CHAPTER
1
HOW DAVID REIGNED OVER ONE TRIBE AT HEBRON WHILE THE SON OF SAUL REIGNED OVER
THE REST OF THE MULTITUDE; AND HOW, IN THE CIVIL WAR WHICH THEN AROSE, ASAHEL
AND ABNER WERE SLAIN
1. This fight proved to be on the same day whereon David was come back
to Ziklag, after he had overcome the Amalekites. Now when he had been already
two days at Ziklag, there came to him the man who slew Saul, which was the third
day after the fight. He had escaped out of the battle which the Israelites had
with the Philistines, and had his clothes rent, and ashes upon his head. And
when he made his obeisance to David, he inquired of him whence he came. He replied,
from the battle of the Israelites; and he informed him that the end of it was
unfortunate, many ten thousands of the Israelites having been cut off, and Saul,
together with his sons, slain. He also said that he could well give him this
information, because he was present at the victory gained over the Hebrews,
and was with the king when he fled. Nor did he deny that he had himself slain
the king, when he was ready to be taken by the enemy, and he himself exhorted
him to do it, because, when he was fallen on his sword, his great wounds had
made him so weak that he was not able to kill himself. He also produced demonstrations
that the king was slain, which were the golden bracelets that had been on the
king's arms, and his crown, which he had taken away from Saul's dead body, and
had brought them to him. So David having no longer any room to call in question
the truth of what he said, but seeing most evident marks that Saul was dead,
he rent his garments, and continued all that day with his companions in weeping
and lamentation. This grief was augmented by the consideration of Jonathan;
the son of Saul, who had been his most faithful friend, and the occasion of
his own deliverance. He also demonstrated himself to have such great virtue,
and such great kindness for Saul, as not only to take his death to heart, though
he had been frequently in danger of losing his life by his means, but to punish
him that slew him; for when David had said to him that he was become his own
accuser, as the very man who had slain the king, and when he had understood
that he was the son of an Amalekite, he commanded him to be slain. He also committed
to writing some lamentations and funeral commendations of Saul and Jonathan,
which have continued to my own age.
2. Now when David had paid these honors
to the king, he left off his mourning, and inquired of God by the prophet which
of the cities of the tribe of Judah he would bestow upon him to dwell in; who
answered that he bestowed upon him Hebron. So he left Ziklag, and came to Hebron,
and took with him his wives, who were in number two, and his armed men; whereupon
all the people of the forementioned tribe came to him, and ordained him their
king. But when he heard that the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead had buried Saul
and his sons [honorably], he sent to them and commended them, and took what
they had done kindly, and promised to make them amends for their care of those
that were dead; and at the same time he informed them that the tribe of Judah
had chosen him for their king.
3. But as soon as Abner, the son of Ner,
who was general of Saul's army, and a very active man, and good-natured, knew
that the king, and Jonathan, and his two other sons, were fallen in the battle,
he made haste into the camp; and taking away with him the remaining son of Saul,
whose name was Ishbosheth, he passed over to the land beyond Jordan, and ordained
him the king of the whole multitude, excepting the tribe of Judah; and made
his royal seat in a place called in our own language Mahanaim, but in the language
of the Grecians, The Camps; from whence Abner made haste with a select body
of soldiers, to fight with such of the tribe of Judah as were disposed to it,
for he was angry that this tribe had set up David for their king. But Joab,
whose father was Suri, and his mother Zeruiah, David's sister, who was general
of David's army, met him, according to David's appointment. He had with him
his brethren, Abishai and Asahel, as also all David's armed men. Now when he
met Abner at a certain fountain, in the city of Gibeon, he prepared to fight.
And when Abner said to him, that he had a mind to know which of them had the
more valiant soldiers, it was agreed between them that twelve soldiers of each
side should fight together. So those that were chosen out by both the generals
for this fight came between the two armies, and throwing their lances one against
the other, they drew their swords, and catching one another by the head, they
held one another fast, and ran each other's swords into their sides and groins,
until they all, as it were by mutual agreement, perished together. When these
were fallen down dead, the rest of the army came to a sore battle, and Abner's
men were beaten; and when they were beaten, Joab did not leave off pursuing
them, but he pressed upon them, and excited the soldiers to follow them close,
and not to grow weary of killing them. His brethren also pursued them with great
alacrity, especially the younger, Asahel, who was the most eminent of them.
He was very famous for his swiftness of foot, for he could not only be too hard
for men, but is reported to have overrun a horse, when they had a race together.
This Asahel ran violently after Abner, and would not turn in the least out of
the straight way, either to the one side or to the other. Hereupon Abner turned
back, and attempted artfully to avoid his violence. Sometimes he bade him leave
off the pursuit, and take the armor of one of his soldiers; and sometimes, when
he could not persuade him so to do, he exhorted him to restrain himself, and
not to pursue him any longer, lest he should force him to kill him, and he should
then not be able to look his brother in the face; but when Asahel would not
admit of any persuasions, but still continued to pursue him, Abner smote him
with his spear, as he held it in his flight, and that by a back stroke, and
gave him a deadly wound, so that he died immediately; but those that were with
him pursuing Abner, when they came to the place where Asahel lay, they stood
round about the dead body, and left off the pursuit of the enemy. However, both
Joab1 himself, and his brother Abishai, ran past the
dead corpse, and making their anger at the death of Asahel an occasion of greater
zeal against Abner, they went on with incredible haste and alacrity, and pursued
Abner to a certain place called Ammah: it was about sunset. Then did Joab ascend
a certain hill, as he stood at that place, having the tribe of Benjamin with
him, whence he took a view of them, and of Abner also. Hereupon Abner cried
aloud, and said that it was not fit that they should irritate men of the same
nation to fight so bitterly one against another; that as for Asahel his brother,
he was himself in the wrong, when he would not be advised by him not to pursue
him any farther, which was the occasion of his wounding and death. So Joab consented
to what he said, and accepted these his words as an excuse [about Asahel], and
called the soldiers back with the sound of the trumpet, as a signal for their
retreat, and thereby put a stop to any further pursuit. After which Joab pitched
his camp there that night; but Abner marched all that night, and passed over
the river Jordan, and came to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, to Mahanaim. On the next
day Joab counted the dead men, and took care of all their funerals. Now there
were slain of Abner's soldiers about three hundred and sixty; but of those of
David nineteen, and Asahel, whose body Joab and Abishai carried to Bethlehem;
and when they had buried him in the sepulchre of their fathers, they came to
David to Hebron. From this time, therefore, they began an intestine war, which
lasted a great while, in which the followers of David grew stronger in the dangers
they underwent, and the servants and subjects of Saul's sons did almost every
day become weaker.
4. About this time David was become the
father of six sons, born of as many mothers. The eldest was by Ahinoam, and
he was called Arenon; the second was Daniel, by his wife Abigail; the name of
the third was Absalom, by Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the
fourth he named Adonijah, by his wife Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah, by
Abitail; the sixth he called Ithream, by Eglah. Now while this intestine war
went on, and the subjects of the two kings came frequently to action and to
fighting, it was Abner, the general of the host of Saul's son, who, by his prudence,
and the great interest he had among the multitude, made them all continue with
Ishbosheth; and indeed it was a considerable time that they continued of his
party; but afterwards Abner was blamed, and an accusation was laid against him,
that he went in unto Saul's concubine: her name was Rispah, the daughter of
Aiah. So when he was complained of by Ishbosheth, he was very uneasy and angry
at it, because he had not justice done him by Ishbosheth, to whom he had shown
the greatest kindness; whereupon he threatened to transfer the kingdom to David,
and demonstrate that he did not rule over the people beyond Jordan by his own
abilities and wisdom, but by his warlike conduct and fidelity in leading his
army. So he sent ambassadors to Hebron to David, and desired that he would give
him security upon oath that he would esteem him his companion and his friend,
upon condition that he should persuade the people to leave Saul's son, and choose
him king of the whole country; and when David had made that league with Abner,
for he was pleased with his message to him, he desired that he would give this
as the first mark of performance of the present league, that he might have his
wife Michal restored to him, as her whom he had purchased with great hazards,
and with those six hundred heads of the Philistines which he had brought to
Saul her father. So Abner took Michal from Phaltiel, who was then her husband,
and sent her to David, Ishbosheth himself affording him his assistance, for
David had written to him that of right he ought to have this his wife restored
to him. Abner also called together the elders of the multitude, the commanders
and captains of thousands, and spake thus to them: That he had formerly dissuaded
them from their own resolution, when they were ready to forsake Ishbosheth,
and to join themselves to David; that, however, he now gave them leave so to
do, if they had a mind to it, for they knew that God had appointed David to
be king of all the Hebrews by Samuel the prophet; and had foretold that he should
punish the Philistines, and overcome them, and bring them under. Now when the
elders and rulers heard this, and understood that Abner was come over to those
sentiments about the public affairs which they were of before, they changed
their measures, and came in to David. When these men had agreed to Abner's proposal,
he called together the tribe of Benjamin, for all of that tribe were the guards
of Ishbosheth's body, and he spake to them to the same purpose. And when he
saw that they did not in the least oppose what he said, but resigned themselves
up to his opinion, he took about twenty of his friends and came to David, in
order to receive himself security upon oath from him; for we may justly esteem
those things to be firmer which every one of us do by ourselves, than those
which we do by another. He also gave him an account of what he had said to the
rulers, and to the whole tribe of Benjamin; and when David had received him
in a courteous manner, and had treated him with great hospitality for many days,
Abner, when he was dismissed, desired him to bring the multitude with him, that
he might deliver up the government to him, when David himself was present, and
a spectator of what was done.
5. When David had sent Abner away, Joab,
the general of his army, came immediately to Hebron; he had understood that
Abner had been with David, and had parted with him a little before, under leagues
and agreements that the government should be delivered up to David, he feared
lest David should place Abner, who had assisted him to gain the kingdom, in
the first rank of dignity, especially since he was a shrewd man in other respects,
in understanding affairs, and in managing them artfully, as proper seasons should
require, and that he should himself be put lower, and be deprived of the command
of the army; so he took a knavish and a wicked course. In the first place, he
endeavored to calumniate Abner to the king, exhorting him to have a care of
him, and not to give attention to what he had engaged to do for him, because
all he did tended to confirm the government to Saul's son; that he came to him
deceitfully and with guile, and was gone away in hopes of gaining his purpose
by this management: but when he could not thus persuade David, nor saw him at
all exasperated, he betook himself to a project bolder than the former:—he determined
to kill Abner; and in order thereto, he sent some messengers after him, to whom
he gave in charge, that when they should overtake him they should recall him
in David's name, and tell him that he had somewhat to say to him about his affairs,
which he had not remembered to speak of when he was with him. Now when Abner
heard what the messengers said, (for they overtook him in a certain place called
Besira, which was distant from Hebron twenty furlongs,) he suspected none of
the mischief which was befalling him, and came back. Hereupon Joab met him in
the gate, and received him in the kindest manner, as if he were Abner's most
benevolent acquaintance and friend; for such as undertake the vilest actions,
in order to prevent the suspicion of any private mischief intended, do frequently
make the greatest pretences to what really good men sincerely do. So he took
him aside from his own followers, as if he would speak with him in private,
and brought him into a void place of the gate, having himself nobody with him
but his brother Abishai; then he drew his sword, and smote him in the groin;
upon which Abner died by this treachery of Joab, which, as he said himself,
was in the way of punishment for his brother Asahel, whom Abner smote and slew
as he was pursuing after him in the battle of Hebron, but as the truth was,
out of his fear of losing his command of the army, and his dignity with the
king, and lest he should be deprived of those advantages, and Abner should obtain
the first rank in David's court. By these examples any one may learn how many
and how great instances of wickedness men will venture upon for the sake of
getting money and authority, and that they may not fail of either of them; for
as when they are desirous of obtaining the same, they acquire them by ten thousand
evil practices; so when they are afraid of losing them, they get them confirmed
to them by practices much worse than the former, as if no other calamity so
terrible could befall them as the failure of acquiring so exalted an authority;
and when they have acquired it, and by long custom found the sweetness of it,
the losing it again: and since this last would be the heaviest of all afflictions,
they all of them contrive and venture upon the most difficult actions, out of
the fear of losing the same. But let it suffice that I have made these short
reflections upon that subject.
