2 Samuel 15 (NET)

Absalom Leads an Insurrection against David

1 Some time later Absalom managed to acquire1 a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.2 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,3 am from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate.4 But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.” 4 Absalom would then say, “If only they would make me5 a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint6 could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.”

5 When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom7 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 loyalty8 of the citizens9 of Israel.

7 After four10 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 vow11 when I was living in Geshur in Aram: ‘If the Lord really does allow me to return to Jerusalem,12 I will serve the Lord.’” 9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom13 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 assume14 that Absalom rules in Hebron.” 11 Now two hundred men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem. Since they were invited, they went naively and were unaware of what Absalom was planning.15 12 While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser,16 to come from his city, Giloh.17 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!”18 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem,19 “Come on!20 Let’s escape!21 Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring22 disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.”23 15 The king’s servants replied to the king, “We will do whatever our lord the king decides.”24

16 So the king and all the members of his royal court25 set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines26 to attend to the palace. 17 The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing27 at a spot28 some distance away. 18 All his servants were leaving with him,29 along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites – some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with30 the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new31 king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.32 20 It seems like 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 men33 with you. May genuine loyal love34 protect35 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 dead or alive,36 there I37 will be as well!” 22 So David said to Ittai, “Come along then.”38 So Ittai the Gittite went along,39 accompanied by all his men and all the dependents40 who were with him.

23 All the land was weeping loudly41 as all these people were leaving.42 As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving43 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 leaving44 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.”45

27 The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer?46 Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar.47 28 Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you48 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 David49 had been told, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed,50 “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 leave51 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.52 Everything you hear in the king’s palace53 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.”54

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

1tn Heb “acquired for himself.” 2tn Heb “to run ahead of him.” 3tn Heb “your servant.” So also in vv. 8, 15, 21. 4tn Heb “good and straight.” 5tn Heb “Who will make me?” 6tn Heb “a complaint and a judgment.” The expression is a hendiadys. 7tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 8tn Heb “stole the heart.” 9tn Heb “the men.” 10tc 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 ete), the Syriac Peshitta (’arba’ 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.” 11tn 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. 12map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 13tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 14tn Heb “say.” 15tn Heb “being invited and going naively and they did not know anything.” 16tn Traditionally, “counselor,” but this term is more often associated with psychological counseling today, so “adviser” was used in the translation instead. 17tn 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. 18tn Heb “the heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom.” 19map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 20tn Heb “Arise!” 21tn Heb “let’s flee.” 22tn Heb “thrust.” 23tn Heb “and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 24tn Heb “according to all that my lord the king will choose, behold your servants!” 25tn Heb “and all his house.” 26tn Heb “women, concubines.” 27tn Heb “and they stood.” 28tn Heb “house.” 29tn Heb “crossing over near his hand.” 30tn Heb “crossing over near the face of.” 31tn 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. 32tn Heb “place.” 33tn Heb “brothers,” but see v. 22. 34tn Heb “loyal love and truth.” The expression is a hendiadys. 35tn Heb “be with.” 36tn Heb “whether for death or for life.” 37tn Heb “your servant.” 38tn Heb “Come and cross over.” 39tn Heb “crossed over.” 40tn Heb “all the little ones.” 41tn Heb “with a great voice.” 42tn Heb “crossing over.” 43tn Heb “crossing near the face of.” 44tn Heb “crossing from.” 45tn Heb “as [is] good in his eyes.” 46tn 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. 47tn 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. 48tn The pronoun is plural, referring to Zadok and Abiathar. 49tc The translation follows 4QSam^a, part of the Greek tradition, the Syriac Peshitta, Targum, and Vulgate uldavid in reading “and to David,” rather than MT וְדָוִד (vÿdavid, “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). 50tn Heb “said.” 51tn Heb “cross over.” 52tn 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. 53tn Heb “from the house of the king.” 54tn 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.