2 Samuel 19:9-43

2 Samuel 19:9-43

[9] And all the people  were at strife  throughout all the tribes  of Israel,  saying,  The king  saved  us out of the hand  of our enemies,  and he delivered  us out of the hand  of the Philistines;  and now he is fled  out of the land  for Absalom.  [10] And Absalom,  whom we anointed  over us, is dead  in battle.  Now therefore why speak  the king  back?  [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  the king  back  to his house?  seeing the speech  of all Israel  is come  to the king,  even to his house.  [12] Ye are my brethren,  ye are my bones  and my flesh:  wherefore then are ye the last  to bring back  the king?  [13] And say  ye to Amasa,  Art thou not of my bone,  and of my flesh?  God  do  so to me, and more  also, if thou be not captain  of the host  before  me continually  in the room  of Joab.  [14] And he bowed  the heart  of all the men  of Judah,  even as the heart of one  man;  so that they sent  this word unto the king,  Return  thou, and all thy servants.  [15] So the king  returned,  and came  to Jordan.  And Judah  came  to Gilgal,  to meet  the king,  over  Jordan.  [16] And Shimei  the son  of Gera,  a Benjamite,  which was of Bahurim,  hasted  and came down  with the men  of Judah  to meet  king  David.  [17] And there were a thousand  men  with him, and Ziba  the servant  of the house  of Saul,  and his fifteen  sons  and his twenty  servants  with him; and they went over  Jordan  before  the king.  [18] And there went over  a ferry boat  to carry over  the king's  household,  and to do  what he thought  good.  And Shimei  the son  of Gera  fell down  before  the king,  as he was come over  Jordan;  [19] And said  unto the king,  Let not my lord  impute  iniquity  unto me, neither do thou remember  that which thy servant  did perversely  the day  that my lord  the king  went out  of Jerusalem,  that the king  should take  it to his heart.  [20] For thy servant  doth know  that I have sinned:  therefore, behold, I am come  the first  this day  of all the house  of Joseph  to go down  to meet  my lord  the king.  [21] But Abishai  the son  of Zeruiah  answered  and said,  Shall not Shimei  be put to death  for this, because he cursed  the LORD'S  anointed?  [22] And David  said,  What have I to do with you, ye sons  of Zeruiah,  that ye should this day  be adversaries  unto me? shall there any man  be put to death  this day  in Israel?  for do not I know  that I am this day  king  over Israel?  [23] Therefore the king  said  unto Shimei,  Thou shalt not die.  And the king  sware  unto him. [24] And Mephibosheth  the son  of Saul  came down  to meet  the king,  and had neither  dressed  his feet,  nor trimmed  his beard,  nor washed  his clothes,  from the day  the king  until the day  he came  again in peace.  [25] And it came to pass, when he was come  to Jerusalem  to meet  the king,  said  unto him, Wherefore wentest  not thou with me, Mephibosheth?  [26] And he answered,  My lord,  O king,  my servant  deceived  me: for thy servant  said,  I will saddle  me an ass,  that I may ride  to the king;  because thy servant  is lame.  [27] And he hath slandered  thy servant  unto my lord  the king;  but my lord  the king  is as an angel  of God:  do  therefore what is good  in thine eyes.  [28] For all of my father's  house  were but  dead  before my lord  the king:  yet didst thou set  thy servant  among them that did eat  at thine own table.  What right  therefore have  I yet to cry  any more unto the king?  [29] And the king  said  unto him, Why speakest  thou any more of thy matters?  I have said,  Thou and Ziba  divide  the land.  [30] And Mephibosheth  said  unto the king,  Yea, let him take  all, forasmuch  as  my lord  the king  is come again  in peace  unto his own house.  [31] And Barzillai  the Gileadite  came down  from Rogelim,  and went over  Jordan  with the king,  to conduct  him over Jordan.  [32] Now Barzillai  was a very  aged  man, even fourscore  years  old:  and he had provided the king  of sustenance  while he lay  at Mahanaim;  for he was a very  great  man.  [33] And the king  said  unto Barzillai,  Come thou over  with me, and I will feed  thee with me in Jerusalem.  [34] And Barzillai  said  unto the king,  How long  that I should go up  with the king  unto Jerusalem?  [35] I am this day  fourscore  years  old:  and can I discern  between good  and evil?  can thy servant  taste  what  I eat  or what  I drink?  can I hear  any more the voice  of singing men  wherefore then should thy servant  be yet a burden  unto my lord  the king?  [36] Thy servant  a little way  over  Jordan  with the king:  recompense  it me with such a reward?  [37] Let thy servant,  I pray thee, turn back again,  that I may die  in mine own city,  and be buried by the grave  of my father  and of my mother.  But behold thy servant  Chimham;  let him go over  with my lord  the king;  and do  to him what shall seem good  unto thee. [38] And the king  answered,  Chimham  shall go  over with me, and I will do  to him that which shall seem good  unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require  of me, that will I do  for thee. [39] And all the people  went over  Jordan.  And when the king  was come over,  the king  kissed  Barzillai,  and blessed  him; and he returned  unto his own place.  [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.  [41] And, behold, all the men  of Israel  came  to the king,  and said  unto the king,  Why have our brethren  the men  of Judah  stolen thee away,  and have brought  the king,  and his household,  and all David's  with him, over Jordan?  [42] And all the men  of Judah  answered  the men  of Israel,  Because the king  is near of kin  to us: wherefore then be ye angry  for this matter?  have we eaten  of the king's  cost? or hath he given  us any gift?  [43] And the men  of Israel  answered  the men  of Judah,  and said,  We have ten  parts  in the king,  and we  have also more right in David  than ye: why then did ye despise  us, that our advice  should not be first  had in bringing back  our king?  And the words  of the men  of Judah  were fiercer  than the words  of the men  of Israel. 

What does 2 Samuel 19:9-43 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The only thing the people could do after Absalom had fallen was to return to their former king ( 2 Samuel 19:11-12). Absalom had found his strongest support among the people of Judah. David did not want the Judahites to conclude that by supporting Absalom they had become his enemies. David extended pardon to them and informed them that he still regarded them as his closest kin. This wise political move helped unite the nation again.
". . . David"s reference here [1] is not to blood ties, though they may be present, but rather that mutual covenant commitments must be honored because the vows assume fidelity through thick and thin." [2]
David also forgave the Benjamites who had hoped for his downfall and had seen it as punishment for taking Saul"s place on the throne ( 2 Samuel 19:16-30). Shimei had actively opposed David, Ziba had misled him (apparently), and Mephibosheth had not supported him. Mephibosheth"s failure to trim his toenails and his beard and to wash his clothes, were an expression of his grief, and resulted in his remaining ceremonially unclean while David was in exile (cf. Exodus 19:10; Exodus 19:14). [1] By forgiving all of these Benjamites David again secured the support of this difficult tribe. Later, David urged Solomon to execute Shimei ( 1 Kings 2:8-9; cf. Genesis 12:3). A generation later, when the kingdom split in two, the tribe of Benjamin remained attached to Judah. Abishai had become an "adversary" (Heb. satan) to David in the sense that he opposed David"s purpose to pardon Shimei. [4]
David may have divided the fields between Mephibosheth and Ziba to determine which of them was telling the truth or because he could not tell ( 2 Samuel 19:29). Solomon followed a similar procedure and threatened to divide a living baby to determine which of two mothers was telling the truth ( 1 Kings 3:24-25). Mephibosheth offered the entire estate to Ziba ( 2 Samuel 19:30). His action argued his innocence. [5]
Barzillai"s support ( 2 Samuel 19:31-39) undoubtedly represented that of others in Transjordan. By honoring him and his representative, Chimham, David cemented good relations with the tribes across the Jordan. Chimham may have been Barzillai"s son (cf. 1 Kings 2:7), a tradition that some manuscripts of the Septuagint preserved.
The other Israelites ( 2 Samuel 19:40-43) also rallied behind David again. The little "who loves the king most" contest they held with the Judahites illustrates their support. Thus almost the whole nation again united behind the Lord"s anointed. This was a blessing from God. The chiastic literary structure of chapters15-20 identifies an undercurrent of deterioration in the general relations that David enjoyed with his subjects at this time. [5]7
This section is a remarkable testimony to the power of forgiveness (cf. Matthew 6:12; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 7:47; Luke 17:3). David had not really forgiven Absalom, and perhaps the consequences of his lack of forgiveness encouraged him to take a different approach with his subjects after Absalom"s death. We see in David"s dealings with Amasa ( 2 Samuel 19:11-15) that forgiveness wins over former enemies. We see in his dealings with Shimei ( 2 Samuel 19:16-23) that forgiveness gives time for people to change. We see in his treatment of Mephibosheth and Ziba ( 2 Samuel 19:24-30) that forgiveness placates irreconcilable adversaries. We see in his relations with Barzillai and Chimham ( 2 Samuel 19:31-39) that forgiveness causes blessing to overflow on others. We see in the section revealing the final reactions of the Israelites and the Judahites ( 2 Samuel 19:40-43) that forgiveness lays a strong foundation for the future.
"The recent victory may have been seen as indicative of Yahweh"s favor, but David still needed the people"s "acclamation" or invitation to be king once more." [5]0