Study Desk

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

Joab^(a) son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom.

So Joab sent someone to Tekoa^(b) and had a wise woman^(c) brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions.^(d) Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead.

Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab^(e) put the words in her mouth.

When the woman from Tekoa went^[a] to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, "Help me, Your Majesty!"

The king asked her, "What is troubling you?" She said, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.

I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him.

Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death^(f) for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir^(g) as well.' They would put out the only burning coal I have left,^(h) leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth."

The king said to the woman, "Go home,⁽ⁱ⁾ and I will issue an order in your behalf."

But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "Let my lord the king pardon^(j) me and my family,^(k) and let the king and his throne be without guilt.^(l)"

The king replied, "If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again."

She said, "Then let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger^(m) of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed." "As surely as the Lord lives," he said, "not one hair⁽ⁿ⁾ of your son's head will fall to the ground.^(o)"

Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." "Speak," he replied.

The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself,^(p) for the king has not brought back his banished son?^(q)

Like water^(r) spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.^(s) But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person^(t) does not remain banished from him.

"And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; perhaps he will grant his servant's request.

Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from God's inheritance.'^(u)

"And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel^(v) of God in discerning^(w) good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.'"

Then the king said to the woman, "Don't keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you." "Let my lord the king speak," the woman said.

The king asked, "Isn't the hand of Joab^(x) with you in all this?" The woman answered, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant.

Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom^(y) like that of an angel of God—he knows everything that happens in the land.^(z)"

The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."

Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king.^(aa) Joab said, "Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant's request."

Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

But the king said, "He must go to his own house; he must not see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.

In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.

Whenever he cut the hair of his head^(ab)—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels^[b] by the royal standard.

Three sons^(ac) and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter's name was Tamar,^(ad) and she became a beautiful woman.

Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face.

Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come.

Then he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley^(ae) there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

Then Joab did go to Absalom's house, and he said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?^(af)"

Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur?^(ag) It would be better for me if I were still there!"' Now then, I want to see the king's face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death."^(ah)

So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed^(ai) Absalom.

Absalom's Conspiracy

In the course of time,^(a) Absalom provided himself with a chariot^(b) and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him.

He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate.^(c) Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel."

Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you."^(d)

And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land!^(e) Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice."

Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him.

Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts^(f) of the people of Israel.

At the end of four^[a] years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord .

While your servant was living at Geshur^(g) in Aram, I made this vow:^(h) ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.^[b]'"

The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron.

Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets,⁽ⁱ⁾ then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.'"

Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter.

While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel^(j) the Gilonite, David's counselor,^(k) to come from Giloh,^(l) his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing.^(m)

A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom."

Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "Come! We must flee,⁽ⁿ⁾ or none of us will escape from Absalom.^(o) We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword."

The king's officials answered him, "Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses."

The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines^(p) to take care of the palace.

So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city.

All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites^(q) and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.

The king said to Ittai^(r) the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner,^(s) an exile from your homeland.

You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander^(t) about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness."^[c](u)

But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be."^(v)

David said to Ittai, "Go ahead, march on." So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.

The whole countryside wept aloud^(w) as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley,^(x) and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.

Zadok^(y) was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark^(z) of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar^(aa) offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.

Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord 's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place^(ab) again.

But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.^(ac)"

The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Do you understand?^(ad) Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar's son Jonathan.^(ae) You and Abiathar return with your two sons.

I will wait at the fords^(af) in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."

So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping^(ag) as he went; his head^(ah) was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.

Now David had been told, "Ahithophel^(ai) is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, " Lord , turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness."

When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai^(aj) the Arkite^(ak) was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust^(al) on his head.

David said to him, "If you go with me, you will be a burden^(am) to me.

But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father's servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,'^(an) then you can help me by frustrating^(ao) Ahithophel's advice.

Won't the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king's palace.^(ap)

Their two sons, Ahimaaz^(aq) son of Zadok and Jonathan^(ar) son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear."

So Hushai,^(as) David's confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom^(at) was entering the city.

David and Ziba

When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba,^(a) the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.^(b)

The king asked Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh^(c) those who become exhausted in the wilderness."

The king then asked, "Where is your master's grandson?"^(d) Ziba^(e) said to him, "He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather's kingdom.'"

Then the king said to Ziba, "All that belonged to Mephibosheth^(f) is now yours." "I humbly bow," Ziba said. "May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king."

As King David approached Bahurim,^(g) a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei^(h) son of Gera, and he cursed⁽ⁱ⁾ as he came out.

He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left.

As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel!

The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned.^(j) The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!"^(k)

Then Abishai^(l) son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog^(m) curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head."⁽ⁿ⁾

But the king said, "What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?^(o) If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,' who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?'"^(p)

David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son,^(q) my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.^(r)

It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery^(s) and restore to me his covenant blessing^(t) instead of his curse today.^(u)"

So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt.

The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted.^(v) And there he refreshed himself.

Meanwhile, Absalom^(w) and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel^(x) was with him.

Then Hushai^(y) the Arkite, David's confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

Absalom said to Hushai, "So this is the love you show your friend? If he's your friend, why didn't you go with him?"^(z)

Hushai said to Absalom, "No, the one chosen by the Lord , by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him.

Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you."^(aa)

Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?"

Ahithophel answered, "Sleep with your father's concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute."

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.^(ab)

Now in those days the advice^(ac) Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David^(ad) and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice.