2 Samuel 19:11

2Sa 19:11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, [even] to his house.

Ver. 11. Speak unto the elders of Judah.] Who having been most forward in the late horrid rebellion, might haply most despair of pardon, and thereupon hang back. To these David sendeth and sueth; like as Christ also doth to his greatest enemies for reconciliation. {2Co 5:20} His grace doth in a manner kneel to us, who are naturally both averse and adverse thereunto.

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 19:11-12. Speak unto the elders of Judah — Absalom had begun his conspiracy in Jerusalem itself, and perfected it in Hebron, both cities of Judah; and the people of that tribe had been the first to join him in his rebellion, and to aid and abet his designs; conscious of this, and that, as David was of their tribe, and had long shown them peculiar kindness, their guilt was the greater, they probably despaired of pardon, and, therefore, were backward to promote the king’s restoration. Seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king — That is, their wishes and desires to bring him back to his throne and palace in Jerusalem. Ye are my bone and my flesh — Ye are related to me by consanguinity, and therefore I cannot be severe with you, nor need you fear lest I should revenge myself of you. Wherefore, then, are ye the last to bring back the king? — This delay doth not suit with the relation you have, and the affection you owe to me.

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

When these words of all Israel were reported to David, he sent to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, saying, "Speak to the elders of Judah, why will ye be the last to bring back the king to his palace? ... Ye are my brethren, my bones and flesh (i.e., my blood relations): why then," etc.? The last clause of Sa2 19:11, "the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house," is a circumstantial clause inserted in the midst of David's words, to explain the appeal to the men of Judah not to be the last. In the lxx, and some Codices of the Vulgate, this sentence occurs twice, viz., at the end of Sa2 19:10, and also of Sa2 19:11; and Thenius, Ewald, and Bttcher regard the clause at the end of Sa2 19:10 as the original one, and the repetition of it at the close of Sa2 19:11 as a gloss. But this is certainly a mistake: for if the clause, "and the speech of all Israel came to the king to his house (at Mahanaim)," ought to stand at the close of Sa2 19:10, and assigns the reason for David's sending to Zadok and Abiathar, Sa2 19:11 would certainly, or rather necessarily, commence with המּלך ויּשׁלח: "The word of all Israel came to the king, and then king David sent," etc. But instead of this, it commences with שׁלח דּיד והמּלך, "But king David sent." This construction of the sentence decidedly favour the correctness of the Hebrew text; whereas the text of the Septuagint, apart altogether from the tautological repetition of the whole of the sentence in question, shows obviously enough that it is nothing more than a conjecture, by which the attempt was made to remove the difficulty occasioned by the striking position in which the circumstantial clause occurred.

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.)

19:11-12 When David realized that the northern tribes would welcome him (19:9-10), he sent emissaries to goad Judah, his own tribesmen, into welcoming him as well. See also study note on 19:41-43.

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

That they should reprove the negligence of the Elders, seeing the people were so forward.

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

Verse 11. Speak unto the elders of Judah] David was afraid to fall out with this tribe: they were in possession of Jerusalem, and this was a city of great importance to him. They had joined Absalom in his rebellion; and doubtless were now ashamed of their conduct. David appears to take no notice of their infidelity, but rather to place confidence in them, that their confidence in him might be naturally excited: and, to oblige them yet farther, purposes to make Amasa captain of the host in the place of Joab.

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

(11) The elders of Judah.—Judah was naturally particularly slow in returning to its allegiance. It had shown especial ingratitude to David, and had formed the cradle and centre of the rebellion, and even now Jerusalem probably had a garrison of Absalom’s soldiers. They might naturally doubt how they would be received, and their military organisation in Absalom’s interest threw especial obstacles in their way. The last words of the verse, “to his house,” may be an accidental repetition from the previous clause.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. the elders of Judah] The representatives of the tribe, who would naturally be its leaders in the restoration of the king. Cp. ch. 2Sa_5:3. Their backwardness is explained by the prominent part which Judah had taken in the insurrection (see note on ch. 2Sa_15:10), while David’s message to the priests was prompted by the desire to conciliate the good will of the most powerful tribe of the nation, and persuade them to take a leading part in his recall.

seeing the speech … even to his house] The words even to his house give no satisfactory sense, and are probably an accidental repetition of the previous to his house: and the clause seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king may either have stood here originally as well as at the end of 2Sa_19:10, where it is certainly required, or have been repeated by a transcriber’s error.

