How the army of the Ammonites and their allies was routed in the field
we read in the foregoing chapters. Here we have the destruction of
Rabbah, the metropolis of their kingdom (v. 1), the putting of their
king's crown upon David's head (v. 2), and the great severity that was
used towards the people, v. 3. Of this we had a more full account in 2
Sam. xi., xii., and cannot but remember it by this sad token, that
while Joab was besieging Rabbah David fell into that great sin in the
matter of Uriah. But it is observable that, though the rest of the
story is repeated, that is not: a hint only is given of it, in those
words which lie here in a parenthesis--But David tarried at Jerusalem.
If he had been abroad with his army, he would have been out of the way
of that temptation; but, indulging his ease, he fell into uncleanness.
Now, as the relating of the sin David fell into is an instance of the
impartiality and fidelity of the sacred writers, so the avoiding of the
repetition of it here, when there was a fair occasion given to speak of
it again, is designed to teach us that, though there may be a just
occasion to speak of the faults and miscarriages of others, yet we
should not take delight in the repetition of them. That should always
be looked upon as an unpleasing subject which, though sometimes one
cannot help falling upon, yet one would not choose to dwell upon, any
more than we should love to rake in a dunghill. The persons, or
actions, we can say no good of, we had best say nothing of.