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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Samuel 13:21–29. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
What Solomon says of the beginning of strife is as true of the beginning of all sin, it is as the letting forth of water; when once the flood-gates are plucked up, an inundation follows; one mischief begets another, and it is hard to say what shall be in the end thereof.
I.We are here told how David resented the tidings of Amnon's sin:
He was very wroth, Sa2 13:21. So he had reason to be, that his own son should do such a wicked thing and draw him to be accessory to it. It would be a reproach to him for not giving him a better education; it would be a blot upon his family, the ruin of his daughter, a bad example to his kingdom, and a wrong to his son's soul. But was it enough for him to be angry? He ought to have punished his son for it, and have put him to open shame; both as a father and as a king he had power to do it. But the Septuagint here adds these words: But he saddened not the spirit of his son Amnon, because he loved him, because he was his first-born. He fell into Eli's error, whose sons made themselves vile, and he frowned not on them. If Amnon was dear to him, his punishing him would have been so much the greater punishment to himself for his own uncleanness. But he cannot bear the shame those must submit to who correct that in others which they are conscious of in themselves, and therefore his anger must serve instead of his justice; and this hardens sinners, Ecc 8:11.
II.How Absalom resented it.
He resolves already to do the part of a judge in Israel; and, since his father will not punish Amnon, he will, from a principle, not of justice or zeal for virtue, but of revenge, because he reckons himself affronted in the abuse done to his sister. Their mother was daughter to a heathen prince (Sa2 3:3), which perhaps they were upbraided with sometimes by their brethren, as children of a stranger. As such a one Absalom thought his sister was now treated; and, if Amnon thought her fit to be made his harlot, he would think him fit to be made his slave. This enraged him, and nothing less than the blood of Amnon will quench his rage. Here we have,
1.The design conceived: Absalom hated Amnon (Sa2 13:22), and he that hateth his brother is a murderer already, and, like Cain, is of that wicked one, Jo1 3:12, Jo1 3:15. Absalom's hatred of his brother's crime would have been commendable, and he might justly have prosecuted him for it by a due course of law, for example to others, and the making of some compensation to his injured sister; but to hate his person, and design his death by assassination, was to put a great affront upon God, by offering to repair the breach of his seventh commandment by the violation of his sixth, as if they were not all alike sacred. But he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill, Jam 2:11.
2.The design concealed. He said nothing to Amnon of this matter, either good or bad, appeared as if he did not know it, and maintained towards him his usual civility, only waiting for a fair opportunity to do him a mischief. That malice is the worst,
(1.)Which is hidden closely, and has no vent given to it. If Absalom had reasoned the matter with Amnon, he might have convinced him of his sin and brought him to repentance; but, saying nothing, Amnon's heart was hardened, and his own more and more embittered against him; therefore rebuking our neighbour is opposed to hating him in our hearts, Lev 19:17. Let passion have vent and it will spend itself.
(2.)Which is gilded over with a show of friendship; so Absalom's was, his words smoother than butter but war in his heart. See Pro 26:26.
(3.)Which is harboured long. Two full years Absalom nursed this root of bitterness, Sa2 13:24. It may be, at first, he did not intend to kill his brother (for, if he had, he might have had as fair an opportunity to do it as he had at last), and only waited for an occasion to disgrace him or do him some other mischief; but in time his hatred ripened to this, that he would be no less than the death of him. If the sun going down once upon the wrath gives such place to the devil (as is intimated, Eph 4:26, Eph 4:27), what would the sunsets of two full years do?
3.The design laid.
(1.)Absalom has a feast at his house in the country, as Nabal had, on occasion of his sheep-shearing, Sa2 13:23. Attentive as Absalom was to his person (Sa2 14:26), and as high as he looked, he knew the state of his flocks and looked well to his herds. Those who have no other care about their estates in the country than how to spend them in the town take a ready way to see the end of them. When Absalom had sheep-shearers he would himself be with them.
(2.)To this feast he invites the king his father, and all the princes of the blood (Sa2 13:24), not only that he might have this opportunity to pay his respects to them, but that he might make himself the more respected among his neighbours. Those that are akin to great folks are apt to value themselves too much on their kindred.
(3.)The king would not go himself, because he would not put him to the expense of his entertainment, Sa2 13:25. It seems Absalom had an estate in his own hands, on which he lived like himself; the king had given it to him, but would have him to be a good husband of it: in both these he is an example to parents, when their children have grown up, to give them a competency to live upon, according to their rank, and then to take care that they do not live above it, especially that they be no way accessory to their doing so. It is prudent for young house-keepers to begin as they can hold out, and not to spend the wool upon the shearing of it.
