Introduction: The Chapter of Return to Kingship
This chapter is a chapter of return. After the downfall of Avshalom, after David's mourning, and after Yoav's harsh words to him ('And now arise, go out and speak to the heart of your servants'), the process of restoring the kingship to David begins. On the way back to Yerushalayim David meets, one after another, four figures: Shimi ben Gera who had cursed him, Mefiboshet son of Shaul, Barzillai the aged Gileadite, and finally the quarrel breaks out between the men of Yehudah and the men of Yisrael, from which will grow, in the next chapter, the rebellion of Sheva ben Bichri. We will go through the events in order, according to the explanations of the commentators, foremost among them the Malbim.
Shimi ben Gera Hurries to Meet the King
וַיְמַהֵר שִׁמְעִי בֶן־גֵּרָא בֶּן־הַיְמִינִי אֲשֶׁר מִבַּחוּרִים וַיֵּרֶד עִם־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה לִקְרַאת הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד׃ - And Shimi ben Gera the Binyaminite, who was from Bachurim, hurried and came down with the men of Yehudah to meet King David.
Who is it that hurries to meet the king? None other than Shimi ben Gera. That same man who had the nerve and the audacity to come before David and curse him with a fierce curse: you are an adulterer, you are a murderer, you are a mamzer, you are an enemy, you are a Moabite. Extremely harsh expressions. And it was not enough with words alone, for he also carried them out in action: 'and cast dust,' he threw stones at him. At that time they asked to kill him and David did not agree, saying that in the merit of this he merited to be a fourth wheel in the chariot. And now he hurries. Why? Because he understands that the noose is tightening around his neck, and it is worth his while to smooth things over with David before it is too late.
וְאֶלֶף אִישׁ עִמּוֹ מִבִּנְיָמִן וְצִיבָא נַעַר בֵּית שָׁאוּל וַחֲמֵשֶׁת עָשָׂר בָּנָיו וְעֶשְׂרִים עֲבָדָיו אִתּוֹ וְצָלְחוּ הַיַּרְדֵּן לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - And a thousand men from Binyamin were with him, and Tziva the servant of the house of Shaul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, and they crossed the Yarden before the king.
Shimi arrives with a thousand men from Binyamin - this is the 'dowry' he brings with him. Note: the men of Binyamin had been among Shaul's people from time immemorial. And now Shimi comes and seeks to persuade the king: accept me, I bring with me many men who are ready to accept your kingship. Together with him comes Tziva the servant of the house of Shaul, Mefiboshet's servant, that cunning man who received Mefiboshet's field. And they all 'crossed the Yarden' - they passed through the Yarden before the king.
וְעָבְרָה הָעֲבָרָה לַעֲבִיר אֶת־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָו וְשִׁמְעִי בֶן־גֵּרָא נָפַל לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעׇבְרוֹ בַּיַּרְדֵּן׃ - And the ferry crossed over to bring over the king's household, and to do what was good in his eyes; and Shimi ben Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Yarden.
'And the ferry crossed over' - the boat passed across to bring over the king's household, that is, the women and the children, and they transferred them across on the rafts. 'The ferry' means the boat, like the maavoret. And what is meant by 'and to do what was good in his eyes'? One explanation: to flatter him. And another explanation: they told him that they accepted his kingship without any conditions. They could have come and said: David, we are restoring you, but on the condition that you sign that you will not take revenge on those who rebelled against you, or that you lower our taxes. That is not what they did. They said: we accept you as you are, and you will rule over us as you see fit.
Shimi's Confession: An Admission That Does Not Whitewash
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אַל־יַחֲשָׁב־לִי אֲדֹנִי עָוֺן וְאַל־תִּזְכֹּר אֵת אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱוָה עַבְדְּךָ בַּיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יָצָא אֲדֹנִי־הַמֶּלֶךְ מִירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם לָשׂוּם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־לִבּוֹ׃ - And he said to the king: Let not my lord hold me guilty of iniquity, and do not remember that which your servant did wrongfully on the day that my lord the king went out from Yerushalayim, that the king should take it to heart.
