John Gill's Exposition on 2 Samuel 16:8

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, etc.] Which he would suggest was shed by David, or, however, that he was the cause of its being shed; as if he had stirred up the Philistines to that battle in which Saul and his sons were slain, and had an hand secretly in the deaths of Ishbosheth and Abner, all which were false insinuations; and it may be the seven sons of Saul before this time, though after related, were delivered into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged, to which respect may be had: in whose stead thou hast reigned; not by right, but by usurpation he suggests: and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; in this he seems to contradict himself; for if David had got the kingdom by usurpation, it would rather have, been delivered by the Lord into the hand of one of Saul’s family, and not of David’s: and behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief; punished for his sins; the mischief he had brought on others was retaliated to him: because thou [art] a bloody man; guilty of slaying, as the Targum of shedding innocent blood, and so worthy of death.

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