For instance, his heart "writhes"
within him, the "terrors of death" are on him, "fear and trembling" are
come on him, and "horror" has covered him. All this points, like
subsequent verses, to his knowledge of the conspiracy before it came to
a head. The state of the city, which is practically in the hands of
Absalom and his tools, is described with bold imagery. Violence and
Strife in possession of it, spies prowling about the walls day and
night, Evil and Trouble in its midst, and Destruction, Oppression, and
Deceit--a goodly company--flaunting in its open spaces. And the spirit,
the brain of the whole, is the trusted friend whom he had made his own
equal, who had shared his secretest thoughts in private, who had walked
next him in solemn processions to the temple. Seeing all this, what does
the king do, who was once so fertile in resource, so decisive in
counsel, so prompt in action? Nothing. His only weapon is prayer. "As
for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord will save me. Evening, and
morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my
voice." He lets it all grow as it list, and only longs to be out of all
the weary coil of troubles. "Oh that I had wings like a dove, then would
I fly away and be at rest. Lo, I would flee far off, I would lodge in
the wilderness. I would swiftly fly to my refuge from the raging wind,
from the tempest." The langour of his disease, love for his worthless
son, consciousness of sin, and submission to the chastisement through
"one of his own house," which Nathan had foretold, kept him quiet,
though he saw the plot winding its meshes round him. And in this
submission patient confidence is not wanting, though subdued and
saddened, which finds expression in the last words of this psalm of the
heavy laden, "Cast thy burden upon Jehovah. He, He will sustain
thee.... I will trust in Thee."

When the blow at last fell, the same passive acquiescence in what he
felt to be God's chastisement is very noticeable. Absalom escapes to
Hebron, and sets up the standard of revolt. When the news comes to
Jerusalem the king's only thought is immediate flight. He is almost
cowardly in his eagerness to escape, and is prepared to give up
everything without a blow. It seems as if only a touch was needed to
overthrow his throne. He hurries on the preparations for flight with
nervous haste. He forms no plans beyond those of his earlier wish to fly
away and be at rest. He tries to denude h