2 Samuel 19–20

Continued Troubles for David

Chapter 19 of 2 Samuel begins by telling of David’s continued sorrow for the death of Absalom. Joab told King David that many people were confused that he wept over the death of someone who attempted to overthrow him as king and go to battle against him. Joab said that David appeared to love his enemies and hate his friends. The rest of 2 Samuel 19 tells how David took Joab’s counsel and attempted to deal kindly with both friends and former enemies. For example, the tribe of Judah generally supported Absalom.

David invited Judah to support him once again and said he would put one of them in charge of his army. This, however, angered both Joab and the other tribes of Israel. A rebellion by the other tribes in Israel as they attempted to put another man in as king is recorded in 2 Samuel 20. David’s men, led by Joab, stopped the rebellion—after Joab killed the man David put in charge of the army.

Chapters 19–20 of 2 Samuel leave us with the impression that while David’s desires were usually good, the wise judgment he had as a young man had left him.