2 Samuel 19:40

2Sa 19:40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

Ver. 40. And also half the people of Israel.] i.e., A part of them; so many as well could, and had a mind to it.

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 19:40. All the people of Judah — That is, the elders and great men of Judah. Also half the people of Israel — Whereas the men of Judah came entirely and unanimously to the king, the Israelites, of the other tribes, came in but slowly, and by halves, as being no less guilty of rebellion than the tribe of Judah; but not encouraged to come in by such a gracious message as they were. And this is here mentioned as the occasion both of the contention here following, and of the sedition, chap. 20.

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

QUARREL AT GILGAL BETWEEN JUDAH AND ISRAEL OVER THE KING’S RETURN, 2Sa_19:40-43.

40. Gilgal — In the Jordan plain just east of Jericho; the ancient camping-ground of Israel under Joshua, and the spot where the kingdom was confirmed to Saul when he returned successful from a war fought beyond the Jordan. Compare notes on 1Sa_11:12-15.

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

Quarrel between Israel and Judah about the restoration of the king. - Sa2 19:40. David went across to Gilgal (in the plain of the Jordan: Jos 4:19), and Chimham (Chimhan is a modified form for Chimham: Sa2 19:37) had gone over with him, and all the people of Judah had brought the king over (the Keri העבירוּ is an easier reading than the Chethib ויּעבירוּ, "and as for the people, they had," etc.), and also "half the people of Israel," namely, beside the thousand Benjaminites who came with Shimei (Sa2 19:17), other Israelites who dwelt in the neighbourhood.

Sa2 19:41

All the men of Israel, i.e., the representatives of the other tribes of Israel, came to meet the king in Gilgal; and being annoyed at the fact that the men of Judah had anticipated them, they exclaimed, "Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away?" i.e., fetched thee thus secretly without saying a word to us. "All David's men" were all his faithful adherents who had fled with him from Jerusalem (Sa2 15:17.).

Sa2 19:42

The men of Judah replied against (על) the men of Israel: "The king stands near to us" (inasmuch as he belonged to their tribe), "and wherefore then art thou angry at this matter? Have we eaten from the king (i.e., derived any advantage from our tribe-relationship to him, as the Benjaminites did from Saul, according to Sa1 22:7), or received anything for ourselves therefrom?" נשּׂאת is an infinitive abs. Niph. with a feminine termination, borrowed from ה;ל literally, "or has taking been taken for us."

Sa2 19:43

The Israelites were annoyed at this answer, and retorted, "I (Israel) have ten portions in the king, and also more than thou in David; and wherefore hast thou despised me?" They considered that they had ten shares in the king, because they formed ten tribes, in opposition to the one tribe of Judah, as the Levites did not come into consideration in the matter. Although David was of the tribe of Judah, he was nevertheless king of the whole nation, so that the ten tribes had a larger share than one tribe. הקלּתני refers to the fact, that Judah took no notice at all of the tribes of Israel when fetching back the king. וגו ולא־היה, "and was not my speech the first to fetch back my king?" (On the fact itself, see Sa2 19:10-11.) לי is an emphatic dat. commodi, and is to be taken in connection with להשׁיב, notwithstanding the accents. "And the speech of the men of Judah became fiercer (more violent) than the speech of the men of Israel." With these words the historian sums up briefly the further progress of the dispute, for the purpose of appending the account of Sheba's rebellion, to which it gave rise.

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.)

19:40 Gilgal, a natural stop along David’s westward route, was also a politically significant location: It was where the people had proclaimed Saul king (1 Sam 11:15) and Samuel later announced the end of Saul’s reign (1 Sam 13:13-15). David’s kingship now had a new beginning at Gilgal.

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

Which had taken part with the King.

Where the tribe of Judah tarried to receive him.

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

David came over Jordan attended and assisted only by the men of Judah; but when he had advanced as far as Gilgal, the first stage on this side Jordan, half the people of Israel (that is, of their elders and great men) had come to wait upon him, to kiss his hand, and congratulate him on his return, but found they came too late to witness the solemnity of his first entrance. This put them out of humour, and occasioned a quarrel between them and the men of Judah, which was a damp to the joy of the day, and the beginning of further mischief. Here is, 1. The complaint which the men of Israel brought to the king against the men of Judah (Sa2 19:41), that they had performed the ceremony of bringing the king over Jordan, and not given them notice, that they might have come to join in it. This reflected upon them, as if they were not so well affected to the king and his restoration as the men of Judah were, whereas the king himself knew that they had spoken of it before the men of Judah thought of it, Sa2 19:11. It seemed likewise as if they intended to monopolize the king's favours when he had come back, and to be looked upon as his only friends. See what mischief comes from pride and jealousy. 2. The excuse which the men of Judah made for themselves, Sa2 19:42. (1.) They plead relations to the king: "He is near of kin to us, and therefore in a matter of mere ceremony, as this was, we may claim precedency. It was into our country that he was to be brought, and therefore who so fit as we to bring him?" (2.) They deny the insinuated charge of self-seeking in what they had done: "Have we eaten at all of the king's cost? No, we have all borne our own charges. Hath he given us any gift? No, we have no design to engross the advantages of his return; you have come time enough to share in them." Too many that attend princes do so only for what they can get. 3. The men of Israel's vindication of their charge, Sa2 19:43. They pleaded, "We have ten parts in the king" (Judah having Simeon only, whose lot lay within his, to join with him), "and therefore it is a slight upon us that our advice was not asked about bringing back the king." See how uncertain the multitude is. They were lately striving against the king, to drive him out; now they are striving about him, which shall honour him most. A good man and a good cause will thus recover their credit and interest, though, for a time, they may seem to have lost them. See what is commonly the origin of strife, nothing so much as impatience of contempt or the least seeming slight. The men of Judah would have done better if they had taken their brethren's advice and assistance; but, since they did not, why should the men of Israel be so grievously offended? If a good work be done, and well done, let us not be displeased, nor the work disparaged, though we had no hand in it. 4. The scripture takes notice, by way of blame, which of the contending parties managed the cause with most passion: The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than those of the men of Israel. Though we have right and reason on our side, yet, if we express ourselves with fierceness, God takes notice of it and is much displeased with it.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