6. When David heard that Abner was slain,
it grieved his soul; and he called all men to witness, with stretching out his
hands to God, and crying out that he was not a partaker in the murder of Abner,
and that his death was not procured by his command or approbation. He also wished
the heaviest curses might light upon him that slew him and upon his whole house;
and he devoted those that had assisted him in this murder to the same penalties
on its account; for he took care not to appear to have had any hand in this
murder, contrary to the assurances he had given and the oaths he had taken to
Abner. However, he commanded all the people to weep and lament this man, and
to honor his dead body with the usual solemnities; that is, by rending their
garments, and putting on sackcloth, and that things should be the habit in which
they should go before the bier; after which he followed it himself, with the
elders and those that were rulers, lamenting Abner, and by his tears demonstrating
his good-will to him while he was alive, and his sorrow for him now he was dead,
and that he was not taken off with his consent. So he buried him at Hebron in
a magnificent manner, and indited funeral elegies for him; he also stood first
over the monument weeping, and caused others to do the same; nay, so deeply
did the death of Abner disorder him, that his companions could by no means force
him to take any food, but he affirmed with an oath that he would taste nothing
till the sun was set. This procedure gained him the good-will of the multitude;
for such as had an affection for Abner were mightily satisfied with the respect
he paid him when he was dead, and the observation of that faith he had plighted
to him, which was shown in his vouchsafing him all the usual ceremonies, as
if he had been his kinsman and his friend, and not suffering him to be neglected
and injured with a dishonorable burial, as if he had been his enemy; insomuch
that the entire nation rejoiced at the king's gentleness and mildness of disposition,
every one being ready to suppose that the king would have taken the same care
of them in the like circumstances, which they saw be showed in the burial of
the dead body of Abner. And indeed David principally intended to gain a good
reputation, and therefore he took care to do what was proper in this case, whence
none had any suspicion that he was the author of Abner's death. He also said
this to the multitude, that he was greatly troubled at the death of so good
a man; and that the affairs of the Hebrews had suffered great detriment by being
deprived of him, who was of so great abilities to preserve them by his excellent
advice, and by the strength of his hands in war. But he added, that "God, who
hath a regard to all men's actions, will not suffer this man [Joab] to go off
unrevenged; but know ye, that I am not able to do any thing to these sons of
Zeruiah, Joab and Abishai, who have more power than I have; but God will requite
their insolent attempts upon their own heads." And this was the fatal conclusion
of the life of Abner.
CHAPTER
2
THAT UPON THE SLAUGHTER OF ISHBOSHETH BY THE TREACHERY OF HIS FRIENDS, DAVID
RECEIVED THE WHOLE KINGDOM
1. When Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, had heard of the death of Abner,
he took it to heart to be deprived of a man that was of his kindred, and had
indeed given him the kingdom, but was greatly afflicted, and Abner's death very
much troubled him; nor did he himself outlive any long time, but was treacherously
set upon by the sons of Rimmon, (Baanah and Rechab were their names,) and was
slain by them; for these being of a family of the Benjamites, and of the first
rank among them, thought that if they should slay Ishbosheth, they should obtain
large presents from David, and be made commanders by him, or, however, should
have some other trust committed to them. So when they once found him alone,
and asleep at noon, in an upper room, when none of his guards were there, and
when the woman that kept the door was not watching, but was fallen asleep also,
partly on account of the labor she had undergone, and partly on account of the
heat of the day, these men went into the room in which Ishbosheth, Saul's son,
lay asleep, and slew him; they also cut off his head, and took their journey
all that night, and the next day, as supposing themselves flying away from those
they had injured, to one that would accept of this action as a favor, and would
afford them security. So they came to Hebron, and showed David the head of Ishbosheth,
and presented themselves to him as his well-wishers, and such as had killed
one that was his enemy and antagonist. Yet David did not relish what they had
done as they expected, but said to them, "You vile wretches, you shall immediately
receive the punishment you deserve. Did not you know what vengeance I executed
on him that murdered Saul, and brought me his crown of gold, and this while
he who made this slaughter did it as a favor to him, that he might not be caught
by his enemies? Or do you imagine that I am altered in my disposition, and suppose
that I am not the same man I then was, but am pleased with men that are wicked
doers, and esteem your vile actions, when you are become murderers of your master,
as grateful to me, when you have slain a righteous man upon his bed, who never
did evil to any body, and treated you with great good-will and respect? Wherefore
you shall suffer the punishment due on his account, and the vengeance I ought
to inflict upon you for killing Ishbosheth, and for supposing that I should
take his death kindly at your hands; for you could not lay a greater blot on
my honor, than by making such a supposal." When David had said this, he tormented
them with all sorts of torments, and then put them to death; and he bestowed
all accustomed rites on the burial of the head of Ishbosheth, and laid it in
the grave of Abner.
2. When these things were brought to this
conclusion, all the principal men of the Hebrew people came to David to Hebron,
with the heads of thousands, and other rulers, and delivered themselves up to
him, putting him in mind of the good-will they had borne to him in Saul's lifetime,
and the respect they then had not ceased to pay him when he was captain of a
thousand, as also that he was chosen of God by Samuel the prophet, he and his
sons;2 and declaring besides, how God had given him
power to save the land of the Hebrews, and to overcome the Philistines. Whereupon
he received kindly this their alacrity on his account; and exhorted them to
continue in it, for that they should have no reason to repent of being thus
disposed to him. So when he had feasted them, and treated them kindly, he sent
them out to bring all the people to him; upon which came to him about six thousand
and eight hundred armed men of the tribe of Judah, who bare shields and spears
for their weapons, for these had [till now] continued with Saul's son, when
the rest of the tribe of Judah had ordained David for their king. There came
also seven thousand and one hundred out of the tribe of Simeon. Out of the tribe
of Levi came four thousand and seven hundred, having Jehoiada for their leader.
After these came Zadok the high priest, with twenty-two captains of his kindred.
Out of the tribe of Benjamin the armed men were four thousand; but the rest
of the tribe continued, still expecting that some one of the house of Saul should
reign over them. Those of the tribe of Ephraim were twenty thousand and eight
hundred, and these mighty men of valor, and eminent for their strength. Out
of the half tribe of Manasseh came eighteen thousand, of the most potent men.
Out of the tribe of Issachar came two hundred, who foreknew what was to come
hereafter,3 but of armed men twenty thousand. Of the
tribe of Zebulon fifty thousand chosen men. This was the only tribe that came
universally in to David, and all these had the same weapons with the tribe of
Gad. Out of the tribe of Naphthali the eminent men and rulers were one thousand,
whose weapons were shields and spears, and the tribe itself followed after,
being (in a manner) innumerable [thirty-seven thousand]. Out of the tribe of
Dan there were of chosen men twenty-seven thousand and six hundred. Out of the
tribe of Asher were forty thousand. Out of the two tribes that were beyond Jordan,
and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, such as used shields, and spears, and
head-pieces, and swords, were a hundred and twenty thousand. The rest of the
tribes also made use of swords. This multitude came together to Hebron to David,
with a great quantity of corn, and wine, and all other sorts of food, and established
David in his kingdom with one consent. And when the people had rejoiced for
three days in Hebron, David and all the people removed and came to Jerusalem.
CHAPTER
3
HOW DAVID LAID SIEGE TO JERUSALEM; AND WHEN HE HAD TAKEN THE CITY, HE CAST THE
CANAANITES OUT OF IT, AND BROUGHT IN THE JEWS TO INHABIT THEREIN
1. Now the Jebusites, who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and were
by extraction Canaanites, shut their gates, and placed the blind, and the lame,
and all their maimed persons, upon the wall, in way of derision of the king,
and said that the very lame themselves would hinder his entrance into it. This
they did out of contempt of his power, and as depending on the strength of their
walls. David was hereby enraged, and began the siege of Jerusalem, and employed
his utmost diligence and alacrity therein, as intending by the taking of this
place to demonstrate his power, and to intimidate all others that might be of
the like [evil] disposition towards him. So he took the lower city by force,
but the citadel held out still;4 whence it was that
the king, knowing that the proposal of dignities and rewards would encourage
the soldiers to greater actions, promised that he who should first go over the
ditches that were beneath the citadel, and should ascend to the citadel itself
and take it, should have the command of the entire people conferred upon him.
So they all were ambitious to ascend, and thought no pains too great in order
to ascend thither, out of their desire of the chief command. However, Joab,
the son of Zeruiah, prevented the rest; and as soon as he was got up to the
citadel, cried out to the king, and claimed the chief command.
2. When David had cast the Jebusites out
of the citadel, he also rebuilt Jerusalem, and named it The City of David, and
abode there all the time of his reign; but for the time that he reigned over
the tribe of Judah only in Hebron, it was seven years and six months. Now when
he had chosen Jerusalem to be his royal city, his affairs did more and more
prosper, by the providence of God, who took care that they should improve and
be augmented. Hiram also, the king of the Tyrians, sent ambassadors to him,
and made a league of mutual friendship and assistance with him. He also sent
him presents, cedar-trees, and mechanics, and men skilful in building and architecture,
that they might build him a royal palace at Jerusalem. Now David made buildings
round about the lower city: he also joined the citadel to it, and made it one
body; and when he had encompassed all with walls, he appointed Joab to take
care of them. It was David, therefore, who first cast the Jebusites out of Jerusalem,
and called it by his own name, The City of David: for under our forefather Abraham
it was called (Salem, or) Solyma;5 but after that
time, some say that Homer mentions it by that name of Solyma, [for he named
the temple Solyma, according to the Hebrew language, which denotes security.]
Now the whole time from the warfare under Joshua our general against the Canaanites,
and from that war in which he overcame them, and distributed the land among
the Hebrews, (nor could the Israelites ever cast the Canaanites out of Jerusalem
until this time, when David took it by siege,) this whole time was five hundred
and fifteen years.
3. I shall now make mention of Araunah,
who was a wealthy man among the Jebusites, but was not slain by David in the
siege of Jerusalem, because of the good-will he bore to the Hebrews, and a particular
benignity and affection which he had to the king himself; which I shall take
a more seasonable opportunity to speak of a little afterwards. Now David married
other wives over and above those which he had before: he had also concubines.
The sons whom he had were in number eleven, whose names were Ammon, Emnos, Eban,
Nathan, Solomon, Jeban, Elien, Phalna, Ennaphen, Jenae, Eliphale; and a daughter,
Tamar. Nine of these were born of legitimate wives, but the two last-named of
concubines; and Tamar had the same mother with Absalom.
CHAPTER
4
THAT WHEN DAVID HAD CONQUERED THE PHILISTINES WHO MADE WAR AGAINST HIM AT JERUSALEM,
HE REMOVED THE ARK TO JERUSALEM AND HAD A MIND TO BUILD A TEMPLE
1. When the Philistines understood that David was made king of the Hebrews,
they made war against him at Jerusalem; and when they had seized upon that valley
which is called The Valley of the Giants, and is a place not far from the city,
they pitched their camp therein; but the king of the Jews, who never permitted
himself to do any thing without prophecy,6 and the
command of God, and without depending on him as a security for the time to come,
bade the high priest to foretell to him what was the will of God, and what would
be the event of this battle. And when he foretold that he should gain the victory
and the dominion, he led out his army against the Philistines; and when the
battle was joined, he came himself behind, and fell upon the enemy on the sudden,
and slew some of them, and put the rest to flight. And let no one suppose that
it was a small army of the Philistines that came against the Hebrews, as guessing
so from the suddenness of their defeat, and from their having performed no great
action, or that was worth recording, from the slowness of their march, and want
of courage; but let him know that all Syria and Phoenicia, with many other nations
besides them, and those warlike nations also, came to their assistance, and
had a share in this war, which thing was the only cause why, when they had been
so often conquered, and had lost so many ten thousands of their men, they still
came upon the Hebrews with greater armies; nay, indeed, when they had so often
failed of their purpose in these battles, they came upon David with an army
three times as numerous as before, and pitched their camp on the same spot of
ground as before. The king of Israel therefore inquired of God again concerning
the event of the battle; and the high priest prophesied to him, that he should
keep his army in the groves, called the Groves of Weeping, which were not far
from the enemy's camp, and that he should not move, nor begin to fight, till
the trees of the grove should be in motion without the wind's blowing; but as
soon as these trees moved, and the time foretold to him by God was come, he
should, without delay, go out to gain what was an already prepared and evident
victory; for the several ranks of the enemy's army did not sustain him, but
retreated at the first onset, whom he closely followed, and slew them as he
went along, and pursued them to the city Gaza (which is the limit of their country):
after this he spoiled their camp, in which he found great riches; and he destroyed
their gods.
