.1
¶ And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains
of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2
And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab,
and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother,
and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said
unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
3
But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away,
they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for
us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better
that thou succour us out of the city.
4
And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king
stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by
thousands.
5
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently
for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard
when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6
So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was
in the wood of Ephraim;
7
Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and
there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
8
For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and
the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. |
1 -
David
numbered the people He called them as a military force. It was
not a new census.
3 -
Not
go He would be in danger and the the army would fail.
5 -
Deal
gently "The king's solicitude, seeming to declare that Absalom
was dearer even than the subjects faithful to his throne, only increased
the indignation of the soldiers against the unnatural son." (Ellen White,
Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 743.) |
.9
¶  And
Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the
mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold
of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the
mule that was under him went away.
10 And a certain man
saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
11 And Joab said unto
the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou
not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels
of silver, and a girdle.
12 And the man said
unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine
hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in
our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware
that none touch the young man Absalom.
13 Otherwise I should
have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid
from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me |
11
- I would have given thee This "would have raised him from
the ranks to the status of a commissioned officer. Besides a sum of money,
a girdle, curiously and richly wrought, was among the ancient Hebrews a
mark of honor, and sometimes bestowed as a reward of military merit. This
soldier, however, who may be taken as a fair sample of David's faithful
subjects, had so great a respect for the king's wishes, that no prospect
of reward would have tempted him to lay violent hands on Absalom." (JFB) |
14 Then said Joab, I
may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and
thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the
midst of the oak.
15 And ten young men
that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
16 And Joab blew the
trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held
back the people.
17 And they took Absalom,
and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of
stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
.18
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar,
which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name
in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is
called unto this day, Absalom's place. |
18
- Pillar Or "monument." Josephus says it was two furlongs
from Jerusalem. The tomb pictured is called "Absalom's Tomb" but is not
thought to be earlier than the Roman period. |
19 ¶ Then
said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings,
how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto
him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings
another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's
son is dead.
21 Then said Joab to
Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto
Joab, and ran.
.22
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let
me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou
run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
23 But howsoever, said
he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way
of the plain, and overran Cushi.
.24
And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof
over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold
a man running alone.
25 And the watchman
cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings
in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. |
22
- Run ... no tidings An important lesson for all of us.
Watchtower,
perhaps from medieval times
Image
copyright expired
|
26 And the
watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter,
and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also
bringeth tidings.
27 And the watchman
said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz
the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with
good tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called,
and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon
his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which
hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the
king.
29 And the king said,
Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the
king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not
what it was.
30 And the king said
unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
.31
And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for
the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
32 And the king said
unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies
of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be
as that young man is.
.33
And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate,
and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son
Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! |
29
- Absalom safe? Notice the vague response
and compare to the response of Cushi. The story has lessons worthy of meditation.
33
- O my son Joab was not pleased with
this response. (next chapter) |
