Deeper Commentary
2Sa 17:1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose
twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight-
Absalom entered Jerusalem the day David fled (2 Sam. 15:37). The day
David fled Jerusalem is recorded in more detail than any day in Biblical
history. The tragedy of a good man having to suffer for his sins is thereby
underlined to us. Ahithophel's advice to attack David immediately was
undoubtedly the best advice. Even if we understand a "thousand" as a
military grouping rather than a literal figure, this was a considerable
number of men to have available. Truly the support for Absalom was not
inconsiderable.
Psalm 3 refers to this time. "Many" in Ps. 3:1,2 is the same word used for how the people "increased" with Absalom (2 Sam. 15:12). "Rise up" in Ps. 3:1 is the word used of Ahithophel wishing to 'rise up" and pursue David (2 Sam. 17:1; 18:31). In response to the rising up of others against him, David asks God to 'rise up' (Ps. 3:7 s.w.). David's prayer in Psalm 3 was answered, and Ahithophel 'rose up' and committed suicide (2 Sam. 17:23).
Ahithophel's speech is all about him- "I will... let me". Clearly he is motivated by personal revenge upon David because Bathsheba was his granddaughter. In fact, Ahithophel was so obsessed with this personal revenge that when his plan was rejected by Absalom in favour of Hushai's, he kills himself. Hushai's speech instead focuses upon Absalom and what Absalom could do and what glory he could achieve for himself. This appeal to Absalom's pride was what won Absalom over, although it was all of God's hand in the minds of the men with Absalom. For they all originally thought that Ahithophel's advice was good. But then suddenly changed.
Yet we note that the Psalms relevant to this time have David
cursing Ahithophel, bemoaning his lot that his former trusted friend has
turned against him. Consider Psalm 41: "My own familiar friend, in whom I
trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me [quoted
about Judas but initially about Ahithophel]. But You, Yahweh... raise me
up, that I may repay them... uphold me in my integrity" (Ps. 41:9-12). Or
Psalm 55: "It was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured
it... But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend.
We took sweet fellowship together... Let death come suddenly on them, let
them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwelling, in
their midst. As for me, I will call on God. Yahweh will save me... He will
never allow the righteous to be moved. But You, God, will bring them down
into the pit of destruction" (Ps. 55:12-23). But Ahithophel was
Bathsheba's grandfather. David's lamenting of the situation and cursing of
Ahithophel reflects a total lack of remorse over his sins, and a refusal
to accept consequence. And a total disregard of the huge grace God showed
him by not demanding the death penalty. The fact we are all still alive,
despite being worthy of death, must be appreciated by us. And it will help
us cope with disappointment and injustice at the hands of others, and
lower our expectations of what we consider is our "right" in this life.
2Sa 17:2 I will come on him while he is weary and exhausted, and will make
him afraid. All the people who are with him shall flee. I will strike the
king only-
This was clearly designed to appeal to what Absalom wanted to hear
and to happen. He wanted power over the people; he therefore wanted his
father dead, believing that this would mean that his father's supporters
would give up and come under his power. Ahithophel's advice was to
kill one man [David] and let the rest of the men around him flee. This was
exactly David's plan for the murder of Uriah- although it happened that
Joab allowed other men were killed to make the plan look less obvious.
Time and again we see David's past behaviour played out before his eyes.
2Sa 17:3 and I will bring back all the people to you. The man whom you
seek is as if all returned; and so all the people shall be in peace-
The LXX reveals deeper the flattery used here.
The idea was that the
people with David of course really loved Absalom and had been with him in
their hearts, but had just temporarily left him to go with David; and they
would very easily return to Absalom without the need for bloodshed, if
David alone were to be slain: “And I will cause all the people to return
unto thee, as the bride returneth to her husband. Only one man’s life dost
thou seek, and unto all the people there shall be peace".
2Sa 17:4 The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of
Israel-
As noted on :3, it was indeed excellently expressed advice. It
appealed to Absalom's pride, and the elders would commend it as designed
to avoid mass bloodshed. The same mentality is employed as in the argument
to kill the Lord Jesus- it were better one man died at the hands of Rome
than many, so went the argument.
