Shmuel Bais 18:21

21 Then said Yoav to Cushi, Go tell HaMelech what thou hast seen. And Cushi prostrated himself unto Yoav, and ran.

Shmuel Bais 18:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 18:21

Then said Joab to Cushi
The Ethiopian, or blackamoor; who either was an Ethiopian by birth and proselyted, or he was an Israelite of a black complexion, and therefore so called; and was judged a proper person by the general to carry such dismal news to the king, as he knew it would be. Some Jewish writers ^F1 take him to be the same with Cush the Benjaminite, in the title of the seventh psalm, ( Psalms 7:1 ) ; and that he is the same that told Joab he saw Absalom hanging in an oak, and declared that, if a thousand shekels of silver were offered him, he would not have put forth his hand against him, ( 2 Samuel 18:10-12 ) ; though some think this was one of the ten young men that waited on Joab, and by his orders slew Absalom; but it would have been dangerous for one of these to have carried the tidings, had he been known by David to have done it:

go tell the king what thou hast seen:
by which it should seem that he was present when Absalom was killed:

and Cushi bowed himself unto Joab;
in reverence to him as his general, and in thankfulness for sending him on this errand:

and ran;
as fast as he could.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Pirke Eliezer, c. 53.

Shmuel Bais 18:21 In-Context

19 Then said Achima’atz Ben Tzadok, Let me now run, and take news to HaMelech, how that Hashem hath in justice vindicated him of his oyevim.

20 And Yoav said unto him, Thou shalt not be ish besorah (bearer of news) this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the ben HaMelech is dead.

21 Then said Yoav to Cushi, Go tell HaMelech what thou hast seen. And Cushi prostrated himself unto Yoav, and ran.

22 Then said Achima’atz Ben Tzadok yet again to Yoav, But be what may, let me, now, also run after Cushi. And Yoav said, why wilt thou run, beni, seeing that thou hast no besorah to provide?

23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Rutz! (run!). Then Achima’atz ran by the derech of the plain, outran Cushi.