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2 Samuel 15:1-12
New English Translation

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] 2 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.” 3 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.” 4 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.”

5 When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom[g] would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. 6 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.

7 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. 8 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.’” 9 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.

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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.
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2 Samuel 15:1-12
International Standard Version

Absalom Instigates Civil War

15 Sometime later, Absalom acquired a chariot equipped with horses and recruited[a] 50 men to accompany[b] him.[c] 2 Then he[d] would get up early, stand near the passageway to the palace[e] gate, and when anyone arrived to file a legal complaint for a hearing before the king, Absalom would call to him and ask, “You’re from what city?” If[f] he replied, “Your servant is from one of Israel’s tribes,” 3 Absalom would respond, “Look, your claims are valid and defensible, but nobody will listen to you on behalf of the king. 4 Who will appoint me to be a judge in the land? When anyone arrived to file a legal complaint or other cause, he could approach me for justice and I would settle it!” 5 Furthermore, if a man approached him to bow down in front of him, he would put out his hand, grab him, and embrace him. 6 By doing all of this to anyone who came to the king for a hearing, Absalom stole the loyalty[g] of the men of Israel.

7 And so it was that forty[h] years after Israel had demanded a king,[i] Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron so I can pay my vow that I made to the Lord, 8 because when I was living at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this solemn promise:[j] ‘If the Lord ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’”

9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace!” So Absalom[k] got up and left for Hebron.

10 But Absalom sent agents throughout all of the tribes of Israel, telling them, “When you hear the sound of the battle trumpet, you’re to announce that Absalom is king in Hebron.” 11 Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening.[l] 12 Absalom also sent for Ahithophel[m] the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come[n] from his home town of Giloh while Absalom[o] was presenting the sacrificial offerings. And so the conspiracy widened, because the common people increasingly sided with Absalom.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 15:1 The Heb. lacks recruited
  2. 2 Samuel 15:1 Lit. to run before
  3. 2 Samuel 15:1 Cf. 1Sam 8:11
  4. 2 Samuel 15:2 Lit. Absalom
  5. 2 Samuel 15:2 The Heb. lacks palace
  6. 2 Samuel 15:2 The Heb. lacks If
  7. 2 Samuel 15:6 Lit. hearts
  8. 2 Samuel 15:7 So MT and LXX; Syr Peshitta and Lucian recension of LXX read four
  9. 2 Samuel 15:7 The Heb. lacks after Israel had demanded a king; i.e. about ten years before David began his reign. Or forty years after David’s anointing at Bethlehem; cf. 1Sam 16:13
  10. 2 Samuel 15:8 Lit. servant vowed a vow
  11. 2 Samuel 15:9 Lit. he
  12. 2 Samuel 15:11 Lit. about the matter
  13. 2 Samuel 15:12 Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather; cf. 2Sam 11:3; 23:34
  14. 2 Samuel 15:12 The Heb. lacks to come
  15. 2 Samuel 15:12 Lit. he
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