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Absalom Leads an Insurrection against David

15 Some time later Absalom managed to acquire[a] a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.[b] Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, “What city are you from?” The person would answer, “I, your servant,[c] am from one of the tribes of Israel.” Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate.[d] But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.” Absalom would then say, “If only they would make me[e] a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint[f] could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.”

When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom[g] would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty[h] of the citizens[i] of Israel.

After four[j] years Absalom said to the king, “Let me go and repay my vow that I made to the Lord while I was in Hebron. For I made this vow[k] when I was living in Geshur in Aram: ‘If the Lord really does allow me to return to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’” The king replied to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom[l] got up and went to Hebron.

10 Then Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel who said, “When you hear the sound of the horn, you may assume[m] that Absalom rules in Hebron.” 11 Now 200 men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem. Since they were invited, they went naively and were unaware of what Absalom was planning.[n] 12 While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser,[o] to come from his city, Giloh.[p] The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were starting to side with Absalom.

David Flees from Jerusalem

13 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!”[q] 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come on![r] Let’s escape![s] Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring[t] disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.”[u] 15 The king’s servants replied to the king, “We will do whatever our lord the king decides.”[v]

16 So the king and all the members of his royal court[w] set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines[x] to attend to the palace. 17 The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing[y] at a spot[z] some distance away. 18 All his servants were leaving with him,[aa] along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites—some 600 men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with[ab] the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new[ac] king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.[ad] 20 It seems as if you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men[ae] with you. May genuine loyal love[af] protect[ag] you!”

21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether it means death or life, there I[ah] will be as well!” 22 So David said to Ittai, “Come along then.”[ai] So Ittai the Gittite went along,[aj] accompanied by all his men and all the dependents[ak] who were with him.

23 All the land was weeping loudly[al] as all these people were leaving.[am] As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving[an] on the road that leads to the desert. 24 Zadok and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. When they positioned the ark of God, Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving[ao] the city.

25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again. 26 However, if he should say, ‘I do not take pleasure in you,’ then he will deal with me in a way that he considers appropriate.”[ap]

27 The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer?[aq] Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar.[ar] 28 Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you[as] reaches me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there.

30 As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up. 31 Now David[at] had been told, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom.” So David prayed,[au] “Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O Lord.”

32 When David reached the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you leave[av] with me you will be a burden to me. 34 But you will be able to counter the advice of Ahithophel if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father’s servant, and now I will be your servant.’ 35 Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you.[aw] Everything you hear in the king’s palace[ax] you must tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Furthermore, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You must send them to me with any information you hear.”[ay]

