719 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David,.... That is, the people of Israel that were under Absalom, these were beaten by David's army: and there was a great slaughter that day of 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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country,.... Or the warriors were scattered, as the Targum; Absalom's soldiers, their ranks were broken, and they were thrown into the utmost confusion, and ran about here and there all over the field or plain in which the battle was fought, and into the neighbouring wood: and the wood...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Absalom met the servants of David,.... When his army was routed, he was in such a fright that he knew not which way to flee, and instead of flying from David's men, he fled in the way of them; but none of them attempted to slay him, nor even to stop him, but let him pass by them, knowing David's charge concerning him: and Absalom rode upon a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And a certain man saw [it],.... Saw him in the above posture, one of David's soldiers: and told Joab, and said, behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak; caught by the neck in one, out of which he could not disengage himself, but there he hung, though alive.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joab said unto the man that told him,.... That gave the above account of him: and, behold, thou sawest [him]; in reality; or, "didst thou see him?" is it a fact? and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground; kill him on the spot, that he might have dropped from the tree to the ground: and I would have given thee ten [shekels] of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the man said unto Joab,.... Disdaining his proposal: though I should receive a thousand [shekels] of silver in mine hand; or such a sum should be offered to me; the Arabic version is a million; [yet] would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; to smite him, and slay him: for in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abishai, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life,.... Or "soul"; he should not only have exposed his life to danger, but acted falsely to the king, by going contrary to his orders; yea, would have done that which was contrary to his own conscience; and if he had buoyed himself up with the hope of impunity, or of a reward, he should...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee,.... It is not worth while to talk with thee any longer, nor must I lose time, and neglect my opportunity; I do not desire you to go and smite him, I will go and do it myself: and he took three darts in his hand; or three rods, which were either all iron, or however the tops of them were iron spikes:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And ten young men that bare Joab's armour,.... That waited upon him in the battle, to carry his armour, and supply him with it as he should have occasion; these, by his orders, compassed about, and smote Absalom, and slew him; they enclosed him that none might rescue him, and smote him with their spears or swords, or whatsoever armour they had,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joab blew the trumpet,.... As the sign of a retreat: and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; upon the sound of the trumpet, the meaning of which they understood: for Joab held back the people: from shedding any more blood; the head of the conspiracy being removed, the thing would be crushed at once; and Joab neither chose to slay...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood,.... In the wood of Ephraim, near to which the battle was fought, and into which Absalom fled, and where he was slain: and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: his punishment was very exemplary; he was first hanged on an oak, and then thrust through with darts, and swords, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken,.... Had taken it into his head, had of himself devised it, as Kimchi explains it; he contrived the following scheme to perpetuate his memory: and reared up for himself a pillar, which [is] in the king's dale: or valley, the valley of Jehoshaphat; this pillar was of marble, as Josephus (o) says, and stood...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok,.... To Joab; for it seems he stayed with the army when he with Jonathan brought the message from Hushai to David: let me now run, and bear the king tidings how that the Lord hath avenged him on his enemies; which he thought would be very acceptable to hear of as soon as possible; and to be a messenger with...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And 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; and Ahimaaz being a good man, and the son of a priest, for whom Joab had a respect, he would not send the tidings by him, which he was sensible would not recommend him to the king: but thou shalt...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said Joab to Cushi,.... The Ethiopian, or blackamoor; who either was an Ethiopian by birth and proselyted, or he was an Israelite of a black complexion, and therefore so called; and was judged a proper person by the general to carry such dismal news to the king, as he knew it would be. Some Jewish writers (a) take him to be the same with Cush...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab,.... He could not be easy, even though a messenger was dispatched, but pressed Joab still: but howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi; only permit me to go after him, though not as a messenger: and Joab said, wherefore wilt thou run, my son? having a great affection for him, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But howsoever ([said he]) let me run,.... Be it as it may, I beg I may have leave; and being so very importunate, it was granted: and he said unto him, run; since he would take no denial: then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi; who ran by the way of the mountains; which though the shorter way, that through the plain was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And 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: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall; the gate to the outward wall, over which was a tower, and on that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the watchman cried and told the king,.... Called with a loud voice from the roof of the watchtower to the king, sitting between the gates, and informed him what he saw: and the king said, if he [be] alone [there is] tidings in his mouth; for if the army was routed and fled, and were pursued, there would be more in company, or several running...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the watchman saw another man running,.... At a further distance: and the watchman called unto the porter; that kept the gate, under which the watchtower was: and said, behold, [another] man runneth alone; as the other, and has the same appearance of a messenger: and the king said, he also bringeth tidings; it being usual then, as now, to...