charged thee - they were charged to abstain from it themselves, and to watch and observe others, and keep them from doing it.
2Sa 18:13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life - he should not only have exposed his life to danger, but acted falsely to the king, by going contrary to his orders.
there is no matter hid from the king - this, though done ever so secretly, would have come to his knowledge by some means or another, and then he would have incurred his displeasure, and suffered for it:
thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me - to accuse and bring him to justice; he would have been so far from protecting him, that he would have been the first man that would have insisted on it that he should be punished for it.
2Sa 18:14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
I may not tarry thus with thee - He had nothing to say in vindication of the purpose he had formed. Absalom’s life was forfeited to the law by his many sins. Long ago he should have died by the hand of justice; and now all his crimes are visited on him in his last act of rebellion. Yet, in the present circumstances, Joab’s act was base and disloyal, and a cowardly murder.
2Sa 18:15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
Ten young men smote Absalom and slew him – Absalom was still alive despite the blows from Joab.
2Sa 18:16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
Joab blew the trumpet - To stop the pursuit and slaughter He knew that the rebellion was now extinguished by the death of Absalom; and was not willing that any farther slaughter should be made of the deluded people.
Joab held back the people - from shedding any more blood.
2Sa 18:17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
A great heap of stones - This was the method of burying heroes, and even traitors, the heap of stones being designed to perpetuate the memory of the event, whether good or bad.
2Sa 18:18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.
Reared up for himself a pillar - There was a marble pillar in the time of Josephus called Absalom’s pillar.
I have no son to keep my name in remembrance - for though he had three sons, it seems they were all dead 2Sa_14:27,
2Sa 18:19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
let me now run - Ahimaaz was a well-known runner 2Sa_18:27. Speed was a heroic virtue in those times. In Hezekiah’s reign 2Ch_30:6, 2Ch_30:10 we find an establishment of running post-men; and the same name (“runners”) is given Est_3:13 to the Persian posts, though at that time they rode on mules and camels.
2Sa 18:20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
Joab said unto him, thou shall not bear tidings this day - Because Joab knew the tidings of Absalom's death would not be acceptable to the king. It is not suitable for the son of a priest to bear this news. Joab sends a foreign slave, the Cushite.
2Sa 18:21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
Tell the king what thou hast seen - by which it should seem that he was present when Absalom was killed.
2Sa 18:22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
2Sa 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
2Sa 18:24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
David sat between the two gates - Of the city of Mahanaim; which being a fortified place had two walls, one within another, and in each wall a gate; and between these David sat, waiting for news of the battle:
a man running alone - which made him likely to be a messenger.
2Sa 18:25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
If he be alone, there is tidings - That is, good tidings. For if the army was routed and fled, and were pursued, there would be more in company, or several running one after another.
2Sa 18:26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
2Sa 18:27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
2Sa 18:28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men - in which he ascribes the victory, not to Joab and his army, but to the Lord, to whom he gives thanks.
2Sa 18:29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
I saw a great tumult - It was very probable that Ahimaaz did not know of the death of Absalom; he had seen the rout of his army, but did not know of his death. Others think he knew all, and told this untruth that he might not be the messenger of bad news to David.
is the young man Absalom safe - Or, is there "peace" to him. David seemed more concerned for him than for his army and the success of it; and even suggests as if it was nothing if Absalom was not safe, so great were his affections towards him:
2Sa 18:30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
turn aside, and stand here - On the side of him, not far from him, until the other messenger came, that he might learn from them both the true state of the case:
2Sa 18:31 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.
2Sa 18:32 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.
be as that young man is - which was tacitly saying he was dead, and so David understood it.
2Sa 18:33 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!
O my son Absalom - To understand this passionate utterance of anguish, we must bear in mind not only the excessive tenderness, or rather weakness, of David's paternal affection towards his son, but also his anger that Joab and his generals should have paid so little regard to his command to deal gently with Absalom. With the king's excitable temperament, this entirely prevented him from taking a just and correct view of the crime of his rebel son, which merited death, and of the penal justice of God which had been manifested in his destruction.