2. When this had proved the event of the
battle, David thought it proper, upon a consultation with the elders, and rulers,
and captains of thousands, to send for those that were in the flower of their
age out of all his countrymen, and out of the whole land, and withal for the
priests and the Levites, in order to their going to Kirjathjearim, to bring
up the ark of God out of that city, and to carry it to Jerusalem, and there
to keep it, and offer before it those sacrifices and those other honors with
which God used to be well-pleased; for had they done thus in the reign of Saul,
they had not undergone any great misfortunes at all. So when the whole body
of the people were come together, as they had resolved to do, the king came
to the ark, which the priest brought out of the house of Aminadab, and laid
it upon a new cart, and permitted their brethren and their children to draw
it, together with the oxen. Before it went the king, and the whole multitude
of the people with him, singing hymns to God, and making use of all sorts of
songs usual among them, with variety of the sounds of musical instruments, and
with dancing and singing of psalms, as also with the sounds of trumpets and
of cymbals, and so brought the ark to Jerusalem. But as they were come to the
threshing-floor of Chidon, a place so called, Uzzah was slain by the anger of
God; for as the oxen shook the ark, he stretched out his hand, and would needs
take hold of it. Now, because he was not a priest,7
and yet touched the ark, God struck him dead. Hereupon both the king and the
people were displeased at the death of Uzzah; and the place where he died is
still called the Breach of Uzzah unto this day. So David was afraid; and supposing
that if he received the ark to himself into the city, he might suffer in the
like manner as Uzzah had suffered, who, upon his bare putting out his hand to
the ark, died in the manner already mentioned, he did not receive it to himself
into the city, but he took it aside unto a certain place belonging to a righteous
man, whose name was Obededom, who was by his family a Levite, and deposited
the ark with him; and it remained there three entire months. This augmented
the house of Obededom, and conferred many blessings upon it. And when the king
heard what had befallen Obededom, how he was become, of a poor man in a low
estate, exceeding happy, and the object of envy to all those that saw or inquired
after his house, he took courage, and, hoping that he should meet with no misfortune
thereby, he transferred the ark to his own house; the priests carrying it, while
seven companies of singers, who were set in that order by the king, went before
it, and while he himself played upon the harp, and joined in the music, insomuch,
that when his wife Michal, the daughter of Saul, who was our first king, saw
him so doing, she laughed at him. But when they had brought in the ark, they
placed it under the tabernacle which David had pitched for it, and he offered
costly sacrifices and peace-offerings, and treated the whole multitude, and
dealt both to the women, and the men, and the infants a loaf of bread and a
cake, and another cake baked in a pan, with the portion of the sacrifice. So
when he had thus feasted the people, he sent them away, and he himself returned
to his own house.
3. But when Michal his wife, the daughter
of Saul, came and stood by him, she wished him all other happiness, and entreated
that whatsoever he should further desire, to the utmost possibility, might be
given him by God, and that he might be favorable to him; yet did she blame him,
that so great a king as he was should dance after an unseemly manner, and in
his dancing, uncover himself among the servants and the handmaidens. But he
replied, that he was not ashamed to do what was acceptable to God, who had preferred
him before her father, and before all others; that he would play frequently,
and dance, without any regard to what the handmaidens and she herself thought
of it. So this Michal, who was David's wife, had no children; however, when
she was afterward married to him to whom Saul her father had given her, (for
at this time David had taken her away from him, and had her himself,) she bare
five children. But concerning those matters I shall discourse in a proper place.
4. Now when the king saw that his affairs
grew better almost every day, by the will of God, he thought he should offend
him, if, while he himself continued in houses made of cedar, such as were of
a great height, and had the most curious works of architecture in them, he should
overlook the ark while it was laid in a tabernacle, and was desirous to build
a temple to God, as Moses had predicted such a temple should be built.8
And when he had discoursed with Nathan the prophet about these things, and had
been encouraged by him to do whatsoever he had a mind to do, as having God with
him, and his helper in all things, he was thereupon the more ready to set about
that building. But God appeared to Nathan that very night, and commanded him
to say to David,9 that he took his purpose and his
desires kindly, since nobody had before now taken it into their head to build
him a temple, although upon his having such a notion he would not permit him
to build him that temple, because he had made many wars, and was defiled with
the slaughter of his enemies; that, however, after his death, in his old age,
and when he had lived a long life, there should be a temple built by a son of
his, who should take the kingdom after him, and should be called Solomon, whom
he promised to provide for, as a father provides for his son, by preserving
the kingdom for his son's posterity, and delivering it to them; but that he
would still punish him, if he sinned, with diseases and barrenness of land.
When David understood this from the prophet, and was overjoyful at this knowledge
of the sure continuance of the dominion to his posterity, and that his house
should be splendid, and very famous, he came to the ark, and fell down on his
face, and began to adore God, and to return thanks to him for all his benefits,
as well for those that he had already bestowed upon him in raising him from
a low state, and from the employment of a shepherd, to so great dignity of dominion
and glory; as for those also which he had promised to his posterity; and besides,
for that providence which he had exercised over the Hebrews in procuring them
the liberty they enjoyed. And when he had said thus, and had sung a hymn of
praise to God, he went his way.
CHAPTER
5
HOW DAVID BROUGHT UNDER THE PHILISTINES, AND THE MOABITES, AND THE KINGS OF
SOPHENE, AND OF DAMASCUS, AND OF THE SYRIANS, AS ALSO THE IDUMEANS, IN WAR;
AND HOW HE MADE A LEAGUE WITH THE KING OF HAMATH; AND WAS MINDFUL OF THE FRIENDSHIP
THAT JONATHAN, THE SON OF SAUL, HAD BORNE TO HIM
1. A little while after this, he considered that he ought to make war
against the Philistines, and not to see any idleness or laziness permitted in
his management, that so it might prove, as God had foretold to him, that when
he had overthrown his enemies, he should leave his posterity to reign in peace
afterward: so he called together his army again, and when he had charged them
to be ready and prepared for war, and when he thought that all things in his
army were in a good state, he removed from Jerusalem, and came against the Philistines;
and when he had overcome them in battle, and had cut off a great part of their
country, and adjoined it to the country of the Hebrews, he transferred the war
to the Moabites; and when he had overcome two parts of their army in battle,
he took the remaining part captive, and imposed tribute upon them, to be paid
annually. He then made war against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Sophene;
and when he had joined battle with him at the river Euphrates, he destroyed
twenty thousand of his footmen, and about seven thousand of his horsemen. He
also took a thousand of his chariots, and destroyed the greatest part of them,
and ordered that no more than one hundred should be kept.10
2. Now when Hadad,11
king of Damascus and of Syria, heard that David fought against Hadadezer, who
was his friend, he came to his assistance with a powerful army, in hopes to
rescue him; and when he had joined battle with David at the river Euphrates,
he failed of his purpose, and lost in the battle a great number of his soldiers;
for there were slain of the army of Hadad twenty thousand, and all the rest
fled. Nicolaus also [of Damascus] makes mention of this king in the fourth book
of his histories; where he speaks thus: "A great while after these things had
happened, there was one of that country whose name was Hadad, who was become
very potent; he reigned over Damascus, and, the other parts of Syria, excepting
Phoenicia. He made war against David, the king of Judea, and tried his fortune
in many battles, and particularly in the last battle at Euphrates, wherein he
was beaten. He seemed to have been the most excellent of all their kings in
strength and manhood," Nay, besides this, he says of his posterity, that "they
succeeded one another in his kingdom, and in his name"; where he thus speaks:
"When Hadad was dead, his posterity reigned for ten generations, each of his
successors receiving from his father that his dominion, and this his name; as
did the Ptolemies in Egypt. But the third was the most powerful of them all,
and was willing to avenge the defeat his forefather had received; so he made
an expedition against the Jews, and laid waste the city which is now called
Samaria." Nor did he err from the truth; for this is that Hadad who made the
expedition against Samaria, in the reign of Ahab, king of Israel, concerning
whom we shall speak in due place hereafter.
3. Now when David had made an expedition
against Damascus, and the other parts of Syria, and had brought it all into
subjection, and had placed garrisons in the country, and appointed that they
should pay tribute, he returned home. He also dedicated to God at Jerusalem
the golden quivers, the entire armor which the guards of Hadad used to wear;
which Shishak, the king of Egypt, took away when he fought with David's grandson,
Rehoboam, with a great deal of other wealth which he carried out of Jerusalem.
However, these things will come to be explained in their proper places hereafter.
Now as for the king of the Hebrews, he was assisted by God, who gave him great
success in his wars, and he made all expedition against the best cities of Hadadezer,
Betah and Machen; so he took them by force, and laid them waste. Therein was
found a very great quantity of gold and silver, besides that sort of brass which
is said to be more valuable than gold; of which brass Solomon made that large
vessel which was called The [Brazen] Sea, and those most curious lavers, when
he built the temple for God.
4. But when the king of Hamath was informed
of the ill success of Hadadezer, and had heard of the ruin of his army, he was
afraid on his own account, and resolved to make a league of friendship and fidelity
with David before he should come against him; so he sent to him his son Joram,
and professed that he owed him thanks for fighting against Hadadezer, who was
his enemy, and made a league with him of mutual assistance and friendship. He
also sent him presents, vessels of ancient workmanship, both of gold, of silver,
and of brass. So when David had made this league of mutual assistance with Toi,
(for that was the name of the king of Hamath,) and had received the presents
he sent him, he dismissed his son with that respect which was due on both sides;
but then David brought those presents that were sent by him, as also the rest
of the gold and silver which he had taken of the cities whom he had conquered,
and dedicated them to God. Nor did God give victory and success to him only
when he went to the battle himself, and led his own army, but he gave victory
to Abishai, the brother of Joab, general of his forces, over the Idumeans,12
and by him to David, when he sent him with an army into Idumea: for Abishai
destroyed eighteen thousand of them in the battle; whereupon the king [of Israel]
placed garrisons through all Idumea, and received the tribute of the country,
and of every head among them. Now David was in his nature just, and made his
determination with regard to truth. He had for the general of his whole army
Joab; and he made Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, recorder. He also appointed
Zadok, of the family of Phinehas, to be high priest, together with Abiathar,
for he was his friend. He also made Seisan the scribe, and committed the command
over the guards of his body to Benaiah; the son of Jehoiada. His elder sons
were near his body, and had the care of it also.