37 So David’s friend Hushai arrived in the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 15:1 tn Heb “acquired for himself.”
  2. 2 Samuel 15:1 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
  3. 2 Samuel 15:2 tn Heb “your servant.” So also in vv. 8, 15, 21.
  4. 2 Samuel 15:3 tn Heb “good and straight.”
  5. 2 Samuel 15:4 tn Heb “Who will make me?”
  6. 2 Samuel 15:4 tn Heb “a complaint and a judgment.” The expression is a hendiadys.
  7. 2 Samuel 15:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. 2 Samuel 15:6 tn Heb “stole the heart.”
  9. 2 Samuel 15:6 tn Heb “the men.”
  10. 2 Samuel 15:7 tc The MT has here “forty,” but this is presumably a scribal error for “four.” The context will not tolerate a period of forty years prior to the rebellion of Absalom. The Lucianic Greek recension (τέσσαρα ἔτη, tessara etē), the Syriac Peshitta (ʾarbaʿ sanin), and Vulgate (post quattuor autem annos) in fact have the expected reading “four years.” Most English translations follow the versions in reading “four” here, although some (e.g. KJV, ASV, NASB, NKJV), following the MT, read “forty.”
  11. 2 Samuel 15:8 tn Heb “for your servant vowed a vow.” The formal court style of referring to one’s self in third person (“your servant”) has been translated here as first person for clarity.
  12. 2 Samuel 15:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. 2 Samuel 15:10 tn Heb “say.”
  14. 2 Samuel 15:11 tn Heb “being invited and going naively and they did not know anything.”
  15. 2 Samuel 15:12 tn Traditionally, “counselor,” but this term is more often associated with psychological counseling today, so “adviser” was used in the translation instead.
  16. 2 Samuel 15:12 tn Heb “Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, the adviser of David, from his city, from Giloh, while he was sacrificing.” It is not entirely clear who (Absalom or Ahithophel) was offering the sacrifices.
  17. 2 Samuel 15:13 tn Heb “the heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom.”
  18. 2 Samuel 15:14 tn Heb “Arise!”
  19. 2 Samuel 15:14 tn Heb “let’s flee.”
  20. 2 Samuel 15:14 tn Heb “thrust.”
  21. 2 Samuel 15:14 tn Heb “and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
  22. 2 Samuel 15:15 tn Heb “according to all that my lord the king will choose, behold your servants!”
  23. 2 Samuel 15:16 tn Heb “and all his house.”
  24. 2 Samuel 15:16 tn Heb “women, concubines.”
  25. 2 Samuel 15:17 tn Heb “and they stood.”
  26. 2 Samuel 15:17 tn Heb “house.”
  27. 2 Samuel 15:18 tn Heb “crossing over near his hand.”
  28. 2 Samuel 15:18 tn Heb “crossing over near the face of.”
  29. 2 Samuel 15:19 tn The word “new” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation to make it clear that David refers to Absalom, not himself.
  30. 2 Samuel 15:19 tn Heb “place.”
  31. 2 Samuel 15:20 tn Heb “brothers,” but see v. 22.
  32. 2 Samuel 15:20 tn Heb “loyal love and truth.” The expression is a hendiadys.
  33. 2 Samuel 15:20 tn Heb “be with.”
  34. 2 Samuel 15:21 tn Heb “your servant.”
  35. 2 Samuel 15:22 tn Heb “Come and cross over.”
  36. 2 Samuel 15:22 tn Heb “crossed over.”
  37. 2 Samuel 15:22 tn Heb “all the little ones.”
  38. 2 Samuel 15:23 tn Heb “with a great voice.”
  39. 2 Samuel 15:23 tn Heb “crossing over.”
  40. 2 Samuel 15:23 tn Heb “crossing near the face of.”
  41. 2 Samuel 15:24 tn Heb “crossing from.”
  42. 2 Samuel 15:26 tn Heb “as [is] good in his eyes.”
  43. 2 Samuel 15:27 tn The Greek tradition understands the Hebrew word as an imperative (“see”). Most Greek mss have ἴδετε (idete); the Lucianic recension has βλέπε (blepe). It could just as well be taken as a question: “Don’t you see what is happening?” The present translation takes the word as a question, with the implication that Zadok is a priest and not a prophet (i.e., “seer”) and therefore unable to know what the future holds.
  44. 2 Samuel 15:27 tn Heb “And Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, two of your sons, with you.” The pronominal suffix on the last word is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar.
  45. 2 Samuel 15:28 tn The pronoun is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar.
  46. 2 Samuel 15:31 tc The translation follows 4QSama, part of the Greek tradition, the Syriac Peshitta, Targum, and Vulgate in reading “and to David,” rather than MT וְדָוִד (vedavid, “and David”). As Driver points out, the Hebrew verb הִגִּיד (higgid, “he related”) never uses the accusative for the person to whom something is told (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 316).
  47. 2 Samuel 15:31 tn Heb “said.”
  48. 2 Samuel 15:33 tn Heb “cross over.”
  49. 2 Samuel 15:35 tn Heb “Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you?” The rhetorical question draws attention to the fact that Hushai will not be alone.
  50. 2 Samuel 15:35 tn Heb “from the house of the king.”
  51. 2 Samuel 15:36 tn Heb “and you must send by their hand to me every word which you hear.” Both of the second person verb forms are plural with Zadok, Abiathar, and Hushai being the understood subjects.

Absalom plots rebellion

15 Some time later, Absalom got a chariot and horses for his own use, along with fifty men to run ahead of him. Absalom would get up early and stand by the side of the road that went through the city gate. Whenever anyone had a lawsuit to bring before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him, “What city are you from?” When the person said, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,” then Absalom would say to him, “No doubt your claims are correct and valid, but the king won’t listen to you. If only I were made a judge in the land,” Absalom would continue, “then anyone with a lawsuit could come to me, and I would give them justice.”