2Sa 17:5 Then Absalom said, Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us
hear likewise what he says-
"Hear likewise" could suggest that Absalom assumed that such
excellent advice would surely likewise be agreed by Hushai also.
Seeing they all liked Ahithophel's plan, this request for a second opinion
is unusual and clearly God made Absalom do this. He does work directly on
human minds, sowing seeds and making men make choices and decisions they
may not otherwise have made. The Holy Spirit works in this way in human
hearts to this day.
2Sa 17:6 When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him saying,
Ahithophel has spoken like this. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak
up-
The Divine author is as a cameraman zoomed in upon the scene. What
might otherwise seem superfluous recording of words is done so that we can
enter more fully into the scene, waiting with baited breath, as it were,
to see if Ahithophel's smart advice is going to be followed. It was such
good advice in the context that it would seem impossible to overturn it.
Indeed 2 Sam. 16:23 says that it was from God; so we have an
example of where God speaks a word but it is over to man to fulfil it or
not.
2Sa 17:7 Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is
not good at this time-
"At this time" could imply that the previous counsel, to sleep with
David's concubines, was "good" (2 Sam. 16:21). Hushai was willing to go
along with that because he knew that this is what Nathan's prophecy had
stated would happen. But there had been no Divine word about David being
slain by Absalom.
2Sa 17:8 Hushai said moreover, You know your father and his men, that they
are mighty men, and they are bitter in their minds, like a bear robbed of
her cubs in the field-
Hushai was the last person to have seen David. His
description of David as bitter and aggressive as a bear robbed of her cubs
was so untrue. David was depressed and weak. There are lies and twists of
truth throughout this tragic narrative. Ziba lies, Shimei lies, David lies
to Shimei, Absalom has lied, and David's deliverance is worked out through
Hushai's deceit.
How to love the unlovely, to live without bitterness, to not be a psychological victim of our past experiences, is absolutely vital for the true child of God. In David and above all the Lord Jesus we see this achieved so supremely. He was at times bitter, as the imprecatory Psalms reveal, and as Hushai commented, David was a man “bitter of soul” (2 Sam. 17:8 RVmg.). But there is also every reason to think that David at this point was not in fact bitter over what he had lost. He accepts he has sinned and is being judged, and throws himself upon God's grace to restore him. But his tendencies to bitterness were well known, and so Hushai's claims about David were absolutely credible to his audience. And he advises therefore not to assume too easily that such a bitter man would give up without there being bloodshed. And avoiding bloodshed was important in order to keep Absalom's demand for loyalty credible.
Your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people-
The idea of attacking the entire group and hoping to thereby get
David... was unrealistic, Hushai argues. He likely would not lodge with
the people. He would be like Jacob in his night of crisis, fleeing from
Laban and meeting Esau.
2Sa 17:9 Behold, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. It
will happen, when some of them have fallen at the first, that whoever
hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow
Absalom!’-
Hushai imagines that Ahithophel leading a band of men to take David
will not be a good idea. For Ahithophel was seen as a prophet, a spiritual
man, an advisor- and not a military man. By contrast, David and his men
were military men; and had a long track record of winning battles against
superior forces. Hushai plays on the deep concerns about not causing
bloodshed. The image of David hiding in a "cave" (Heb.) naturally recalls
his hiding in a cave and nearly having the mastery over Saul. Hushai
wishes to recall these classic images of David and warn against thinking
that a quick victory over him was possible.
2Sa 17:10 Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion,
will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man,
and those who are with him are valiant men-
The military prowess of David and his close circle was legendary. And
everyone wanted to avoid bloodshed and find a way of destroying David
alone. Playing on that concern, Hushai started to make huge sense to all
present.
2Sa 17:11 But I advise that all Israel be gathered together to you, from
Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude-
Hushai's doublespeak continues, at least in the Hebrew. For
"Gathered together to you" can also mean "against you" (as in
Gen. 34:30; Mic. 4:11; Zech. 12:3). And yet his doublespeak isn't
perceived by Absalom.