5. He also called to mind the covenants
and the oaths he had made with Jonathan, the son of Saul, and the friendship
and affection Jonathan had for him; for besides all the rest of his excellent
qualities with which he was endowed, he was also exceeding mindful of such as
had at other times bestowed benefits upon him. He therefore gave order that
inquiry should be made, whether any of Jonathan's lineage were living, to whom
he might make return of that familiar acquaintance which Jonathan had had with
him, and for which he was still debtor. And when one of Saul's freed men was
brought to him, who was acquainted with those of his family that were still
living, he asked him whether he could tell him of any one belonging to Jonathan
that was now alive, and capable of a requital of the benefits which he had received
from Jonathan. And he said, that a son of his was remaining, whose name was
Mephibosheth, but that he was lame of his feet; for that when his nurse heard
that the father and grandfather of the child were fallen in the battle, she
snatched him up, and fled away, and let him fall from her shoulders, and his
feet were lamed. So when he had learned where and by whom he was brought up,
he sent messengers to Machir, to the city of Lodebar, for with him was the son
of Jonathan brought up, and sent for him to come to him. So when Mephibosheth
came to the king, he fell on his face and worshipped him; but David encouraged
him, bade him be of good cheer, and expect better times. So he gave him his
father's house, and all the estate which his grandfather Saul was in possession
of, and bade him come and diet with him at his own table, and never to be absent
one day from that table. And when the youth had worshipped him on account of
his words and gifts given to him, he called for Ziba, and told him that he had
given the youth his father's house, and all Saul's estate. He also ordered that
Ziba should cultivate his land, and take care of it, and bring him the profits
of all to Jerusalem. Accordingly, David brought him to his table every day,
and bestowed upon the youth, Ziba and his sons, who were in number fifteen,
and his servants, who were in number twenty. When the king had made these appointments,
and Ziba had worshipped him, and promised to do all that he had bidden him,
he went his way; so that this son of Jonathan dwelt at Jerusalem, and dieted
at the king's table, and had the same care that a son could claim taken of him.
He also had himself a son, whom he named Micha.
CHAPTER
6
HOW THE WAR WAS WAGED AGAINST THE AMMONITES AND HAPPILY CONCLUDED
1. This were the honors that such as were left of Saul's and Jonathan's
lineage received from David. About this time died Nahash, the king of the Ammonites,
who was a friend of David's; and when his son had succeeded his father in the
kingdom, David sent ambassadors to him to comfort him; and exhorted him to take
his father's death patiently, and to expect that he would continue the same
kindness to himself which he had shown to his father. But the princes of the
Ammonites took this message in evil part, and not as David's kind dispositions
gave reason to take it; and they excited the king to resent it; and said that
David had sent men to spy out the country, and what strength it had, under the
pretence of humanity and kindness. They further advised him to have a care,
and not to give heed to David's words, lest he should be deluded by him, and
so fall into an inconsolable calamity. Accordingly Nahash's [son], the king
of the Ammonites, thought these princes spake what was more probable than the
truth would admit, and so abused the ambassadors after a very harsh manner;
for he shaved the one half of their beards, and cut off one half of their garments,
and sent his answer, not in words, but in deeds. When the king of Israel saw
this, he had indignation at it, and showed openly that he would not overlook
this injurious and contumelious treatment, but would make war with the Ammonites,
and would avenge this wicked treatment of his ambassadors on their king. So
that king's intimate friends and commanders, understanding that they had violated
their league, and were liable to be punished for the same, made preparations
for war; they also sent a thousand talents to the Syrian king of Mesopotamia,
and endeavored to prevail with him to assist them for that pay, and Shobach.
Now these kings had twenty thousand footmen. They also hired the king of the
country called Maacah, and a fourth king, by name Ishtob; which last had twelve
thousand armed men.
2. But David was under no consternation
at this confederacy, nor at the forces of the Ammonites; and putting his trust
in God, because he was going to war in a just cause, on account of the injurious
treatment he had met with, he immediately sent Joab, the captain of his host,
against them, and gave him the flower of his army, who pitched his camp by Rabbah,
the metropolis of the Ammonites; whereupon the enemy came out, and set themselves
in array, not all of them together, but in two bodies; for the auxiliaries were
set in array in the plain by themselves, but the army of the Ammonites at the
gates over against the Hebrews. When Joab saw this, he opposed one stratagem
against another, and chose out the most hardy part of his men, and set them
in opposition to the king of Syria, and the kings that were with him, and gave
the other part to his brother Abishai, and bid him set them in opposition to
the Ammonites; and said to him, that in case he should see that the Syrians
distressed him, and were too hard for him, he should order his troops to turn
about and assist him; and he said that he himself would do the same to him,
if he saw him in the like distress from the Ammonites. So he sent his brother
before, and encouraged him to do every thing courageously and with alacrity,
which would teach them to be afraid of disgrace, and to fight manfully; and
so he dismissed him to fight with the Ammonites, while he fell upon the Syrians.
And though they made a strong opposition for a while, Joab slew many of them,
but compelled the rest to betake themselves to flight; which, when the Ammonites
saw, and were withal afraid of Abishai and his army, they staid no longer, but
imitated their auxiliaries, and fled to the city. So Joab, when he had thus
overcome the enemy, returned with great joy to Jerusalem to the king.
3. This defeat did not still induce the
Ammonites to be quiet, nor to own those that were superior to them to be so,
and be still, but they sent to Chalaman, the king of the Syrians, beyond Euphrates,
and hired him for an auxiliary. He had Shobach for the captain of his host,
with eighty thousand footmen, and ten thousand horsemen. Now when the king of
the Hebrews understood that the Ammonites had again gathered so great an army
together, he determined to make war with them no longer by his generals, but
he passed over the river Jordan himself with all his army; and when he met them
he joined battle with them, and overcame them, and slew forty thousand of their
footmen, and seven thousand of their horsemen. He also wounded Shobach, the
general of Chalaman's forces, who died of that stroke; but the people of Mesopotamia,
upon such a conclusion of the battle, delivered themselves up to David, and
sent him presents, who at winter time returned to Jerusalem. But at the beginning
of the spring he sent Joab, the captain of his host, to fight against the Ammonites,
who overran all their country, and laid it waste, and shut them up in their
metropolis Rabbah, and besieged them therein.
CHAPTER
7
HOW DAVID FELL IN LOVE WITH BATHSHEBA, AND SLEW HER HUSBAND URIAH, FOR WHICH
HE IS REPROVED BY NATHAN
1. But David fell now into a very grievous sin, though he were otherwise
naturally a righteous and a religious man, and one that firmly observed the
laws of our fathers; for when late in an evening he took a view round him from
the roof of his royal palace, where he used to walk at that hour, he saw a woman
washing herself in her own house: she was one of extraordinary beauty, and therein
surpassed all other women; her name was Bathsheba. So he was overcome by that
woman's beauty, and was not able to restrain his desires, but sent for her,
and lay with her. Hereupon she conceived with child, and sent to the king, that
he should contrive some way for concealing her sin (for, according to the laws
of their fathers, she who had been guilty of adultery ought to be put to death).
So the king sent for Joab's armor-bearer from the siege, who was the woman's
husband, and his name was Uriah. And when he was come, the king inquired of
him about the army, and about the siege; and when he had made answer that all
their affairs went according to their wishes, the king took some portions of
meat from his supper, and gave them to him, and bade him go home to his wife,
and take his rest with her. Uriah did not do so, but slept near the king with
the rest of his armor-bearers. When the king was informed of this, he asked
him why he did not go home to his house, and to his wife, after so long an absence;
which is the natural custom of all men, when they come from a long journey.
He replied, that it was not right, while his fellow soldiers, and the general
of the army, slept upon the ground, in the camp, and in an enemy's country,
that he should go and take his rest, and solace himself with his wife. So when
he had thus replied, the king ordered him to stay there that night, that he
might dismiss him the next day to the general. So the king invited Uriah to
supper, and after a cunning and dexterous manner plied him with drink at supper,
till he was thereby disordered; yet did he nevertheless sleep at the king's
gates without any inclination to go to his wife. Upon this the king was very
angry at him; and wrote to Joab, and commanded him to punish Uriah, for he told
him that he had offended him; and he suggested to him the manner in which he
would have him punished, that it might not be discovered that he was himself
the author of this his punishment; for he charged him to set him over against
that part of the enemy's army where the attack would be most hazardous, and
where he might be deserted, and be in the greatest jeopardy, for he bade him
order his fellow soldiers to retire out of the fight. When he had written thus
to him, and sealed the letter with his own seal, he gave it to Uriah to carry
to Joab. When Joab had received it, and upon reading it understood the king's
purpose, he set Uriah in that place where he knew the enemy would be most troublesome
to them; and gave him for his partners some of the best soldiers in the army;
and said that he would also come to their assistance with the whole army, that
if possible they might break down some part of the wall, and enter the city.
And he desired him to be glad of the opportunity of exposing himself to such
great pains, and not to be displeased at it, since he was a valiant soldier,
and had a great reputation for his valor, both with the king and with his countrymen.
And when Uriah undertook the work he was set upon with alacrity, he gave private
orders to those who were to be his companions, that when they saw the enemy
make a sally, they should leave him. When, therefore, the Hebrews made an attack
upon the city, the Ammonites were afraid that the enemy might prevent them,
and get up into the city, and this at the very place whither Uriah was ordered;
so they exposed their best soldiers to be in the forefront, and opened their
gates suddenly, and fell upon the enemy with great vehemence, and ran violently
upon them. When those that were with Uriah saw this, they all retreated backward,
as Joab had directed them beforehand; but Uriah, as ashamed to run away and
leave his post, sustained the enemy, and receiving the violence of their onset,
he slew many of them; but being encompassed round, and caught in the midst of
them, he was slain, and some other of his companions were slain with him.
2. When this was done, Joab sent messengers
to the king, and ordered them to tell him that he did what he could to take
the city soon; but that, as they made an assault on the wall, they had been
forced to retire with great loss; and bade them, if they saw the king was angry
at it, to add this, that Uriah was slain also. When the king had heard this
of the messengers, he took it heinously, and said that they did wrong when they
assaulted the wall, whereas they ought, by undermining and other stratagems
of war, to endeavor the taking of the city, especially when they had before
their eyes the example of Abimelech, the son of Gideon, who would needs take
the tower in Thebes by force, and was killed by a large stone thrown at him
by an old woman; and although he was a man of great prowess, he died ignominiously
by the dangerous manner of his assault: that they should remember this accident,
and not come near the enemy's wall, for that the best method of making war with
success was to call to mind the accidents of former wars, and what good or bad
success had attended them in the like dangerous cases, that so they might imitate
the one, and avoid the other. But when the king was in this disposition, the
messenger told him that Uriah was slain also; whereupon he was pacified. So
he bade the messenger go back to Joab and tell him that this misfortune is no
other than what is common among mankind, and that such is the nature, and such
the accidents of war, insomuch that sometimes the enemy will have success therein,
and sometimes others; but that he ordered him to go on still in his care about
the siege, that no ill accident might befall him in it hereafter; that they
should raise bulwarks and use machines in besieging the city; and when they
have gotten it, to overturn its very foundations, and to destroy all those that
are in it. Accordingly the messenger carried the king's message with which he
was charged, and made haste to Joab. But Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, when
she was informed of the death of her husband, mourned for his death many days;
and when her mourning was over, and the tears which she shed for Uriah were
dried up, the king took her to wife presently; and a son was born to him by
her.
3. With this marriage God was not well pleased,
but was thereupon angry at David; and he appeared to Nathan the prophet in his
sleep, and complained of the king. Now Nathan was a fair and prudent man; and
considering that kings, when they fall into a passion, are guided more by that
passion than they are by justice, he resolved to conceal the threatenings that
proceeded from God, and made a good-natured discourse to him, and this after
the manner following:—He desired that the king would give him his opinion in
the following case:—"There were," said he, "two men inhabiting the same city,
the one of them was rich, and [the other poor]. The rich man had a great many
flocks of cattle, of sheep, and of kine; but the poor man had but one ewe lamb.
This he brought up with his children, and let her eat her food with them; and
he had the same natural affection for her which any one might have for a daughter.
Now upon the coming of a stranger to the rich man, he would not vouchsafe to
kill any of his own flocks, and thence feast his friend; but he sent for the
poor man's lamb, and took her away from him, and made her ready for food, and
thence feasted the stranger." This discourse troubled the king exceedingly;
and he denounced to Nathan, that "this man was a wicked man who could dare to
do such a thing; and that it was but just that he should restore the lamb fourfold,
and be punished with death for it also." Upon this Nathan immediately said that
he was himself the man who ought to suffer those punishments, and that by his
own sentence; and that it was he who had perpetrated this great and horrid crime.