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 King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,.... Who were at Jerusalem, and in his interest; perhaps by Ahimaaz and Jonathan their sons:

saying, speak unto the elders of Judah; particularly those that were at Jerusalem, with whom they had an interest:

saying, why are ye the last to bring back the king to his house? to his palace at Jerusalem, since David was of their tribe, and was first anointed their king: what might make them the more backward to it was their being so deep in the rebellion, which was formed and cherished among them, and brought to the height it was, through their connivance and encouragement, both at Hebron and Jerusalem; and therefore they might fear the resentment of David, and that he would not be easily reconciled unto them:

seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house: or he has received invitations from all the tribes of Israel to return to his house or palace at Jerusalem; and so this was a part of the message of David to the priests, to be told to the elders as an aggravation of their backwardness, and as an argument to excite them to their duty; though some think these are the words of the historian, to be inserted in a parenthesis, as in our version.

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

Priests, whose influence was very great. (Haydock) --- Last. David, like an able politician, shews the men of his own tribe, how dishonourable it will be for them to be outdone by the rest. (Calmet) --- Talk: reported by a solemn ceremony. (St. Jerome, Trad.) (Menochius) --- Septuagint Greek: logos, "the word, (Haydock) council," &c. (Salien)

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).

Speak unto the elders of Judah; who being the first and chief abettors of Absalom’s rebellion, despaired of ever obtaining the king’s grace and pardon, and therefore were backward to promote the king’s restoration.

To his house; to his royal palace at Jerusalem.

To the king, even to his house, i.e. even to Mahanaim, where now the king’s house and family is. Thus sometimes one word is taken in divers senses in the same verse, as Mat 8:22. Or rather thus, About bringing the king back to his house: for, first, Those words are very fitly and easily understood here out of the foregoing member of the verse; such defects being usual in the Hebrew, which is a very concise or short language. So it is Exo 22:15; Deu 1:4, &c.

Secondly, It seems most reasonable to understand the same phrase,

to his house, being twice here used in the same sense in both places, to wit, of his house in Jerusalem; and this is most agreeable to rule and to Scripture usage.

Thirdly, Thus the words have more emphasis than the other way; for if the speech came to the king at Mahanaim, it matters not whether it found him in his house there, or in the gate-house, or in the field.

Fourthly, David had no house in Mahanaim which could properly be called his house, as he had in Jerusalem. And then the parenthesis should close before those last words,

even to his house, or even to his own house, to wit, that at Jerusalem.

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

11. Speak unto the elders of Judah — It was wise in David thus to appeal to his own tribe and secure their co-operation with the rest of Israel in bringing him back to his throne in Jerusalem, for otherwise it would appear that the men of Judah were indifferent about his restoration. But it was unwise to accept their guidance back without also waiting for the co-operation of the ten northern tribes.

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

David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar. The two high priests had remained behind at Jerusalem, to watch over David"s interests, and he now, by a messenger, probably Ahimaaz or Jonathan, urges them to quicken the proceedings of his own tribe. We may feel quite sure that there was discussion in Judah as well as in the other tribes; but the rebellion had begun at Hebron, and probably many of the leading chiefs were deeply implicated in Absalom"s proceedings. Probably they now regretted it, but hung back through fear of punishment. It was politic, therefore, to assure them of David"s kindly feelings, and that overtures on their side would be readily received, and the past forgiven.

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

Judah - Who being the abettors of Absalom's rebellion, despaired of pardon, and therefore were backward to promote the king's restoration. His house - Even to Mahanaim, where now the king's house and family is.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

sent to Zadok and to Abiathar

This means that David sent a messenger to Zadok and Abiathar. AT: "sent a messenger to Zadok and to Abiathar" (See: Idiom)

Why are you the last to bring the king back ... to bring him back to his palace?

This rhetorical question is asked to rebuke the elders in Judah. This can be written as a statement. AT: "You should have been the first to favor the king and bring him back to the palace, not the people of the nation of Israel." (See: Rhetorical Question)

since the talk of all Israel favors the king, to bring

The noun "talk" can be expressed with the verb "talk" or "speak." AT: "since all Israel speaks favorably about the king and desires to bring" or "since what the people of Israel are saying is in the king's favor, to bring" (See: Abstract Nouns)

to bring the king back to his palace

Here restoring the king's authority to rule is spoken of as bringing him back to his palace. AT: "to restore the king's authority as king" (See: Metaphor)

You are my brothers, my flesh and bone

The king uses these to phrases to emphasize that they are closely related. Being or having the same flesh is a metaphor for belonging to the same family or tribe. AT: "You are my brothers, and we have the same flesh and bone" or "You are my brothers, my close relatives" (See: Metaphor)

Why then are you the last to bring back the king?

This is the second rhetorical question here and it is also a rebuke for the elders of Judah. This can be written as a statement. AT: "You should have been the first, not the last, to bring back the king." (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

David

Zadok

Abiathar

priest

Judah

favor

brother

flesh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.