(4.)Absalom got leave for Amnon, and all the rest of the king's sons, to come and grace his table in the country, Sa2 13:26, Sa2 13:27. Absalom had so effectually concealed his enmity to Amnon that David saw no reason to suspect any design upon him in that particular invitation: "Let my brother Amnon go;" but this would make the stroke more cutting to David that he was himself drawn in to consent to that which gave the opportunity for it, as before, Sa2 13:7. It seems, David's sons, though grown up, continued to pay such a deference to their father as not to go such a small journey as this without leave. Thus ought children, even when they have become men and women, to honour their parents, consult them, and do nothing material without their consent, much less against their mind.
4.The design executed, Sa2 13:28, Sa2 13:29.
(1.)Absalom's entertainment was very plentiful; for he resolves that they shall all be merry with wine, at least concludes that Amnon will be so, for he knew that he was apt to drink to excess. But,
(2.)The orders he gave to his servants concerning Amnon, that they should mingle his blood with his wine, were very barbarous. Had he challenged him, and, in reliance upon the goodness of his cause and the justice of God, fought him himself, though that would have been bad enough, yet it would have been more honourable and excusable (our ancient law, in some cases, allowed trial by battle); but to murder him, as he did, was to copy Cain's example, only that the reason made a difference: Abel was slain for his righteousness, Amnon for his wickedness. Observe the aggravations of this sin: - [1.] He would have Amnon slain when his heart was merry with wine, and he was consequently least apprehensive of danger, least able to resist it, and also least fit to go out of the world; as if his malice aimed to destroy both soul and body, not giving him time to say, Lord, have mercy upon me. What a dreadful surprise hath death been to many, whose hearts have been overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness! [2.] His servants must be employed to do it, and so involved in the guilt. He was to give the word of command - Smite Amnon; and then they, in obedience to him, and, upon presumption that his authority would bear them out, must kill him. What an impious defiance does he bid to the divine law, when, though the command of God is express, Thou shalt not kill, he bids them kill Amnon, with this warrant, "Have not I commanded you? That is enough. Be courageous, and fear neither God nor man." Those servants are ill taught who obey their masters in contradiction to God, and those are wicked masters who have taught them to do so. Those are too obsequious that will damn their souls to please their masters, whose big words cannot secure them from God's wrath. Masters must always command their servants as those that know they also have a Master in heaven. [3.] He did it in the presence of all the king's sons, of whom it is said (Sa2 8:18) that they were chief rulers; so that it was an affront to public justice which they had the administration of, and to the king his father whom they represented, and a contempt of that sword which should have been a terror to his evil deeds, while his evil deeds, on the contrary, were a terror to those that bore it. [4.] There is reason to suspect that Absalom did this, not only to revenge his sister's quarrel, but to make way for himself to the throne, which he was ambitious of, and which he would stand fair for if Amnon the eldest son was taken off. When the word of command was given Absalom's servants failed not to execute it, being buoyed up with an opinion that their master, being now next heir to the crown (for Chileab was dead, as bishop Patrick thinks), would save them from harm. Now the threatened sword is drawn in David's house which should not depart from it. First, His eldest son falls by it, himself being, by his wickedness, the cause of it, and his father, by his connivance, accessory to it. Secondly, All his sons flee from it, and come home in terror, not knowing how far their brother Absalom's bloody design might extend. See what mischief sin makes in families.
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Summary
2 Samuel 13:29 delivers the chilling, immediate aftermath of Absalom's meticulously planned vengeance against his half-brother Amnon. The verse starkly narrates the swift execution of Absalom's command by his servants, plunging the royal sheep-shearing feast into sudden, violent chaos. It then vividly depicts the ensuing panic among the remaining royal sons, who, recognizing the profound danger and gravity of the situation, immediately mount their mules and flee in desperate haste from the scene of bloodshed. This pivotal moment tragically escalates the internal strife within David's household, marking a point of no return and foreshadowing further turmoil and division.
Context
Literary Context
This verse serves as the grim climax and immediate consequence of Absalom's two-year-long, premeditated plot against Amnon, detailed throughout 2 Samuel 13. The preceding narrative meticulously lays out Amnon's heinous rape of his half-sister Tamar, Absalom's full sister, as recounted in 2 Samuel 13:1-19. Absalom, though maintaining a deceptive silence for two full years, harbored a profound and seething hatred for Amnon, refusing to speak to him (2 Samuel 13:22). His silence was a calculated cover for his impending act of vengeance. He orchestrated a seemingly innocent sheep-shearing festival in Baal-Hazor, near Ephraim, inviting all the king's sons. It was at this festive occasion, traditionally associated with revelry, that Absalom gave his chilling, explicit command to his servants: "When Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him; do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant" (2 Samuel 13:28). Verse 29 confirms the immediate and brutal execution of this command, triggering the chaotic flight of the other princes and marking a profound turning point in David's family saga.
