Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XX.

Vers. 1. ANd there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, &c.] As bones new set are easily put out again, so a people that have broken out into sedition and newly quieted, if they be not very charily handled, are apt upon every light occasion to make a new insurrection, and so it was now with the Israelites; for by occasion of the quarrell between them and the men of Judah, mentioned in the latter end of the foregoing chapter, Sheba the sonne of Bichria man of Belial, as he is here termed (concerning which see the note▪ Deut. 13.13.) perswaded the Israelites presently to cast of Davids government; and the motion he made, they as readily embraced, We have (saith he) no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the sonne of Jesse: in which words, though it may seem he al∣luded to some phrase of speech usuall amongst the Israelites when they disclaimed their interest in any thing, and therefore we see the ten tribes used the same form of speech, when they revolted from Rehoboam, 1. Kings 12.16. The people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the sonne of Jesse, &c. Yet withall, he intimates the reason, why they should no longer be Davids subjects: namely, because they were sleighted, as if they had no part in the king, and therefore saith he, what is the sonne of Jesse to us, let the men of Judah enjoy him wholly to themselves, and let us choose a king of our own; his scornfull speaking of David shews, that as a Benjamite he still grudged at the re∣moving of the kingdome from their tribe in the house of Saul.

Vers. 3. And the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep his house, and put them in ward, &c.] This David did, first, because they had yeilded to the incestuous lust of Absalom; (for they should rather have dyed then condescended to him) and secondly, because he judged it not fit to go in unto them, that had been defiled by his own sonne, or to leave them to be defiled by others.

Vers. 4. Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah, &c.] And thus as he had promised, chap. 19.13. David imployed Amasa as the generall of his forces in Joabs room.

Vers. 5. But he tarried longer then the set time which he had appointed him.] To wit, either because the people that had been formerly commanded by Joab, were not willing to change their Generall and to submit to Amasa, or because Amasa did not cordially follow the businesse for David, or because indeed, the time pre∣scribed by David for raising the trained bands of Judah was too little to do it in, for out of a desire that David had presently to crush this insurrection of the ten tribes, he had allowed Amasa but three dayes for that service, as is expressed in the former verse.

Vers. 6. And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the sonne of Bichri do us more harm, &c.] David was much troubled at Amasa's delay, but yet Joab he would not imploy, both because he was still discontented against him for his killing Absalom, and because he knew well that Joab was also discontented for the losse of his place, and should he be now imployed again, would be ready enough to presse into that place again, from which he had deposed him; and therefore he called Abi∣shai

and sent out him, and enjoyned him to take his Lords servants, that is, Da∣vids the kings guard, and with them to pursue Sheba.

Vers. 7. And there went out after him Joabs men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, &c.] Those are called Joabs men, that had been under his command, as for the Cherechites and Pelethites, see the note, chap. 8.18.

Vers. 8. And Joabs garment that he had put on, was g••rded unto him, and upon it, a girdle with a sword, &c.] Hereby it is manifest that Joab did of his own ac∣cord go along with his brother Abishai, as intending to murther Amasa; to which end also it was, that he had girt his garment close about him, that by hanging loose it might not encumber him: and secondly, he had girt his sword on the outside of his garment (which perhaps was not his usuall custome) and had it withall so loose in the scabbard, that as he stepped forth to Amasa to bow down, and salute him, it fell out of it self, which was no doubt purposely done, that under a pretence of taking up the sword, he might without any suspicion in Amasa do what he intended (having formerly imbrued his hands in the bloud of Abner, and not punished for it) though his cousin german, as is noted before, chap. 17.25. because David had conferred his office upon him.

Vers. 10. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joabs hand &c.] That is, he never thought of any danger that was in that, he took that to be occa∣sioned, by the casuall and unexpected falling of his sword out of his scabbard as he came to salute him, and therefore hearing him speak so smoothly, and seeing him embrace him so lovingly, he never suspected any danger in his sword; and thus was Amasa punished by the just hand of Gods providence for his unnaturall re∣bellion against his uncle David his Lord and Sovereign; though David had par∣doned him, God would not suffer him to go unpunished.

Vers. 11. And one of Joabs men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Jo∣ab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab, &c.] Least the sight of their slain Generall should beat off the souldiers from going any further, one of Joabs men stood by him, no doubt by Joabs appointment, as it were to justifie the fact, and to advise them if they were friends to Joab, and the king, to go on after him, who would now be their leader in this enterprize, which David had neither justly nor safely committed to Amasa's trust.

Vers. 12. And Amasa wallowed in bloud.] To wit, by reason of the pangs of death that were upon him.

And when the man saw that all the people stood still, &c.] That is, when the man mentioned in the foregoing verse, that had encouraged the souldiers to march on after Joab, saw that for all this, they stood still as astonished at that which was done, he removed Amasa's dead body out of the high way.

Vers. 14. And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth∣maachah, &c.] That is, Sheba having gone through all the tribes to stirre them up against David, came at length to Abel, and to the places adjoyning, where Joab found him.