Whenever anyone came near to Absalom, bowing low out of respect, he would reach his hand out, grab them, and kiss them. This is how Absalom treated every Israelite who came to the king seeking justice. This is how Absalom stole the hearts of the Israelites.

At the end of four[a] years, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron so I can fulfill a promise I made to the Lord. Your servant made this promise when I lived in Geshur, in Aram. I promised that if the Lord would bring me back to Jerusalem, then I would worship the Lord in Hebron.”[b]

“Go in peace,” the king said. So Absalom left and went to Hebron.

10 But Absalom sent secret agents throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’” 11 Two hundred invited guests went with Absalom from Jerusalem. They were innocent and knew nothing of this matter when they went. 12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he summoned David’s advisor Ahithophel, who was from Giloh, to come from his hometown. So the conspiracy grew stronger, and Absalom’s following grew.

David flees from Jerusalem

13 A messenger came to David, reporting, “The hearts of the Israelites have gone over to Absalom.” 14 Then David told all the servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come on! We have to run for it, or we won’t be able to escape Absalom. Hurry, or he will catch up with us in no time, destroy us,[c] and attack the city with the sword.”

15 The king’s servants said to him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our master the king decides.” 16 So the king left, with his entire household following him, but he left ten secondary wives behind to take care of the palace.

17 So the king left, with all his people following him, and they stopped at the last house. 18 All the king’s servants marched past him, as did all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath. 19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you coming with us too? Go back! Stay with King Absalom.[d] You are a foreigner and an exile from your own country. 20 You just got here yesterday. So today should I make you wander around with us while I go wherever I have to go? No. Go back, and take your relatives with you. May the Lord show you loyal love and faithfulness.”[e]

21 But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as my master the king lives, wherever my master the king may be, facing death or facing life, your servant will be there too.”

22 “Okay then,” David replied to Ittai. “Keep marching!”

So Ittai the Gittite and all of his men and all the little children with him marched past. 23 The whole countryside cried loudly as all the troops marched past. The king crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the troops passed by on the Olive road[f] into the wilderness.

24 Zadok was there too, along with all the Levites carrying the chest containing God’s covenant. They set God’s chest down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the troops had finished marching out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry God’s chest back into the city. If the Lord thinks well of me, then he will bring me back and let me see it and its home again. 26 But if God says, ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ then I am ready. Let him do to me whatever pleases him.”

27 “Do you understand?” the king said to the priest Zadok. “Go back to the city in safety—you and Abiathar[g] with your two sons, your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I will be waiting in the desert plains until you send word telling me what to do.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took God’s chest back to Jerusalem and stayed there.

30 But David, his head covered, walked barefoot up the slope of the Mount of Olives crying. All the people who were with him covered their heads too and cried as they went up. 31 David was told that Ahithophel was also among the conspirators with Absalom, so he prayed, “Please, Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.”

David and Hushai

32 When David came to the summit where people used to worship God, Hushai from Erek met him. Hushai’s clothes were ripped, and dirt was on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you come with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘King, I am your servant![h] Please spare my life! I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I am your servant,’ then you can help me by countering Ahithophel’s advice. 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So report everything you hear in the king’s palace to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. 36 Their two sons, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, are also there. Use them to report to me everything you hear.”

37 So David’s friend Hushai went into Jerusalem, just as Absalom was entering the city.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 15:7 LXX, Syr, Vulg, Josephus; MT forty
  2. 2 Samuel 15:8 LXX; MT lacks in Hebron.
  3. 2 Samuel 15:14 Heb uncertain; LXXL bring the city down on top of us
  4. 2 Samuel 15:19 Heb lacks Absalom.
  5. 2 Samuel 15:20 LXX; MT lacks may the Lord show you.
  6. 2 Samuel 15:23 LXXL; MT lacks Olive.
  7. 2 Samuel 15:27 Correction; MT lacks and Abiathar.
  8. 2 Samuel 15:34 Correction, LXX; MT King, I will be your servant.