Absalom

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I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. - Romans 16:17-18

The third son of King David. (2 Samuel 3:2-5) David made his sons priests in his court. (2 Samuel 8:18) He was also one of the attractive people in Scripture:

Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king's weight. - 2 Samuel 14:25-26

His life

Absalom comforts Tamar

Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long virgin's robe with sleeves and went away, crying as she went. Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart."

So Tamar lived a desolate woman in Absalom's house. Absalom spoke neither good nor bad to Amnon for he hated him for violating his sister.

(2 Samuel 13:20-22)

Absalom murders Amnon

After 2 years, he had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor and invited all the king's sons. Absalom came to King David and said, "Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant." But David declined. Absalom pressed him, but he would not go but gave his blessing. "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king said, "Why should he go with you?" But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. Absalom commanded his servants, "Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant." So his servants killed him, and all the sons arose and fled on their mules.

Absalom fled to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur and stayed there for 3 years.

(2 Samuel 13:23-39)

Joab returns Absalom to Jerusalem

Joab knew the king's heart went out to Absalom, so he convinced David to let him bring him back to Jerusalem. David ordered for him to dwell apart in his own house and not come into his presence, so Absalom lived apart.

There were born to him 3 sons and 1 beautiful daughter whose name was Tamar.

(2 Samuel 14:1-27)

Absalom forces his way back into the king's presence

Two full years passed, and Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab did not come neither at the first nor second request. So Absalom told his servants, "See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So they set it on fire. Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and asked why they set his field on fire. Absalom answered, "Behold, I sent word to you, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’”

(2 Samuel 14:28-32)

Absalom is restored to the king

Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. He came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

(2 Samuel 14:33)

Absalom steals the hearts of Israel through manipulation

Absalom got himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run before him. He also rose early and waited by the gate to lie to people with disputes that David had appointed no one to hear their cases. "Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice." He'd also put out his hand and take hold and kiss those who paid homage. So he stole the hearts of Israel.

(2 Samuel 15:1-6)

Absalom's conspiracy

After four years, Absalom asked King David to pay his vow to the LORD in Hebron, since He brought him back to Jerusalem from Geshur in Aram. "If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the LORD." David sent him in peace, but Absalom set secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel. "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, 'Absalom is king at Hebron!'" He went with 200 men who were innocent, knowing nothing of the plot. During the sacrifice, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from Giloh. The conspiracy grew strong, and the people with him kept increasing.

(2 Samuel 15:7-12)

Absalom enters Jerusalem and goes in to David's concubines on the roof before Israel

He entered Jerusalem as Hushai the Archite came into the city. (2 Samuel 15:32-37) All his people, the men of Israel, and Ahithophel were with him. When Hushai came to Absalom, he said, "Long live the king! Long live the king!” Absalom replied, "Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.”

Absalom turned to Ahithophel for counsel. He advised him to go into his father's concubines, whom David left to keep the house. So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

(2 Samuel 16:15-23)

Absalom seeks counsel for taking out David

Ahithophel told Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.”

Absalom and all the elders of Israel agreed. Absalom then consulted Hushai for a second opinion.

Hushai disagreed, saying, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good.” Hushai said, “You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people. Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men. But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left. If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there.”

Absalom and all the men of Israel preferred Hushai's advice, for the LORD ordained to defeat Ahithophel's good counsel to bring harm upon Absalom. Ahithophel saw his advice was ignored, so he rode home on his donkey and hanged himself.

(2 Samuel 17:1-14,23)

Absalom crosses the Jordan to battle David

David came to Mahanaim. Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. Absalom set Amasa the son of Ithra the Ishmaelite over the army instead of Joab. Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

(2 Samuel 17:24-26)

Absalom and Israel's battle against David

David sent his army under orders to deal gently with Absalom. The battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim and spread over the whole country. Israel's loss was great, 20,000 men, and the forest devoured more than the sword.

As Absalom met the servants of David on his mule, his head caught in the branches of a great oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule went on.

A man saw and reported it to Joab. Joab claimed he would have given him 10 pieces of silver if he had killed him, but the man knew the king's orders. Joab brushed him off and took three javelins and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak. And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and killed him.

Joab blew the trumpet, restrained his troops as Israel fled back to their homes. David's servants took Absalom and threw him in a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. This contrasts with the pillar in King's Valley he had erected to keep his name in remembrance, as he had no son. He called it Absalom's monument, and it stood at the time of 2 Samuel's writing.

Ahimaaz did not confess the news of Absalom's death when David asked directly, but the Cushite Joab had sent said, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man." When David heard Absalom was killed, he was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate, weeping and saying, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

(2 Samuel 18)

David covered his face and cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” All the people heard of his grieving, and the victory was turned to mourning. (2 Samuel 19:1-4)

Unsorted

David's final instructions to Solomon includes, "...deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother."

(1 Kings 2:7)

Questions

Scripture has moments of vivid, poetic detail about Absalom, especially his death. Why spend so much ink on this moment?

And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. - 2 Samuel 18:9

It stands out to me that his 200-shekel hair received an equally vivid description in 2 Samuel 14:25-26, and that his beautiful head caught him.

Pastor Batarseh points out Deuteronomy 21:22-23: "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance."

It seems Absalom was hanged and buried the same day. Batarseh says this is a clear signal to all who know the law that Absalom is cursed and rejected by God.

(Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago's 2 Samuel 18 Bible Study (Absalom's Death) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0YU022C6Cs)

The significance of the reoccurring 10?

Pastor Batarseh pointed out Absalom had 10 of David's concubines and was killed by 10 of Joab's armor-bearers. (Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago's 2 Samuel 18 Bible Study (Absalom's Death) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0YU022C6Cs)

So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. - 2 Samuel 15:16

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. - 2 Samuel 18:22

And ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him. - 2 Samuel 18:15

Absalom had at least 3 sons, yet he erected a pillar to keep his name in remembrance?

There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. - 2 Samuel 14:27

Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King's Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day. - 2 Samuel 18:18

When did he build this monument? Did Absalom declare his inability to have a son prematurely? Did something happen to his sons?

Something about the need to preserve his name through a monument is absurd. Sons are incomparably better than monuments to me. His monument probably outlasted the intimate memories of most of his brothers, but would future generations regard a prince's pillar the way a family regards its ancestors? Absalom is known to Christians for his rebellious activities against David, a hero of our faith, and is also tied to Amnon and Tamar's disgraceful story as his brother's murderer. His name was preserved independently from sons and monuments through his own actions, though as a villain.

Monument raising is another expression of his insatiable ambition.