2 Samuel 15:1–12

15:2 Over the following years Absalom also challenges the administration of the land. With diligent enthusiasm, he decides to “rise early and stand beside the way of the gate.” Courts ordinarily met before the heat of the day became intense, and the gate here is probably that of the palace, since individuals are seeking a royal hearing. Whenever someone approaches, Absalom greets him and feigns an interest in his affairs and ascertains from where he has come.

In verses 2–5 terms occurring in 14:33 are repeated: “call” (15:2) and “summoned”; “come” (v. 2); “pay homage” (v. 5) and “bowed himself”; “kiss” (v. 5). Taken together these hint that Absalom’s behavior is similar to his father’s.

15:3 Absalom lets every complainant know that he believes his “claims are good and right.” But he also insinuates that the administration of justice is so ill organized that no one has yet been deputized by the king to hear their case (cf. 8:15; 14:3–4).

15:4 As is the way with politicians seeking office, Absalom alleges that the current regime is deficient and that if he were in charge matters would improve. He does not attack the king directly or say quite how he envisages becoming in charge of the nation’s affairs. The words of the crown prince might be taken as a pledge of what he will do when he succeeds his father.

15:5 Absalom begins to hold court as if he were already king. He is careful to flatter those with whom he deals. “To pay homage” is to bow oneself before a superior (cf. comment on 1:2), as would be proper before the king’s son and heir. But Absalom “would put out his hand,” either to prevent the man from bowing down or to raise him from the ground as a gesture of friendship, and “take hold of him and kiss him,” greeting him as an equal, not a subject.

15:6 So Absalom ingratiates himself with “all of Israel who came to the king for judgment” and “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” Since in Genesis 31:20, 26 “tricked” is literally “stole the heart of,” it is possible that Absalom is being presented here as one as deceitful as Jacob. Alternatively, the statement could be read as implying that his blandishments rob others of their capacity to think and it becomes popularly accepted that he would be a suitable king.

15:7–8 The Hebrew text of verse 7 begins, “And it came to pass at the end of forty years,” but it is difficult to specify a realistic starting point for this forty-year period. Most modern translations follow ancient translations and read “at the end of four years,” but even this is not without problems. Do the four years start with Absalom’s return from Geshur or with his acceptance at court? In either case Absalom does not act precipitately but instead builds up his support base patiently before venturing further.

The king’s sons probably have to obtain leave to be absent from Jerusalem. So Absalom requests permission to go to Hebron in fulfillment of a vow made “at Geshur in Aram” (cf. comment on 8:5). While in exile there, he had undertaken to fulfill certain religious obligations to the Lord if he permitted him to return to Jerusalem (cf. Jacob in Gen. 28:20–22). Since Hebron is where Absalom was born (2 Sam. 3:2–3), recalling the place of his earliest memories may seem natural for an exile.

The plausibility of Absalom’s account is undermined by his additional wait of four (or six) years before he feels obligated to act upon his vow. The pious veneer to his request (he names the Lord three times) plays upon David’s religious susceptibility. Even so, starting a rebellion in Hebron is a surprising move, as it was David’s first capital (2:1–4). Perhaps David’s abandonment of Hebron has engendered discontent there. Certainly Hebron provides Absalom with a base in a strong fortress town and enables him to garner support from the south, leaving David caught in the middle to face opponents from both north and south.

15:9 Despite the implausibility of his story, David permits him to go, being deceived for the third time by a story told by one of his sons (cf. 13:6–7, 23–27). The last words of David to Absalom, “Go in peace” (cf. comment on 1 Sam. 1:17), prove to be highly ironic, because “peace” is the last thing Absalom has in mind.

15:10 Absalom prepares for rebellion by sending “secret messengers” (the term is elsewhere used of “spies”; 1 Sam. 26:4) throughout the whole land. The signal that the revolt has begun will be “the sound of the trumpet” (cf. 1 Sam. 13:3). When Absalom’s emissaries receive their cue, they are to proclaim, “Absalom is king at Hebron!” (cf. 1 Kings 1:18; 2 Kings 9:13). This will invite all Israel to acknowledge him and support his cause.

15:11 Since Absalom goes to Hebron under pretense of worshiping the Lord, he is able to induce “two hundred men from Jerusalem” to go with him as his “invited guests.” “They went in their innocence and knew nothing” about the planned coup. If they are administrators in David’s regime, their absence will weaken his ability to respond and also lead those remaining in Jerusalem to overestimate the support for Absalom’s cause. Unlike the account of Absalom’s earlier feast, no mention is made of David’s other sons, either here or in the rest of the account of the rebellion (contrast 13:27, 30–33, 35).

15:12 Absalom maintains his pretext for being in Hebron by “offering the sacrifices,” apparently over a number of days and possibly as part of a coronation ritual (cf. 1 Sam. 11:14–15; 1 Kings 1:9–11). At the same time he “sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor.” That he is summoned “from his city Giloh” implies that Ahithophel, being aware of what is about to take place, has prudently withdrawn to Giloh, which is probably south of Hebron.

Ahithophel’s involvement with Absalom may be kindled by a desire for revenge against David for his treatment of his granddaughter Bathsheba and her husband Uriah (cf. comment on 2 Sam. 11:3). There is obviously a complex web of intrigue and alliances in David’s court, and Ahithophel’s presence is not a last-minute arrangement but a matter of timing, left to the last to keep David from suspecting that anything is afoot.

“And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.” The narrator’s use of “conspiracy” reveals his evaluation of the uprising. Still Absalom manages to gather considerable support from north and south.