He also revealed to him, and laid before him, the anger of God against him,
who had made him king over the army of the Hebrews, and lord of all the nations,
and those many and great nations round about him; who had formerly delivered
him out of the hands of Saul, and had given him such wives as he had justly
and legally married; and now this God was despised by him, and affronted by
his impiety, when he had married, and now had, another man's wife; and by exposing
her husband to the enemy, had really slain him; that God would inflict punishments
upon him on account of those instances of wickedness; that his own wives should
be forced by one of his sons; and that he should be treacherously supplanted
by the same son; and that although he had perpetrated his wickedness secretly,
yet should that punishment which he was to undergo be inflicted publicly upon
him; "that, moreover," said he, "the child which was born to thee of her shall
soon die." When the king was troubled at these messages, and sufficiently confounded,
and said with tears and sorrow that he had sinned, (for he was without controversy
a pious man, and guilty of no sin at all in his whole life, excepting those
in the matter of Uriah,) God had compassion on him, and was reconciled to him,
and promised that he would preserve to him both his life and his kingdom; for
he said that, seeing he repented of the things he had done, he was no longer
displeased with him. So Nathan, when he had delivered this prophecy to the king,
returned home.
4. However, God sent a dangerous distemper
upon the child that was born to David of the wife of Uriah, at which the king
was troubled, and did not take any food for seven days, although his servants
almost forced him to take it; but he clothed himself in a black garment, and
fell down, and lay upon the ground in sackcloth, entrusting God for the recovery
of the child, for he vehemently loved the child's mother; but when, on the seventh
day, the child was dead, the king's servants durst not tell him of it, as supposing
that when he knew it, he would still less admit of food, and other care of himself,
by reason of his grief at the death of his son, since when the child was only
sick, he so greatly afflicted himself, and grieved for him: but when the king
perceived that his servants were in disorder, and seemed to be affected, as
those who are very desirous to conceal something, he understood that the child
was dead; and when he had called one of his servants to him, and discovered
that so it was, he arose up and washed himself, and took a white garment, and
came into the tabernacle of God. He also commanded them to set supper before
him, and thereby greatly surprised his kindred and servants, while he did nothing
of this when the child was sick, but did it all when he was dead. Whereupon
having first begged leave to ask him a question, they besought him to tell them
the reason of this his conduct; he then called them unskilful people, and instructed
them how he had hopes of the recovery of the child while it was alive, and accordingly
did all that was proper for him to do, as thinking by such means to render God
propitious to him; but that when the child was dead, there was no longer any
occasion for grief, which was then to no purpose. When he had said this, they
commended the king's wisdom and understanding. He then went in unto Bathsheba
his wife, and she conceived and bare a son; and by the command of Nathan the
prophet called his name Solomon.
5. But Joab sorely distressed the Ammonites
in the siege, by cutting off their waters, and depriving them of other means
of subsistence, till they were in the greatest want of meat and drink, for they
depended only on one small well of water, and this they durst not drink of too
freely, lest the fountain should entirely fail them. So he wrote to the king,
and informed him thereof; and persuaded him to come himself to take the city,
that he might have the honor of the victory. Upon this letter of Joab's, the
king accepted of his good-will and fidelity, and took with him his army, and
came to the destruction of Rabbah; and when he had taken it by force, he gave
it to his soldiers to plunder it; but he himself took the king of the Ammonites'
crown, whose weight was a talent of gold;13 and it
had in its middle a precious stone called a sardonyx; which crown David ever
after wore on his own head. He also found many other vessels in the city, and
those both splendid and of great price; but as for the men, he tormented them,14
and then destroyed them; and when he had taken the other cities of the Ammonites
by force, he treated them after the same manner.
CHAPTER
8
HOW ABSALOM MURDERED AMNON, WHO HAD FORCED HIS OWN SISTER; AND HOW HE WAS BANISHED
AND AFTERWARDS RECALLED BY DAVID
1. When the king was returned to Jerusalem, a sad misfortune befell his
house, on the occasion following: He had a daughter, who was yet a virgin, and
very handsome, insomuch that she surpassed all the most beautiful women; her
name was Tamar; she had the same mother with Absalom. Now Amnon, David's eldest
son, fell in love with her, and being not able to obtain his desires, on account
of her virginity, and the custody she was under, was so much out of order, nay,
his grief so ate up his body, that he grew lean, and his color was changed.
Now there was one Gonad, a kinsman and friend of his, who discovered this his
passion, for he was an extraordinary wise man, and of great sagacity of mind.
When, therefore, he saw that every morning Amnon was not in body as he ought
to be, he came to him, and desired him to tell him what was the cause of it:
however, he said that he guessed that it arose from the passion of love. Amnon
confessed his passion, that he was in love with a sister of his, who had the
same father with himself. So Gonad suggested to him by what method and contrivance
he might obtain his desires; for he persuaded him to pretend sickness, and bade
him, when his father should come to him, to beg of him that his sister might
come and minister to him; for if that were done, he should be better, and should
quickly recover from his distemper. So Amnon lay down on his bed, and pretended
to be sick, as Gonad had suggested. When his father came, and inquired how he
did, he begged of him to send his sister to him. Accordingly, he presently ordered
her to be brought to him; and when she was come, Amnon bade her make cakes for
him, and fry them in a pan, and do it all with her own hands, because he should
take them better from her hand [than from any one's else]. So she kneaded the
flour in the sight of her brother, and made him cakes, and baked them in a pan,
and brought them to him; but at that time he would not taste them, but gave
order to his servants to send all that were there out of his chamber, because
he had a mind to repose himself, free from tumult and disturbance. As soon as
what he had commanded was done, he desired his sister to bring his supper to
him into the inner parlor; which, when the damsel had done, he took hold of
her, and endeavored to persuade her to lie with him. Whereupon the damsel cried
out, and said, "Nay, brother, do not force me, nor be so wicked as to transgress
the laws, and bring upon thyself the utmost confusion. Curb this thy unrighteous
and impure lust, from which our house will get nothing but reproach and disgrace."
She also advised him to speak to his father about this affair; for he would
permit him [to marry her]. This she said, as desirous to avoid her brother's
violent passion at present. But he would not yield to her; but, inflamed with
love and blinded with the vehemency of his passion, he forced his sister: but
as soon as Amnon had satisfied his lust, he hated her immediately, and giving
her reproachful words, bade her rise up and be gone. And when she said that
this was a more injurious treatment than the former, if, now he had forced her,
he would not let her stay with him till the evening, but bid her go away in
the day-time, and while it was light, that she might meet with people that would
be witnesses of her shame,—he commanded his servant to turn her out of his house.
Whereupon she was sorely grieved at the injury and violence that had been offered
to her, and rent her loose coat, (for the virgins of old time wore such loose
coats tied at the hands, and let down to the ankles, that the inner coats might
not be seen,) and sprinkled ashes on her head; and went up the middle of the
city, crying out and lamenting for the violence that had been offered her. Now
Absalom, her brother, happened to meet her, and asked her what sad thing had
befallen her, that she was in that plight; and when she had told him what injury
had been offered her, he comforted her, and desired her to be quiet, and take
all patiently, and not to esteem her being corrupted by her brother as an injury.
So she yielded to his advice, and left off her crying out, and discovering the
force offered her to the multitude; and she continued as a widow with her brother
Absalom a long time.
2. When David his father knew this, he was
grieved at the actions of Amnon; but because he had an extraordinary affection
for him, for he was his eldest son, he was compelled not to afflict him; but
Absalom watched for a fit opportunity of revenging this crime upon him, for
he thoroughly hated him. Now the second year after this wicked affair about
his sister was over, and Absalom was about to go to shear his own sheep at Baalhazor,
which is a city in the portion of Ephraim, he besought his father, as well as
his brethren, to come and feast with him: but when David excused himself, as
not being willing to be burdensome to him, Absalom desired he would however
send his brethren; whom he did send accordingly. Then Absalom charged his own
servants, that when they should see Amnon disordered and drowsy with wine, and
he should give them a signal, they should fear nobody, but kill him.
3. When they had done as they were commanded,
the rest of his brethren were astonished and disturbed, and were afraid for
themselves, so they immediately got on horseback, and rode away to their father;
but somebody there was who prevented them, and told their father they were all
slain by Absalom; whereupon he was overcome with sorrow, as for so many of his
sons that were destroyed at once, and that by their brother also; and by this
consideration, that it was their brother that appeared to have slain them, he
aggravated his sorrow for them. So he neither inquired what was the cause of
this slaughter, nor staid to hear any thing else, which yet it was but reasonable
to have done, when so very great, and by that greatness so incredible, a misfortune
was related to him: he rent his clothes and threw himself upon the ground, and
there lay lamenting the loss of all his sons, both those who, as he was informed,
were slain, and of him who slew them. But Gonad, the son of his brother Shemeah,
entreated him not to indulge his sorrow so far, for as to the rest of his sons
he did not believe that they were slain, for he found no cause for such a suspicion;
but he said it might deserve inquiry as to Amnon, for it was not unlikely that
Absalom might venture to kill him on account of the injury he had offered to
Tamar. In the mean time, a great noise of horses, and a tumult of some people
that were coming, turned their attention to them; they were the king's sons,
who were fled away from the feast. So their father met them as they were in
their grief, and he himself grieved with them; but it was more than he expected
to see those his sons again, whom he had a little before heard to have perished.
However, there were tears on both sides; they lamenting their brother who was
killed, and the king lamenting his son, who was killed also; but Absalom fled
to Geshur, to his grandfather by his mother's side, who was king of that country,
and he remained with him three whole years.
4. Now David had a design to send to Absalom,
not that he should come to be punished, but that he might be with him, for the
effects of his anger were abated by length of time. It was Joab, the captain
of his host, that chiefly persuaded him so to do; for he suborned an ordinary
woman, that was stricken in age, to go to the king in mourning apparel, who
said thus to him:—That two of her sons, in a coarse way, had some difference
between them, and that in the progress of that difference they came to an open
quarrel, and that one was smitten by the other, and was dead; and she desired
him to interpose in this case, and to do her the favor to save this her son
from her kindred, who were very zealous to have him that had slain his brother
put to death, that so she might not be further deprived of the hopes she had
of being taken care of in her old age by him; and that if he would hinder this
slaughter of her son by those that wished for it, he would do her a great favor,
because the kindred would not be restrained from their purpose by any thing
else than by the fear of him. And when the king had given his consent to what
the woman had begged of him, she made this reply to him:—"I owe thee thanks
for thy benignity to me in pitying my old age, and preventing the loss of my
only remaining child; but in order to assure me of this thy kindness, be first
reconciled to thine own son, and cease to be angry with him; for how shall I
persuade myself that thou hast really bestowed this favor upon me, while thou
thyself continuest after the like manner in thy wrath to thine own son? for
it is a foolish thing to add willfully another to thy dead son, while the death
of the other was brought about without thy consent." And now the king perceived
that this pretended story was a subornation derived from Joab, and was of his
contrivance; and when, upon inquiry of the old woman, he understood it to be
so in reality, he called for Joab, and told him he had obtained what he requested
according to his own mind; and he bid him bring Absalom back, for he was not
now displeased, but had already ceased to be angry with him. So Joab bowed himself
down to the king, and took his words kindly, and went immediately to Geshur,
and took Absalom with him, and came to Jerusalem.
5. However, the king sent a message to his
son beforehand, as he was coming, and commanded him to retire to his own house,
for he was not yet in such a disposition as to think fit at present to see him.
