How shall a person subject to the feelings of humanity, (a security of more avail among men than the most binding laws) how shall a man, not steeled to a very Jew, find expressions suited to the occasion, when he relates the treatment of this poor city, Rabbah? The study would be as difficult as unnecessary; the simple unexaggerated tale, if seriously attended to, will shock the humane reader sufficiently. The city was taken and plundered; and David "brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln, and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon."**
* It is supposed that the ancient slavery of the Jews to the
Egyptians, and the labour they were employed in by their
lordly taskmasters, the making bricks, might be a current
reproachful jeer upon the Jews, when any quarrel happened
between them find their neighbours; and that the making
their prisoners pass through the brick-kiln, was a cruel
method of revenging such affronts. A conjecture not
improbable.
** 2 Sam. xii. 31., 1 Chron. xx. 3.
The precise punishments here alluded to are not understood at this time: writers being much divided in their expositions of these words; but that extraordinary punishments are meant, cannot admit of a doubt; for though believers expound the putting the Ammonites under saws and harrows, into the making slaves of them, and that these were the tools with which they laboured; yet this will not agree with the latter of the texts whose authority is mentioned in the note; where it is said, that he [David] "cut them with saws and with harrows of iron, and with axes." And should more evidence be yet required, Josephus also writes, that "the men were put to death by exquisite torments." The general truth of the fact stands therefore unimpeached. And is it thus the people of God, headed by a man styled, in a peculiar manner, the man after God's own heart, used the prisoners of war? Bella! horrida bella!
It would not be easy to select any period of any history more bloody, or abounding more in wickedness of various dyes than that which is the object of the reader's present attention. Instances succeed so quick that the relation of one is scarcely concluded, but fresh ones obtrude upon notice.—But now horrors of a different hue demand our attention.
Ammon, one of our hero's sons, ravished his sister Tamar, and then turned her out of doors.* Absalom, her brother by the same mother, seemingly took no notice of it, until two years after; when he invited all his brothers to a feast at his sheep-shearing; where he made Amnon drunk, and murdered him** in so deliberate, and yet so determined was his revenge! Absalom on this account, fled out of Judea, for three years*** until, at the entreaty of Joab, he was invited home again by his father, whose favourite he was.**** But though he returned to Jerusalem, yet would not his father see him for two years more.(5)
Absalom, during his exile, conceived a design of deposing his father; for after their reconciliation, his first attention was to render himself popular. To this end he set up a splendid equipage:(6) but politically increased his affability with his magnificence: rising up early, and planting himself in the way, to salute all who came to his father's levee. Of these he kindly enquired their business, or grievances; throwing out hints of the king's remissness in the execution of justice, and how uprightly he would conduct himself, were their causes to be determined by him.(7)
* 2 Sam. xiii. 14
** Ver. 28.
*** Ver. 88.
**** Chap. xiv. 21, 24.
(5) Ver. 28.
(6) Chap. xv. 1.
(7) Ver 2, 4.
The profession of piety is universally, and was in particular a-mong this people, the most successful disguise for crafty designing men to assume. When Absalom, therefore, thought his scheme sufficiently ripe for execution, he desired leave of his father to go to Hebron, to perform a vow made by him while a refugee in Syria.* At Hebron he set up his standard, and his followers assembled in such numbers, and the defection was so general, that David thought it adviseable to retire from Jerusalem.**
With him he took all his family and dependants, except ten concubines, whom he left in his palace to keep house.*** The priests, Zadock and Abiather, with the ark, would also have gone with him; but he thought it would be more for his service for them to remain in the city as spies; to send him intelligence how matters went.**** It is no inconsiderable part of politics to know how to suit men with proper employments, Ahitophel, his prime minister, joined the malecontents;(5) to balance which misfortune, David prevailed on Hushai, a trusty man of some importance, to remain in the city, that he might ingratiate himself with Absalom, thwart the counsels of Ahitophel, and transmit intelligence to him from time to time through the conveyance of the priests, whose sons were to carry on the correspondence.(6) Having concerted matters thus, he evacuated Jerusalem, and Absalom entered(7) it.
When David was upon his journey from the city, he was met by Ziba, servant to Mephibosheth, with asses and provisions for his majesty's accommodation in his retreat:(8) of whom, when David enquired why Mephibosheth did not come with him; this treacherous servant told him that he staid behind at Jerusalem, hoping to obtain the kingdom of his grandfather, during this disturbance:(9) by which lying aspersion, he gained a grant of all his master's possessions.