CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES
2 Samuel 12:26. The narrative now returns to chapter 2 Samuel 11:1. “The royal city.” From 2 Samuel 12:29 it appears that Rabbah was not wholly captured until David came, and unless “the whole result is here summarily stated in advance” (Erdmann), this seizure must refer to that part called in the next verse the water city.
2 Samuel 12:27. “The city of waters,” or, the water city. The ruins of this city (see note on 2 Samuel 10:3) show that it lay on both sides of a narrow valley, through which runs a stream which is a tributary to the river Jabbok. The citadel still stands on the northern declivity. Apparently, Joab took all the city with the exception of this stronghold.
2 Samuel 12:28. “It be called after my name.” Erdmann, Keil, and others, prefer to read “and my name be named upon it;” i.e., I receive the honour of the capture. “Joab’s conduct here is either that of a devoted servant, wishing to give his master honour or shield him from popular disfavour (on account of Bathsheba), or that of an adroit courtier who will not run the risk of exciting his king’s envy by too much success (see 1 Samuel 18:6-8).—(Tr. of Lange’s Commentary.)
2 Samuel 12:29. “All the people,” i.e., all the men of war who had remained behind in the land; from which we may see that Joab’s besieging army had been considerably weakened during the long siege, and at the capture of the water-city.” (Keil.)
2 Samuel 12:30. “Their king’s crown.” “So that he was either taken prisoner, or slain at the capture of the city.” (Keil.) “A talent,” etc. “About 100 English pounds.” (Tr. of Lange’s Commentary.) “This heavy crown of gold and precious stones might have been worn during the coronation by a strong man like David. In many places now weights scarcely less heavy are borne on the head even by women. We need not therefore suppose that the weight is accidentally exaggerated,” (Keil), or that “the crown was supported on the throne above the head.” (Clericus.) (Erdmann.)
2 Samuel 12:31. “Under saws,” etc. This must be rendered “he cut them in two with the saw.’ The other instruments mentioned denote also cutting tools. “The brick-kiln.” Keil understands that they were burned in the brick-kiln, but some expositors read with Kimchi, “he passed them through Malcham.” i.e., the place where the Ammonites laid human sacrifices in the arms of the red-hot image of their god, Moloch. (See Leviticus 18:21.) But many contend that the Hebrew text cannot be so translated, and its true signification is very uncertain.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— 2 Samuel 12:26-31
THE FINAL CONQUEST OF AMMON
I. To forego honour in favour of another is often as prudent as it is kind. If a man is beneath us in social position, or is less known or esteemed than we are, we ought to be able sometimes to stand back a little in order that he may be raised or brought forward and reap some of the benefits of which we have enjoyed so large a share. It is surely not a great self-denial for him who has won many prizes in the race of life, now and then to slacken his pace so that a less favoured person may taste the sweets of victory. But when those with whom we are engaged are our equals or superiors, prudence sometimes dictates such a course when benevolence does not prompt it. Those who feel themselves on a level with us, or know that they stand above us in many respects, are more likely to be jealous of our successes, and to look on us with suspicion if we leave them too far or too constantly behind in the contest for renown. If we desire to retain their goodwill we must sometimes put aside our just claims in their favour. The previous and the subsequent history of Joab lead us to incline to the view that his conduct at this time was actuated by this latter motive. He might certainly have acted as he did out of kindness of heart. If this event happened—as is most likely—before David’s repentance, Joab must have seen how ill at ease his master was, or, if the occurrence took place after the message of Nathan, David would still be in a depressed state of mind, and it is possible that Joab suggested his expedition against Rabbah to divert him from his gloomy thoughts. Or David’s reputation among his subjects may have suffered by his sinful conduct, and his general may have resorted to this expedient to restore the king to his old place in their esteem by reviving his military fame. But we think his proposal was dictated rather by prudence. David had already somewhat against him in the murder of Abner, and had doubtless marked him as an ambitious and unscrupulous man. Joab could not be unconscious of the deep offence he had given to David when he slew Abner, and was too wise a politician not to know how far he might go and yet retain his position at the head of the army. So, although he had a perfect right to complete the undertaking which he had carried so far, he showed great wisdom in now giving it into David’s hands, and thus laying him under a new obligation to continue his favours.
II. External success is no criterion by which to judge how a man stands in relation to the favour of God. By the conquest of Rabbah David completed that series of victories which made him secure against all his heathen foes. When the crown of the king of Ammon was placed upon his head and he returned to Jerusalem laden with spoil, those who measure how far a man’s ways please the Lord by the amount of temporal success which He grants him, would say that now David was enjoying more of the Divine favour than ever before. But there can be little doubt that this campaign was undertaken while the heavy displeasure of God was resting upon David, and even if it did not take place until after his repentance, all this outward splendour stands in sad contrast to the inward gloom which must have overshadowed David’s spirit when he thought of the terrible sentence, “The sword shall never depart from thine house because thou hast despised Me.” David the shepherd and the fugitive was really enjoying far more of the Divine approval and favour than David the conqueror of Ammon, and this episode of his life is another illustration of a truth we are prone to forget even in the light of the Cross, that a man’s external circumstances are no indication of his standing in the kingdom of God.
III. Isolated actions of men are often strangely at variance with their character as a whole. As we read this paragraph, we seem to want to transpose the names of the actors—to put into David’s mouth the words of Joab, and to make Joab responsible for all that is here ascribed to David. Such a change would harmonize entirely with the characters of the two men regarded in their entirety. As the record stands, the apparently unselfish words of Joab sound as strangely in his lips as the boastful and cruel deeds of David seem out of harmony with his general spirit. If we knew no more of either of these men, how false would be the estimate we should form of their characters. But all who are observant of men in general, and especially of their own lives, know well how often very good men act inconsistently with their profession, and how it not unfrequently happens that, in individual instances, they suffer when compared with men who are morally far below them. A bad man sometimes seems to rise above himself, and really does so at times, and even the best of men often fall far below their better nature. It behoves us, therefore, always to abstain from passing hasty judgments, and to look at a man’s deeds in the light of the general tenor of his life.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
The whole conduct of David at Rabbah is strange and painful. It was not creditable to be roused to an enterprise by an appeal to his love of fame; he might have left, Joab to complete the conquest and enjoy the honour which his sword had substantially won. It was unworthy of him to go through the empty ceremony of being crowned with the diadem of the Ammonitish king, as if he set an extraordinary value on having so precious a crown upon his head. Above all, it was very terrible to show so harsh a spirit in disposing of his prisoners of war. But all this is quite likely to have happened if David had not yet come to repentance. When a man’s conscience is ill at ease, his temper is commonly sullen and irritable. Feeling himself pursued by an enemy whom he dare not face, he avoids solitude and reflection—he courts bustle and business, and every kind of exciting and engrossing occupation. Uncomfortable and unhappy in his inmost soul, he is just in the temper to become savage and cruel when crossed.… The whole occurrence shows that want of humility, admiration, love, and obedience towards God, tells darkly upon the whole life and character.—Blaikie.
2 Samuel 12:28. Do we the like by Jesus Christ, when we get any victory over our spiritual enemies, let him have the whole ghory; say we as those two disciples in Acts 3:12-16.—Trapp.