Accordingly, upon the father's command, he avoided coming into his presence,
and contented himself with the respects paid him by his own family only. Now
his beauty was not impaired, either by the grief he had been under, or by the
want of such care as was proper to be taken of a king's son, for he still surpassed
and excelled all men in the tallness of his body, and was more eminent [in a
fine appearance] than those that dieted the most luxuriously; and indeed such
was the thickness of the hair of his head, that it was with difficulty that
he was polled every eighth day; and his hair weighed two hundred shekels,15
which are five pounds. However, he dwelt in Jerusalem two years, and became
the father of three sons, and one daughter; which daughter was of very great
beauty, and which Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, took to wife afterward, and
had by her a son named Abijah. But Absalom sent to Joab, and desired him to
pacify his father entirely towards him; and to beseech him to give him leave
to come to him to see him, and speak with him. But when Joab neglected so to
do, he sent some of his own servants, and set fire to the field adjoining to
him; which, when Joab understood, he came to Absalom, and accused him of what
he had done; and asked him the reason why he did so. To which Absalom replied,
that "I have found out this stratagem that might bring thee to us, while thou
hast taken no care to perform the injunction I laid upon thee, which was this,
to reconcile my father to me; and I really beg it of thee, now thou art here,
to pacify my father as to me, since I esteem my coming hither to be more grievous
than my banishment, while my father's wrath against me continues." Hereby Joab
was persuaded, and pitied the distress that Absalom was in, and became an intercessor
with the king for him. And when he had discoursed with his father, he soon brought
him to that amicable disposition towards Absalom, that he presently sent for
him to come to him; and when he had cast himself down upon the ground, and had
begged for the forgiveness of his offenses, the king raised him up, and promised
him to forget what he had formerly done.
CHAPTER
9
CONCERNING THE INSURRECTION OF ABSALOM AGAINST DAVID; AND CONCERNING AHITHOPHEL
AND HUSHAI; AND CONCERNING ZIBA AND SHIMEI; AND HOW AHITHOPHEL HANGED HIMSELF
1. Now Absalom, upon this his success with the king, procured to himself
a great many horses, and many chariots, and that in a little time also. He had
moreover fifty armor-bearers that were about him; and he came early every day
to the king's palace, and spake what was agreeable to such as came for justice
and lost their causes, as if that happened for want of good counselors about
the king, or perhaps because the judges mistook in that unjust sentence they
gave; whereby he gained the good-will of them all. He told them, that had he
but such authority committed to him, he would distribute justice to them in
a most equitable manner. When he had made himself so popular among the multitude,
he thought he had already the good-will of the people secured to him; but when
four years16 had passed since his father's reconciliation
to him, he came to him, and besought him to give him leave to go to Hebron,
and pay a sacrifice to God, because he vowed it to him when he fled out of the
country. So when David had granted his request, he went thither, and great multitudes
came running together to him, for he had sent to a great number so to do.
2. Among them came Ahithophel the Gilonite,
a counsellor of David's, and two hundred men out of Jerusalem itself, who knew
not his intentions, but were sent for as to a sacrifice. So he was appointed
king by all of them, which he obtained by this stratagem. As soon as this news
was brought to David, and he was informed of what he did not expect from his
son, he was affrighted at this his impious and bold undertaking, and wondered
that he was so far from remembering how his offense had been so lately forgiven
him, that he undertook much worse and more wicked enterprises; first, to deprive
him of that kingdom which was given him of God; and secondly, to take away his
own father's life. He therefore resolved to fly to the parts beyond Jordan:
so he called his most intimate friends together, and communicated to them all
that he had heard of his son's madness. He committed himself to God, to judge
between them about all their actions; and left the care of his royal palace
to his ten concubines, and went away from Jerusalem, being willingly accompanied
by the rest of the multitude, who went hastily away with him, and particularly
by those six hundred armed men, who had been with him from his first flight
in the days of Saul. But he persuaded Abiathar and Zadok, the high priests,
who had determined to go away with him, as also all the Levites, who were with
the ark, to stay behind, as hoping that God would deliver him without its removal;
but he charged them to let him know privately how all things went on; and he
had their sons, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar,
for faithful ministers in all things; but Ittai the Gittite went out with him
whether David would let him or not, for he would have persuaded him to stay,
and on that account he appeared the more friendly to him. But as he was ascending
the Mount of Olives barefooted, and all his company were in tears, it was told
him that Ahithophel was with Absalom, and was of his side. This hearing augmented
his grief; and he besought God earnestly to alienate the mind of Absalom from
Ahithophel, for he was afraid that he should persuade him to follow his pernicious
counsel, for he was a prudent man, and very sharp in seeing what was advantageous.
When David was gotten upon the top of the mountain, he took a view of the city;
and prayed to God with abundance of tears, as having already lost his kingdom;
and here it was that a faithful friend of his, whose name was Hushai, met him.
When David saw him with his clothes rent, and having ashes all over his head,
and in lamentation for the great change of affairs, he comforted him, and exhorted
him to leave off grieving; nay, at length he besought him to go back to Absalom,
and appear as one of his party, and to fish out the secretest counsels of his
mind, and to contradict the counsels of Ahithophel, for that he could not do
him so much good by being with him as he might by being with Absalom. So he
was prevailed on by David, and left him, and came to Jerusalem, whither Absalom
himself came also a little while afterward.
3. When David was gone a little farther,
there met him Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, (whom he had sent to take care
of the possessions which had been given him, as the son of Jonathan, the son
of Saul,) with a couple of asses, loaden with provisions, and desired him to
take as much of them as he and his followers stood in need of. And when the
king asked him where he had left Mephibosheth, he said he had left him in Jerusalem,
expecting to be chosen king in the present confusions, in remembrance of the
benefits Saul had conferred upon them. At this the king had great indignation,
and gave to Ziba all that he had formerly bestowed on Mephibosheth; for he determined
that it was much fitter that he should have them than the other; at which Ziba
greatly rejoiced.
4. When David was at Bahurim, a place so
called, there came out a kinsman of Saul's, whose name was Shimei, and threw
stones at him, and gave him reproachful words; and as his friends stood about
the king and protected him, he persevered still more in his reproaches, and
called him a bloody man, and the author of all sorts of mischief. He bade him
also go out of the land as an impure and accursed wretch; and he thanked God
for depriving him of his kingdom, and causing him to be punished for what injuries
he had done to his master [Saul], and this by the means of his own son. Now
when they were all provoked against him, and angry at him, and particularly
Abishai, who had a mind to kill Shimei, David restrained his anger. "Let us
not," said he, "bring upon ourselves another fresh misfortune to those we have
already, for truly I have not the least regard nor concern for this dog that
raves at me: I submit myself to God, by whose permission this man treats me
in such a wild manner; nor is it any wonder that I am obliged to undergo these
abuses from him, while I experience the like from an impious son of my own;
but perhaps God will have some commiseration upon us; if it be his will we shall
overcome them." So he went on his way without troubling himself with Shimei,
who ran along the other side of the mountain, and threw out his abusive language
plentifully. But when David was come to Jordan, he allowed those that were with
him to refresh themselves; for they were weary.
5. But when Absalom, and Ahithophel his
counselor, were come to Jerusalem, with all the people, David's friend, Hushai,
came to them; and when he had worshipped Absalom, he withal wished that his
kingdom might last a long time, and continue for all ages. But when Absalom
said to him, "How comes this, that he who was so intimate a friend of my father's,
and appeared faithful to him in all things, is not with him now, but hath left
him, and is come over to me?" Hushai's answer was very pertinent and prudent;
for he said, "We ought to follow God and the multitude of the people; while
these, therefore, my lord and master, are with thee, it is fit that I should
follow them, for thou hast received the kingdom from God. I will therefore,
if thou believest me to be thy friend, show the same fidelity and kindness to
thee, which thou knowest I have shown to thy father; nor is there any reason
to be in the least dissatisfied with the present state of affairs, for the kingdom
is not transferred into another, but remains still in the same family, by the
son's receiving it after his father." This speech persuaded Absalom, who before
suspected Hushai. And now he called Ahithophel, and consulted with him what
he ought to do: he persuaded him to go in unto his father's concubines; for
he said that "by this action the people would believe that thy difference with
thy father is irreconcilable, and will thence fight with great alacrity against
thy father, for hitherto they are afraid of taking up open enmity against him,
out of an expectation that you will be reconciled again." Accordingly, Absalom
was prevailed on by this advice, and commanded his servants to pitch him a tent
upon the top of the royal palace, in the sight of the multitude; and he went
in and lay with his father's concubines. Now this came to pass according to
the prediction of Nathan, when he prophesied and signified to him that his son
would rise up in rebellion against him.
6. And when Absalom had done what he was
advised to by Ahithophel, he desired his advice, in the second place, about
the war against his father. Now Ahithophel only asked him to let him have ten
thousand chosen men, and he promised he would slay his father, and bring the
soldiers back again in safety; and he said that then the kingdom would be firm
to him when David was dead [but not otherwise]. Absalom was pleased with this
advice, and called for Hushai, David's friend (for so did he style him); and
informing him of the opinion of Ahithophel, he asked, further, what was his
opinion concerning that matter. Now he was sensible that if Ahithophel's counsel
were followed, David would be in danger of being seized on, and slain; so he
attempted to introduce a contrary opinion, and said, "Thou art not unacquainted,
O king, with the valor of thy father, and of those that are now with him; that
he hath made many wars, and hath always come off with victory, though probably
he now abides in the camp, for he is very skilful in stratagems, and in foreseeing
the deceitful tricks of his enemies; yet will he leave his own soldiers in the
evening, and will either hide himself in some valley, or will place an ambush
at some rock; so that when our army joins battle with him, his soldiers will
retire for a little while, but will come upon us again, as encouraged by the
king's being near them; and in the mean time your father will show himself suddenly
in the time of the battle, and will infuse courage into his own people when
they are in danger, but bring consternation to thine. Consider, therefore, my
advice, and reason upon it, and if thou canst not but acknowledge it to be the
best, reject the opinion of Ahithophel. Send to the entire country of the Hebrews,
and order them to come and fight with thy father; and do thou thyself take the
army, and be thine own general in this war, and do not trust its management
to another; then expect to conquer him with ease, when thou overtakest him openly
with his few partisans, but hast thyself many ten thousands, who will be desirous
to demonstrate to thee their diligence and alacrity. And if thy father shall
shut himself up in some city, and bear a siege, we will overthrow that city
with machines of war, and by undermining it." When Hushai had said this, he
obtained his point against Ahithophel, for his opinion was preferred by Absalom
before the other's; however, it was no other than God17
who made the counsel of Hushai appear best to the mind of Absalom.
7. So Hushai made haste to the high priests,
Zadok and Abiathar, and told them the opinion of Ahithophel, and his own, and
that the resolution was taken to follow this latter advice. He therefore bade
them send to David, and tell him of it, and to inform him of the counsels that
had been taken; and to desire him further to pass quickly over Jordan, lest
his son should change his mind, and make haste to pursue him, and so prevent
him, and seize upon him before he be in safety. Now the high priests had their
sons concealed in a proper place out of the city, that they might carry news
to David of what was transacted. Accordingly, they sent a maid-servant, whom
they could trust, to them, to carry the news of Absalom's counsels, and ordered
them to signify the same to David with all speed. So they made no excuse nor
delay, but taking along with them their fathers' injunctions, because pious
and faithful ministers, and judging that quickness and suddenness was the best
mark of faithful service, they made haste to meet with David. But certain horsemen
saw them when they were two furlongs from the city, and informed Absalom of
them, who immediately sent some to take them; but when the sons of the high
priest perceived this, they went out of the road, and betook themselves to a
certain village; that village was called Bahurim; there they desired a certain
woman to hide them, and afford them security. Accordingly she let the young
men down by a rope into a well, and laid fleeces of wool over them; and when
those that pursued them came to her, and asked her whether she saw them, she
did not deny that she had seen them, for that they staid with her some time,
but she said they then went their ways; and she foretold that, however, if they
would follow them directly, they would catch them; but when after a long pursuit
they could not catch them, they came back again; and when the woman saw those
men were returned, and that there was no longer any fear of the young men's
being caught by them, she drew them up by the rope, and bade them go on their
journey accordingly, they used great diligence in the prosecution of that journey,
and came to David, and informed him accurately of all the counsels of Absalom.
So he commanded those that were with him to pass over Jordan while it was night,
and not to delay at all on that account.
