Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

To Abishai - Probably, as the king was on bad terms with Joab, and wished to deprive him of his post as Captain of the host, he gave his orders to Abishai, and weakly connived at the execution of them by Joab, which was inevitable.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And David said to Abishai,.... For it seems he would have nothing to say to Joab, being displeased with him for slaying Absalom, and having removed him from his posts; and therefore speaks to the next officer in his army, Abishai; though Josephus^F16Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 6. says, he addressed himself to Joab, contrary to the express words of the text:

now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom; gain a greater party, and give more trouble to subdue him, unless suppressed in time:

take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him; without waiting for Amasa, and the troops he was assembling; delays in such a case as an insurrection being dangerous, which ought to be nipped in the bud, and crushed as soon as possible; in order to which, he bids him take his servants that were about him, his bodyguards, and pursue Sheba:

lest he get him fenced cities; where he may secure himself, and hold out a siege a long time, and give a great deal of trouble:

and escape us; for the present; or "escape our eyes", as the "Keri", or marginal reading is; we shall lose sight of him, and not know which way he is gone, if he is not pursued quickly.

Geneva Study Bible

(f) Either those who had been under Joab or David's men.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

Abishai — Not to Joab; lest by this means he should recover his place, and Amasa be discontented, and David's fidelity in making good his promise to Amasa be questioned.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Samuel 20:6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

Ver. 6. Do us more harm than did Absalom.] David’s endless troubles kept his body still in action, his mind in passions, and his prowess in use, as one speaketh of our King John. (a) Affliction, saith another, so held in the Saxon kings in the Danish wars, that, having little outlets and leisure for ease and luxury, they were made the more pious, just, and careful in their government. (b)

Take thou thy lord’s servants.] That is, My guard, and those other that are in readiness, as 2 Samuel 20:7.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

David said to Abishai; not to Joab, lest by this means he should recover his place, and Amasa be discontented, and David’s fidelity in making good his promise to Amasa be questioned.

Thy lord’s servants, i.e. my guards that attend upon my person, and the other soldiers who are now present with me. He speaks of himself in the third person, as is very frequent. For it is not probable he would now call Joab his lord, whom he had lately deposed; nor Amasa, who had not yet taken actual possession of his place, nor had the command over the king’s guards.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

6.David said to Abishai — He grew impatient over the slow movements of Amasa, and, knowing that every day might add new strength to the rebellion, he sent forth Joab’s brother; for he could not now safely or consistently send Joab, who had been superseded in office, and might himself be strongly tempted to join the insurgents.

Thy lord’s servants — The mighty men and faithful adherents who had returned to Jerusalem with the king, and ever kept near his person. They are called David’s men in 2 Samuel 19:41, and included the Cherethites and Pelethites.

Escape us — Margin, correctly: deliver himself from our eyes; that is, elude all our search and effort to overcome him. Keil translates, tear out our eye, that is, do us a serious injury.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Lord, the king; or perhaps Joab. (Menochius) --- A select company always attended the king; and some of these he sent, for greater expedition, to attack Seba, before he had become too strong.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

thou. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "now", and others, with Septuagint, read "now therefore "

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

David said to Abishai ... take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he ... escape us, [ hatsiyl (Hebrew #5337) `eeyneenuw (Hebrew #5869), turn away our eyes - i:e., elude our sight; Septuagint, skiasei tous ofthalmous heemoon].

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) David said to Abishai.—David is determined to pass over Joab, and, therefore, when Amasa fails in this crisis, requiring immediate action, he summons Abishai, and puts him in command of such forces as were at hand in Jerusalem, and gives him orders for the rapid pursuit of Sheba. The clause “escape us” is difficult, and doubtful in the original, and the English follows the Vulg. Others translate “pluck out our eye,” i.e., do us great harm; others as the LXX., “over shadow our eye,” meaning either cause us anxiety, or hide where we cannot find him.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Abishai

2:18; 3:30,39; 10:9,10,14; 18:2,12; 21:17; 23:18; 1 Samuel 26:6; 1 Chronicles 11:20; 18:12

do us

19:7

thy lord's

11:11; 1 Kings 1:33

escape us

Heb. deliver himself from our eyes.