Jewish view of the history of David -- Amnon's crime -- Absalom's vengeance -- flight of Absalom -- the

wise woman of Tekoah -- Absalom returns to Jerusalem -- his conspiracy -- David's flight.

2 SAMUEL 13-16

IN studying the history of the Old Testament, every thoughtful Christian must feel that a special interest

attaches to the views and interpretations of the ancient Synagogue. Too often they are exaggerated, carnal,

and even contrary to the real meaning of Holy Scripture. But, on the other hand, there are subjects on which

we may profitably learn from Jewish teaching. Among them are some of the opinions expressed by the

Rabbis on the history and character of David. A brief review of these may be helpful, and serve both as

retrospect of the past, and as preparation for the study of the closing years of his reign.

Considering the important part which David sustains in the history of Israel, the views expressed by the

ancient Synagogue are, on the whole, remarkably free from undue partiality. But beyond this there is a

shrewd discernment of real under apparent motives, and a keen appreciation of the moral bearing of actions.

The bright side of David's character is dwelt upon his true humility,2 the affectionateness of his disposition,

the faithfulness of his friendship, and, above all, his earnest heart -piety, which distinguished him not only

from the monarchs of heathen nations, but from all his contemporaries, and made him for all time one of the

heroes of faith.

On the other hand, his failings and sins are noted, and traced to self-indulgence, to rashness in arriving at

conclusions, to suspiciousness in listening to every breath of slander, and even to a tendency to

revengefulness, - all, we may observe, truly Oriental failings, the undisguised account of which is, of course,

evidential of the truthfulness of the narrative. But what the Rabbis lay special stress upon is, that, while

David kept indwelling sin in check, he failed in the full subdual, or rather in the moral renovation, of the

heart. This led to his final and terrible sin. Of course, the Rabbis take a defective view of the case, since it

would be more correct to reverse their statement. Nor should we omit to notice their conception of the

higher aspects of his history. The typical bearing of his life is not lost sight of, and in every phase of it they

point forward to "David's better Son." They also delight in marking throughout the overruling guidance of

God, how the early training and history of David were intended to fit him for his calling; how, in Divine

Providence, his failings and sins were, so to speak, ever reflected in their punishment, as, for example, his

rashness in dividing the inheritance of Mephibosheth with his unworthy servant in the similar loss

sustained by Rehoboam, David's grandson; how his life is full of deeper lessons; and how in the fifteenth

Psalm he embodies in brief summary the whole spiritual outcome of the Law (this is noticed in Maccabees 24

But of special interest in this history are the views taken of David's repentance, and of the consequences

which followed from his great sin. David is here set before us as the model and ideal of, and the

encouragement to, true repentance. In fact, tradition goes even further. It declares that the sin of Israel in

making the golden calf and the fall of David were only recorded - it might almost seem, that they were only

allowed -for the sake of their lessons about repentance. The former showed that, even if the whole

congregation had erred and strayed, the door of mercy was still open to them; the latter, that not only for

Israel as a whole, but for each individual sinner, however low his fall, there was assurance of forgiveness, if

with true penitence he turned to God. The one case proved that nothing was too great for God to pardon;

the other that there was not any one beneath His gracious notice. Be they many, or only one solitary

individual, the ear of God was equally open to the cry of the repentant (comp. Av. Sar. 4. b, 5. a). The other

point to which the Rabbis call attention is, that all the trials of David's later life, and all the judgments which

overtook him and his house, might be traced up to his great sin, which, though personally pardoned, made

itself felt in its consequences throughout the whole of his after-history (comp. especially Sanh. 107. a and b,

where there are some interesting notices about David).