2 Samuel 15:7

And it came to pass after forty years,.... Or four years; so long it was from the reconciliation of Absalom to David, as Josephus (f) says; and so read Theodoret on the place, the Syriac and Arabic

And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron. After forty years.

After forty years. Quest. Whence are these to be computed? Answ. Not from Absalom’ s birth; for he was born in Hebron some considerable time after David had begun his reign, , much less from the time of his vow made, or of his return from banishment; but either, first, From the time of David’ s election or designation to the kingdom. . Or, secondly, From the beginning of Saul’ s reign; which being a solemn time, and observable for the change of the government in Israel, might very fitly be made an epochs, from which the computation or account of times begin; as the Greeks and Romans began their accounts in the same manner, and upon the same ground. Or rather, thirdly, From the beginning of David’ s reign, who reigned forty years; and so the words may be rendered, about or towards the end of forty years, i. e. in the beginning of the fortieth year. And so this very phrase is used , At the end of every seven years, i.e. in the seventh year, even from the beginning of it, as is manifested and confessed. So in a like expression, After three days will I rise again, , i.e. on the beginning of the third day, when Christ did rise; the number of three days being then completed when the third day is begun. And the forty years are here expressed as one motive or inducement to Absalom to rebel, because now his father’ s end grew near; and one of the Hebrew doctors affirms, that there was a tradition, or rumour, or prediction, that David should reign but forty years. And Absalom might easily understand that David intended to decline him, and to make Solomon his successor, as well by the conscience of his own wickedness and unfitness for so great a trust, as by that eminent wisdom and piety which appeared in Solomon in his tender years, and that great respect and affection which his father must needs have and manifest to him upon this account, and by that promise and oath given to Bathsheba concerning his succession mentioned , but made before that time, which also might come to Absalom’ s ear. Against this opinion two things are objected: first, That David was in the time of this rebellion a strong man, for he marched on foot, , whereas in his last year he was very infirm and bedrid. Secondly, That after this rebellion was ended divers other things happened, as the three years’ famine, , and other things following in the history.

2 Samuel 15:7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.Ver. 7. And it came to pass after forty years.] Not after four years, as Josephus hath it, but after forty years, via, after David’ s first anointing by Samuel, say some, seven or eight years before he began his reign in Hebron, and ending about seven years before his death. Others of good note begin the computation of these forty years at the time that Israel asked a king, as if it intimated thus much, - They would needs have a king. They shall now have so many kings that they know not well which to follow; and many of them shall perish in following the usurper. Samuel had foretold the people then - but they regarded not his words - that a king would "take their sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some to run before his chariots." Now they see it fulfilled in Absalom, who affected the kingdom; and by this passage, after forty years, are reminded of their sin, and what a heavy burden they had brought upon themselves. Codomannus gathereth, that for the time of the year, it was between the feasts of the passover and Pentecost; because Barzillai the Gileadite brought to David for a present "parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse." Let me go and pay my vow.] Here religion is made a cloak to rebellion, as in the Papacy is ordinary. He knew well that his pious father would be full glad to hear that he was a votary, and would further him all that might be.

(7) After forty years.—The reading is certainly incorrect. Absalom was born after David began his reign in Hebron, and his whole reign was only forty years. Absalom therefore was not yet forty at his death. The reading found in the Syriac and most MSS. of the Vulgate, and adopted by Josephus, four years, is probably correct. It remains uncertain from what point this four years is to be reckoned; probably it is from Absalom’s return to Jerusalem. Pay my vow . . . in Hebron.—We have no means of knowing whether this vow was real or fictitious; certainly Absalom now uses it as a pretext, and yet there is nothing improbable in his having actually made such a vow during his exile. Hebron was the place of his birth and childhood, as well as a holy city from very ancient times, and was thus a suitable place for the performance of his vow; it was also at a convenient distance from Jerusalem, and had been the royal city of David for the first seven years of his reign. It was thus well adapted to be the starting place of Absalom’s rebellion, and it is not unlikely, moreover, that the men of Hebron may have resented the transfer of the capital to Jerusalem, and therefore have lent a willing ear to Absalom. Like many other culprits, Absalom veils his crime under the cloak of religion, pretending submission to his father, and receiving his blessing at the very moment when he is striking at his crown and his life.

Verse 7. After forty years] There is no doubt that this reading is corrupt, though supported by the commonly printed Vulgate, the Septuagint, and the Chaldee. But the Syriac has [Syriac] arba shanin, FOUR years; the Arabic the same [Arabic] arba shinin, FOUR years; and Josephus has the same; so also the Sixtine edition of the Vulgate, and several MSS. of the same version. Theodoret also reads four, not forty; and most learned men are of opinion that ארבעים arbaim, FORTY, is an error for אברע arba, FOUR; yet this reading is not supported by any Hebrew MS. yet discovered. But two of those collated by Dr. Kennicott have יום yom instead of שנה shanah, i.e., forty DAYS, instead of forty YEARS; and this is a reading more likely to be true than that in the commonly received text. We know that Absalom did stay THREE years with his grandfather at Geshur, 2 Samuel 13:38; and this probably was a year after his return: the era, therefore, may be the time of his slaying his brother Amnon; and the four years include the time from his flight till the conspiracy mentioned here.

7–12. Absalom’s conspiracy 7. after forty years] There is no obvious date from which forty years could be reckoned in this way without specifying what point of time was intended. In place of forty we must read four with Josephus and some of the ancient versions. The four years are to be reckoned in all probability from the time of Absalom’s reconciliation to David. They were spent in preparing for the conspiracy by ingratiating himself with the people in the way described in the preceding verses. in Hebron] The fact that Hebron was his birth-place would make the wish to pay his vow there instead of at Jerusalem seem sufficiently natural.

Forty years - An obvious clerical error, though a very ancient one for four years, which may date from Absalom’s return from Geshur, or from his reconciliation with David, or from the commencement of

7. After forty years — This is an error in the text, for David reigned but forty years in all, (1 Kings 2:11,) and he certainly had reigned many years before Absalom’s rebellion.