justice, and Ishbosheth could not refuse to give her up to him, but probably on political grounds also, namely, because the renewal of his marriage to the king's daughter would show to all Israel that he cherished no hatred in his heart towards the fallen king.
Verse 14
Thereupon, namely when Abner had assented to this condition, David sent messengers to Ishbosheth with this demand: “Give (me) my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines” (see 1Sa 18:25, 1Sa 18:27). David sent to Ishbosheth to demand the restoration of Michal, that her return might take place in a duly legal form, “that it might be apparent that he had dealt justly with Paltiel in the presence of his king, and that he had received his wife back again, and had not taken her by force from her husband” (Seb. Schmidt).
Verse 15
Ishbosheth probably sent Abner to Gallim (1Sa 25:44) to fetch Michal from her husband Paltiel (see at 1Sa 25:44), and take her back to David. The husband was obliged to consent to this separation.
Verse 16
When he went with his wife, weeping behind her, to Bahurim, Abner commanded him to turn back; “and he returned.” Bahurim, Shimei's home (2Sa 19:17; 1Ki 2:8), was situated, according to 2Sa 16:1, 2Sa 16:5, and 2Sa 17:18, upon the road from Jerusalem to Gilgal, in the valley of the Jordan, not far from the Mount of Olives, and is supposed by v. Schubert (R. iii. p. 70) to have stood upon the site of the present Abu Dis, though in all probability it is to be sought for farther north (see Rob. Pal. ii. p. 103). Paltiel had therefore followed his wife to the border of the tribe of Judah, or of the kingdom of David.
Verses 17-18
But before Abner set out to go to David, he had spoken to the elders of Israel (the tribes generally, with the exception of Benjamin see 2Sa 3:19 and Judah): “Both yesterday and the day before yesterday (i.e., a long time ago),ye desired to have David as king over you. Now carry out your wish: for Jehovah hath spoken concerning David, Through my servant David will I save my people Israel out of the power of the Philistines and all their enemies.” הושׁיע is an evident mistake in writing for אושׁיע, which is found in many MSS, and rendered in all the ancient versions.
Verses 19-20
Abner had spoken in the same way in the ears of Benjamin. He spoke to the Benjaminites more especially, because the existing royal family belonged to that tribe, and they had reaped many advantages in consequence