Shimi confesses to a double iniquity. The first iniquity: that he joined the conspirators and rebels, and was among those who not only did not accept David's kingship but even helped to bring him down. About this he says 'Let not my lord hold me guilty of iniquity.' The second iniquity, personal and particular: that he cursed the king. And in this sin there is severity from three aspects. The first - the act itself, and this is 'that which your servant did wrongfully.' The second - the timing: 'on the day that my lord the king went out from Yerushalayim,' when you went out weary and exhausted, hunted and stricken, and I came to push a stone after the fallen one and to add a blow upon your blow. This magnifies the iniquity many times over. The third - the intent: there is one who rebels against the king because it is worthwhile for him, and there is one who rebels in order to provoke and anger. And Shimi admits that he cursed 'that the king should take it to heart' - in order to distress him, that he should take it to heart and be pained by it.
כִּי יָדַע עַבְדְּךָ כִּי אֲנִי חָטָאתִי וְהִנֵּה־בָאתִי הַיּוֹם רִאשׁוֹן לְכׇל־בֵּית יוֹסֵף לָרֶדֶת לִקְרַאת אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - For your servant knows that I have sinned, and behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Yosef, to go down to meet my lord the king.
Note Shimi's cleverness: he makes no attempt to whitewash and no attempt to hide. 'One who covers his sins will not succeed, but one who confesses and forsakes them will find mercy' - he admits and spells out his sin. And from here there is a great lesson for us all: a person who confesses must specify his sin. 'For your servant knows that I have sinned' - I am not trying to hide, I know that I sinned.
And immediately after the confession he offers the 'sweetener': 'and behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Yosef.' What is he hinting to David? Know this, I am the symbol here. All the house of Yosef are waiting to see what will become of my fate. If they see that you cut off my head, you have opened up a revolt against yourself by all the house of Yosef. But if they see that I was accepted, they will say: behold, they accepted Shimi ben Gera, they will accept us too - and everyone will come. This is also why he brought with him the thousand men from the tribe of Binyamin.
And why did he specifically say 'house of Yosef' and not Binyamin and Ephraim? The Midrash says: Shimi said to David, Yosef's brothers repaid him with evil, and he repaid them with good - go please in Yosef's footsteps, and you too repay good in place of evil. The Radak brings a further Midrash: all of Israel are called 'Yosef,' because Yosef sustained them in Egypt, and once he sustained them they were called by his name, as it says 'perhaps Hashem, God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Yosef,' and likewise 'Shepherd of Israel, give ear, You who lead Yosef like a flock.' According to this Shimi said to him: all of Israel repaid you with evil, and I more than all of them, and all of Israel are now waiting to see what you will do with me. If you accept me - all of Israel come to you as one and make peace with you.
Avishai demands judgment, and David forgives
וַיַּעַן אֲבִישַׁי בֶּן־צְרוּיָה וַיֹּאמֶר הֲתַחַת זֹאת לֹא יוּמַת שִׁמְעִי כִּי קִלֵּל אֶת־מְשִׁיחַ יְהֹוָה׃ - Avishai son of Tzeruyah answered and said: For this shall not Shimi be put to death, because he cursed the anointed of Hashem?
The matter does not pass smoothly. Avishai argues: just because he came first, will you give him concessions and not punish him? The core of his claim is that there is no connection between what the people did and what Shimi did. The whole nation you can take back, for they only rebelled; but he cursed the anointed of Hashem. And there is no reason to fear that the people will conclude that you will not accept them either, for this man is a habitual offender and a great criminal, while the people are not criminals like him. Therefore there is no fear of revolt.
And here it is worth noting: Avishai ben Tzeruyah and Yoav ben Tzeruyah did not feel themselves to be servants but partners in the kingdom. We saw this earlier, when Yoav speaks to the king in commanding language: 'and now arise, go out and speak to the heart of your servants.' Who speaks that way to a king? Rather, they were family - the sons of Tzeruyah, David's sister, and Yoav was David's nephew - and they also knew that David depended on them, as David himself said that the sons of Tzeruyah were too hard for him and he could not prevail over them.
