2 Samuel 18:11

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.

Ver. 11. And I would have given thee.] And will do still, if thou wilt yet do it: for though Joab wished Absalom slain as a public pest; yet he had rather it should have been done by another, than by himself, or by his command. Politicians use to put others before them in dangerous actions, and, with the ape, to take nuts out of the fire with the paw of the cat.

Ten shekels of silver, and a girdle,] i.e., A purse, as Mar 6:8, or a military belt, as an ensign of honour.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18:11 Perhaps a hero’s belt was a sword belt that decorated a soldier for bravery and courage in battle (cp. 1 Sam 18:4).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Joab said unto the man that told him, . . . I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle--that is, would have raised him from the ranks to the status of a commissioned officer. Besides a sum of money, a girdle, curiously and richly wrought, was among the ancient Hebrews a mark of honor, and sometimes bestowed as a reward of military merit. This soldier, however, who may be taken as a fair sample of David's faithful subjects, had so great a respect for the king's wishes, that no prospect of reward would have tempted him to lay violent hands on Absalom. But Joab's stern sense of public duty, which satisfied him that there could be neither safety to the king, nor peace to the kingdom, nor security to him and other loyal subjects, so long as that turbulent prince lived, overcame his sensibilities, and looking upon the charge given to the generals as more befitting a parent than a prince, he ventured to disobey it.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. And 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. And Ajax gave his to Hector, as a token of the highest respect. - Hom. Il. vii., ver. 305.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. ten shekels] Shekels is rightly supplied, as in 1Ki_10:29, and elsewhere. The shekel weighed about half an ounce; but its real value at the time cannot be fixed.

a girdle] An essential article of Oriental dress, often of costly materials and highly ornamented. Cp. 1Sa_18:4.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 silver; on the news of it, for doing it, which was near twenty four shillings of our money; Josephus says (i) fifty shekels; the Arabic version has it ten thousand talents of silver, too great a sum by far:

and a girdle? which was a mark of great honour, and a token of a commission under him, and of investing: him with a military office; see Sa1 18:4; it used to be given as an honorary reward to soldiers that behaved well, as on the contrary it was reckoned a reproach to be ungirt, or the girdle to be taken away (k).

(i) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 10. sect. 2.) (k) Vide Lydium de re militare, l. 3. c. 6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ten shekels - (About 25 shillings.) The word “shekel” is understood, as in Gen 20:16; Gen 37:28. See the Exo 38:24 note.

A girdle - Girdles were costly articles of Hebrew dress used to put money in Mat 10:9, and given as presents 1Sa 18:4.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Silver, somewhat above a guinea: sicles are not expressed in Hebrew. (Haydock) --- Belt, the richest part of armour. Jonathan and Ajax made presents of their belts to David and Hector, 1 Kings xviii. 4. (Homer, Iliad H.) See Job xiii. 18. The Romans wore very splendid belts. Balteus et notis fulserunt cingula bullis. (Claud., Proserp. ii.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Why didst thou not smite him down from the oak, and with thy spear nail him to the ground?

A girdle; a military belt of more than ordinary price, as a testimony of thy valour and good service. See Poole on "1Sa 18:4".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. Go to battle in thine own person — Literally, thy presence going into the battle. Unlike Ahithophel, who counselled him to stay at Jerusalem, (2Sa_18:3,) Hushai advises him to go himself to the war.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A girdle. This was an important article of dress, (Eze_23:15) and was often richly embroidered. Absalom"s death was well deserved, and there can be little doubt that, if he had gained the victory, he would have massacred David and all his family. The dishonour done to his father at Jerusalem was even intended by Ahithophel to render all reconciliation impossible. But Joab was disobeying the king"s express orders, and as Absalom was incapable of making resistance, he ought to have taken him prisoner, and left it to David to decide what his punishment should be.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.