The Expositor's Bible: The Second Book of Samuel — Reading Companion

The Parental Lens

Blaikie's approach is most evident in his handling of David's response to Absalom's murder of Amnon. He writes that David 'sacrificed the judicial to the paternal' in his desire to restore his son, a judgment that carries clear homiletic weight. The commentator does not stop at historical explanation; he turns directly to his audience: 'Let each of you who have a family to bring up look to himself.' This shift from exegesis to exhortation is characteristic of the Expositor's Bible series, which aimed to make Scripture practically applicable. Blaikie's David becomes a cautionary figure, not a hero, and the commentary's moral urgency is unmistakable.

Idolatry as Moral Contagion

Blaikie attributes Absalom's 'cold-blooded wickedness' partly to his mother's idolatrous background, noting that Maacah was 'the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur,' an idolatrous kingdom. He speculates that Absalom, though circumcised, was 'infected in no small degree with the spirit' of idolatry, a claim that goes beyond the biblical text's explicit statements. This inference allows Blaikie to draw a direct line from religious impurity to moral failure, reinforcing his broader theme that spiritual compromise undermines family and kingdom alike. The commentary thus uses Absalom as a case study in the dangers of mixed religious loyalties.

The Rhetoric of Training

In a passage that moves from David's failures to general parenting advice, Blaikie unpacks the word 'train up' from Proverbs 22:6. He distinguishes training from forcing or mere law-giving, defining it as getting 'the whole nature of the child to move freely in the direction wished.' This requires 'a combination of firmness and love, of patience and decision, of consistent example and sympathetic encouragement.' The commentary here becomes a miniature treatise on Victorian child-rearing, with Blaikie insisting that parental effort must be paired with 'Divine grace' for lasting results. The shift from ancient Israel to the Victorian nursery is seamless.

Narrative Gaps and Inferences

Blaikie's method relies heavily on filling gaps in the biblical narrative with psychological and moral conjecture. He assumes, for instance, that David's heart was drawn to Absalom because 'there was no great blank left' after Amnon's death, but that Absalom's absence created 'an irrepressible craving.' These inferences are presented as self-evident, yet they reflect Blaikie's own assumptions about parental affection. Readers should note that the commentary often treats its interpretations as the plain meaning of the text, even when they extend well beyond what the biblical account states. This homiletic confidence is a defining feature of the work.

Blaikie's commentary rewards readers who attend to its dual character: it is both a careful exposition of 2 Samuel and a sustained moral sermon for its own time. The tension between these purposes gives the work its distinctive texture. First-time readers may find it helpful to distinguish between the biblical narrative and Blaikie's interpretive additions, particularly his psychological portraits and his direct addresses to the audience. The commentary is best approached as a document of Victorian religious thought as much as a guide to the ancient text.

That gray afternoon, Blaikie’s scrutiny of David’s conflicted heart—father versus king—stayed with me long after the rain stopped. The ache of parental failure felt oddly tender. Later, idly shelving books, my fingers caught the spine of Sunday stories — A Reader’s Guide. Its quiet chapter on forgiveness seemed to answer the very question Blaikie had left hanging.