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד מַה־לִּי וְלָכֶם בְּנֵי צְרוּיָה כִּי־תִהְיוּ־לִי הַיּוֹם לְשָׂטָן הַיּוֹם יוּמַת אִישׁ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי הַיּוֹם אֲנִי־מֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - David said: What have I to do with you, sons of Tzeruyah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? Shall any man be put to death this day in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?
Rashi explains: 'shall any man be put to death this day' - as a question. 'For today I am king' - until now I thought that such a great man would not have belittled me unless my kingship had been terminated by the Omnipresent, and he had been commanded from Heaven to curse David. But now that he regrets it, I know that I am king. That is to say, his regret is good news for me: when he belittled me I said that this is surely Hashem's will and I deserve it, and now that he regrets it I understand that today I am king over Israel.
And the Malbim explains that David argued that reason dictates that Shimi should not be killed, for two reasons. The first - that harm would result from it: if they see that he kills him, the people will be afraid. This is 'that you should this day be an adversary to me' - 'satan' meaning a harmer. Do you want to be a harmer to me today and cause damage to the kingdom? The second - that David considered himself as one who received the kingship anew today. And it was the way and custom of kings in ancient times that on the day of their ascent to the throne they would grant a general amnesty to all offenders, a kind of new page being opened, and through this they won their hearts and usually even secured a promise that they would not return to their evil ways. If so, David says: today they crowned me - 'shall any man be put to death this day in Israel'?! This is a day on which it is fitting to grant amnesty, not to put to death.
And there is another explanation by way of hint: about whom is it said 'a man'? 'There was a Jewish man in Shushan the capital, and his name was Mordechai... son of Shimi' - Mordechai was among the descendants of Shimi ben Gera. David said to them: you want me to kill him? If so, 'shall any man be put to death this day in Israel' - you are killing Mordechai. Therefore he in no way agreed.
And there is a further explanation of "Do I not know that this day I am king over Israel?" David judged himself as one who was not considered a king throughout the entire period when his son Avshalom rebelled against him, as if he had been removed from the kingship. We learned earlier that a king who forgoes his honor, his honor is not forgone, for his honor is the honor of the people, and he has no mandate to forgo the honor of the people (unlike a father who forgoes his honor, whose honor is forgone). And this is precisely David's argument: You say I have no power to forgo my honor because I am king? Only today am I king; throughout that entire period when I was pursued by my son Avshalom I was removed from the kingship, and therefore I have the power to forgo what happened during that period.
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־שִׁמְעִי לֹא תָמוּת וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - And the king said to Shimi, You shall not die; and the king swore to him.
"You shall not die" - for this sin. But for other reasons there is no guarantee. And indeed he deserved punishment for the act itself, and therefore David did not cancel the matter entirely but commanded at the end of his days, "and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace" - that is, he opened a new file against him. And so it indeed was: for the old file he was not punished, also because David had sworn to him, but afterward another sin was found in him.
Mefiboshet Comes Toward the King
וּמְפִבֹשֶׁת בֶּן־שָׁאוּל יָרַד לִקְרַאת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא־עָשָׂה רַגְלָיו וְלֹא־עָשָׂה שְׂפָמוֹ וְאֶת־בְּגָדָיו לֹא כִבֵּס לְמִן־הַיּוֹם לֶכֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ עַד־הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר־בָּא בְשָׁלוֹם׃ - And Mefiboshet the son of Shaul came down toward the king, and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace.
Mefiboshet the son of Shaul, that is, the grandson of Shaul. "And he had not dressed his feet" - according to the Radak he did not wash his feet, and according to the Ralbag he did not cut his toenails. "Nor trimmed his mustache" - he did not shave his mustache. "Nor washed his clothes." Throughout that entire period he behaved as a mourner.