Vers. 18. They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask coun∣sel at Abel, and so they ended the matter.] According to the translation that is set in the margin, the meaning of the place must needs be this, that in the beginning

the citizens of Abel perswaded themselves, that surely Joab would before he pro∣ceeded to force them, propound his demands to them, and so they should make an end of the difference: but as the words are rendred in the text, they may have a double sense: for first, some expound it much after the same manner, to wit, that in old time they were wont to say according to the expresse law of God, Deut. 20.10. that when they came against a citie, they were first to make their demands and to propound conditions of peace, and so they ended the matter, as if she had said, sure∣ly had this enterprise been undertaken in former times, they would not have done as thou hast, they would have said, Surely we will first ask at Abel, and see whe∣ther they will consent to do what we shall require of them: secondly, some con∣ceive it to be an allegation of an old proverb, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: to wit, because it seems there were in times past in this citie, men eminent: for wisdome and abilitie to give counsel, espe∣cially concerning the laws, insomuch that they used to come up from all parts of the kingdome to take advice there, and so they ended the matter; that is, many a con∣troversie was thus peaceably dec••ded, and that this she putteth Joab in mind, either as an inducement to winne him to mercy, not to go about to destroy so famous a citie, or else, as by way of giving him a hint not to despise her counsel, yea, though she were a woman, since counsel given out of Abel, had wont to be held in high esteem, but the first exposition is best, and most generally received.

Vers. 19. I am one of them that are peaceable and faithfull in Israel.] Here this wise woman of Abel doth further disswade Joab from proceeding with such severity against this Citie by three severall Arguments; first, by pleading their innocency, I am one of them that are peaceable and faithfull in Israel: for this she speaks not of her self in particular, there being no reason that the whole citie should be spared, because she was peaceable, but she speaks in the name and person of the whole citie; to wit, that their citie Abel was peaceable and faithfull; and indeed it may well be, that either the citie knew nothing of Sheba's guilt, and did shut their gates not to defend Sheba but onely because they heard of an Army that was coming against them: or at least that though there might be a faction in the citie, that were abet∣tors of Sheba, yet for the generality of the people they were otherwise minded; and this she alledgeth to justifie the citie, and to stay the rage of Joab: secondly, by pleading the dammage that would redound to the Israel of God by the ruine of this citie, Thou seekest to destroy a citie, and a mother in Israel, that is, the chief citie of a Province, a mother citie. The chief cities of a Countrey are called in the Scrip∣ture, mothers, partly in regard of the multitude of the Inhabitants which are there bred and brought up as it were in the lap and bosome of a mother, and are by her defended and sheltred from the violence of those that would hurt them, and liberal∣ly provided for, and sent forth perhaps into other parts of the land with a large por∣tion of outward things, but principally in regard of the towns and villages about them, either because the cities had the command over them, or at least because the towns and villages had much dependance upon them, as children upon their mo∣ther, for counsell and direction in their weightiest affairs, for defence against invading enemy, and for a supply of thing, convenient for them; and so this wo∣man tearms her citie a mother in Israel, to shew what a mischief he should do to

the land of Israel, in ruinating such a citie; and thirdly by pleading the wrong that therein would be done unto the Lord, in that the people were the people of God that were like to be destroyed in it, and the citie a part of the inheritance wherein God had placed his people, Why wilt thou saith she, swallow up the inheritance of the Lord? where also the expression she useth of swallowing up the inheritance of the Lord, is very observable, for thereby she covertly blames him for his violent and furious proceedings against them, and intimateth that if he would not do all in a passion, but would a little deliberate of these his proceedings, he would be soon of another mind.

Vers. 21. But a man of mount Ephraim (Sheba the sonne of Bichri by name) hath lift up his hand against the King.] He was of the Tribe of Benjamin, but dwelt it seemeth in mount Ephraim, and therefore Joab calls him a man of mount Ephraim.

And the woman said unto Joab, behold his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.] This she promiseth with such confidence, either because she knew already the minds of those that were able to do it, or because she was assured they would be wonne to it, and not hazard the citie to shelter a Traitour; and indeed that the inhabitants were by her perswaded to yield to this, the words in the following verse seem clearly to imply, Then the woman went unto all the people in her wis∣dome, &c. that is, by her wisdome in pleading with them, and the strong reasons she alledged, she perswaded the Citizens to cut off his head, &c.

Vers. 23. Now Joab was over all the host of Israel.] As before when David was first settled in the kingdome the names of his chief Officers were expressed chap. 8.16. So here again, first to let us see that Joab recovered his place, David perhaps not knowing how to oppose it; and secondly to she how fully David was re∣etablished in the kingdome, all things being setled again in the former order.

Vers. 24. And Adoram was over the tribute.] This office was not mentioned before, chap. 8. for since that, David had enlarged his Dominions, and made many nations tributary to him, and thereupon this office was committed to Adoram.

Vers. 25. And Sheva was scribe.] Or Seraiah, chap. 8, 17.