2 Samuel 19:31-43--David Crosses the Jordan

2 Samuel 19:31-43
English Standard Version
​31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33 And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” 34 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” 39 Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. 40 The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.

41 Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?” 42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

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As David seeks to make his way back to Jerusalem from Gilead, he must first cross the Jordan River, and there seems to be a contest of sorts for which tribe will be closest to him in the procession, which will be the first to meet him, which was the first to welcome him back as king, and which will send the largest delegation, among other things.  An old man from Gilead was the first to escort the king to the Jordan River, and he provided the king and his men with food as they stayed at Mahanaim, for this man, though old, was a man of great wealth.  David invited Barzillai, the old man who had been taking care of David and his men, to return to Jerusalem with David so that the David could return the favor and show Barzillai some hospitality, but Barzillai said that not only was he too old to make the journey, but his senses were also failing him and it would be a waste for the king to put good food and wine before him that he could not smell or taste.  Barzillai askes that Chimham take his place and that David do for Chimham everything that he would have done for Barzillai, and David agrees.

After the king crossed the Jordan River, he went to Gilgal and was met there by all the people of Judah and half the people of Israel.  Clearly the ten tribes of Israel had more people there, but in some sense, Judah had a larger showing by having 100% of their tribe show up.  They also claimed David as their own because he was of the tribe of Judah, though they had recently rejected him when they established Absalom as king.  The other tribes of Israel are upset that Judah sent so many people and claimed to be more important to David than all the other tribes combined.  They made it sound as if they were all investors in a company that held shares of stock, where "Israel" held 10 shares (the northern 10 tribes) and Judah held 2 shares (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin).  Israel also brought up that it was strange that Judah was the last one to welcome David back as king.  All this goes to show that while it looks as if the country was once again united under David, there's still rivalry and factions between the "North" (Israel) and the "South" (Judah) that will not go away.  The words of Judah were simply "fiercer" than those of Israel.  It doesn't say their words were better, or wiser, or even more logical, but simply that it seems like no one wanted to fight them even if they weren't as numerous because of how "fierce" they were.  I'm not sure this is really a great thing, but it is the truth about how they were described right now.  Can these deep wounds between the tribes?  We'll have to see.