Study Desk

Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He had intercourse with her, and she bore a son, whom David named Solomon. The Lord loved the boy

Meanwhile Joab continued his campaign against Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon, and was about to capture it.

So David gathered his forces, went to Rabbah, attacked it, and conquered it.

From the head of the idol of the Ammonite god Molech David took a gold crown which weighed about seventy-five pounds and had a jewel in it. David took the jewel and put it in his own crown. He also took a large amount of loot from the city

and put its people to work with saws, iron hoes, and iron axes, and forced them to work at making bricks. He did the same to the people of all the other towns of Ammon. Then he and his men returned to Jerusalem.

he called in his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of my sight! Throw her out and lock the door!"

And Absalom hated Amnon so much for having raped his sister Tamar that he would no longer even speak to him.

Two years later Absalom was having his sheep sheared at Baal Hazor, near the town of Ephraim, and he invited all the king's sons to be there.

But Absalom kept on insisting until David finally let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king

and instructed his servants: "Notice when Amnon has had too much to drink, and then when I give the order, kill him. Don't be afraid. I will take the responsibility myself. Be brave and don't hesitate!"

The king stood up, tore his clothes in sorrow, and threw himself to the ground. The servants who were there with him tore their clothes also.

But Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shammah, said, "Your Majesty, they haven't killed all your sons. Only Amnon is dead. You could tell by looking at Absalom that he had made up his mind to do this from the time that Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

As soon as he finished saying this, David's sons came in; they started crying, and David and his officials also cried bitterly.

Absalom fled and went to the king of Geshur, Talmai son of Ammihud, and stayed there three years. David mourned a long time for his son Amnon;

but when he got over Amnon's death, he was filled with longing for his son Absalom.

And now, sir, all my relatives have turned against me and are demanding that I hand my son over to them, so that they can kill him for murdering his brother. If they do this, I will be left without a son. They will destroy my last hope and leave my husband without a son to keep his name alive."

I thought you would listen to me and save me from the one who is trying to kill my son and me and so remove us from the land God gave his people.

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.

There was no one in Israel as famous for his good looks as Absalom; he had no defect from head to toe.

His hair was very thick, and he had to cut it once a year, when it grew too long and heavy. It would weigh about five pounds according to the royal standard of weights.