Let us recall the background: Tziva, Mefiboshet's servant, came before David at the time he was fleeing from Avshalom. David asked him where Mefiboshet your master was, and he answered that he was sitting in Yerushalayim saying: Let Avshalom kill David and David Avshalom, and let the young men fight it out between them, and in the end they will restore the kingship to me. Thus Tziva deceived him and spoke slander about him, and David sinned and accepted the slander - Chazal say he should not have accepted it - and said to him, "Yours shall be all that belongs to Mefiboshet." And how cunning Tziva was: how was he not afraid to leave Yerushalayim, lest Avshalom seize him and kill him? Rather, he had a cover story ready. He said: I will go out with all the provisions to greet David; if Avshalom seizes me I will tell him that Mefiboshet sent me to attend to him, and I am only a servant; and if he does not seize me, I will come to David and say that I risked my life to come toward him, and that Mefiboshet did not want to come because he is awaiting the kingship.
And now, when Mefiboshet arrives, he must explain himself. The very fact that he did not come is already counted against him: it is a sign that you do not grieve with me and feel no pain at my situation. Moreover, the very fact that you remained in Yerushalayim - who dares to remain there? Only one who has no fear of being suspected of being among David's supporters. That is, you do not categorize yourself as one who loves me. And even when David sees that he had not dressed his feet nor trimmed his mustache, this could be attributed to his having done so in order to find favor in Avshalom's eyes, or that he sought to give the impression that he grieves in David's sorrow while having no genuine grief.
וַיְהִי כִּי־בָא יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לִקְרַאת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָמָּה לֹא־הָלַכְתָּ עִמִּי מְפִיבֹשֶׁת׃ - And it came to pass, when he came to Yerushalayim to meet the king, that the king said to him, Why did you not go with me, Mefiboshet?
וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ עַבְדִּי רִמָּנִי כִּי־אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ אֶחְבְּשָׁה־לִּי הַחֲמוֹר וְאֶרְכַּב עָלֶיהָ וְאֵלֵךְ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי פִסֵּחַ עַבְדֶּךָ׃ - And he answered, My lord the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, I will saddle myself the donkey, that I may ride upon it and go with the king, because your servant is lame.
Mefiboshet answers: I told my servant to saddle the donkey for me, for I wanted to go and greet the king; for you know that on my own I cannot, since I am lame.
וַיְרַגֵּל בְּעַבְדְּךָ אֶל־אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כְּמַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים וַעֲשֵׂה הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ׃ - And he slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like an angel of God; do therefore what is good in your eyes.
What does the word 'vayeragel' mean? It is like 'holech rachil' (a peddler of gossip) - one who goes from person to person selling his wares: did you hear what happened with so and so? He passes to another and tells about him. So too 'meragel' (a spy) comes from the same idea, based on going about on foot from one to another. And Mefiboshet adds: 'and my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes' - I am not worried, I trust you to do as you see fit. In other words: do not think that I came to flatter you because I want the field back, and that the money is what troubles me. If it is good in your eyes to leave him the field, leave it to him.
כִּי לֹא הָיָה כׇּל־בֵּית אָבִי כִּי אִם־אַנְשֵׁי־מָוֶת לַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתָּשֶׁת אֶת־עַבְדְּךָ בְּאֹכְלֵי שֻׁלְחָנֶךָ וּמַה־יֶּשׁ־לִי עוֹד צְדָקָה וְלִזְעֹק עוֹד אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - For all my father's house were nothing but men deserving of death before my lord the king, yet you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What right have I, then, still to cry out further to the king?
And here he states it explicitly: it was customary in their days that all the descendants of the previous king were killed by the new king, so that they would not think to reclaim the kingship for themselves. If so, we were men deserving of death, and not only did you have mercy on me and give me a field, you even placed me among those who eat at your table. If so, what claims could I possibly have against you, and how could I ask you for anything more? And all the more so, how could I cry out before you as though you had taken from me something that belongs to me, when in the first place you gave it to me as a kindness.
וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָמָּה תְּדַבֵּר עוֹד דְּבָרֶיךָ אָמַרְתִּי אַתָּה וְצִיבָא תַּחְלְקוּ אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶה׃ - And the king said to him: why do you speak further of your matters? I have said, you and Tziva shall divide the field.
David does not retract. The Ralbag explains: David says, I accepted Tziva's words that your deeds stemmed from your wish for the kingship to return to you and for me not to reign; on the other hand you tell me a different story, and I cannot decide between them. And when a person cannot decide, they divide. You take half the field and Tziva half the field. The Malbim explains differently: David recognized that in truth Tziva slandered him and there is no truth in his words, but David is now interpreting his own earlier statement: when I said to Tziva 'all that belonged to Mefiboshet is yours,' I did not intend to give him everything, but rather that you and Tziva would divide the field. Thus, on the one hand he does not retract his words, and on the other hand there is no injustice toward Mefiboshet, for in any case Tziva and his servants worked the field as tenant farmers and receive half, and now too they will receive half.
And Chazal say: at the very moment David said 'you and Tziva shall divide the field,' there was sin in his hand. How could he accept lashon hara? A heavenly voice went forth and said: Yeravam and Rechavam will divide the kingdom. Because he accepted lashon hara from Tziva's mouth and did not accept Mefiboshet's defense, and said to him 'why do you speak further of your matters,' while Scripture itself testifies about him 'he had not trimmed his moustache, nor cared for his feet, nor washed his clothes.' You and Tziva shall divide the field, so your grandchildren will divide the kingship, and it will not remain wholly yours. We see from here how severe the sin of lashon hara is.
וַיֹּאמֶר מְפִיבֹשֶׁת אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ גַּם אֶת־הַכֹּל יִקָּח אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר־בָּא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּשָׁלוֹם אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ׃ - And Mefiboshet said to the king: let him take even everything, now that my lord the king has come home in peace.
Mefiboshet says to him: Heaven forbid, I rejoice in the very fact that you have returned. Do you think the matter of the field pains me? It is a trivial matter in my eyes. Because the good and welfare of the king are so precious to me, his return matters to me more than my personal interest of whether I have a field or not. And with this he in fact proved his innocence, that all he cared about was David's good and not his own private affairs.
Barzilai the Giladi
וּבַרְזִלַּי הַגִּלְעָדִי יָרַד מֵרֹגְלִים וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן׃ - And Barzilai the Giladi came down from Rogelim and crossed the Jordan with the king, to escort him over the Jordan.
וּבַרְזִלַּי זָקֵן מְאֹד בֶּן־שְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה וְהוּא־כִלְכַּל אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ בְשִׁיבָתוֹ בְמַחֲנַיִם כִּי־אִישׁ גָּדוֹל הוּא מְאֹד׃ - And Barzilai was very old, eighty years of age, and he had provided for the king during his stay in Machanayim, for he was a very great man.
Barzilai comes down to escort the king. And he is a most distinguished man in three respects: first, he is old. Second, he provided for the king in Machanayim, and the king owes him a favor. Third, 'he was a very great man' - great in possessions. And Chazal wondered: 'very old' at eighty years of age? Of a man of a hundred and ten you would say 'very old,' but of an eighty year old? Rather, Barzilai the Giladi was steeped in indulgence, not, Heaven forbid, in transgression, but that he had several wives, and one who is steeped in this, old age leaps upon him, as it says 'do not give your strength to women,' for through this he gives away his strength. And the Rambam writes that this causes his teeth to fall out and his hair to fall out and his body to wear away, and it simply ruins and damages the body. Therefore Barzilai became very old.
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־בַּרְזִלָּי אַתָּה עֲבֹר אִתִּי וְכִלְכַּלְתִּי אֹתְךָ עִמָּדִי בִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ - And the king said to Barzillai: You cross over with me, and I will sustain you with me in Jerusalem.
