Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Ten young men - smote Absalom and slew him - That is, they all pierced the body; but there could be no life in it after three darts had been thrust through the heart: but they added as much as would have killed him had he been alive.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And ten young men that bare Joab's armour,.... That waited upon him in the battle, to carry his armour, and supply him with it as he should have occasion; these, by his orders:

compassed about, and smote Absalom, and slew him; they enclosed him that none might rescue him, and smote him with their spears or swords, or whatsoever armour they had, until it was a clear case that he was really dead. Joab in this disobeyed the king's order, but provided for the good of the nation, and the safety of the king. The Jews observe^F13Misn. Sotah, c. 1. sect. 8. , that measure for measure was given to Absalom; he was proud of his hair, 2 Samuel 14:25, and therefore was hanged by it, 2 Samuel 18:9; he lay with ten concubines of his father, 2 Samuel 16:21, and therefore was smitten with ten lances or spears by ten young men; and he stole three hearts, the heart of his father, the heart of the sanhedrim, and the heart of the men of Israel, and therefore three darts were fixed in him, 2 Samuel 18:14.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

Slew him — The darts did not dispatch him, and therefore they smote him again, and killed him.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Samuel 18:15 And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

Ver. 15. And ten young men.] As he had defiled his father’s ten concubines, so by these ten youngsters he hath that little breath that was left in him beaten out of his body. En admirandum Dei iudicium. See 2 Samuel 18:10.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Judging that there could be no safety to the king, nor peace to the kingdom, nor security to himself, and all David’s friends and loyal subjects, and good men, if Absalom had lived, as may seem probable from 2 Samuel 19:10, and yet perceiving that the king’s heart was reconcilable to Absalom, notwithstanding his abominable crimes of lying with his father’s concubines, and of horrid and unnatural rebellion; both which were capital crimes by the law of God; he adventured to save David’s life against his will. But whether Joab did well in this, all things considered, I shall not here determine.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

15.Ten young men — These armour-bearers of Josh, of course, accompanied their chieftain when he went to smite Absalom, and after he had pierced him with his fatal darts they also wantonly abused his lifeless body, and afterwards cast him into the pit. 2 Samuel 18:17.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Ten. Naharai alone is specified, chap. xxiii. 37. Why he had ten does not appear. (Calmet) --- Slew him, inflicting many wounds on him; though Joab had already done sufficient. (Haydock) --- These men abused his corpse, as if to revenge the insult offered to David's ten wives. (Salien) --- It is asked whether Joab did wrong? He consulted the public welfare, rather than the parental affection of the king for a son, whom the law condemned to die for rebellion, incest, and murder, Leviticus xviii. 29., and chap. xiii. 28. But still he was not a proper judge to inflict this death in cold blood; and thus to render the salvation of Absalom's soul more desperate. David would, however, have done well to have punished this son, as incorrigible and dangerous to the state. (Haydock)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

armour = weapons.

slew him. David being fifty-seven years old; Absalom, twenty-four; Solomon, seven.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

No JFB commentary on this verse.