the king went on to Gilgal, . . . and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel--Whether from impatience to move on or from some other cause, David did not wait till all the tribes had arrived to conduct him on his return to the capital. The procession began as soon as Amasa had brought the Judahite escort, and the preference given to this tribe produced a bitter jealousy, which was nearly kindling a civil war fiercer than that which had just ended. A war of words ensued between the tribes--Israel resting their argument on their superior numbers; "they had ten parts in the king," whereas Judah had no more than one. Judah grounded their right to take the lead, on the ground of their nearer relationship to the king. This was a claim dangerous to the house of David; and it shows the seeds were already sown for that tribal dissension which, before long, led to the dismemberment of the kingdom.

Next: 2 Samuel Chapter 20

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

(40) All the people.—The tribe of Judah, deeply moved by the measures and words of David, had united generally in his restoration; the other tribes, who had first proposed to return to their allegiance (2Sa_19:9-10), had not had time to join in the present movement, or had not generally known of it, and only Shimei with his one thousand Benjamites, and doubtless others living near, together with the tribes east of the Jordan, represented altogether as “half the people of Israel,” were able to come together.

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

Then the king went on to Gilgal,.... Which, according to Josephus (n), was fifty furlongs from Jordan, six miles and a quarter:

and Chimham went on with him; after Barzillai had left them, and accompanied the king to Jerusalem:

and all the people of Judah conducted the king; to Jerusalem; who came to meet him, Sa2 19:15,

and also half the people of Israel; or a part of them, as the word used signifies, and not always an equal half, so Kimchi observes; even such of Israel as went out with David at first, and the a thousand men of Benjamin that came to meet him, Sa2 19:17.

(n) Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 4.

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

There; coming up, for the most part, after the king had crossed the river. They had intended to have escorted him from Mahanaim. (Haydock)

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).

Conducted the king; attended upon him on his journey towards Jerusalem.

And also half the people of Israel; whereas the men of Judah came entirely and unanimously to the king, as is noted here, and above, 2Sa 19:14, the Israelites of the other tribes came in but slowly, and by halves, as being no less guilty of the rebellion than the tribe of Judah; but not encouraged and invited to come in by such a particular and gracious message as they were. And this is here mentioned as the occasion both of the contention here following, and of the sedition, 2Sa 20.

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

Half the people of Israel. The northern tribes had been the first to debate the question of the king"s recall (ver. 9), while the men of Judah hung back. But at the instigation of the high priests and of Amasa, who was actually in command, they determined upon David"s restoration, and acted so promptly and so independently of the rest of Israel that, when they reached Gilgal, only the delegates of a few tribes were in time to join them. As we read in ver. 41 of "all the men of Israel," it is evident that the rest had rapidly followed. It would have been well if the tribe of Judah had informed the rest of their purpose, as the bringing of David back would then have been the act of all Israel; but tribal jealousies were the cause of Israel"s weakness throughout the time of the judges, and broke out into open disunion upon the death of Solomon.

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

Half - Whereas the men of Judah came entirely and unanimously to the king, the Israelites of the other tribe came in but slowly, and by halves, as being no less guilty of the rebellion, than the tribe of Judah; but not encouraged to come in by such a gracious message as they were. And this is here mentioned as the occasion both of the contention here following, and of the sedition, chap. xx, 1-22.

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

crossed over to Gilgal

They crossed over the Jordan River. AT: "crossed over the river to Gilgal" (See: Ellipsis)

Kimham

See how you translated this name in 2 Samuel 19:37.

All the army of Judah brought the king over, and also half the army of Israel

"All the army of Judah and half the army of Israel brought the king over"

brought the king over

They crossed over the Jordan River with the king. AT: "escorted the king over the river" (See: Ellipsis)

Why have our brothers, the men of Judah ... and all David's men with him?

The men of Israel use this question to express that they feel betrayed by the people of Judah. This question can be written as a statement. AT: "It is not right that our brothers, the men of Judah, who did not support you as king, had the privilege of bringing you and your family back across the Jordan River." (See: Rhetorical Question)

stolen you away

The men of Israel speak of how the men of Judah escorted the king across the river as if the king were something they stole that did not belong to them. AT: "taken you away from us" (See: Metaphor)

the Jordan

the Jordan River

translationWords

Gilgal

Judah

Israel

brother

David

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