There are three benefits in this offer. First, 'you cross over with me' - you are a very distinguished man and you even exerted yourself on my behalf, and therefore I want you to come with me, and it is an honor for the king to sit together with distinguished men. Second, 'and I will sustain you with me' - that you will be among those who eat at my table, an advantage in its own right. Third, 'in Jerusalem' - you dwell in a small town at Rogelim, come and dwell in a great and distinguished city.
וַיֹּאמֶר בַּרְזִלַּי אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ כַּמָּה יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיַּי כִּי־אֶעֱלֶה אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ - And Barzillai said to the king: How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
His first answer: no lasting benefit will come of this. How much longer do I have left to live? All this trouble, and within a few months or years I am going to pass away - there is no point in exerting oneself for me.
בֶּן־שְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם הַאֵדַע בֵּין־טוֹב לְרָע אִם־יִטְעַם עַבְדְּךָ אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֹכַל וְאֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁתֶּה אִם־אֶשְׁמַע עוֹד בְּקוֹל שָׁרִים וְשָׁרוֹת וְלָמָּה יִהְיֶה עַבְדְּךָ עוֹד לְמַשָּׂא אֶל־אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - I am eighty years old today. Do I know the difference between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat and what I drink? Can I still hear the voice of male and female singers? So why should your servant continue to be a burden to my lord the king?
From here we see that old age had indeed overtaken him: an eighty year old who does not know the difference between good and bad, who tastes no flavor in food - everything is like dust in his mouth, like the snake - and who takes no pleasure in the voice of the singers, for his ears have grown too heavy to hear. 'So why should your servant continue to be a burden' - I will be a bother to you. And the meaning of his words is this: if you wish to derive benefit from me, since 'zaken' (elder) is an acronym for 'zeh kanah' (this one has acquired) wisdom, and you want an elder to accompany you so as to benefit from his wisdom - to this he responds, 'Do I know the difference between good and bad?' I have no such wisdom to discern between good and bad, and in keeping with my old age my mind has already weakened and become confused. For the aged among Torah scholars, their minds are settled upon them, but the aged among the ignorant, and especially those steeped in immorality, their minds become deranged. And if you say that your intention is not for your benefit but for my good - to this he responds that in itself he derives no benefit from it.
And one thing here is puzzling: 'Can I still hear the voice of male and female singers' - what permission is there to listen to the voice of female singers, since a woman's voice is ervah (sexually forbidden)? Unless we say that the reference is to the women of his family, his wife and his daughters, in whom this prohibition does not apply. But apart from that the matter is astonishing.
כִּמְעַט יַעֲבֹר עַבְדְּךָ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלָמָּה יִגְמְלֵנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגְּמוּלָה הַזֹּאת׃ - Your servant is crossing the Jordan with the king for but a little, so why should the king repay me with such a reward?
His third argument: for what I did I do not deserve so much, since I did but little. And here there is a common error in understanding the word 'kim'at' according to its meaning in our times. There is a verse, 'kim'at (in a moment) I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes,' and one who knows 'kim'at' of our times will think it means he did not succeed and was close to subduing them. But this is not so: 'kim'at' means 'like a little' - I will subdue the enemies as if they were few. So too here: I did but little for you, I crossed the Jordan with the king, so why for so small a thing do I deserve such great gratitude?
יָשׇׁב־נָא עַבְדְּךָ וְאָמֻת בְּעִירִי עִם קֶבֶר אָבִי וְאִמִּי וְהִנֵּה עַבְדְּךָ כִמְהָם יַעֲבֹר עִם־אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַעֲשֵׂה־לוֹ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־טוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ׃ - Let your servant, please, return, and let me die in my own city, near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Kimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your eyes.
Yet nonetheless he opens a door for David: if you insist on doing me good, I will give you the possibility to do good to one who will know how to appreciate the favor - my son Kimham. Kimham is still young, his teeth are in his mouth, his ears hear and his eyes see and he is healthy, and he will be able to enjoy all that you wish to bestow upon him. And in this, as it were, he inherits my place and derives the benefit in my stead.
