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2 Samuel 15

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Absalom Undermines David's Authority 1–6

1
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. ​
2
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. ​
3
And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. ​
4
Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
5
And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
6
And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. ​

The Rebellion Begins in Hebron 7–12

7
And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron. ​
8
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.
9
And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.
10
But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
11
And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing. ​
12
And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom. ​

David Flees Jerusalem 13–23

13
And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. ​
14
And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. ​
15
And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.
16
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house. ​
17
And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.
18
And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. ​
19
Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile. ​
20
Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.
21
And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. ​
22
And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
23
And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness. ​

The Ark Sent Back; David's Submission 24–30

24
And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city. ​
25
And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: ​
26
But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. ​
27
The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
28
See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.
29
Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
30
And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. ​

David Prays and Deploys Hushai 31–37

31
And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. ​
32
And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:
33
Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:
34
But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. ​
35
And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36
Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.
37
So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Samuel 15

Verse 1

chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him — Samuel's warning of 'the manner of the king' included sons appointed 'for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots' (1 Sam 8:11). Adonijah later prepares the same equipment when he says, 'I will be king' (1 Kings 1:5).

Verse 2

the way of the gate — The gate was where cases were heard; Boaz sat there to settle a matter in Ruth 4:1. Of David it is written that he 'executed judgment and justice unto all his people' (2 Sam 8:15), and Absalom, who 'rose up early' (shakam), stands there to meet the men who came with 'a controversy' (riyb) 'to the king for judgment' (mishpat).

Verse 3

no man deputed of the king — Absalom pronounces every case 'good and right' (nakoach, straightforward) before it is heard, and puts the fault on the king's lack of a deputy. Moses had appointed rulers to judge the small matters (Ex 18:25–26). Absalom's own wish follows in v.4: 'Oh that I were made judge in the land'.

Verse 6

stole the hearts — Ganab with leb, to steal the heart. Gen 31:20 has the same pair of words, where Jacob 'stole away unawares to Laban', literally stole Laban's heart. The 'hearts of the men of Israel' reappear in the messenger's report of v.13.

Verse 7

pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron — Hebron is where David was told to go up and was anointed king over Judah (2 Sam 2:1–4), and where he reigned 'seven years and six months' (2 Sam 5:5). The vow (neder) gets Absalom there with the king's blessing, 'Go in peace' (v.9), and v.10 shows the plan: spies are sent to every tribe with the cry 'Absalom reigneth in Hebron'.

Verse 11

in their simplicity — Tom, wholeness, the 'integrity' of heart that Abimelech claimed in Gen 20:5. The two hundred 'that were called' (qara) were invited to what v.12 calls sacrifices, and they 'knew not any thing' (dabar). The innocence of the guests is the cover Absalom's plot uses.

Verse 12

Ahithophel the Gilonite — David's 'counsellor' (yaats), from Giloh, a city among those of Judah (Josh 15:51). Ps 41:9 speaks of 'mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me', which Christ applies to Judas (John 13:18). 'The people increased continually with Absalom.'

Verse 13

The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom — The report uses the 'hearts' (leb) that v.6 says Absalom 'stole'. Judg 9:3 has the same turn: 'their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech'. David hears it as a messenger's news in Jerusalem, and v.14 gives his answer.

Verse 14

let us flee — Barach, to run away; the title of Ps 3 is 'A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son'. The 'evil' (ra) David fears Absalom will bring is the word of 2 Sam 12:11, 'I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house', and 'the edge of the sword' is literally the mouth of the sword (peh), the sword that 12:10 said would never depart.

Verse 16

ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house — Left to keep the house, they are the ones Ahithophel names in 2 Sam 16:21, 'Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house', fulfilling 2 Sam 12:11. On his return David 'put them in ward', and they were 'shut up unto the day of their death' (2 Sam 20:3).

Verse 18

Cherethites … Pelethites … Gittites — The Cherethites and Pelethites are the guard under Benaiah (2 Sam 8:18); Zeph 2:5 names 'the nation of the Cherethites' among the sea-coast people of the Philistines. The Gittites are men of Gath, 'six hundred men', and they 'passed on before the king' while his own servants pass 'beside him'.

Verse 19

a stranger, and also an exile — Nokri, a foreigner, and galah, one carried away. Ittai is a Gittite, from Gath (v.18). David tells him to go back and 'abide with the king'; the words David gives Hushai in v.34 call Absalom 'O king'. He offers the foreigner a release from a quarrel that is not his.

Verse 21

whether in death or life — Ittai swears by two lives, 'As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth', the form of Elisha's 'As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee' (2 Kgs 2:6). His promise echoes Ruth's 'where thou diest, will I die' (Ruth 1:17), and he says 'thy servant' (ebed) where the men of Israel have turned to Absalom (v.13).

Verse 23

the brook Kidron — The verb abar, 'passed over', is used three times in this verse as the people and the king cross. Jesus crossed the same brook, which John writes as 'the brook Cedron', with his disciples before his arrest (John 18:1). The company turns 'toward the way of the wilderness'.

Verse 24

bearing the ark of the covenant of God — The ark is borne by the Levites, as the law gave the carrying to the sons of Kohath (Num 4:15). Zadok and Abiathar are named together as David's priests (2 Sam 20:25). They set the ark down until 'all the people had done passing out of the city'.

Verse 25

find favour in the eyes of the LORD — David sends the ark back because favour (chen) is the LORD's to give, and he looks to be brought again to see 'both it, and his habitation' (naveh, dwelling-place), the tent he pitched for it (2 Sam 6:17). The elders at Shiloh once fetched the ark so that it 'may save us out of the hand of our enemies' (1 Sam 4:3).

Verse 26

I have no delight in thee — Chaphets, to delight, the verb of David's song, 'he delivered me, because he delighted in me' (2 Sam 22:20). He allows for the opposite verdict and leaves it with the LORD: 'as seemeth good unto him' is literally 'good in his eyes', the words of Eli in 1 Sam 3:18.

Verse 30

had his head covered — A covered head marks mourning: 'Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered' (Esth 6:12), and in Jer 14:3 the people, 'ashamed and confounded', 'covered their heads'. David is yachef, barefoot, a word found elsewhere only in Isa 20:2–4 and Jer 2:25. The ascent of Olivet is the mount to which Christ went out after the hymn (Matt 26:30).

Verse 31

turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness — Sakal, to make foolish. The prayer is answered in 2 Sam 17:14: 'the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.' When his counsel was not followed, Ahithophel 'hanged himself, and died' (2 Sam 17:23).

Verse 34

defeat the counsel of Ahithophel — Parar, to break, the verb 2 Sam 17:14 uses of what the LORD appointed. The means is Hushai's offer of service to Absalom in words David gives him: 'I will be thy servant, O king'. In 2 Sam 17:5 Absalom calls for Hushai to hear what he says as well as Ahithophel.

Verse 37

Hushai David's friend — Reeh, a friend of the king, a word found only here, in 2 Sam 16:16 and in the list of officers at 1 Kings 4:5 ('Zabud … principal officer, and the king's friend'). 1 Chr 27:33 calls Hushai 'the king's companion'. He enters the city as Absalom enters Jerusalem, and greets him with 'God save the king' (2 Sam 16:16).