We must remember that baptism means that we are now the seed of Abraham, and the blessings of forgiveness, of all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, and God's turning us away from our sins are right now being fulfilled in us (Acts 3:27-29). Israel were multiplied as the sand on the sea shore (2 Sam. 17:11; 1 Kings 4:20), they possessed the gates of their enemies (Dt. 17:2; 18:6)- all in antitype of how Abraham's future seed would also receive the promised blessings in their mortal experience, as well as in the eternal blessedness of the future Kingdom.
And
that you go to battle in your own person-
This was an appeal to Absalom's pride. he was not a military man,
but being the figurehead of an inevitable victory by sheer force of
numbers was going to appeal to him. And the idea was that the force of
numbers would mean that only David and his immediate hard core followers
would put up a fight; and it was they who needed to be eliminated and not
anyone else. This was also an appeal to the concept of kingship in
Israel (1 Sam. 8:20; 18:16)- a king was supposed to lead Israel to victory
in battle rather than stay at home and leave it to others, which is what
Ahithophel's advice amounted to. And David was in shame exactly because he
had not led his men in the Rabbah campaign and had instead remained in
Jerusalem and committed adultery (2 Sam. 11:1). Again and again, there are
echoes of David's sin with Bathsheba throughout the record. Joab advises
David to at least symbolically lead the Israelite army into Rabbah once it
falls (2 Sam. 11:27,28) and that's the very advice Hushai is giving to
Absalom. Quite possibly at the time Ahithophel had advised David to take
Joab's advice.
2Sa 17:12 So shall we come on him in some place where he shall be found,
and we will light on him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of
all the men who are with him we will not leave so much as one-
"As the dew falls on the ground" suggests this would be an
easy and effortless victory. This is inviting Absalom to act as Saul, using spies and intelligence
to track down David to some hiding place and then suddenly come upon him.
The idea was to kill not only David but his immediate band of warriors.
These were the very men to whom the kingdom of Israel owed its existence.
To agree to slay them all was really treason of the worst sort. But
jealousy means that all true qualifications and history of the other
people are ignored, in the mad obsession with their destruction. The same
thing goes on in church infighting today.
2Sa 17:13 Moreover, if he be gone into a city, then shall all Israel bring
ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there isn’t
one small stone found there-
This alludes to the tearing down of a leprous house. There was the
quasi religious claim that Absalom's putsch was in fact his devoted
service of Yahweh (2 Sam. 15:8); and this is now accompanied by the
suggestion that any supporting David were an unclean, leprous city which
must be pulled down stone by stone.
2Sa 17:14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai
the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Yahweh had
ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that
Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom-
David had prayed for Ahithophel's wisdom to be turned to
foolishness (2 Sam. 15:31). In response to this, Yahweh had 'ordained' in
the court of Heaven that this was to happen. And He worked upon the
psychology of those men and their perceptions, so that Ahithophel's advice
was defeated.
Was it really
good
counsel? Not in God’s eyes. It was only ‘good’ for Absalom from a fleshly
viewpoint. And yet the record speaks from Absalom’s perspective; it speaks
of something definitely evil as being “good” within the context in which
it was given. Thus the record here refers to men’s bad thinking as if it
is correct.
2Sa 17:15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests,
Ahithophel counselled Absalom and the elders of Israel that way; and I
have counselled this way-
Hushai of course was desperately playing for time. He knew that David
and his group were not far away, having only left Jerusalem the same day
Absalom arrived there. The small group who were loyal to David within the
court of Absalom correspond with those within the court of Saul (see on
:17). Like all our crises, this one was really intended to allow David to
apply all he had learned over the years.
Hushai's messaging David in this way suggests he actually didn't think his suggestion would be accepted by Absalom. The fact it was accepted, when it was not the best advice and the record itself calls Ahithophel's advice "good / better", is all a sign of God's grace and His ability to work on human hearts to accept wrong advice or teaching. Even bad advice is used by Him in His wider purpose. To save His beloved, those with a heart like David.
2Sa 17:16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David saying, ‘Don’t lodge
this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over;
lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him’-
"The plain of the wilderness" (AV) is the plain of Jericho (Josh.