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אִתִּי יַעֲבֹר כִּמְהָם וַאֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה־לּוֹ אֶת־הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־תִּבְחַר עָלַי אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ׃ - And the king said: Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your eyes, and all that you choose from me I will do for you.
David tells him: 'Let Kimham cross over with me' - even without your request I would have offered this arrangement both to you and to your son. And beyond that, I am giving you the opportunity to ask something for yourself. But Barzillai asks nothing further specifically for himself, and it is enough for him that his son Kimham crosses over.
וַיַּעֲבֹר כׇּל־הָעָם אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן וְהַמֶּלֶךְ עָבָר וַיִּשַּׁק הַמֶּלֶךְ לְבַרְזִלַּי וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיָּשׇׁב לִמְקֹמוֹ׃ - And all the people crossed the Jordan, and the king crossed over, and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place.
After crossing the Jordan with him, he parted from him in peace, kissed him and blessed him.
Kimham and Kimhan: one name in two forms
וַיַּעֲבֹר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגִּלְגָּלָה וְכִמְהָן עָבַר עִמּוֹ וְכׇל־עַם יְהוּדָה הֶעֱבִירוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגַם חֲצִי עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Kimhan crossed over with him, and all the people of Yehudah brought the king across, and also half the people of Yisrael.
Note that at first it is written 'Kimham' and afterward 'Kimhan.' The Radak says that it is common in Tanach for names to appear in several variations, all of them being the name of the same person: sometimes he is called one way and sometimes another. For example Yirmiya and Yirmiyahu, or the wife of Naval the Carmelite who is called Avigail and sometimes Avigal. Like a person whom at home they call by an affectionate name or a shortened form, while elsewhere they call him differently. Presumably the masters of the hidden wisdom will find a reason for the mem and the nun, the nun of the gates of understanding and the like, but according to the plain meaning it is one person with two forms of the name.
The king crosses over 'to Gilgal,' a place near Gilgal where they crossed the Jordan, and who accompanies him? The people of Yehudah. Most of the people of Yisrael are still not here. And what is 'and also half the people of Yisrael'? The Metzudat David explains: some of the people of Yisrael. And the Malbim explains: half of the thousand who came from Yisrael. We saw that a thousand men came with Shimi son of Gera, and half of them, five hundred, accompanied and brought the king across the Jordan.
The quarrel between the men of Yisrael and the men of Yehudah
וְהִנֵּה כׇּל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאִים אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ מַדּוּעַ גְּנָבוּךָ אַחֵינוּ אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וַיַּעֲבִרוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן וְכׇל־אַנְשֵׁי דָוִד עִמּוֹ׃ - And behold, all the men of Yisrael came to the king and said to the king: Why did our brothers the men of Yehudah steal you away, and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, and all David's men with him?
Here a dispute begins to break out. All the men of Yisrael come, and they are not pleased that the men of Yehudah have taken patronage over the king: they are the ones who accompany him, they are the ones who bring him back, as if the king is theirs and bound to them, while we were not even informed at all. Their first claim: we are pained for the honor of the king, for the king is honored far more when all Yisrael come to greet him than when only a few do. A second claim: there is a slight to our honor in this - 'why did they steal you away,' you are bringing him back secretly and in concealment and not with a loud shout of joy. This implies that we are not trusted in your eyes, and therefore you did not want to make a commotion of it, but said: first the group that will certainly receive the king will come, and gradually we will restore him to his kingship. Had you trusted us you would have called us, but you feared lest agitation and opposition arise. So we are, in your view, in the second stage, the stage of those who are not trusted. And furthermore: by having all of David's men and the warriors and the army with him, you signal that if the rest do not agree, there is an army here that can impose the kingship by force. Yet it would have been better for you to come to us and we would receive him willingly.
