2 Samuel 19:6

2Sa 19:6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

Ver. 6. And hatest thy friends.] This was not true: neither did David love Absalom as an enemy, but as a son, through a nimium excessively of natural affection.

Then it had pleased thee well.] But what, then, would have become of good David? and how would his darling son have served him? would he not have been forced, if he escaped with life, to supplicate Absalom in like sort as old Andronicus, the great emperor, to this effect did his young nephew? ‘Reverence my miserable old age, which of itself promiseth unto me shortly death, but unto thee a rest after long cares; reverence the hands which have oftentimes most lovingly embraced thee, yet crying in thy swathing clothes; reverence those lips which have oftentimes most lovingly kissed thee and called thee mine other self; have pity upon a bruised reed cast down by fortune, and do not thou again tread upon it. And seeing thou art thyself a man, be not too proud of thy present condition, but consider the uncertainty and variety of worldly things, taking by me example. See in me the end of long life, and marvel how one might, having received me an emperor of many years, leave me now subject unto another man’s power for ever.’ {a} Thus he, and much more to the same purpose.

{a} Turk. Hist., fol. 172.

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.

Or, captains.

Hebrew, been right in thine eyes.

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

6. neither princes nor servants] Neither the captains of the army (ch. 2Sa_18:1; 2Sa_18:5), nor the soldiers.

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.

In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends,.... Which though not strictly true, there was some appearance of it, which is here greatly exaggerated; in that he expressed so much grief and sorrow for Absalom his enemy, who had rebelled against him, and showed so little regard to his friends, that had exposed their lives for him:

for thou hast declared this day: by his conduct and behaviour, mourning for his rebellious son, and taking no notice of his faithful servants:

that thou regardest neither princes nor servants; neither the officers of the army, the generals and captains, nor the common soldiers: since neither the one were admitted into his presence privately, nor had the other public thanks as they entered the city, as might have been expected: or "that thou hast no princes and servants" (g); none that are accounted of as such; they are nothing with thee, in no esteem at all, as if thou hadst none:

for this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well; this was carrying the matter too far; for though it would have been agreeable to David if Absalom had lived, and not been slain, yet not that his army should perish, or his people be destroyed; it would have pleased him well if both had lived.

(g) "non tibi principes et servi", Pagninus, Montanus; "nihil tibi sint principes et servi", Piscator.

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

Thee. What insolence! Kings are often forced to brook the affronts of their higher servants, as well as other masters. There is a gradation in human affairs, which make the next in dignity and power think himself equal to the highest. Similis ero altissimo, Isaias xiv. 14. (Haydock) --- David sincerely desired the welfare of all his people, as well as of Absalom. (Menochius)

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).

This is not to be understood as exactly true in the rigour of it, but only comparatively and hyperbolically spoken; for David desired their preservation and Absalom’s too: but it must be considered that Joab was now in a high transport of passion, which might easily hurry him into indecent expressions; and that David’s carriage gave too much colour to such a suggestion; and that such sharpness of speech was in a manner necessary to awaken the king out of his lethargy, and to preserve him from the impendent mischiefs.

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

6. Thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends — Certainly David’s conduct justified this charge.

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

HOMILIES BY G. WOOD Ver. 6.

Loving enemies and hating friends.

lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends." Joab"s remonstrance with David was rude, and in the language of exaggeration; yet in substance it was wise, as the issue proved. The king"s lamentations did show excessive love for his deceased son, who had been his deadly enemy; and his abandonment of himself to grief when he ought to have been thanking his brave friends as they returned from the battle, and congratulating them on the victory they had won for him, did indicate a present insensibility to their services and claims which might easily be construed as enmity. It is, however, no unusual thing for men to love their enemies and hate their friends; or at least, by their conduct, to give good reason for others to charge them with doing so.

I THOSE DO SO WHO LOVE ERROR AND HATE THE TRUTH. For truth is one of our best friends, error one of our worst enemies. Moral and religious truth especially is life, health, guidance, happiness, to the soul; it leads to God and goodness and heaven. But error in such matters is death, disease, delusion; producing false peace and leading to destruction. Yet men often love the errors which favour what they are inclined to, and hate the truth which shows them their duties, sins, and dangers. They "love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil". (Joh_3:19) "Fools hate knowledge". (Pro_1:22) Hence they love false teachers and hate the true. "I hate him," said Ahab of Micaiah, "for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil". (1Ki_22:8)

II THOSE WHO LOVE THEIR LOWER RATHER THAN THEIR HIGHER SELF. Our lower nature is good in itself, but is very prone to run to excess, and become evil. Then, from a friend, it is transformed into an enemy. Our higher nature is a friend, especially when informed and directed by the Holy Spirit. Man"s worth and blessedness depend on his obeying the latter and subduing the former. Too often, however, he takes the opposite course, yielding himself to the government of the flesh, and resisting the promptings of the spirit.

III THOSE WHO LOVE THE WICKED AND HATE THE GOOD. Associating with the former and finding pleasure in their practices, but avoiding the society of the latter; loving flatterers, and hating faithful reprovers and advisers. Ungodly and unholy men are necessarily, though it may be unconsciously and unintentionally, the enemies of the souls of those whom they influence, whether by conversation or example; and the more attractive they are, so much the more dangerous. "Evil company doth corrupt good manners". (1Co_15:33, Revised Version)

IV THOSE WHO DELIGHT IN BAD BOOKS, AND DISLIKE AND NEGLECT GOOD ONES. Good books are good friends, promoting in us that which is good. The Bible is the best of books. Bad books, books which suggest and foster evil, are enemies; and the more they interest their readers, the more they injure them. Yet many delight in them, and dislike the books which would profit them.

V THOSE, IN A WORD, WHO LOVE, IF NOT SATAN, HIS WAYS, AND LIVE IN ENMITY WITH GOD AND CHRIST. Satan is our chief enemy, the head and ruler of all other spiritual foes. He seeks our ruin by manifold devices, and, so that we serve him, is quite content that we should do so in the fashion we most approve. We may join which company of his servants the coarser or the more refined, the open or the secret we may prefer. But to follow him in any way is, in effect, to love our worst enemy. Christ, on the other hand, and God in him, is our best Friend, who loves us most truly and most wisely, who has made greater sacrifices for us than any other can make, who has done for us what no other can do, who proffers us blessings beyond the power of any other to confer, who exalts those who love him to a position of honour and happiness to which no other can raise their friends, and lives on to bless them when others die and pass away. To reject him, to refuse him the love, allegiance, and obedience which he claims, is, in effect, to hate the Friend who is most of all needed by us, and most worthy to be loved with all the power of loving which our hearts possess.

Let those to whom these representations apply reflect on the sin and folly of which they are guilty; the incalculable good they are losing; the incalculable evils they are choosing. Their eyes will at length be opened; may it be in time! 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.

Pleased thee - This is not be understood as exactly true; but David's carriage gave too much colour to such a suggestion; and such sharpness of speech was in a manner necessary to awaken the king out of his lethargy, and to preserve him from the impendent mischiefs.

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