The Syrians henceforth left the Ammonites to their fate, and the petty chiefs who had beep in allegiance to Hadadezer hastened to do homage to David.
(6) Capture of Rabbah. Early in the next season Joab was sent to take vengeance on the Ammonites in their own home by attacking their chief city, or Rabbah of Ammon. The natural strength of their border could not keep out vet eran troops and an experienced leader, nnd, though the siege of the city occupied many months, and, indeed, it was prolonged into the next year, it was at last taken. It is character istic of Oriental despotism that Joab, when the city was nearly reduced, sent to invite David to command the final assault in person. David gathered a large force, easily captured the royal town and despoiled it of all its wealth. His ven geance was as much more dreadful on the unfor tunate inhabitants than formerly on the Moabites, as the danger in which the Ammonites had in volved Israel had been more imminent. The per sons captured in the city were put to death by i torture, some of them being sawed in pieces, others chopped up with axes or mangled with harrows, while some were smothered in brick kilns (2 Sam. xii :3i ; r Chron. xx :3) ; or, as some interpret these passages, he put them to work as prisoners. They were "put under the saws" in the same sense that they were put under the yoke. They were put to the axes and the har rows—forced to work with them, and made to pass through (or among) the brick-kilns.
5. Sins and Penalties.
(1) Sin Against Bathsheba and Uriah. During the campaign against Rabbah of Ammon the painful and never-to-be-forgotten outrage of David against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah the Hittite took place. It is principally through this narrative that we know the tediousness of that siege, since the adultery with Bathsheba and the birth of at least one child took place during the course of it.
(2) Rebellion of Absalom. The latter years of David's reign were afflicted by the inevitable results of polygamy and despotism, viz., the quar rels of the sons of different mothers, and their eagerness to seize the kingdom before their father's death. Of all his sons, Absalom had nat urally the greatest pretensions, being, by his mother's side, grandson of Talmai, king of Ge shur, while through his personal beauty and win ning manners he was high in popular favor. It is evident, moreover, that he was the darling son of his father. When his own sister Tamar had been dishonored by her half-brother Amnon, the eldest son of David, Absalom slew him in ven geance, but in fear of his father then fled to his grandfather at Geshur. Joab, discerning David's
longings for his son, effected his return after three years; but the conflict in the king's mind is strikingly shown by his allowing Absalom to dwell two full years in Jerusalem before he would see his face.
The insurrection of Absalom against the king was the next important event ; in the course of which there was shown the general tendency of men to look favorably on young and untried princes rather than on those whom they know for better and for worse. Absalom erected his royal standard at Hebron first, and • Pas fully prepared to slay his father outright, which might probably have been done if the energetic advice of Ahith ophel had been followed. While they delayed David escaped beyond the Jordan, and with all his troop met a most friendly reception, not only from Barzillai and Machir, wealthy chiefs of pas toral Gilead, but from Shobi, the son of the Am monite king Nahash, whose power he had de stroyed and whose people he had hewed in pieces. We likewise learn on this occasion that the for tunes of David had been all along attended by (goo men of Gath, who now, under the command of Ittai the Gittite, crossed the Jordan with all their households, in spite of David's generous ad vice that they return to their own country.
(3) Death of Absalom. Strengthened by the warlike eastern tribes, and surrounded by his ex perienced captains, the king no longer hesit'.ted to meet Absalom in the field. A decisive victory was won at the wood of Ephraim, and Absalom was slain by Joab in the retreat. The old king was heart-stricken at this result, and. ignorant of his own weakness, superseded Joab in the command of the host by Amasa, Absalom's captain. Perhaps Joab on the former occasion, when he murdered Abner, had blinded the king by pleading revenge for the blood of Acahel ; but no such pretence could here avail. The king was now probably brought to his determination, partly by his dis gust at Joah. partly by his desire to give the in surgents confidence in his amnesty. If Amasa is the same as Amasai. David may likewise have retained a grateful remembrance of the cordial greeting with which lie had led a strong hand to his assistance at the critical period of his abode in ZikIng (1 Chron. xii:tft) ; moreover. Amasa, equally with Joah, was David's nephew, their two mothers, Abigail and Zeruiah. being sisters to David by at least one parent (2 Sam. xvii:25; t Chron. ii;t3. i6).