Absalom Killed
Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of hundreds and of thousands. Jos 8:101Sa 8:12Exo 17:9 He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.” Jdg 7:162Sa 15:19-221Sa 11:112Sa 10:7-102Sa 17:11Jdg 7:19Jdg 9:43Psa 118:6-8
But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. 1 It is better for now if you support us from the city.” 2Sa 21:171Ki 22:312Sa 10:112Sa 17:2Exo 17:10-12Lam 4:20Zec 13:7
“I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 2Sa 18:241Sa 29:22Sa 18:1Isa 28:6
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom. Deu 21:18-212Sa 16:112Sa 17:1-42Sa 17:142Sa 18:12Luk 23:34Psa 103:13
So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel in the battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim. Jos 17:18Jos 17:15Jdg 12:4-6 There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men. Pro 24:212Ch 13:16-172Ch 28:62Sa 15:62Sa 19:41-432Sa 2:172Sa 2:262Sa 2:31 The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword. Exo 15:10Jos 10:111Ki 20:30Jdg 5:20-21Psa 3:7Psa 43:1
Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, 2 Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair. 2Sa 14:26Job 31:3Pro 30:172Sa 17:232Sa 18:14Deu 21:23Deu 27:16Deu 27:20 When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
“You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver 3and a warrior’s belt!”
The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver 4were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. 5’ 2Sa 18:5 If I had jeopardized my own life 6—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.” 2Sa 14:19-20Heb 4:132Sa 1:15-162Sa 4:10-12
But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree. 1Th 5:32Sa 14:302Sa 18:5Jdg 4:21Jdg 5:26Jdg 5:31Mat 12:40Psa 45:5 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them. 2Sa 2:282Sa 20:221Co 14:8Num 10:2-10 They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home. Jos 7:26Jos 8:292Sa 19:82Sa 20:12Sa 20:22Jer 22:18-19Jos 10:27Pro 10:7
During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument. Gen 14:171Sa 15:122Sa 14:27Dan 4:30Act 1:18-19Gen 11:4Gen 11:9Job 18:16-17
David Mourns for Absalom
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.” 2Sa 15:362Sa 18:312Sa 17:172Sa 18:232Sa 18:27-29Psa 10:14Psa 10:18Psa 7:6
But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.” 2Sa 17:16-212Sa 18:272Sa 18:292Sa 18:332Sa 18:5
So Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “Regardless of whatever may happen, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” Eph 5:4Rom 1:28
“My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”
“No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. Jhn 20:4
“Then run!” Joab told him.
So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain 7and outran the Cushite.
Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone. 2Sa 19:81Sa 4:132Sa 13:342Sa 18:4Ezk 33:2-7Isa 21:11-12Isa 21:6-92Ki 9:17-20 So he called out and told the king.
“If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.”
As the first runner drew near, the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!”
“This one also brings good news,” said the king.
The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” 2Ki 9:201Ki 1:42Rom 10:15Isa 52:7Pro 25:13Pro 25:25
“This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”
Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. 2Sa 14:4Gen 14:201Sa 24:181Sa 26:82Ch 20:262Sa 1:22Sa 22:27Gen 24:27
He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”
The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” 2Sa 18:222Sa 18:19-202Sa 20:9
And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”
“Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.”
So he stepped aside.
Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!” 2Sa 18:192Sa 18:282Sa 22:48-49Deu 32:35-36Luk 18:7-8Psa 124:2-3Psa 58:10Psa 94:1-4
The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” Jdg 5:311Sa 25:262Sa 18:29Dan 4:19Psa 68:1-2
And the Cushite replied, “May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you to harm you.”
The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” 2Sa 19:42Sa 12:10-23Pro 10:1Pro 17:25Psa 103:13Exo 32:32Rom 9:3Jas 5:17