8. But Ahithophel, on rejection of his advice,
got upon his ass, and rode away to his own country, Gilon; and, calling his
family together, he told them distinctly what advice he had given Absalom; and
since he had not been persuaded by it, he said he would evidently perish, and
this in no long time, and that David would overcome him, and return to his kingdom
again; so he said it was better that he should take his own life away with freedom
and magnanimity, than expose himself to be punished by David, in opposition
to whom he had acted entirely for Absalom. When he had discoursed thus to them,
he went into the inmost room of his house, and hanged himself; and thus was
the death of Ahithophel, who was self-condemned; and when his relations had
taken him down from the halter, they took care of his funeral. Now, as for David,
he passed over Jordan, as we have said already, and came to Mahanaim, a very
fine and very strong city; and all the chief men of the country received him
with great pleasure, both out of the shame they had that he should be forced
to flee away [from Jerusalem], and out of the respect they bare him while he
was in his former prosperity. These were Barzillai the Gileadite, and Siphar
the ruler among the Ammonites, and Machir the principal man of Gilead; and these
furnished him with plentiful provisions for himself and his followers, insomuch
that they wanted no beds nor blankets for them, nor loaves of bread, nor wine;
nay, they brought them a great many cattle for slaughter, and afforded them
what furniture they wanted for their refreshment when they were weary, and for
food, with plenty of other necessaries.
CHAPTER
10
HOW, WHEN ABSALOM WAS BEATEN, HE WAS CAUGHT IN A TREE BY HIS HAIR AND WAS SLAIN
1. And this was the state of David and his followers: but Absalom got
together a vast army of the Hebrews to oppose his father, and passed therewith
over the river Jordan, and sat down not far off Mahanaim, in the country of
Gilead. He appointed Amasa to be captain of all his host, instead of Joab his
kinsman: his father was Ithra and his mother Abigail: now she and Zeruiah, the
mother of Joab, were David's sisters. But when David had numbered his followers,
and found them to be about four thousand, he resolved not to tarry till Absalom
attacked him, but set over his men captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds,
and divided his army into three parts; the one part he committed to Joab, the
next to Abishai, Joab's brother, and the third to Ittai, David's companion and
friend, but one that came from the city Gath; and when he was desirous of fighting
himself among them, his friends would not let him: and this refusal of theirs
was founded upon very wise reasons: "For," said they, "if we be conquered when
he is with us, we have lost all good hopes of recovering ourselves; but if we
should be beaten in one part of our army, the other parts may retire to him,
and may thereby prepare a greater force, while the enemy will naturally suppose
that he hath another army with him." So David was pleased with this their advice,
and resolved himself to tarry at Mahanaim; and as he sent his friends and commanders
to the battle, he desired them to show all possible alacrity and fidelity, and
to bear in mind what advantages they had received from him, which, though they
had not been very great, yet had they not been quite inconsiderable; and he
begged of them to spare the young man Absalom, lest some mischief should befall
himself, if he should be killed; and thus did he send out his army to the battle,
and wished them victory therein.
2. Then did Joab put his army in battle-array
over against the enemy in the Great Plain, where he had a wood behind him. Absalom
also brought his army into the field to oppose him. Upon the joining of the
battle, both sides showed great actions with their hands and their boldness;
the one side exposing themselves to the greatest hazards, and using their utmost
alacrity, that David might recover his kingdom; and the other being no way deficient,
either in doing or suffering, that Absalom might not be deprived of that kingdom,
and be brought to punishment by his father for his impudent attempt against
him. Those also that were the most numerous were solicitous that they might
not be conquered by those few that were with Joab, and with the other commanders,
because that would be the greater disgrace to them; while David's soldiers strove
greatly to overcome so many ten thousands as the enemy had with them. Now David's
men were conquerors, as superior in strength and skill in war; so they followed
the others as they fled away through the forests and valleys; some they took
prisoners, and many they slew, and more in the flight than in the battle for
there fell about twenty thousand that day. But all David's men ran violently
upon Absalom, for he was easily known by his beauty and tallness. He was himself
also afraid lest his enemies should seize on him, so he got upon the king's
mule, and fled; but as he was carried with violence, and noise, and a great
motion, as being himself light, he entangled his hair greatly in the large boughs
of a knotty tree that spread a great way, and there he hung, after a surprising
manner; and as for the beast, it went on farther, and that swiftly, as if his
master had been still upon his back; but he, hanging in the air upon the boughs,
was taken by his enemies. Now when one of David's soldiers saw this, he informed
Joab of it; and when the general said, that if he had shot at and killed Absalom,
he would have given him fifty shekels,—he replied, "I would not have killed
my master's son if thou wouldst have given me a thousand shekels, especially
when he desired that the young man might be spared in the hearing of us all."
But Joab bade him show him where it was that he saw Absalom hang; whereupon
he shot him to the heart, and slew him, and Joab's armor-bearers stood round
the tree, and pulled down his dead body, and cast it into a great chasm that
was out of sight, and laid a heap of stones upon him, till the cavity was filled
up, and had both the appearance and the bigness of a grave. Then Joab sounded
a retreat, and recalled his own soldiers from pursuing the enemy's army, in
order to spare their countrymen.
3. Now Absalom had erected for himself a
marble pillar in the king's dale, two furlongs distant from Jerusalem, which
he named Absalom's Hand, saying, that if his children were killed, his name
would remain by that pillar; for he had three sons and one daughter, named Tamar,
as we said before, who when she was married to David's grandson, Rehoboam, bare
a son, Abijah by name, who succeeded his father in the kingdom; but of these
we shall speak in a part of our history which will be more proper. After the
death of Absalom, they returned every one to their own homes respectively.
4. But now Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok the
high priest, went to Joab, and desired he would permit him to go and tell David
of this victory, and to bring him the good news that God had afforded his assistance
and his providence to him. However, he did not grant his request, but said to
him, "Wilt thou, who hast always been the messenger of good news, now go and
acquaint the king that his son is dead?" So he desired him to desist. He then
called Cushi, and committed the business to him, that he should tell the king
what he had seen. But when Ahimaaz again desired him to let him go as a messenger,
and assured him that he would only relate what concerned the victory, but not
concerning the death of Absalom, he gave him leave to go to David. Now he took
a nearer road than the former did, for nobody knew it but himself, and he came
before Cushi. Now as David was sitting between the gates,18
and waiting to see when somebody would come to him from the battle, and tell
him how it went, one of the watchmen saw Ahimaaz running, and before be could
discern who he was, he told David that he saw somebody coming to him, who said
he was a good messenger. A little while after, he informed him that another
messenger followed him; whereupon the king said that he also was a good messenger:
but when the watchman saw Ahimaaz, and that he was already very near, he gave
the king notice that it was the son of Zadok the high priest who came running.
So David was very glad, and said he was a messenger of good tidings, and brought
him some such news from the battle as he desired to hear.
5. While the king was saying thus, Ahimaaz
appeared, and worshipped the king. And when the king inquired of him about the
battle, he said he brought him the good news of victory and dominion. And when
he inquired what he had to say concerning his son, he said that he came away
on the sudden as soon as the enemy was defeated, but that he heard a great noise
of those that pursued Absalom, and that he could learn no more, because of the
haste be made when Joab sent him to inform him of the victory. But when Cushi
was come, and had worshipped him, and informed him of the victory, he asked
him about his son, who replied, "May the like misfortune befall thine enemies
as hath befallen Absalom." That word did not permit either himself or his soldiers
to rejoice for the victory, though it was a very great one; but David went up
to the highest part of the city,19 and wept for his
son, and beat his breast, tearing [the hair of] his head, tormenting himself
all manner of ways, and crying out, "O my son! I wish that I had died myself,
and ended my days with thee!" for he was of a tender natural affection, and
had extraordinary compassion for this son in particular. But when the army and
Joab heard that the king mourned for his son, they were ashamed to enter the
city in the habit of conquerors, but they all came in as cast down, and in tears,
as if they had been beaten. Now while the king covered himself, and grievously
lamented his son, Joab went in to him, and comforted him, and said, "O my lord
the king, thou art not aware that thou layest a blot on thyself by what thou
now doest; for thou seemest to hate those that love thee, and undergo dangers
for thee nay, to hate thyself and thy family, and to love those that are thy
bitter enemies, and to desire the company of those that are no more, and who
have been justly slain; for had Absalom gotten the victory, and firmly settled
himself in the kingdom, there had been none of us left alive, but all of us,
beginning with thyself and thy children, had miserably perished, while our enemies
had not wept for us, but rejoiced over us, and punished even those that pitied
us in our misfortunes; and thou art not ashamed to do this in the case of one
that has been thy bitter enemy, who, while he was thine own son hath proved
so wicked to thee. Leave off, therefore, thy unreasonable grief, and come abroad
and be seen of thy soldiers, and return them thanks for the alacrity they showed
in the fight; for I myself will this day persuade the people to leave thee,
and to give the kingdom to another, if thou continuest to do thus; and then
I shall make thee to grieve bitterly and in earnest." Upon Joab's speaking thus
to him, he made the king leave off his sorrow, and brought him to the consideration
of his affairs. So David changed his habit, and exposed himself in a manner
fit to be seen by the multitude, and sat at the gates; whereupon all the people
heard of it, and ran together to him, and saluted him. And this was the present
state of David's affairs.
CHAPTER
11
HOW DAVID, WHEN HE HAD RECOVERED HIS KINGDOM, WAS RECONCILED TO SHIMEI, AND
TO ZIBA; AND SHOWED A GREAT AFFECTION TO BARZILLAI; AND HOW, UPON THE RISE OF
A SEDITION, HE MADE AMASA CAPTAIN OF HIS HOST, IN ORDER TO PURSUE SHEBA; WHICH
AMASA WAS SLAIN BY JOAB
1. Now those Hebrews that had been with Absalom, and had retired out of
the battle, when they were all returned home, sent messengers to every city
to put them in mind of what benefits David had bestowed upon them, and of that
liberty which he had procured them, by delivering them from many and great wars.
But they complained, that whereas they had ejected him out of his kingdom, and
committed it to another governor, which other governor, whom they had set up,
was already dead, they did not now beseech David to leave off his anger at them,
and to become friends with them, and, as he used to do, to resume the care of
their affairs, and take the kingdom again. This was often told to David. And,
this notwithstanding, David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the high priests, that
they should speak to the rulers of the tribe of Judah after the manner following:—that
it would be a reproach upon them to permit the other tribes to choose David
for their king before their tribe, "and this," said he, "while you are akin
to him, and of the same common blood." He commanded them also to say the same
to Amasa the captain of their forces, that whereas he was his sister's son,
he had not persuaded the multitude to restore the kingdom to David; that he
might expect from him not only a reconciliation, for that was already granted,
but that supreme command of the army also which Absalom had bestowed upon him.
Accordingly the high priests, when they had discoursed with the rulers of the
tribe, and said what the king had ordered them, persuaded Amasa to undertake
the care of his affairs. So he persuaded that tribe to send immediately ambassadors
to him, to beseech him to return to his own kingdom. The same did all the Israelites,
at the like persuasion of Amasa.
2. When the ambassadors came to him, he
came to Jerusalem; and the tribe of Judah was the first that came to meet the
king at the river Jordan. And Shimei, the son of Gera, came with a thousand
men, which he brought with him out of the tribe of Benjamin; and Ziba, the freed-man
of Saul, with his sons, fifteen in number, and with his twenty servants. All
these, as well as the tribe of Judah, laid a bridge [of boats] over the river,
that the king, and those that were with him, might with ease pass over it. Now
as soon as he was come to Jordan, the tribe of Judah saluted him. Shimei also
came upon the bridge, and took hold of his feet, and prayed him to forgive him
what he had offended, and not to be too bitter against him, nor to think fit
to make him the first example of severity under his new authority; but to consider
that he had repented of his failure of duty, and had taken care to come first
of all to him. While he was thus entreating the king, and moving him to compassion,
Abishai, Joab's brother, said, "And shall not this man die for this, that he
hath cursed that king whom God hath appointed to reign over us?" But David turned
himself to him, and said, "Will you never leave off, ye sons of Zeruiah? Do
not you, I pray, raise new troubles and seditions among us, now the former are
over; for I would not have you ignorant that I this day begin my reign, and
therefore swear to remit to all offenders their punishments, and not to animadvert
on any one that has sinned. Be thou, therefore," said he, "O Shimei, of good
courage, and do not at all fear being put to death." So he worshipped him, and
went on before him.