5:10; 2 Kings 25:5; 2 Sam. 2:29; 17:16). "The way of the wilderness" in 2
Sam. 15:23 was therefore the road to Jericho, used by the Lord Jesus in
His parable of the man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho being beaten
[= suffering for his sins, in the parable], and being saved by grace and
now law. Surely the Lord had David in mind, and is presenting the long day
of his tragic exile as being the experience of everyman.
2Sa 17:17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En Rogel; and a female
servant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David. For
they didn’t want to be seen to come into the city-
The coming into the city recalls Jonathan being "in the city"
whilst David was in exile outside it. We noted on :15 the similarities with the time when a minority in the
court of Saul were loyal to David. Jonathan and David could not be seen
together and had to communicate very carefully; and so it was here. The
female servant, the lowest of the low in society, as both a woman and a
slave, was the vital and crucial link between the two young men and the
faithful priests in the city. This is typical of how God works.
2Sa 17:18 But a boy saw them, and told Absalom. Then they both went away
quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his
court; and they went down there-
There were clearly a number of faithful supporters. The poor servant
woman, the wealthy home owner in Bahurim... and yet they are presented as
struggling against the "boy" who noticed and reported things, and
Absalom's servants (:20). It was really a repeat of the situation with
Saul and David.
2Sa 17:19 The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth,
and spread out bruised grain on it; and nothing was known-
"The woman" could refer to the servant girl of :17, or it could be as
GNB "The man's wife".
2Sa 17:20 Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they
said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? The woman said to them, They have
gone over the brook of water. When they had sought and could not find
them, they returned to Jerusalem-
Literally, 'they are over the water'. And they were over water,
because they were hiding in a well just above the water at the bottom of
it (:18).
Again, as discussed on 2 Sam. 16:16, this raises the question as to
whether lying is always wrong, necessarily. Rahab's lies and those of the
Hebrew midwives at the exodus are rewarded as acts of faith. But this is
of course a slippery slope. But such open questions are left for our
reflection, underlining that spiritual life cannot be run by laws but by
principles. Indeed the way the woman lies about two men of God by saying
they had gone away over a river is so similar to Rahab's situation.
It could be that the woman was inspired by Rahab.
2Sa 17:21 It happened, after they had departed, that they came up out of
the well, and went and told king David; and they said to David, Arise and
pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counselled against
you-
The implication was that Absalom was so vain and unstable that
he might still change his mind and follow Ahithophel's advice.
2Sa 17:22 Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they
passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them
who had not gone over the Jordan-
The crossing of Jordan after the lie of a woman definitely recalls
the faithfulness of Rahab in lying about another two men of God; see on
:20. All the people passing over Jordan uses the very words of Josh. 3:17,
as if this retreat was going to turn into a magnificent defeat through
their restoration. It also recalls Jacob passing over Jordan, in the
direction David was going, and then finally returning in restoration by
God's grace (Gen. 32:10). All this was intended as encouragement to the
exiles in Babylon as they read these records.
2Sa 17:23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he
saddled his donkey, and arose, and went home, to his city, and set his
house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the
tomb of his father-
Whatever other reasons there were for Ahithophel's suicide, one was simply his difficulty to live with the fact that the truth he knew was not accepted by others. He spoke as the oracle of God (2 Sam. 16:23) and so he felt sure he had God on his side in giving the advice he did. His advice about Absalom sleeping with David's wife on his roof was a repeat of what Nathan the prophet had said from God. In essence, this is a common problem. We feel we know some truth, we may be sure it is in fact Divine truth; but if it is refused by others, we find it hard to live with. We are not secure in our own personal relationship with God. This misery at not having one's truth accepted by others is commonplace; and explains the miserable lives of so many conspiracy theorists.
"Set his house in order" is literally he ordained / commanded
concerning his house. The same word as in :14- Yahweh had ordained /
commanded to destroy his counsel. God's anger is clearly against this
angry man, and He is 'with' David. But this man's anger was in a way
justifiable because of what David had done to his granddaughter Bathsheba.