Historical & Cultural Context
Sheep-shearing festivals in ancient Israel were significant annual events, often accompanied by feasting, drinking, and celebration, akin to a harvest festival. They were occasions for landowners to gather their wealth, for social interaction, and for expressions of prosperity. For the royal family, such an event would have been a public display of affluence and familial unity, making Absalom's choice of venue particularly insidious and a profound betrayal of hospitality. The presence of "all the king's sons" underscores the public nature of the gathering and the shocking magnitude of the violence that unfolded within this seemingly secure royal context. Mules were highly valued animals in ancient Israel, often associated with royalty and nobility for travel and status, as seen with King David himself riding a mule (1 Kings 1:33). Their immediate mounting and flight signify not only the princes' panic but also their privileged means of swift escape, highlighting the suddenness and urgency of their departure from the scene of bloodshed and their desperate desire to distance themselves from the regicide. The act itself reflects the cultural reality of blood revenge (lex talionis), though in this case, it was carried out by Absalom rather than through the established legal system, demonstrating a severe breakdown of justice and order within the royal household.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within 2 Samuel and the broader Deuteronomistic History. Firstly, it vividly illustrates the destructive cycle of retribution and revenge, showcasing Absalom's successful, albeit brutal, execution of his long-planned vengeance for the profound dishonor brought upon his sister Tamar. This act underscores the destructive power of unchecked anger, personal vendetta, and the human propensity for taking justice into one's own hands. Secondly, Amnon's death is a direct, tragic consequence of sin, not only his own heinous act but also, implicitly, King David's failure to administer justice decisively and justly in the aftermath of Tamar's rape. This event serves as a grim fulfillment of the prophecy given by Nathan to David, declaring that "the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own" (2 Samuel 12:10). Thirdly, the swift flight of the other royal sons reveals the sudden panic and disorder that engulfed the royal gathering, signifying a complete breakdown of familial and social order. Finally, Absalom's decisive and ruthless act in orchestrating and executing this assassination reveals a chilling aspect of his character: his capacity for cunning, cold calculation, and brutality. This event serves as a significant foreshadowing of his later ambition and willingness to use force, which would eventually culminate in his full-scale rebellion against King David (2 Samuel 15:13).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb signifies a direct, authoritative instruction or order, often implying a formal or binding decree. Its use here emphasizes Absalom's absolute control over his servants and the premeditated, intentional nature of Amnon's murder. It highlights Absalom's role as the orchestrator and the deliberate fulfillment of his long-held plan, underscoring his calculated ruthlessness rather than a spontaneous act of rage. The command was not merely a suggestion but a binding order.
This term refers to male offspring, but in this context, "all the king's sons" specifically denotes the royal princes, David's legitimate heirs and members of the ruling family. Their collective presence at the feast and their subsequent panicked flight underscore the widespread impact of Absalom's act within the royal lineage and the immediate threat perceived by those closest to the throne. It emphasizes the internal nature of the conflict and the profound disruption it caused within the very heart of the kingdom.
This verb denotes a hurried, panicked departure, often in response to danger, fear, or pursuit. The immediate "flight" of the king's sons conveys the sudden shock and terror that gripped them upon witnessing the assassination. It signifies their desperate attempt to escape the immediate danger and potential implication, highlighting the chaos and complete breakdown of order that instantly followed the violent act. Their flight is not merely a retreat but a desperate scramble for self-preservation.
Verse Breakdown
"And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded."
This clause confirms the successful and immediate execution of Absalom's chilling order from 2 Samuel 13:28. It underscores Absalom's absolute authority over his servants and the premeditated, cold-blooded nature of the murder. The terse statement emphasizes the swift and brutal efficiency with which the assassination was carried out, leaving no doubt about Amnon's fate and the decisive fulfillment of Absalom's long-held grudge.
"Then all the king's sons arose,"
This indicates an immediate, collective reaction from the other royal princes present at the feast. Their "arising" suggests a sudden awareness of the horrific event, a jarring break from their revelry, and a preparation for urgent, defensive action. It marks the abrupt transition from feasting and celebration to fear and flight, signaling the onset of widespread panic and the complete disruption of the gathering.
"and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled."
