Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Samuel 14:22

22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant .

i. e. Restored Absalom at my request. Whereby Ioab thought to establish himself for ever, and that he should be both the Fathers and the Sons favourite. Quest. Whether David did well in granting this request? Ans. Although there be some circumstances which in part extenuate David's fault herein, as Amnon's high provocation of Absalom; Absalom's being out of the reach of David's Justice, where also he could and would have kept himself, if David had not promised him impunity; the extream danger of Absalom's infection by Heathenish principles and practises; the safety of David's Kingdom, which seemed to depend upon the Establishment of the Succession, and that upon Absalom, to whom the hearts of the people were so universally and vehemently inclined, if the matter was really so, and not pretended or magnified by the art of this subtil Woman; yet it seems most probable that David was faulty herein, because this action was directly contrary to the express Laws of God, which strictly command the Supreme Magistrate to execute Justice upon all wilful Murtherers, without any reservation, Gen. 9. 6. Numb. 35. 30, 31. And David had no power to dispence with Gods Laws, nor to spare any whom God commanded him to destroy: for the Laws of God did bind the Kings and Rulers, as well as the people of Israel, to observe and obey them, as is most evident from Deut. 17. 18, 19. and from Ios. 1. 8. and many other places. And indeed we may read David's sin in the Glass of those tremendous Judgments of God which befel him, by means of his indulgence to Absalom. For although Gods Providences be in themselves no Rule to Judge of the good or evil of Mens actions; yet where they comply with Gods word, and accomplish his threatnings, as here they did, they are to be taken for the tokens of Gods displeasure.

Marginal references: Heb. blessed.; Or, thy.