Good people can become so bitter and enraged at others' sin and injustice
that they themselves fall into sin and self destruction. Church life is
full of this.
His suicide may have been because he knew that if Hushai's counsel was followed, David would defeat Absalom- and surely kill Ahithophel in vengeance. Indeed it is unclear when his suicide happened. It may well have taken him some days to return to his home, and then on news of Absalom's death he committed suicide. It wasn't simply because of loss of face. The fact he feared David would do this, indeed he was totally certain David would, gives a tacit insight into David's character. He had murdered his wife Bathsheba's husband, and would clearly murder her grandfather. There is again no hint that despite the vast forgiveness and grace shown David, he has any noticeable grace himself. His character has not been apparently transformed. He had murdered Uriah and been forgiven, but would murder Ahithophel for advising to murder him. Shimei merely threw dust at David during Absalom's rebellion- and David on his deathbed commands Solomon to murder Shimei for it. For sure, Ahithophel's fear of David's revenge was not unfounded. Psalm 3, subtitled as referring to the time David fled from Absalom, has David asking God to smash the teeth and destroy the lives of "the wicked", any who were his "enemies". He clearly had a death wish for them all.
Ahithophel's suicide was a kind of answer to David's prayer at this time in Ps. 5:10: "Hold them guilty, God. Let them fall by their own advice; thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You". Whilst his suicide was completely his decision, it was also an answer to David's prayer at this point.
As believers in the representative nature of the Lord’s sacrifice, we are thereby empowered to break out of the routine of our lives. Life becomes valuable; we number our days with wisdom (Ps. 90:12). We no longer fear failure, for firstly we know there is forgiveness in Christ, and secondly, our focus is upon living the real life of ultimate discovery and adventure, able to live with the fears which this presents to us. Failure is no longer a problem to us; for the aim is ever before us. We will not be like Ahithophel, committing suicide because he ran out of political highway and lost his power to others. Our failures are nothing more than temporary setbacks, as the baby who stretches out her hands to the lamp on the ceiling and cries because she can’t reach it. We take them all, even our sins, in the spirit of the cross- the supreme failure which became the supreme triumph of God and the true person.
2Sa 17:24 Then David came to Mahanaim. Absalom passed over the Jordan, he
and all the men of Israel with him-
Mahanaim had at one time been the capital of the Israelite kingdom
under Abner and Ishbosheth, during the seven years when Abner had led the
opposition to David's kingdom in Judah. And now David found refuge there.
He had shown much grace to the house of Saul at that time, and now, many
years later, he was finding grace in the one time capital of his
opposition.
2Sa 17:25 Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was
the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to
Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother-
There is much unclarity over "the Israelite", because that seems
obvious, unless the point is that he was not of Judah. The texts read
"Jezreelite", and 1 Chron. 2:17 has "Jether the Ishmeelite". In this case
the idea is that this man was not an Israelite, and had slept with the
daughter of the serpent, Nahash. The patriotic, brave and loyal Joab was
followed by someone of poorer qualification, even though his relative had
slept with this man.
2Sa 17:26 Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead-
The description of Barzillai as a Gileadite (:27) shows that Absalom
did not enjoy universal support from the rest of Israel.
2Sa 17:27 It happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son
of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel
of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim-
As happens in a crisis, all manner of people came out of the woodwork
and showed their respects. David had been friends with Nahash but had
fought against his son Hanun, Shobi's brother (2 Sam. 10:2). But a theme
of this time of crisis is that Gentiles who had once been David's enemies,
and whose families and relatives David had slain in war such as Ittai (see
on 2 Sam. 15:19-21), now come out on David's side. They could only have
done so because they had been converted to the God of Israel by David,
their one time national enemy. Rogelim in Gilead likewise may well have
been Gentile territory, and his descendants were unable to prove their
genealogies (Ezra 2:61-63), although they wished to serve as priests and
support the restored Kingdom, just as their ancestor supported David's
restoration. Machir was the man who had allowed Mephibosheth to stay with
him (2 Sam. 9:4,5), and would have been deeply impressed by David's huge
grace to Mephibosheth and the house of Saul. He thereby realized that
David was a man of God despite out of character failings.
