King David's excessive mourning for Absalom is sternly rebuked by Joab, prompting David to re-engage with his loyal subjects. David then orchestrates his return to Jerusalem, appealing to Judah's loyalty and pardoning Shimei and addressing Mephibosheth's situation. The chapter concludes with Barzillai's farewell and a growing dispute between the tribes of Israel and Judah over their respective roles in the king's restoration.
Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “You have shamed this day the faces of all your servants, who this day have saved your life, and the lives of your sons and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines;
in that you love those who hate you, and hate those who love you. For you have declared this day, that princes and servants are nothing to you. For today I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it would have pleased you well.
Now therefore arise, go out, and speak to comfort your servants; for I swear by the LORD, if you don’t go out, not a man will stay with you this night. That would be worse to you than all the evil that has happened to you from your youth until now.”
Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. They told to all the people, saying, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” All the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.
All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.
King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? Since the speech of all Israel has come to the king, to return him to his house.
Say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you aren’t captain of the army before me continually in the room of Joab.’”
There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went through the Jordan in the presence of the king.
A ferry boat went to bring over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, when he had come over the Jordan.
He said to the king, “Don’t let my lord impute iniquity to me, nor remember that which your servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore behold, I have come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”
David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be adversaries to me? Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? For don’t I know that I am this day king over Israel?”
Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither groomed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace.
He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, I will saddle me a donkey, that I may ride on it, and go with the king; because your servant is lame.
For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry any more to the king?”
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be yet a burden to my lord the king?
Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But behold, your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good to you.”
The king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to you. Whatever you require of me, that I will do for you.”
Behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king, and his household, over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?”
All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s cost? Or has he given us any gift?”
The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, “We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more claim to David than you. Why then did you despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king?” The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
Study Notes for 2 Samuel 19
Verse 1
Joab, the acting commander, is the first to learn of David’s excessive mourning. This immediate reaction from the king, prioritizing personal grief over national victory, signals a serious crisis of leadership.
Verse 2
The victory was 'turned into mourning' because the soldiers, having risked their lives for the king, felt their loyalty was not valued. This atmosphere threatened the stability of David’s restored reign.
Verse 4
David’s public lament echoes his earlier cry (18:33). While emotionally understandable, this display of grief for the rebel leader undermined the morale and loyalty of the troops who had just saved the kingdom.
Verse 5
Joab takes the highly risky step of confronting the king directly. As a political pragmatist, Joab recognized that David’s behavior was creating a dangerous rift between the king and his loyal military.
Verse 7
Joab delivers an ultimatum: David must immediately affirm his soldiers, or they will desert, leading to a collapse of his government more severe than the recent rebellion.
Verse 8
By sitting 'in the gate,' David publicly resumed his role as king, judge, and accessible leader, demonstrating that he had accepted Joab’s counsel and prioritized the stability of the nation.
Verse 9
The 'strife' or debate among the tribes shows that David’s return was not automatic but required political consensus and a formal invitation, especially since he had fled the land.
Verse 11
David uses the priests (Zadok and Abiathar) as political emissaries to negotiate his return, initiating contact with Judah, his own tribe, to ensure their loyalty first.
Verse 12
The appeal 'Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh' is a powerful tribal and kinship claim, urging Judah to act swiftly and cement their primary relationship with the restored monarch.
Verse 13
David makes a politically dangerous move: replacing Joab (who saved his life) with Amasa, Absalom’s former general. This was intended to appease the defeated rebels and ensure Judah's support, but it guaranteed future conflict with Joab.
Verse 14
David's strategy succeeded; the promise regarding Amasa and the appeal to kinship swayed Judah's elders, consolidating their support for his return.
Verse 16
Shimei, a member of Saul's extended family, had violently cursed David during his flight (2 Sam 16:5-13). His haste in meeting David shows quick recognition that the legitimate monarchy had been reestablished.
Verse 19
Shimei’s appeal for mercy is immediate and absolute, demonstrating that he understood his life was forfeit unless David chose to grant amnesty.
Verse 21
Abishai, one of the zealous 'sons of Zeruiah,' seeks strict justice. This highlights the tension between David’s need for mercy to unite the kingdom and the military’s desire for swift retribution against traitors.
Verse 22
David rejects the counsel of the zealous brothers. He declares that the day of his restoration must be marked by mercy and unification rather than bloodshed, asserting his authority as the sole source of justice.
Verse 24
Mephibosheth’s unkempt appearance—neglecting basic hygiene and mourning rituals—served as physical evidence that he had been grieving David's absence, contradicting Ziba's earlier slander (2 Sam 16:3).
Verse 26
Mephibosheth asserts that his servant Ziba intentionally deceived him, preventing him from joining David because of his lameness. This contradicts Ziba’s earlier story of Mephibosheth seeking the throne.
Verse 27
Mephibosheth offers no further defense, appealing solely to David’s absolute authority and divine wisdom ('angel of God'). He submits completely to the king's judgment.
Verse 29
David’s decision to divide the land is an ambiguous ruling. It may reflect his weariness, unwillingness to investigate the complex allegations, or a judgment that both men bore some responsibility.
Verse 30
Mephibosheth shows his loyalty is to the king himself, not the land. His peaceful return is more important than the property dispute, reinforcing his sincerity.
Verse 31
Barzillai was a crucial benefactor who provided logistical support and provisions for David and his loyalists while they were exiled in Mahanaim (2 Sam 17:27-29).
Verse 33
David offers Barzillai the honor of court life in Jerusalem, intending to repay his kindness with security and luxury.
Verse 35
Barzillai’s refusal is profoundly humble and wise. He recognizes that, due to old age, the pleasures and responsibilities of the court would be wasted on him, and he would become a financial and social burden.
Verse 37
Barzillai requests only to be buried in his hometown and suggests his son, Chimham, be taken into David’s service instead, ensuring his family receives the royal patronage.
Verse 41
The northern tribes ('men of Israel') accuse Judah of 'stealing' the king, highlighting the resurgence of tribal jealousy. They felt Judah had monopolized the honor and political advantage of escorting the king home.
Verse 42
Judah defends its actions based on kinship ('near of kin') and denies any material gain, but their defensive posture failed to placate the northern tribes.
Verse 43
Israel asserts its numerical dominance ('ten parts') and claims a greater political stake in the king. The resulting 'fierce' words set the stage for the next major rebellion (Sheba’s revolt in Chapter 20) and foreshadow the eventual division of the kingdom.
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The Calling of Disciples
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
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