Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

To flatter each man by pronouncing a favorable verdict in his case, to excite a sense of grievance and discontent by censuring the king for remissness in trying the causes brought before him by his subjects, and to suggest a sure and easy remedy for all such grievances, namely, to make Absalom king; all this, coupled with great affability and courtesy, which his personal beauty and high rank made all the more effective, were the arts by which Absalom worked his way into favor with the people, who were light and fickle as himself.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And Absalom said unto him,.... After some further talk, and finding he had a suit at law to bring on, and either seeing it drawn up in writing, or hearing his account of it, at once declared, without hearing the other party:

see, thy matters are good and right; thy cause is a good cause, and if it could be heard by proper persons there is no doubt but things would go on thy side, and thou wouldest carry thy cause:

but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee; the king is grown old himself and his sons are negligent, and do not attend to business, and there are none besides them appointed to hear causes; and he suggested, as appears by what follows, that he was not in commission, but if he was, or should he appointed a judge, he would attend to business, and people should not go away after this manner, without having justice administered unto them,

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

See — Upon some very slight hearing of their cause, he approved it, that he might oblige all.

No man — None such as will do thee justice. The other sons and relations of the king, and the rest of the judges and rulers under him and them, are wholly corrupted; or, at least not careful and diligent as they should be: and my father being grown in years, is negligent of publick affairs. It is the way of turbulent, aspiring men, to reproach the government they are under. Even David himself, the best of kings, could not escape the worst of censures.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Samuel 15:3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters [are] good and right; but [there is] no man [deputed] of the king to hear thee.

Ver. 3. See, thy matters are good and right.] Right or wrong, he, to steal away their hearts, smoothed them up with fair words, which are light cheap: telling them that their cause was very good, and condemning the judges as corrupt, saith Josephus, who had given sentence against them. This was very taking with the rude multitude.

But there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.] This was a base slander, as appeareth from 2 Samuel 8:15. But that is a small matter with graceless ambitionists.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Thy matters are good and right: upon some very slight hearing of their case he approved it, that he might oblige all.

No man deputed of the king to hear thee, to wit, none such as will do thee justice. The other sons and relations of the king, and the rest of the judges and rulers under him and them, are wholly corrupted, and swayed by favour or bribes; or, at least, not careful and diligent, as they should be; and my father being grown in years, is negligent of public affairs, leaving them wholly to their conduct.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

3.Thy matters are good and right — Thy case is a worthy and righteous one, and ought to be tried, and all thy grievances redressed.

No man deputed of the king to hear thee — This was a charge against his father’s administration, and calculated to spread dissatisfaction among the people, The marginal reading, none will hear thee, from the king downward, is untenable.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

2 Samuel 15:3. Absalom said, See, thy matters are good and right — Upon some very slight hearing of any man’s cause he approved of it, that he might oblige him; flattering all that they had right on their side, so that, if their causes should go against them, they might conclude, if Absalom had been judge, it would have been otherwise. There is no man deputed of the king to hear thee — None that will do thee justice. The other sons and relations of the king, and the rest of the judges and rulers under him and them, are wholly corrupt; or, at least, not careful and diligent as they should be, and my father, being grown in years, is negligent of public affairs. So Absalom said, or insinuated. And it is always the way of turbulent, aspiring men, to reproach the government they are under. Even David, we see, one of the best of kings, could not escape the worst of censures, and that even from his own son; for what could be worse than that which is here thrown out against him, that he neglected to administer true and impartial justice and judgment to his people? It is marvellous that David did not observe and nip this growing insurrection in its bud. But Delaney is of opinion that he was dangerously ill at this time, and that therefore Absalom seized this as a fit opportunity to take the steps here mentioned to increase his popularity, and draw the people after him.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

matters: i.e. plea, cause, or suit.

no man = no one.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

There is no man deputed of the king to hear thee [ w

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) There is no man deputed of the king.—There is no official hearer appointed. It was impossible for the king to hear every case in detail; certain persons were therefore appointed to hear causes and report the facts to the king, who thereupon pronounced his judgment. Absalom uses the same arts which have been used by the demagogue in all ages. He does not accuse the king himself of wrong, but insinuates that the system of government is detective, and expresses his own earnest wish to set things right.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

thy matters

Numbers 16:3,13,14; Psalms 12:2; Daniel 11:21; 2 Peter 2:10

there is, etc

or, none will hear thee from the king downward.

8:15; Exodus 20:12; 21:17; Proverbs 30:11,17; Ezekiel 22:7; Matthew 15:4; Acts 23:5; 1 Peter 2:17