Richard Challoner

Scribe: Or secretary.

Princes: Literally priests. (Cohen) So called, by a title of honour, and not from exercising the priestly functions.

The Cerethi and Phelethi: The king's guards.-- Ibid.

I will raise: All these evils, inasmuch as they were punishments, came upon David by a just judgment of God, for his sin, and therefore God says, I will raise, etc.; but inasmuch as they were sins, on the part of Absalom and his associates, God was not the author of them, but only permitted them.

Amiable to the Lord: Or, beloved of the Lord. In Hebrew, Jedidiah.

The city of waters: Rabbath the royal city of the Ammonites, was called the city of waters, from being encompassed with waters.

A very wise man: That is, a crafty and subtle man: for the counsel he gave on this occasion shows that his wisdom was but carnal and worldly.

Blessed: That is, and gave thanks to the king.

Concubines: That is, wives of an inferior degree.

Weeping: David on this occasion wept for his sins, which he knew were the cause of all his sufferings.

Hath bid him curse: Not that the Lord was the author of Semei's sin, which proceeded purely from his own malice, and the abuse of his free will. But that knowing, and suffering his malicious disposition to break out on this occasion, he made use of him as his instrument to punish David for his sins.

Their hands may be strengthened: The people might apprehend lest Absalom should be reconciled to his father, and therefore they followed him with some fear of being left in the lurch, till they saw such a crime committed as seemed to make a reconciliation impossible.

Consumed: Viz., by pits and precipices.

No son: The sons mentioned above, chap. 14. 27, were dead when this pillar was erected: unless we suppose he raised this pillar before they were born.

[33] Would to God: David lamented the death of Absalom, because of the wretched state in which he died: and therefore would have been glad to have saved his life, even by dying for him. In which he was a figure of Christ weeping, praying and dying for his rebellious children, and even for them that crucified him.

Abela and Bethmaacha: Cities of the tribe of Nephtali.

Of Michol: They were the sons of Merob, who was married to Hadriel: but they are here called the sons of Michol, because she adopted them, and brought them up as her own.

Adeodatus the son of the Forrest: So it is rendered in the Latin Vulgate, by giving the interpretation of the Hebrew names, which are Elhanan the son of Jaare.

[4] As the light: So shall be the kingdom of Christ.

Neither is my house: As if he should say: This everlasting covenant was not due to my house: but purely owing to his bounty; who is all my salvation, and my will: that is, who hath always saved me, and granted me what I beseeched of him; so that I and my house, through his blessing, have sprung up, and succeeded in all things.