3. Mephibosheth also, Saul's grandson, met
David, clothed in a sordid garment, and having his hair thick and neglected;
for after David was fled away, he was in such grief that he had not polled his
head, nor had he washed his clothes, as dooming himself to undergo such hardships
upon occasion of the change-of the king's affairs. Now he had been unjustly
calumniated to the king by Ziba, his steward. When he had saluted the king,
and worshipped him, the king began to ask him why he did not go out of Jerusalem
with him, and accompany him during his flight. He replied, that this piece of
injustice was owing to Ziba; because, when he was ordered to get things ready
for his going out with him, he took no care of it, but regarded him no more
than if he had been a slave; "and, indeed, had I had my feet sound and strong,
I had not deserted thee, for I could then have made use of them in my flight:
but this is not all the injury that Ziba has done me, as to my duty to thee,
my lord and master, but he hath calumniated me besides, and told lies about
me of his own invention; but I know thy mind will not admit of such calumnies,
but is righteously disposed, and a lover of truth, which it is also the will
of God should prevail. For when thou wast in the greatest danger of suffering
by my grandfather, and when, on that account, our whole family might justly
have been destroyed, thou wast moderate and merciful, and didst then especially
forget all those injuries, when, if thou hadst remembered them, thou hadst the
power of punishing us for them; but thou hast judged me to be thy friend, and
hast set me every day at thine own table; nor have I wanted any thing which
one of thine own kinsmen, of greatest esteem with thee, could have expected."
When he had said this, David resolved neither to punish Mephibosheth, nor to
condemn Ziba, as having belied his master; but said to him, that as he had [before]
granted all his estate to Ziba, because he did not come along with him, so he
[now] promised to forgive him, and ordered that the one half of his estate should
be restored to him.20 Whereupon Mephibosheth said,
"Nay, let Ziba take all; it suffices me that thou hast recovered thy kingdom."
4. But David desired Barzillai the Gileadite,
that great and good man, and one that had made a plentiful provision for him
at Mahanaim, and had conducted him as far as Jordan, to accompany him to Jerusalem,
for he promised to treat him in his old age with all manner of respect—to take
care of him, and provide for him. But Barzillai was so desirous to live at home,
that he entreated him to excuse him from attendance on him; and said that his
age was too great to enjoy the pleasures [of a court,] since he was fourscore
years old, and was therefore making provision for his death and burial: so he
desired him to gratify him in this request, and dismiss him; for he had no relish
of his meat, or his drink, by reason of his age; and that his ears were too
much shut up to hear the sound of pipes, or the melody of other musical instruments,
such as all those that live with kings delight in. When he entreated for this
so earnestly, the king said, "I dismiss thee, but thou shalt grant me thy son
Chimham, and upon him I will bestow all sorts of good things." So Barzillai
left his son with him, and worshipped the king, and wished him a prosperous
conclusion of all his affairs according to his own mind, and then returned home;
but David came to Gilgal, having about him half the people [of Israel], and
the [whole] tribe of Judah.
5. Now the principal men of the country
came to Gilgal to him with a great multitude, and complained of the tribe of
Judah, that they had come to him in a private manner; whereas they ought all
conjointly, and with one and the same intention, to have given him the meeting.
But the rulers of the tribe of Judah desired them not to be displeased, if they
had been prevented by them; for, said they, "We are David's kinsmen, and on
that account we the rather took care of him, and loved him, and so came first
to him"; yet had they not, by their early coming, received any gifts from him,
which might give them who came last any uneasiness. When the rulers of the tribe
of Judah had said this, the rulers of the other tribes were not quiet, but said
further, "O brethren, we cannot but wonder at you when you call the king your
kinsman alone, whereas he that hath received from God the power over all of
us in common ought to be esteemed a kinsman to us all; for which reason the
whole people have eleven parts in him, and you but one part:21
we are also elder than you; wherefore you have not done justly in coming to
the king in this private and concealed manner."
6. While these rulers were thus disputing
one with another, a certain wicked man, who took a pleasure in seditious practices,
(his name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, of the tribe of Benjamin,) stood up
in the midst of the multitude, and cried aloud, and spake thus to them: "We
have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse." And when he had
used those words, he blew with a trumpet, and declared war against the king;
and they all left David, and followed him; the tribe of Judah alone staid with
him, and settled him in his royal palace at Jerusalem. But as for his concubines,
with whom Absalom his son had accompanied, truly he removed them to another
house, and ordered those that had the care of them to make a plentiful provision
for them, but he came not near them any more. He also appointed Amasa for the
captain of his forces, and gave him the same high office which Joab before had;
and he commanded him to gather together, out of the tribe of Judah, as great
an army as he could, and come to him within three days, that he might deliver
to him his entire army, and might send him to fight against [Sheba] the son
of Bichri. Now while Amasa was gone out, and made some delay in gathering the
army together, and so was not yet returned, on the third day the king said to
Joab, "It is not fit we should make any delay in this affair of Sheba, lest
he get a numerous army about him, and be the occasion of greater mischief, and
hurt our affairs more than did Absalom himself; do not thou therefore wait any
longer, but take such forces as thou hast at hand, and that [old] body of six
hundred men, and thy brother Abishai, with thee, and pursue after our enemy,
and endeavor to fight him wheresoever thou canst overtake him. Make haste to
prevent him, lest he seize upon some fenced cities, and cause us great labor
and pains before we take him."
7. So Joab resolved to make no delay, but
taking with him his brother, and those six hundred men, and giving orders that
the rest of the army which was at Jerusalem should follow him, he marched with
great speed against Sheba; and when he was come to Gibeon, which is a village
forty furlongs distant from Jerusalem, Amasa brought a great army with him,
and met Joab. Now Joab was girded with a sword, and his breastplate on; and
when Amasa came near him to salute him, he took particular care that his sword
should fall out, as it were, of its own accord: so he took it up from the ground,
and while he approached Amasa, who was then near him, as though he would kiss
him, he took hold of Amasa's beard with his other hand, and he smote him in
his belly when he did not foresee it, and slew him. This impious and altogether
profane action Joab did to a good young man, and his kinsman, and one that had
done him no injury, and this out of jealousy that he would obtain the chief
command of the army, and be in equal dignity with himself about the king; and
for the same cause it was that he killed Abner. But as to that former wicked
action, the death of his brother Asahel, which he seemed to revenge, afforded
him a decent pretence, and made that crime a pardonable one; but in this murder
of Amasa there was no such covering for it. Now when Joab had killed this general,
he pursued after Sheba, having left a man with the dead body, who was ordered
to proclaim aloud to the army, that Amasa was justly slain, and deservedly punished.
"But," said he, "if you be for the king, follow Joab his general, and Abishai,
Joab's brother:" but because the body lay on the road, and all the multitude
came running to it, and, as is usual with the multitude, stood wondering a great
while at it, he that guarded it removed it thence, and carried it to a certain
place that was very remote from the road, and there laid it, and covered it
with his garment. When this was done, all the people followed Joab. Now as he
pursued Sheba through all the country of Israel, one told him that he was in
a strong city, called Abelbethmaachah. Hereupon Joab went thither, and set about
it with his army, and cast up a bank round it, and ordered his soldiers to undermine
the walls, and to overthrow them; and since the people in the city did not admit
him, he was greatly displeased at them.
8. Now there was a woman of small account,
and yet both wise and intelligent, who seeing her native city lying at the last
extremity, ascended upon the wall, and, by means of the armed men, called for
Joab; and when he came to her, she began to say, that "God ordained kings and
generals of armies, that they might cut off the enemies of the Hebrews, and
introduce a universal peace among them; but thou art endeavoring to overthrow
and depopulate a metropolis of the Israelites, which hath been guilty of no
offense." But he replied, "God continue to be merciful unto me: I am disposed
to avoid killing any one of the people, much less would I destroy such a city
as this; and if they will deliver me up Sheba, the son of Bichri, who hath rebelled
against the king, I will leave off the siege, and withdraw the army from the
place." Now as soon as the woman heard what Joab said, she desired him to intermit
the siege for a little while, for that he should have the head of his enemy
thrown out to him presently. So she went down to the citizens, and said to them,
"Will you be so wicked as to perish miserably, with your children and wives,
for the sake of a vile fellow, and one whom nobody knows who he is? And will
you have him for your king instead of David, who hath been so great a benefactor
to you, and oppose your city alone to such a mighty and strong army?" So she
prevailed with them, and they cut off the head of Sheba, and threw it into Joab's
army. When this was done, the king's general sounded a retreat, and raised the
siege. And when he was come to Jerusalem, he was again appointed to be general
of all the people. The king also constituted Benaiah captain of the guards,
and of the six hundred men. He also set Adoram over the tribute, and Sabathes
and Achilaus over the records. He made Sheva the scribe, and appointed Zadok
and Abiathar the high priests.
CHAPTER
12
HOW THE HEBREWS WERE DELIVERED FROM A FAMINE WHEN THE GIBEONITES HAD CAUSED
PUNISHMENT TO BE INFLICTED FOR THOSE OF THEM THAT HAD BEEN SLAIN: AS ALSO, WHAT
GREAT ACTIONS WERE PERFORMED AGAINST THE PHILISTINES BY DAVID, AND THE MEN OF
VALOR ABOUT HIM
1. After this, when the country was greatly afflicted with a famine, David
besought God to have mercy on the people, and to discover to him what was the
cause of it, and how a remedy might be found for that distemper. And when the
prophets answered, that God would have the Gibeonites avenged whom Saul the
king was so wicked as to betray to slaughter, and had not observed the oath
which Joshua the general and the senate had sworn to them: if, therefore, said
God, the king would permit such vengeance to be taken for those that were slain
as the Gibeonites should desire, he promised that he would be reconciled to
them, and free the multitude from their miseries. As soon therefore as the king
understood that this it was which God sought, he sent for the Gibeonites, and
asked them what it was they should have; and when they desired to have seven
sons of Saul delivered to them to be punished, he delivered them up, but spared
Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan. So when the Gibeonites had received the men,
they punished them as they pleased; upon which God began to send rain, and to
recover the earth to bring forth its fruits as usual, and to free it from the
foregoing drought, so that the country of the Hebrews flourished again. A little
afterward the king made war against the Philistines; and when he had joined
battle with them, and put them to flight, he was left alone, as he was in pursuit
of them; and when he was quite tired down, he was seen by one of the enemy,
his name was Achmon, the son of Araph, he was one of the sons of the giants.
He had a spear, the handle of which weighed three hundred shekels, and a breastplate
of chain-work, and a sword. He turned back, and ran violently to slay [David]
their enemy's king, for he was quite tired out with labor; but Abishai, Joab's
brother, appeared on the sudden, and protected the king with his shield, as
he lay down, and slew the enemy. Now the multitude were very uneasy at these
dangers of the king, and that he was very near to be slain; and the rulers made
him swear that he would no more go out with them to battle, lest he should come
to some great misfortune by his courage and boldness, and thereby deprive the
people of the benefits they now enjoyed by his means, and of those that they
might hereafter enjoy by his living a long time among them.
2. When the king heard that the Philistines
were gathered together at the city Gazara, he sent an army against them, when
Sibbechai the Hittite, one of David's most courageous men, behaved himself so
as to deserve great commendation, for he slew many of those that bragged they
were the posterity of the giants, and vaunted themselves highly on that account,
and thereby was the occasion of victory to the Hebrews. After which defeat,
the Philistines made war again; and when David had sent an army against them,
Nephan his kinsman fought in a single co