2Sa 17:28 brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal,
parched grain, beans, lentils, roasted grain-
"Beds" suggests that they stayed there for some time and were fed by
their hosts. This would have been a considerable commitment. David "lay"
at Mahanaim (2 Sam. 19:32), suggesting he was sick.
2Sa 17:29 honey, butter, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for
the people who were with him, to eat: for they said, The people are
hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness-
Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies"
refers to this time. Shimei and other "enemies" were aware of his path.
The reference is to the feasts prepared for him in the desert by Ziba (2
Sam. 16:2) and Barzillai (2 Sam. 17:27-29). But the phrase "prepare a
table" is that used of the preparation of the table of shewbread (Ex.
40:4), and it is used in a religious sense in Is. 65:11; Ez. 23:41.
Perhaps David held some kind of religious ceremony whilst on the run, the
equivalent to our breaking of bread meeting; perhaps Barzillai's feast was
turned into a religious experience. And his experience of the Lord's table
strengthened him with great encouragement, as we also can experience.
Psalm 42
clearly has reference to David's time at Mahanaim, which could have been
months (2 Sam. 17:24; 19:32), whilst fleeing Absalom. David "lay" there
for some time (2 Sam. 19:32), as if he was ill at this time. This was the
original context of the Psalm, but David sitting by the waters in exile
was obviously relevant to the captives sitting by the rivers of Babylon.
Hence the title in the Syriac: "A Psalm which David sung when he was an
exile and desired to return to Jerusalem"; the Arabic "A Psalm for the
backsliding Jews".
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after You, God-
The theme of
water in this Psalm (:7 too) is appropriate to David being by the waters
of the Kidron and then the Jordan as he fled from Absalom. David sitting
by the waters in exile was obviously relevant to the captives sitting by
the rivers of Babylon.
Psalm 42:2
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear
before God?-
This reveals
David's special longing for the sanctuary in Zion, where he 'appeared
before God' to keep the Mosaic feasts (Ex. 23:17). But the application to
the Lord Jesus is very clear- His was the ultimate, actual appearance
before God in Heaven.
Psalm 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they
continually ask me, Where is your God?-
This would imply that David's enemies had access to
him whilst he lay at Mahanaim in exile from Absalom; we recall how Shimei
followed David on the route, cursing him as he went. Or perhaps his own
supporters were saying this. The exiles were likewise mocked in Babylon;
and the Lord Jesus likewise on the cross.
Psalm 42:4 These things I remember and pour out my soul within me, how I
used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of
joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day-
This is David recalling how he used to
lead the people towards the sanctuary on Zion on feast days. "God's house"
however suggests the temple, and this was not built in David's time. So
this may well have been added under inspiration when the Psalm was used by
the sons of Korah in the Babylonian exile; see on :1.
Psalm 42:5 Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within
me? Hope in God!-
This kind of self-talk should characterize all of God's true people. For
this is the very essence of spiritual mindedness. Psalm 42 has many echoes
of the cross, although primarily it refers to David's longing for the
tabernacle whilst exiled by Absalom. "Why art thou cast down, O my
soul?" (:5 AV) is the same in the Septuagint as Mt. 26:38 "Now is my soul
troubled".
For I shall
still praise Him for the saving help of His presence-
Perhaps
applicable to a vision of glory appearing to the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane,
transferring some of the glory of His countenance to Jesus as He did to
Moses, so that the Lord's arresters initially fell down when they saw Him.
David spoke of praising God for the health of His face; and then talks of
how God is the source of the health of his face (Ps. 42:5,11 RV).
It’s as if the glory of the invisible God rubbed off upon David, as it did
literally for Moses, whose faced became radiant with the glory of the
Angel who spoke to him.
Psalm 42:6 Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan, the
heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar-
This may
have been the area of Mahanaim, where it seems David remained whilst in
exile from Absalom (2 Sam. 17:24). "The heights of Hermon" is literally
'the Hermons', LXX "the Hermonites", perhaps referring to the mountain
range which began at Mount Hermon and continued to the Mahanaim area.
