Commentaria in II Regum (II Samuelis)
25. CARRY BACK THE ARK OF GOD INTO THE CITY,—namely into its honourable place, built and adorned for it by me, lest it be forced to go into exile with me, an exile.
26. BUT IF HE SHALL SAY TO ME: THOU PLEASEST ME NOT, I AM READY—an exile, I shall wander about the world, and become poor and needy, so that I shall even be forced to beg my food.
See here David’s wonderful humility, obedience and resignation, by which he deserved to be restored to the kingdom, and to be exalted more than before. Ferdinand II, the present Emperor, imitating David, when lately he was beset on all sides by enemies, and reduced almost to his wallet, resigned himself wholly to God, and offered himself willingly, ready to leave the empire, and even to undergo the slenderest fortune and poverty; and therefore with a serene and tranquil mind and countenance he always sustained and overcame all the attacks of his enemies; wherefore he deserved to be adorned by God with so many victories, and heaped with so many benefits, gifts and graces, as we see and admire.
high priest, return into the city, that thou mayest be of service both to him and to me. For the high priest is called “Seer,” that is, Prophet, because, clothed with the rational, in which were Urim and Thummim, consulting God he received his oracles, and uttered and prophesied them,
30. AND DAVID WENT UP THE ASCENT OF MOUNT OLIVET,—namely the mount of Olivet, of which this ascent, or hill, was a part. He went up it, both that by it, fleeing Absalom, he might go into the desert and lie hid there. For Absalom was coming to Jerusalem from Hebron, which was to the south, whereas the mount of Olivet was to the east; and that on the mount of Olives, that is, abounding in oil and olive trees, he might adore God, as is said in verse 31, and implore God’s help and mercy (of which the olive and oil are the symbol) in so great a peril. For the ancients were wont to adore turned to the east, for the reasons which I recounted on Ezechiel 8:16. Now the mount of Olives was to the east of Jerusalem; and finally that he might be a type of Christ, who on the same mount of Olivet, praying to the Father with tears and sweating blood, began our passion and redemption, and therefore from the same mount, forty days after the resurrection, ascended glorious into heaven. Hear St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis 2 On Penance: “When,” he says, “Absalom took up arms against him, that is, David; although many ways of flight lay open to him, yet he preferred to flee by the mount of Olives, invoking with firm mind that Liberator who from thence was about to ascend to heaven.”
GOING UP AND WEEPING, WALKING BAREFOOT, AND WITH HIS HEAD COVERED.—For the Hebrews, like the Romans afterwards, went with bare head as free and unencumbered; in mourning they covered and veiled the head, as is plain from chapter 19, verse 4, and Jeremias 14 and following: “Juda hath mourned, etc., and they that were afflicted covered their heads.” See here David’s wonderful humility, penance and patience, in which weeping, barefoot and mourning with covered head he takes to flight, and thus by his example compels the people following him to do the same; because “The whole world is shaped after the example of its king.”
Doubtless David knew that his business was not so much with Absalom as with God: therefore he decided first to overcome him with these arms of penance; for God being overcome, Absalom was disarmed. Hear [him] ... and the very face of his flight must be considered, what it was, when so great a king, of so great a name, higher than all kings, greater than the world, fled, with all his people, with very few of his own, formerly in comparison with himself needy, in comparison with himself alone, fleeing with fear, with disgrace; with mourning, with head covered, says Scripture, and walking barefoot, exiling himself from his former state, almost now living after himself, cast down even to the contumely of his servants, or, what is heavier, to their pity: so that either Siba fed him, or Semei did not fear to curse him publicly. So by God’s judgment made otherwise by himself, that one enemy should insult to the face him whom the whole world had feared.”
St. Chrysostom adds, homily 3 on Matthew, that David was not only patient in such great troubles, but also gave thanks to God: “When he saw that tyrant, fratricide and parricide, reigning in his stead, not even so did he conceive scandal in his mind. But if, he says, it shall seem good to God that I should always wander and be an exile, and that he should reign, I embrace and accept it, and I count it a grace in the midst of the countless tribulations which God inflicts on me. Far otherwise than very many shameless and arrogant men: who, though they possess not even the smallest part of his virtue, if they see any prospering, while themselves bear a little sadness, are not afraid to wound their souls with a thousand blasphemies.”
31. THAT ACHITOPHEL ALSO WAS IN THE CONSPIRACY.—The Hebrews give as cause that Achitophel wished to avenge the wrong done by David to his granddaughter: for Bethsabee was the daughter of Eliam, son of Achitophel. See what is said in chapter 11, verse 3.
INFATUATE, I BESEECH THEE, O LORD, THE COUNSEL OF ACHITOPHEL.—For he was a very prudent man and of great counsel. Now God has various ways of infatuating the counsels of the prudent, and that without sin; for example by setting before them other counsels, other thoughts, other reasons and methods, which at first sight seem more convenient and specious, and by hiding the inconveniences, difficulties and dangers of these. On the other hand, by setting before them the difficulties and inconveniences of another good counsel, which is suggested by the prudent, and hiding its usefulness and advantages. So God did here. For he brought it about that Chusai, David’s secret friend, opposed himself to the prudent counsel of Achitophel, and overthrew it by his reasons. He brought it about that Absalom and his followers approved the harmful counsel of Chusai more than the useful counsel of Achitophel, as will appear in the following chapter. The word “infatuate” alludes to the name Achitophel; for this in Hebrew is the same as “my brother, a foolish thing,” says Pagnini, or “my brother, ruin,” says Angelomus and Pagnini.
So we experience in ourselves that we are sometimes moved by one thing and reason, at other times not moved by the same, because its force and efficacy sometimes seems specious to us, at other times not; either from a varying disposition of body and mind, or from the instinct of an angel, a demon, or some companion and friend. David then said more, if not with his mouth, certainly in his heart, which were afterwards put together in Psalm 54. For to this look those words in it: “Lo, I have gone far off flying away, and I abode in the wilderness.” And: “If my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. But thou (Achitophel, my familiar and of my counsel), a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar, who didst take sweetmeats together with me,” for which St. Jerome renders: “who together had sweet secret converse.” God, therefore, opposed to the perfidy of Achitophel the fidelity of Chusai, by which he overcame it.