2 Samuel 18:27

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.

Ver. 27. He is a good man.] We should have the same good esteem of God’s faithful ministers, whose "feet," if they be not "beautiful" to us, how much more their faces! - it is a sign that our hearts are foul with infidelity and secure worldliness.

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.

2Sa 18:27-29. He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings — He is true to my interest, and loves me well, and therefore would not afflict me with evil tidings. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered. &c. — Like a truly religious man, he ascribes the victory which they had obtained unto the Lord; who still showed his mercy unto David, and continued to be his God and benefactor. Is the young man Absalom safe? — David is so much a father that he forgets he is a king; and therefore cannot rejoice in the news of victory till he knows whether his son be safe; for whom his heart trembled, almost as much as Eli’s, in a like case, for the ark of God. Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant — That is, Cushi, who appears by this to have been one belonging to the court; I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was — He dissembled his knowledge of Absalom’s death; and perhaps in this said true, that he did not know the particular manner of it; though it appears plainly from 2Sa 18:20, that he knew he was dead. The king, doubtless, apprehended the worst, and he was thus, in some degree, prepared for the afflictive information Cushi was to give him.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

DAVID AT MAHANAIM, 2Sa_18:27-29.

27. Shobi the son of Nahash — And therefore the brother of Hanun, who so shamefully treated David’s servants. 2Sa_10:1-4. Unlike Hanun he showed kindness to David, as his father had done. Josephus calls him the ruler of the Ammonites, and it is probable that he joined not with his brother in the war with Israel, and that after the fall of Rabbah, David placed him over the subjected territory.

Machir — The friend and protector also of Mephibosheth. 2Sa_9:4.

Barzillai — An aged and very wealthy man, as we further learn from 2Sa_19:32.

Rogelim — A place in Gilead now unknown.

27. Methinketh — Rather, as the margin, I see the running of the foremost, etc. The swift-footed Ahimaaz was well known for his fleetness.

He is a good man — One of the most valuable and cheering of all the tidings David ever received was borne by this messenger, (comp. 2Sa_15:31; 2Sa_15:34; 2Sa_17:14-17,) and this fact made Ahimaaz to be loved by him.

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

Hebrew, I see the running.

He had experience of his fidelity, 2 Sam. 17:21.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

27. He is a good man, &c.] The king rightly judged, that Joab would not choose a distinguished messenger like Ahimaaz to carry bad news (2Sa_18:20).

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 the watchman said, me thinketh,.... Or, "I see" (b); I perceive, so it appears to me:

that the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok; who it seems was well known, and famous for his manner of running and swiftness in it, having been employed in carrying expresses before from Jerusalem to David, and his army, wheresoever they were; and some of these persons thus employed were very swift; we read (c) of one that was a king's messenger, that went from Jerusalem to Tyre, on the first of Elul, or August, in a night and a day; which, according to Bunting (d) was an hundred miles: this watchman must be one of David's sentinels, who was well acquainted with the people about him:

and the king said, he is a good man, and cometh with good tidings; he knew he was a man of courage, and therefore was not one that fled, but must be a messenger; and that he was well affected to him, and would never be the messenger of evil tidings to him.

(b) , Sept. "ego videns", Montanus; "video", Tigurine version. (c) T. Hieros. Taanioth, fol. 68. 3. (d) Travels, p. 200.

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

He loves me well, and therefore would not afflict me with evil tidings.

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

A good messenger of good news.

is a good man, and cometh with good tidings." Underlying this phrase is probably the feeling that there is a congruity between good tidings and a good man. David may have thought that such a messenger as Ahimaaz would not have been sent with bad news; and, indeed, Joab was unwilling that he should run with the news, because he knew how grievous part of it would be to David. It may be permissible to take these words as applicable to the proclaimers of the heavenly good news the gospel of God. It should be true of every Christian minister and teacher, yea, of every Christian, that "he is a good man, and cometh with good tidings." We are the more readily led to such an accommodation of the words, because the terms used throughout this section of the narrative are in the Septuagint identical with those (eujaggelia eujaggelizw) with which we are so familiar in the New Testament.