וַיַּעַן כׇּל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה עַל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־קָרוֹב הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלַי וְלָמָּה זֶּה חָרָה לְךָ עַל־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה הֶאָכוֹל אָכַלְנוּ מִן־הַמֶּלֶךְ אִם־נִשֵּׂאת נִשָּׂא לָנוּ׃ - And all the men of Yehudah answered the men of Yisrael: Because the king is close to me. And why does this anger you over this matter? Have we eaten anything at the king's expense, or has any gift been given to us?
The men of Yehudah reply with three claims against the three. The first: 'because the king is close to me' - the king is from Yehudah and he dwells in the inheritance of the tribe of Yehudah, and it is only natural that we, who are close to him, would go to greet him. The second: there is no flaw here in the honor of the king, for the king forgave his honor and did not specifically ask that many come, nor did he say that he would not go until all Yisrael came. The third, regarding the claim of harm to your honor: 'have we eaten anything at the king's expense, or has any gift been given to us.' At a feast there is an advantage to whoever comes first, for the food is still available; whoever arrives at the end of a wedding will already be told that only rolls are left or that he should go to the kugel table. But here, is this a feast where it makes a difference who came first and who came last? 'Or has any gift been given to us' - this does not mean marriage, but 'gift,' a term of a present and a bestowal of honor: did the king give us gifts, that you should say you came and nothing was left for you? There was no feast here and no prizes were distributed; the same king who existed when we came is the king whom you now receive. You lost nothing.
וַיַּעַן אִישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר עֶשֶׂר־יָדוֹת לִי בַמֶּלֶךְ וְגַם־בְּדָוִד אֲנִי מִמְּךָ וּמַדּוּעַ הֱקִלֹּתַנִי וְלֹא־הָיָה דְבָרִי רִאשׁוֹן לִי לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־מַלְכִּי וַיִּקֶשׁ דְּבַר־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה מִדְּבַר אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said: We have ten shares in the king, and we also have more right in David than you; why then did you treat us with contempt, and was not our word first to bring back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.
The men of Israel do not hold back, and they answer all three claims one by one. To the claim of priority based on kinship: you have priority through closeness, but we have priority through numbers - 'we have ten shares in the king', we are ten tribes, while you are Judah and Benjamin, only two tribes. Against the merit of kinship stands the merit of the majority, and if so it would have been fitting to invite us first. To 'and why does it anger you' they answer 'why did you treat us with contempt' - you ask why I am angry? Because I feel disgraced. 'Hekiltani' comes from the language of disgrace and scorn, and from the language of 'light', for they treat us in a demeaning manner, and that is why I am angry. And to 'have we eaten at all at the king's expense' they answer: it would have been fitting that when they bring back the king they should ask our permission and consent, for we are the important ones and we are the many, and it was not proper that you brought him back without asking us. And this is 'and was not our word first to bring back our king' - it would have been fitting that we be the first to bring back the king, given all our merits.
'And the words of the men of Judah were harsher' - harsh words were spoken toward Judah, and thus an argument arose and a quarrel was created, and this is the opening to the next chapter: the revolt of Sheva ben Bichri.
Summary:
This chapter sets before us David's conduct at the hour of his return to kingship. Shimi ben Gera hurries to meet him, admits and details his sin without whitewashing it - and from here there is a lesson for each of us in the ways of repentance and confession - and David forgives him, whether because one must not harm the kingdom, whether because the day of assuming kingship is a day of pardon, and whether because throughout the days of Avshalom's revolt he was, as it were, removed from the kingship and therefore has the power to forgive. Mefivoshet proves his loyalty through his appearance and his words, and by accepting the slander from the mouth of Tziva it was decreed upon the house of David that his grandsons would divide the kingdom, teaching us how severe this sin is. Barzilai the Giladite humbly refuses the reward and passes the favor on to his son Kimham. And in the end, in a place where there should have been a day of unity and joy, a quarrel breaks out between Israel and Judah over the order of precedence in honoring the king, and from these harsh words a great evil will grow in the next chapter.