Lectionary Calendar
Monday, April 13th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

2 Samuel 14:24

and the king saith, `Let him turn round unto his house, and my face he doth not see.' And Absalom turneth round unto his house, and the face of the king he hath not seen.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Absalom;   David;   Exile;   Intercession;   Joab;   Kindness;   Scofield Reference Index - Absalom;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - David;   Joab;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Mediator, Mediation;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Court Systems;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Wisdom;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Absalom;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Face;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Absalom;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
However, the king added, “He may return to his house, but he may not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his house, but he did not see the king.
Hebrew Names Version
The king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Avshalom turned to his own house, and didn't see the king's face.
King James Version
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
Lexham English Bible
The king said, "Let him go over to his house, and he may not see my face." So Absalom went over to his house, and did not see the face of the king.
English Standard Version
And the king said, "Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king's presence.
New Century Version
But King David said, "Absalom must go to his own house. He may not come to see me." So Absalom went to his own house and did not go to see the king.
New English Translation
But the king said, "Let him go over to his own house. He may not see my face." So Absalom went over to his own house; he did not see the king's face.
Amplified Bible
However, the king said, "Let him go to his own house, and do not let him see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.
New American Standard Bible
However, the king said, "He shall return to his own house, but he shall not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house and did not see the king's face.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King sayde, Let him turne to his owne house, & not see my face. So Absalom turned to his owne house, & saw not the Kings face.
Legacy Standard Bible
However the king said, "Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king's face.
Contemporary English Version
David told Joab, "I don't want to see my son Absalom. Tell him to stay away from me." So Absalom went to his own house without seeing his father.
Complete Jewish Bible
However, the king said, "Let him return to his own house, but he is not to appear in my presence." So Avshalom returned to his own house and did not appear before the king.
Darby Translation
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom withdrew to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
Easy-to-Read Version
But King David said, "Absalom must go back to his own house. He cannot come to see me." So Absalom went back to his own house, but he could not go to see the king.
George Lamsa Translation
And the king said, Let him go to his own house, but let him not be seen in my presence. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the kings face.
Good News Translation
The king, however, gave orders that Absalom should not live in the palace. "I don't want to see him," the king said. So Absalom lived in his own house and did not appear before the king.
Literal Translation
And the king said, Let him turn to his house, and he shall not see my face. And Absalom turned to his house, and he did not see the king's face.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the kinge sayde: Let him go againe in to his house, and not se my face. Thus Absalom came agayne to his house, and sawe not ye kynges face.
American Standard Version
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
Bible in Basic English
And the king said, Let him go to his house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom went back to his house and did not see the face of the king.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king sayde: Let him turne to his owne house, & not see my face. And so Absalo returned to his owne house, and sawe not the kinges face.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king said: 'Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face.' So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
King James Version (1611)
And the king said, Let him turne to his owne house, & let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his owne house, and sawe not the kings face.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king said, Let him return to his house, and not see my face. And Abessalom returned to his house, and saw not the king’s face.
English Revised Version
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.
Berean Standard Bible
But the king added, "He may return to his house, but he must not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the kyng seide, Turne he ayen in to his hows, and se not he my face.
Update Bible Version
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but don't let him see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and didn't see the king's face.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
World English Bible
The king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and didn't see the king's face.
New King James Version
And the king said, "Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king's face.
New Living Translation
But the king gave this order: "Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence." So Absalom did not see the king.
New Life Bible
But the king said, "Let him go to his own house. Do not let him see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king's face.
New Revised Standard
The king said, "Let him go to his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So Absalom went to his own house, and did not come into the king's presence.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king said - Let him go round to his own house, and, my face, let him not see. So Absolom went round, unto his own house, and, the face of the king, saw he not.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But the king said: Let him return into his house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned into his house, and saw not the king’s face.
Revised Standard Version
And the king said, "Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So Ab'salom dwelt apart in his own house, and did not come into the king's presence.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
However the king said, "Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king's face.

Contextual Overview

21 And the king saith unto Joab, `Lo, I pray thee, thou hast done this thing; and go, bring back the young man Absalom.' 22 And Joab falleth on his face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and blesseth the king, and Joab saith, `To-day hath thy servant known that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king, in that the king hath done the word of his servant.' 23 And Joab riseth and goeth to Geshur, and bringeth in Absalom to Jerusalem, 24 and the king saith, `Let him turn round unto his house, and my face he doth not see.' And Absalom turneth round unto his house, and the face of the king he hath not seen. 25 And like Absalom there was no man [so] fair in all Israel, to praise greatly; from the sole of his foot even unto his crown there was no blemish in him; 26 and in his polling his head -- and it hath been at the end of year by year that he polleth [it], for it [is] heavy on him, and he hath polled it -- he hath even weighed out the hair of his head -- two hundred shekels by the king's weight. 27 And there are born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter, and her name [is] Tamar; she was a woman of a fair appearance.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

let him not: 2 Samuel 14:28, 2 Samuel 3:13, Genesis 43:3, Exodus 10:28, Revelation 22:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 33:10 - I have seen 2 Samuel 3:3 - Absalom 1 Kings 1:53 - Go to 1 Kings 2:36 - Build 1 Chronicles 15:1 - houses

Cross-References

Genesis 14:7
and they turn back and come in unto En-Mishpat, which [is] Kadesh, and smite the whole field of the Amalekite, and also the Amorite who is dwelling in Hazezon-Tamar.
Genesis 14:8
And the king of Sodom goeth out, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, which [is] Zoar; and they set the battle in array with them in the valley of Siddim,
Genesis 14:13
And one who is escaping cometh and declareth to Abram the Hebrew, and he is dwelling among the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, and they [are] Abram's allies.
Genesis 14:14
And Abram heareth that his brother hath been taken captive, and he draweth out his trained domestics, three hundred and eighteen, and pursueth unto Dan.
Genesis 14:15
And he divideth himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smiteth them, and pursueth them unto Hobah, which [is] at the left of Damascus;
Proverbs 3:27
Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God to do [it].
Matthew 7:12
`All things, therefore, whatever ye may will that men may be doing to you, so also do to them, for this is the law and the prophets.
1 Timothy 5:18
for the Writing saith, `An ox treading out thou shalt not muzzle,' and `Worthy [is] the workman of his reward.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king said,.... Very probably to Joab, when he informed him of Absalom's being come to Jerusalem:

let him turn to his own house; depart from the king's palace, where Joab had brought him, and go to his own house, which was in Jerusalem; for here he had one before he fled to Geshur; see 2 Samuel 13:20;

and let him not see my face; which he ordered, partly to show his detestation of the crime he had been guilty of, and some remaining resentment in his mind at him on account of it; and partly for his credit among some of the people at least, who might think it was a crime so great as not to go unpunished, though others were of a different mind; and also for the greater humiliation of Absalom, who, the king might think, had not been sufficiently humbled for his sin, or had not truly repented of it:

so Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face; in obedience to his father's orders.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let him not see my face - We are not told why David adopted this half-measure. Possibly Bath-sheba’s influence may have been exerted to keep Absalom in disgrace for the sake of Solomon.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 14:24. Let him not see my face. — He would not at once restore him to favour, though he had now remitted his crime; so that he should not die for it. It was highly proper to show this detestation of the crime, and respect for justice.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile