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1 And when Dauid was a little past the top of the hill, Beholde, Ziba the seruant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of asses sadled, and vpon them two hundred loaues of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottell of wine.
2 And the King saide vnto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba saide, The asses bee for the kings houshold to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit for the yong men to eate, and the wine, that such as be faint in the wildernesse, may drinke.
3 And the king said, And where is thy masters sonne? and Ziba said vnto the king, Behold, he abideth at Ierusalem: for hee said, To day shall the house of Israel restore mee the kingdome of my father.
4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained vnto Mephibosheth. And Ziba saide, I humbly beseech thee that I may finde grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
5 ¶ And when king Dauid came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the sonne of Gera: hee came foorth, and cursed still as he came.
6 And he cast stones at Dauid, and at all the seruants of king Dauid: and all the people, and all the mighty men were on his right hand, and on his left.
7 And thus said Shimei when hee cursed, Come out, come out thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
8 The Lord hath returned vpon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast raigned, and the Lord hath deliuered the kingdome into the hand of Absalom thy sonne: and behold, thou art taken to thy mischiefe, because thou art a bloody man.
9 ¶ Then said Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah vnto the king, Why should this dead dogge curse my lord the king? let mee goe ouer, I pray thee, and take off his head.
10 And the king said, What haue I to doe with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord hath said vnto him, Curse Dauid. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
11 And Dauid said to Abishai, and to all his seruants, Beholde, my sonne which came foorth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Beniamite doe it? let him alone, and let him curse: for the Lord hath bidden him.
12 It may bee that the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day.
13 And as Dauid and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hilles side ouer against him, and cursed as hee went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselues there.
15 ¶ And Absalom and al the people the men of Israel, came to Ierusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16 And it came to passe when Hushai the Archite, Dauids friend, was come vnto Absalom, that Hushai said vnto Absalom, God saue the king, God saue the king.
17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend?
18 And Hushai said vnto Absalom, Nay, but whom the Lord and this people, and all the men of Israel chuse, his will I bee, and with him will I abide.
19 And againe, whom should I serue? should I not serue in the presence of his sonne? as I haue serued in thy fathers presence, so will I be in thy presence.
20 ¶ Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Giue counsell among you what we shall doe.
21 And Ahithophel said vnto Absalom, Goe in vnto thy fathers concubines, which he hath left to keepe the house, and all Israel shall heare that thou art abhorred of thy father, then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
22 So they spread Absalom a tent vpon the top of the house, and Absalom went in vnto his fathers concubines, in the sight of all Israel.
23 And the counsell of Ahithophel which he counselled in those dayes, was as if a man had enquired at the Oracle of God: so was all the counsell of Ahithophel, both with Dauid and with Absalom.
Ziba's falsehood. (1-4) David cursed by Shimei. (5-14) Ahithophel's counsel. (15-23)1-4 Ziba belied Mephibosheth. Great men ought always to be jealous of flatterers, and to be careful that they hear both sides.
5-14 David bore Shimei's curses much better than Ziba's flatteries; by these he was brought to pass a wrong judgment on another, by those to pass a right judgment on himself: the world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns. Once and again David spared Saul's life, while Saul sought his. But innocence is no defence against malice and falsehood; nor are we to think it strange, if we are charged with that which we have been most careful to keep ourselves from. It is well for us, that men are not to be our judges, but He whose judgment is according to truth. See how patient David was under this abuse. Let this remind us of Christ, who prayed for those who reviled and crucified him. A humble spirit will turn reproaches into reproofs, and get good from them, instead of being provoked by them. David the hand of God in it, and comforts himself that God would bring good out of his affliction. We may depend upon God to repay, not only our services, but our sufferings.
15-23 The wisest counsellors of that age were Ahithophel and Hushai: Absalom thinks himself sure of success, when he has both; on them he relies, and consults not the ark, though he had that with him. But miserable counsellors were they both. Hushai would never counsel him to do wisely. Ahithophel counselled him to do wickedly; and so did as effectually betray him, as he did, who was designedly false to him: for they that advise men to sin, certainly advise them to their hurt. After all, honesty is the best policy, and will be found so in the long run. Ahithophel gave wicked counsel to Absalom; to render himself so hateful to his father, that he would never be reconciled to him; this cursed policy was of the devil. How desperately wicked is the human heart!
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.