2 Samuel 19:7

2Sa 19:7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

Ver. 7. Now therefore arise, go forth.] Good counsel, but ill administered: like a good potion ill prepared, or not well sweetened. How much better Melancthon, who when he found on a time Luther overcome by his passions, overcame both him and them by saying,

“ Vince animos, iramque tuam, qui caetera vincis. ”

There will not tarry one with thee.] {a} They will choose them a ruler that can better rule his passions, and use his great place and power with more sobriety and moderation: they will depose thee, and expose thee to the greatest miseries. And all this Joab bindeth with an oath (but not well), to startle and scare David.

{a} Non pernoctaturum, sc., ex meo iussu. - Piscat.

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 19:7. Now, therefore, arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants — Show thyself to thy people, acknowledge their good services, and congratulate their success. For I swear by the Lord — He confirms his threat with the most solemn oath. If thou go not forth, &c. — If thou do not instantly quit thy apartment, appear in public, and treat thy people as they deserve; there will not tarry one with thee this night, &c. — Thy subjects will desert thee as one man. This, he signifies, would be far worse than all the calamities that had hitherto befallen him. David appears to have answered nothing to these harsh words of Joab; but, however offended he might be by such rough treatment, he thought fit to dissemble his resentment for the present. He, therefore, immediately left his chamber, and went to the gate, the seat of public justice, where he gave audience to the people, who immediately resorted thither in crowds to him, and were received and treated by him as kindly as his present distress would allow.

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

Hebrew, to the heart of thy servant.

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

Now . . . arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants--The king felt the truth of Joab's reprimand; but the threat by which it was enforced, grounded as it was on the general's unbounded popularity with the army, showed him to be a dangerous person; and that circumstance, together with the violation of an express order to deal gently for his sake with Absalom, produced in David's mind a settled hatred, which was strongly manifested in his last directions to Solomon.

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

(7) I swear by the Lord.—The statement which Joab emphasises with this solemn oath is not that ne will lead the people into revolt—he does not seem to have conceived, far less to have expressed any such design—but it is simply an assurance of the extreme danger of the course David was pursuing, put in such a strong and startling way as to rouse him from the selfishness of his sorrow.

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

7. speak comfortably] Speak to them in a friendly way, encourage them, and appease their discontent.

I swear, &c.] This is not a threat that he will persuade the army to desert David; but an asseveration in the strongest possible terms that they will not continue faithful to a king who allows a private grief to outweigh his gratitude for their services.

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.

Now therefore arise, go forth,.... Arise from his couch, he was watering with his tears, and go forth from his house, where he had shut himself up retired from all company, to the gate of the city, where the people passed and repassed, and there was a concourse of them: this he said not by way of command, but by way of advice; though all along he seems to take too much upon him, and to speak unbecoming a subject, and not with that decency as was necessary in, speaking to a king; but it may be observed, that a general of an army had great power over princes in those times; and presumed very much on their interest in the army, which led them sometimes not to behave with that decorum as became them:

and speak comfortably unto thy servants; commend them for their courage and faithfulness, thank them for their services, and reward them suitably; at least give them assurance of it:

for I swear by the Lord; by the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; this he said to arouse him, and make him bestir himself, and think what was proper for him to do:

if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night; signifying that he would use his interest in the army to go off with it, and set up another king; and did not doubt of success, as well knowing what temper and humour the people were in through the king's conduct:

and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now; for when he was persecuted by Saul he had a number of friends that adhered close to him; and when Ishbosheth was set up against him by Abner as king of Israel, the tribe of Judah cleaved to him, anointed him their king, and abode by him; wherefore, should he now be abandoned by his army, his case would be worse than ever it had been.

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

To. (satisfac). Hebrew, "speak to the heart," &c., with a cheerful countenance, to testify that their services will be rewarded. (Calmet)

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).

I swear by the Lord: this oath was either assertory of what he believed might in reason be expected, as likely in great measure to come to pass; or else promissory; or rather, minatory of what he by his influence could and would effect; and if so, it was much more than became him to say to his sovereign, and could only be excused by the circumstances, which at. this time might make it seem necessary: for David was indeed to blame in taking no more notice of their good service (however Joab might be faulty also in disobeying the king’s express command as to Absalom’s person); and great reason there was that David, as Joab did-now advise, should show himself less displeased to the people, who had exposed their lives to preserve him and his.

If thou go not forth to the gate, to show thyself to thy people, and kindly and thankfully to acknowledge the good service that they have now done thee.

There will not tarry one with thee this night; the hearts of all thy people will forthwith be irrecoverably alienated from thee, and they will look out for some other person on whom they may set the crown.

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

7. I swear — None but the dauntless Joab dared speak to the king in this way. “In his manner,” says Clarke, “Joab far exceeded the bounds of that reverence which a servant owes to his master, or a subject to his prince. Joab was a good soldier, but a bad man and dangerous subject.”

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

I swear by Yahweh

Joab is making a very strong oath. AT: "I swear, as surely as Yahweh is alive" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

if you do not go, not one man will remain with you

This means that only if David went would his soldiers remain with him. AT: "only if you go will any of your men remain with you" (See: Double Negatives)

not one man will remain with you

This refers to them remaining loyal to him. AT: "not one man will remain loyal to you" (See: Idiom)

all the people were told

This is a generalization. It means most of the men. It can be stated in active form. AT: "many of the men who were there heard others saying" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization and Active or Passive)

Look, the king is sitting

The word "Look" is used here to draw someone's attention to what is said next. AT: "Listen, the king is sitting"

all the people

Here "the people" refer to the people who followed David. Here "all" is an generalization. It means a large number came and gathered around him. AT: "many of the people" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)

So Israel fled, every man to his home

Here "Israel" refers to the Israelite soldiers who followed Absalom. AT: "And every Israelite soldier fled to his own home" or "And all of the Israelite soldiers fled to their homes" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

oath

Yahweh

king

gate

people group

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