I THERE ARE GOOD TIDINGS TO BE PROCLAIMED. Christianity is pre-eminently "gospel" (equivalent to "good news"), and is often called by this name. It is good tidings from the region and the Person from whence we might reasonably expect bad; and about the Being and the things which are of most importance to us. It declares to us the love of God to sinful men. It announces the coming and the work of a Divine Saviour; the reign of a Divine King; an all-sufficient propitiation for sin; a full and free redemption; an almighty, most loving and ever abiding Comforter and Helper. It proclaims pardon for the guilty, cleansing for the impure, life for the dead, comfort for the sad and sorrowful, Divine righteousness for the unrighteous, Divine strength for the weak, peace and joy on earth, perfection alike of holiness and happiness in heaven. It offers all these blessings on the simple condition of "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ". (Act_20:21)

II THESE GOOD TIDINGS ARE COMMITTED TO GOOD MEN TO MAKE KNOWN. Only good men, real Christians, have a Divine commission to engage in this work. God does not need the services of his enemies in the work of turning enemies into friends and ministering to their good. No unconverted man, no one that is carnal, worldly, unholy, can be a true Christian preacher or teacher.

1. Only good men really know the gospel. (see 1Co_2:14; Mat_11:25) We need to be "taught of God" (Joh_6:45) in order to our real reception and. understanding of Christian truth.

2. Only good men can rightly make it known. We cannot teach what we do not know; we cannot teach aright that with which we are out of harmony and sympathy. The work of teaching the gospel requires love to God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the truth, to the souls of men; sympathy with the mind and heart and purposes of God as revealed in the gospel; a character consistent with it, and adapted to illustrate and recommend it; and the earnest and believing prayerfulness which secures the Divine aid and blessing. "But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?". (Psa_50:16)

III GOOD MEN SHOULD MAKE KNOWN THE GOOD TIDINGS ZEALOUSLY, All Christians should do this according to the measure of their abilities and opportunities. They should be incited to do this by:

1. The nature of the tidings. With which only intense earnestness in the messenger is in harmony.

2. Their personal obligations to the redeeming love which they announce.

3. The unspeakable blessings they have received through the knowledge ofthem.

4. The commands of their Lord.

5. The natural impulses of the Christian heart. Which are the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

6. The good they can thus confer on their fellow men. Good of the most important and lasting kind, and of which they are most of all in need.

IV THOSE WHO MAKE KNOWN THE GOOD TIDINGS OUGHT MORE AND MORE TO BECOME GOOD. The work of learning and teaching the gospel ought to greatly benefit the teachers. It is adapted to do so, on account of:

1. The nature of the gospel. Its every truth is sanctifying.

2. The special character of the work. It exercises and trains every Christian virtue. It brings into close communion with the infinitely Good, who is also the Inspirer of all good in his creatures.

3. The regard for consistency which the worker is likely to cherish.

4. His desire for success in his work. This will increase his desire and endeavour after greater personal consecration and holiness.

5. The concern which he will feel to be accepted of God. "Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway". (1Co_9:27)

In conclusion:

1. The subject appeals to all who have part in the teaching of Christianity. Not only preachers, but parents and other teachers of the young, district visitors, etc.

2. Some need to be reminded that the Christian religion is not all of thenature of good tidings to each one to whom it comes. If it says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," it says also, "He that believeth not shall be damned". (Mar_16:16) If of the righteous it declares, "It shall be well with him," it also says, "Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with. (Isa_3:10, Isa_3:11) But its tidings of evil, as well as of good, need good men to bear them properly. It needs faith and faithfulness toward God, tender love and pity toward men, to utter them aright, and with probability of success. G.W.

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

When the watchman saw by the running of the first that it was Ahimaaz, recognising him probably by the swiftness of his running, and announced it to the king, he replied, "He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings," because Joab would not have selected him to bring any other than good news.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)