And David was greatly distressed
Partly for the loss of his two wives, and partly because of the mutiny and murmuring of his men:
for the people spake of stoning him;
as the Israelites did of Moses and Aaron, ( Numbers 14:10 ) ; the reason of this was, because, as they judged, it was owing to David that they went along with Achish, and left the city defenceless, and because he had provoked the Amalekites by his inroad upon them, who took this opportunity of avenging themselves. Abarbinel is of opinion that it was his excess of sorrow for his two wives, and his remissness and backwardness to take vengeance on their enemies, that provoked them, and put them on talking after this manner:
because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons
and for his daughters;
as well as David; and they were very desirous of recovering them if possible, and of taking vengeance on those who had carried them captive:
but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God;
took all patiently, and exercised faith on his God; he encouraged himself in the power and providence of God; in the promises of God, and his faithfulness in keeping them; in a view of his covenant relation to God; in remembrance of the grace, mercy, and goodness of God, and his former experiences of it; hoping and believing that God would appear for him in some way or another, and work salvation for him. The Targum is,
``he strengthened himself in the Word of the Lord his God;''in Christ the Word of God, and in the power of his might, and in the grace that is in him, ( Ephesians 6:10 ) ( 2 Timothy 2:1 ) .
