2-а Самуїлова 19:40

Quarrel between Israel and Judah about the restoration of the king. - Sa2 19:40. David went across to Gilgal (in the plain of the Jordan: Jos 4:19), and Chimham (Chimhan is a modified form for Chimham: Sa2 19:37) had gone over with him, and all the people of Judah had brought the king over (the Keri העבירוּ is an easier reading than the Chethib ויּעבירוּ, "and as for the people, they had," etc.), and also "half the people of Israel," namely, beside the thousand Benjaminites who came with Shimei (Sa2 19:17), other Israelites who dwelt in the neighbourhood. Sa2 19:41 All the men of Israel, i.e., the representatives of the other tribes of Israel, came to meet the king in Gilgal; and being annoyed at the fact that the men of Judah had anticipated them, they exclaimed, "Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away?" i.e., fetched thee thus secretly without saying a word to us. "All David's men" were all his faithful adherents who had fled with him from Jerusalem (Sa2 15:17.). Sa2 19:42 The men of Judah replied against (על) the men of Israel: "The king stands near to us" (inasmuch as he belonged to their tribe), "and wherefore then art thou angry at this matter? Have we eaten from the king (i.e., derived any advantage from our tribe-relationship to him, as the Benjaminites did from Saul, according to Sa1 22:7), or received anything for ourselves therefrom?" נשּׂאת is an infinitive abs. Niph. with a feminine termination, borrowed from ה;ל literally, "or has taking been taken for us." Sa2 19:43 The Israelites were annoyed at this answer, and retorted, "I (Israel) have ten portions in the king, and also more than thou in David; and wherefore hast thou despised me?" They considered that they had ten shares in the king, because they formed ten tribes, in opposition to t…

David came over Jordan attended and assisted only by the men of Judah; but when he had advanced as far as Gilgal, the first stage on this side Jordan, half the people of Israel (that is, of their elders and great men) had come to wait upon him, to kiss his hand, and congratulate him on his return, but found they came too late to witness the solemnity of his first entrance. This put them out of humour, and occasioned a quarrel between them and the men of Judah, which was a damp to the joy of the day, and the beginning of further mischief. Here is, 1. The complaint which the men of Israel brought to the king against the men of Judah (Sa2 19:41), that they had performed the ceremony of bringing the king over Jordan, and not given them notice, that they might have come to join in it. This reflected upon them, as if they were not so well affected to the king and his restoration as the men of Judah were, whereas the king himself knew that they had spoken of it before the men of Judah thought of it, Sa2 19:11. It seemed likewise as if they intended to monopolize the king's favours when he had come back, and to be looked upon as his only friends. See what mischief comes from pride and jealousy. 2. The excuse which the men of Judah made for themselves, Sa2 19:42. (1.) They plead relations to the king: "He is near of kin to us, and therefore in a matter of mere ceremony, as this was, we may claim precedency. It was into our country that he was to be brought, and therefore who so fit as we to bring him?" (2.) They deny the insinuated charge of self-seeking in what they had done: "Have we eaten at all of the king's cost? No, we have all borne our own charges. Hath he given us any gift? No, we have no design to engross the advantages of his return; you have come time enough to share…

19:40 Gilgal, a natural stop along David’s westward route, was also a politically significant location: It was where the people had proclaimed Saul king (1 Sam 11:15) and Samuel later announced the end of Saul’s reign (1 Sam 13:13-15). David’s kingship now had a new beginning at Gilgal.