"Mizar" is unknown, but could be read as "the little hill" (LXX). However,
this interpretation of the geography could appear forced, especially with
the reference to "cataracts" in :7. Hence Ray Stedman suggested that David
was recalling "an experience that he had when he was in the northern part
of Israel near Mount Hermon, at the head of the Jordan River, on a little
peak of the range where Mount Hermon is located, called Mount Mizar
(which, incidentally, means "little mountain"). On that occasion he could
hear the waterfalls of that mountainous region, the thundering cataracts.
He became aware of how they seemed to be calling to one another, "deep
calling unto deep," and it reminded him that the deeps in God call out to
the deeps in man".
Psalm 42:7 Deep calls to deep at the noise of Your waterfalls. All Your
waves and Your billows have swept over me-
Waterfalls" is better "cataracts",
perhaps referring to the spot on the Jordan River where he was sitting as
he composed this Psalm. See on :6. David like Jonah feels he has drowned
and is in a living death.
Psalm 42:8 Yahweh will command His grace in the daytime. In the night His
song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life-
Yahweh's
song connects with how the exiles also by the waters (of Babylon) were
asked to sing Yahweh's song, the Psalms used in temple worship. David says
that he will sing Yahweh's song, the temple liturgy, even though in exile
from the temple. For he realizes that God's presence is not limited to the
sanctuary. GNB may be correct in suggesting: "May the LORD show his
constant love during the day, so that I may have a song at night". "The
God of my life" could mean the God who alone could preserve David's life;
or the God who was the focus of David's life.
Psalm 42:9 I will ask God, my rock, Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go
mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?-
The
prototype of Christ feeling forsaken was in David feeling forsaken by God
when he fled from Absalom (Ps. 42:9; 43:2; 88:14); but clearly he was not
actually forsaken. Despite these feelings, David was spiritually mature
enough to still consider God as his "rock", even though he felt God wasn't
coming through for him as he expected. He expresses the same in Ps. 43:2.
"Oppression" was what God's later people were to suffer at the hands of
their enemies (s.w. Is. 30:20; Dt. 26:7); David's suffering was seen as
that of God's later people, and so his Psalms were reused in this context.
Psalm 42:10 As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while
they continually ask me, Where is your God?-
David was sensitive to words; whilst in
exile from Absalom, his enemies clearly had access to him and were
communicating with him "continually". And he felt those words as swords.
The sword that pierced Christ's soul on the cross was the sword of the
abuse which was shouted at Him then (Ps. 42:10); and the piercing of
Christ's soul, Simeon had said, was the piercing of Mary's soul too. In
other words, they were both really cut, pierced, by this mocking of the
virgin birth. Neither of them were hard and indifferent to it. And the
fact they both stood together at the cross and faced it together must have
drawn them closer, and made their parting all the harder. She alone knew
beyond doubt that God was Christ's father, even though the Lord had needed
to rebuke her for being so carried away with the humdrum of life that she
once referred to Joseph as His father (Lk. 2:33). For everyone else, there
must always have been that tendency to doubt.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within
me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise Him, the saving help of my
countenance, and my God- "Despair" is the word used of David's feelings after the sin with
Bathsheba (s.w. Ps. 38:6). It is the word for bowing down, for humility.
But nobody likes being bowed down in humility, and David likewise wriggles
against it. But we see here the kind of self-talk which is characteristic
of all those who are truly spiritually minded. This 'bowing down' was to
characterize the sufferings of Judah for their sins (s.w. Is. 2:11; 5:15;
26:5). David was possibly asking himself a rhetorical question- Why was he
bowed down? Because God wanted to humble him so that He might restore him.
But "help" is the usual word for 'salvation', and "countenance" is the
usual word for 'face'. 'Save my face' would be a fair translation. And
here again we encounter our concerns as to whether David's repentance was
as thorough as it might have been. He did indeed confess his sin and seek
forgiveness. But so much of his praying at this time is for God to save
him from shame, and to judge and destroy and eternally condemn those at
whose hands he was receiving judgment for his sins. And this was the
problem with the exiles whom he later came to represent.
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