This final phrase depicts the princes' desperate and immediate escape. "Gat him up upon his mule" means they quickly mounted their personal mules, which were prestigious and swift modes of transport, indicating their privileged status and means. Their "flight" signifies their profound fear for their own lives, perhaps fearing Absalom's further actions or the repercussions of being associated with the murder. It underscores the chaos and urgency of the moment, as they prioritize self-preservation over any other consideration, abandoning the feast and the scene of the crime in haste.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices to convey the shock and gravity of the moment. Foreshadowing is evident as Absalom's ruthless execution of Amnon, a calculated act of violence, powerfully foreshadows his later ambition and willingness to use force to achieve his goals, culminating in his full-scale rebellion against King David. There is a strong element of Irony in the setting: a sheep-shearing festival, traditionally a time of joyous celebration, abundance, and communal gathering, is tragically transformed into a scene of fratricide and panic, subverting all expectations of peace and familial harmony. The swift, desperate flight of the princes on their mules, which were symbols of royal status and comfortable travel, highlights the sudden descent into chaos and terror, creating a powerful Juxtaposition between their privilege and their profound fear. The concise, direct reporting of the assassination followed by the immediate, frantic flight creates a sense of Dramatic Pace, effectively conveying the suddenness, shock, and urgency of the moment.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of unaddressed sin and the destructive cycle of violence it can unleash within families and nations. It illustrates how personal transgressions, particularly those involving sexual sin and a failure of justice by those in authority, can fester and lead to further bloodshed and familial disintegration. The events in David's household, culminating in Amnon's murder, are a direct fulfillment of Nathan's prophecy concerning the "sword never departing" from David's house due to his own sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. This tragic episode underscores God's justice, even when it manifests through human sin and its consequences, demonstrating that sin, especially within leadership, has far-reaching and calamitous effects. The panic and flight of the princes also highlight the fragility of human security and the suddenness with which peace and order can be shattered by violence and unchecked vengeance.
Reflection and Application
The tragic events of 2 Samuel 13:29 serve as a profound cautionary tale for all generations. It compels us to confront the uncomfortable reality that sin, particularly when left unaddressed, unconfessed, or inadequately disciplined, does not simply disappear; it metastasizes, breeding resentment, fostering bitterness, and often culminating in further acts of violence and injustice. The story of Amnon and Absalom challenges us to consider the crucial role of justice, both personal and communal. Where justice is delayed or denied, the desire for retribution can become a consuming fire, leading individuals to take matters into their own hands with devastating results. This passage calls us to examine our own hearts for simmering resentments or unaddressed grievances, urging us to pursue reconciliation, forgiveness, and righteous resolution rather than allowing bitterness to take root. It also highlights the immense responsibility of leaders, parents, and those in authority to address sin decisively and justly within their spheres of influence, lest their inaction contribute to a cycle of suffering and chaos that impacts not only individuals but entire communities.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did all the king's sons flee, and not just those who might have been implicated?
The immediate flight of "all the king's sons" underscores the suddenness and profound shock of Amnon's assassination. While some might have been aware of Absalom's simmering hatred, the actual execution of a royal prince at a family gathering would have been an unprecedented and terrifying event. Their flight was likely driven by a combination of factors: pure panic and fear for their own lives, not knowing if Absalom's wrath would extend to others; a desperate desire to distance themselves from the scene of a regicide, which carried severe legal and political ramifications; and the sheer chaos and breakdown of order that ensued. Their immediate reaction was self-preservation in the face of sudden, unexpected violence, as the "sword" had indeed entered David's house, fulfilling Nathan's prophecy in 2 Samuel 12:10.
What is the significance of the mules in this verse?
Mules were highly prized animals in ancient Israel, often associated with royalty and nobility. They were known for their strength, sure-footedness, and ability to travel long distances comfortably, making them a preferred mode of transport for important figures. King David himself rode a mule, as seen in 1 Kings 1:33. In this verse, the detail that "every man gat him up upon his mule" emphasizes the princes' privileged status and their means of swift escape. It highlights the stark contrast between their comfortable, royal lives and the sudden, terrifying need for urgent flight. The mules, typically symbols of status and dignified travel, here become instruments of panicked escape, underscoring the complete disruption of their world and the immediate threat to their lives.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The tragic events of 2 Samuel 13:29, rooted in the cycle of sin, injustice, and vengeance within David's household, powerfully underscore humanity's desperate need for a perfect King. Amnon's murder, a consequence of his own sin and David's failure to administer justice, is a stark reminder of the brokenness of human leadership and the pervasive nature of sin's effects, echoing the prophecy that "the sword shall never depart" from David's house (2 Samuel 12:10). This narrative points forward to Jesus Christ, the true Son of David, who breaks this cycle of violence and retribution. Unlike Absalom, who sought vengeance through murder, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, willingly offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, not to exact revenge for sin, but to atone for it and reconcile humanity to God (Hebrews 9:22). While Amnon's death brought chaos and flight, Christ's death on the cross brings reconciliation and peace, conquering sin and death itself (Colossians 1:20). He is the righteous King who administers perfect justice and offers true forgiveness, ending the reign of sin and establishing an eternal kingdom where the sword of vengeance is replaced by the scepter of peace (Isaiah 9:6-7). In Him, the panic and flight caused by human sin are replaced by the security and rest found in His perfect reign (Matthew 11:28).