2 Samuel 18

Chapter context

What is happening in 2 Samuel 18?

Davidic covenantsin and judgmentmercykingship

2 Samuel 18 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as David’s adultery and judgment. Second Samuel narrates David’s consolidation of rule, the covenant promise to his house, his sin with Bathsheba, and the convulsions that follow within his family and kingdom. Read this chapter with the wider themes of Davidic covenant, sin and judgment, and mercy in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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!

Study helps

Glossary

David Person v. 1-2, 7, 9, 24: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Abishai Person v. 2, 5, 12: Father of (i. e., “desirous of”) a gift, the eldest son of Zeruiah, David’s sister. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel ( 2 Sam. 2:18 ; 1 Chr. 2:16 ).
Gath Place v. 2: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Safi.
Joab Person v. 2, 5, 10-12, 14, 16, 20-22, 29: Jehovah is his father. (1. ) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign ( 2 Sam. 2:13 ; 10:7 ; 11:1 ; 1 Kings 11:15 ).
Zeruiah Person v. 2: Stricken of the Lord, David’s sister, and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
City People v. 3: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
Absalom Person v. 5, 9-10, 12, 14-15, 17-18, 29, 32-33: Father of peace; i. e., “peaceful” David’s son by Maacah ( 2 Sam. 3:3 ; comp. 1 Kings 1:6 ). He was noted for his personal beauty and for the extra-ordinary profusion of the hair of his head ( 2 Sam. 14:25 ,26).
Ephraim Place v. 6: Biblical region. Modern identification: Ajloun Forest Reserve.
King’s Valley Place v. 18: Biblical valley. Modern identification: intersection of Kidron Valley and Valley of Hinnom.
Ahimaaz Person v. 19, 22-23, 27-29: Brother of anger = irascible. (1. ) The father Ahinoam, the wife of Saul ( 1 Sam. 14:50 ). (2. ) The son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest ( 1 Chr. 6:8 , 53).
Zadok Person v. 19, 22, 27: Righteous. (1. ) A son of Ahitub, of the line of Eleazer ( 2 Sam. 8:17 ; 1 Chr. 24:3 ), high priest in the time of David ( 2 Sam. 20:25 ) and Solomon ( 1 Kings 4:4 ).
Ethiopia Place v. 21, 31: Country of burnt faces; the Greek word by which the Hebrew Cush is rendered. Modern identification: Meroe.
Jordan Valley Place v. 23: Biblical valley. Modern identification: Jordan Valley.
Mahanaim Place v. 23: Two camps, a place near the Jabbok, beyond Jordan, where Jacob was met by the “angels of God,” and where he divided his retinue into “two hosts” on his return from Padan-aram ( Gen. 32:2 ). Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab el Gharbi.