2 Samuel 15:13

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11 And with Absalom went two hundred men ^ainvited from Jerusalem, and they ^bwent along innocently and did not know anything.

12 Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, ^aDavid’s counselor, from his city—from ^bGiloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom ^ccontinually increased in number.

David Escapes from Jerusalem

13 Now a messenger came to David, saying, ^a“The hearts of the men of Israel are¹ with Absalom.”

14 So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us ^aflee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

15 And the king’s servants said to the king, “We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands.”

16 Then ^athe king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ^bten women, concubines, to keep the house.

17 And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts.

18 Then all his servants passed¹ before him; ^aand all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, ^bsix hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.

19 Then the king said to ^aIttai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place.

20 In fact, you came only yesterday. Should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I go ^aI know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.”

21 But Ittai answered the king and said, ^a“As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”

22 So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over.

23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the ^awilderness.

24 There was ^aZadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ^bark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and ^cAbiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city.

25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He ^awill bring me back and show me both it and ^bHis dwelling place.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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2 Samuel 15:13

The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom - It is very difficult to account for this general defection of the people. Several reasons are given:

1.David was old or afflicted, and could not well attend to the administration of justice in the land.

2.It does appear that the king did not attend to the affairs of state, and that there were no properly appointed judges in the land; see II Samuel 15:3.

3.Joab' s power was overgrown; he was wicked and insolent, oppressive to the people, and David was afraid to execute the laws against him.

4.There were still some partisans of the house of Saul, who thought the crown not fairly obtained by David.

5.David was under the displeasure of the Almighty, for his adultery with Bath-sheba, and his murder of Uriah; and God let his enemies loose against him.

6.There are always troublesome and disaffected men in every state, and under every government; who can never rest, and are ever hoping for something from a change.

7.Absalom appeared to be the real and was the undisputed heir to the throne; David could not, in the course of nature, live very long; and most people are more disposed to hail the beams of the rising, than exult in those of the setting, sun.

No doubt some of these causes operated, and perhaps most of them exerted less or more influence in this most scandalous business.

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