who is absalom in the bibleruth putnam the crucible
Absalom was now probably the oldest surviving son of David, and as he was of royal descent by his mother as well as by his father, he began to aspire to the throne. His wisdom, loyalty, and strategic thinking played a crucial role in ensuring David's triumph and the continuity of his reign. Nathan was a prophet; the woman from Tekoa was not. I didn't really want to do this, but I was afraid, especially of Joab. Some musical scores of David's lament for Absalom: This page was last edited on 28 June 2023, at 23:43. 2 Samuel 17:5 KJV, "So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem." my son!' Absalom is no friend of justice or of the oppressed. He retreated to the old capital of David in Hebron with two hundred men. Absalom | Catholic Answers "Absalom" is a song on Brand New Shadows's debut album, "Absalom" is an album by the experimental/progressive band. Amnon abused his power in taking Tamar, much as I believe David took Bathsheba. The usurper pursued the fugitives with his forces but was completely defeated in the forest of Ephraim (apparently west of Jordan) and killed by Joab, who found him caught by the hair in an oak tree. And yet in the oak-tree in whose branches Absalom was caught, we read that upon its heart he was held up still alive while the darts were thrust through him. When he was caught in the 76 You will note the footnote in the NASB, which indicates that while the Hebrew text seems to indicate forty, there are other manuscripts which indicate four, which certainly appears to be required in the context. A little later, Samuel rebuked the people for their sin, reminding them of God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, in bringing them into the land, and in giving them possession of it (chapter 12). I think this is because he could not leave his house. 2 Samuel 17:14 KJV, "And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? I didn't mean that I would do nothing. In addition to this, Absalom had managed to recruit Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor. He managed to capture the hearts of the people and created a significant disruption within the kingdom, contributing to the challenges faced by his father. 1 Answer Sorted by: 4 Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament offers this rather obvious comment: A strong growth of hair was a sign of great manly power, and so far a proof of Absalom's beauty. I am reminded of the story of Joseph and his brothers. After Absalom kills Amnon, he flees in fear and hides out in Geshur for three years. Later, when some uncertainty seems to have arisen as to the succession, Absalom organized a revolt. Was it not David who knew of the rape of Tamar, and though greatly angered, did nothing about it? In this he used (or abused) his power as God's king to accomplish his sin. 1. How many wives undermine the authority and dignity of their husbands with their children? 2 Samuel 13 New International Version Amnon and Tamar 13 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/anthonyjhall. If you declare that no one is to harm the lad, then he will be safe, and I won't have to keep him in hiding. Answer Adonijah was the fourth son of King David. 2 Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. These men had no idea what he had in mind. Apparel Brands Whose Clothing Is 100% Made In The U.S.A. Why is it important to believe in biblical inerrancy? First, he had to find a way to get there without arousing David's curiosity or suspicion. I am sure that in the case of Absalom, David's failures adversely affected this son. Absalom tells the person that it is especially sad because from what he has been told of the case, the judge would have ruled in their favor. Who is ABSALOM? - WebBible Encyclopedia - ChristianAnswers.Net After a second attempt to gain an audience with Joab in his home, Absalom takes more extreme measures. (This, of course, is a lie, for we just read about David hearing a widow's case and ruling in her favor.) Even a cursory reading of the Bible should make it amply clear that there were no perfect parents. His plan was to make his debut as king where David did, and where he was born, Hebron (2 Samuel 3:2-3). 25 Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. We could analyze Davids other children and how they turned out, but we can see a clear pattern. Each time the woman serves David with a request, David responds, only to have the woman return with another request, until she finally has a commitment from David. many more things like these. David wanted more, but rather than obey God and ask Him for more, he took Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and then he took Uriah's life. Amnon was a worthless fellow, a fool. Thus Absalom would profit nothing by his rebellion, for, though he accomplished his father's ruin, he would yet be held to account and condemned to death for his violation of family purity, and the way to the throne would be clear for Ahithophel, the great sage in Israel."[17]). Absalom too abused his power, undermining David while seeking to gain his throne. (He knew that Absalom could not come to him, since he was a murderer and under sentence of death if he returned to Israel.). The second is the rape of his daughter, Tamar, by his own son (and Tamar's half-brother, Amnon; 2 Samuel 13:1-19). His sister, Tamar, was a beautiful girl (2 Sam 13:1) and this was to be the beginning of misery and grief in many Israelite lives. 3 Ways Christians Can Respond to the Problem of Homelessness Today. The loss of Ahithophel to Absalom was a major blow. He was buried on the spot and a heap of stones marked the rebels grave (2 Sam 18:15-17). How was Absalom related to King David? David was angered, not only by Amnon's rape of Tamar, but by Absalom's obstruction of justice and murder of Amnon. And this disobedience was used of God to discipline David, to make him a man more after His own heart. And then, with great skill, Absalom makes it known that if he were judging in Israel, he would see to it that such people were heard, and that he would rule in their favor. Who was Hushai in the Bible? - Employment Security Commission - NCESC As Amnon deceived David in getting him to send Tamar to his bedside, so Absalom deceives David by getting him to send Amnon to his ranch. However, he took the precaution of instructing a servant, Hushai, to infiltrate Absalom's court and subvert it. The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. All Israel praised his beauty, for there was not a blemish in him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. So heavy was his hair that the weight of that gathered from his occasional cuttings would run at four and half pounds (LXXtwo and a quarter pounds). A plan was laid whereby the servants would openly murder Amnon at a given signal from Absalom. When David learned of the planned rebellion, he immediately left Jerusalem. means granddaughter, and mother of Asa in 1 Kings 15:10 means grandmother. (See Abijah.). Absalom was the third son of King David from the Old Testament, born in Hebron, Israel. If the people and their king trusted God and obeyed Him, God would continue to deliver His people and to bless them. He was described as a strikingly handsome man with long, thick hair, which became one of his distinguishing features. It is a lesson in what true submission is and is not. Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son! (2 Samuel 18:33). 73 My friend informed me that in the Middle East, it is assumed that the fight must continue until someone intervenes to stop it. These words in verse 21 follow not only the account of Amnon's sin, but also of Absalom's interference: Then Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? Even when Davids general brings Absalom back, David doesnt allow his son to come into his presence (2 Samuel 14). David replied: "Should a king such as I am be Absalom is a fascinating and complex character featured in the Bible, primarily in 2 Samuel. Absalom was known for his stunning physical appearance, his rebellion against King David, his strategic political moves, and his untimely death. The death of a child is a painful experience, but there are other -- more painful -- ways to lose a child. Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! Look at the sons of David we have seen thus far. Answer Absalom was the third son of King David, by his wife Maacah. David loved his sons very much and they became mighty men. But Absalom had sent word throughout the tribes of Israel that when the trumpet was blown, this was a signal for them to proclaim their allegiance to him, rather than to David. He just gets people to think he is their friend. ), but this is not always the explanation for suffering. He thinks the death penalty harsh and inappropriate for him, though he is a murderer under the law. Absalom reached the capital and consulted with the renowned Ahithophel (sometimes spelled Achitophel). He has three sons and a beautiful daughter, who also adds to his standing. Amnon was not alone in deceiving his father. He is soon there to confront Absalom, but instead it is Absalom who confronts him. 3), since his sons prob. When our children fail, as they will, we should not heap all kinds of blame and guilt upon ourselves, as though we were entirely the cause of it all. But like all parents who are reading this know, children are not easy to take care of. Early each morning he arose to see the people who had come to see the king for adjudication. Once in place, Hushai convinced Absalom to ignore Ahithophel's advice to attack his father while he was on the run, and instead to prepare his forces for a major attack. The kind of justice he himself got? Why is he confined to quarters? At his death Absalom was childless, for all his children, his three sons and his daughter, died before him, as a punishment for his having set fire to a field of grain belonging to Joab."[40]. His great sins were those of rebellion against God, first in failing to wait for Samuel and in offering sacrifices (1 Samuel 13), then in failing to totally annihilate the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15), and then by seeking guidance from a medium rather than from God (1 Samuel 28). Adonijah's mother was Haggith, one of David's wives. Eventually, David lost Absalom by his death at the hand of Joab and his servants, but David had really lost Absalom long before this. 2 Samuel 18:18 KJV, "And Absalom met the servants of David. Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'" . The third son of David born at Hebron to his third wife Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur ( 2 Sam 3:3 ). Amnon Amnon ( Hebrew: 'Amnn, "faithful") was, in the Hebrew Bible, the oldest son of King David and his second wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel. 2 Samuel 14:33 KJV, "And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. Quickly the woman revealed the truth and praised the kings wisdom in extravagant terms (14:19, 20). He would use his counsel to bring about the fulfillment of prophecy (compare 2 Samuel 12:11-12 and 2 Samuel 16:20-22), and He would thwart his counsel in order to save David from the hand of Absalom (2 Samuel 17:1-14). [14], After four years he declared himself king, raised a revolt at Hebron, the former capital, and had sexual relations with his father's concubines. Let's drop back to ponder what biblical justice would have looked like in the case of the rape of Tamar. The vanity with which he displayed his beautiful hair, the rabbis say, became his snare and his stumbling-block. The woman from Tekoa came to David, pleading for his help. With his retinue of horses, chariots, and fifty retainers to run before him he began to capture the imagination of Israel (15:1). All rights reserved. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. Who is the mother of Absalom in the Bible? - Sage-Answers The news was a shock David didnt forget for years, for even after Absalom was restored at the end of three years (13:38), it took an additional two years before he was admitted to the kings presence (14:28). Absalom (father of peace),third son of David by Maachah, daughter of Tamai king of Geshur, a Syrian district adjoining the northeast frontier of the Holy Land. It troubled me a great deal to read these words about David: Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry (2 Samuel 13:21). If they do not, the guilt is not all yours; it may not be yours at all. Absalom's name translates to "father of peace" or "my father is peace." 2. ABSALOM, ABISHALOM, ab s lm, bsh e lm , father is of peace; in 1 Kings 15:2, 10; Apoc. Not only does Absalom come out looking good, he causes David to come out looking very bad. He knew better than to ignore or distort the law in order to facilitate such a reunion. Every day Absalom would station himself on the road to Jerusalem (just out of sight of the city and his father, no doubt). David wanted to be restored to fellowship with his son, Absalom. This excuse revealed the same Absalom who once before had asked David to allow Amnon to attend a feast. 14 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom. It highlights the importance of healthy family dynamics and the perils of unresolved conflicts. I think we can agree that Absalom is a man who bites the hand that feeds him. Absalom lacks any sense of debt to his father, and there is no evidence of gratitude on his part. It is better for me to serve idols than that God should be held responsible for my misfortune, and His Name thus be desecrated." One of the things God is doing in the disciplining of David is to allow David to see his sin from a different point of view. His hair is his crowning glory, and everybody knows it. Your email address will not be published. And it works! Now, it somehow seems appropriate that Absalom himself should be confined to the same quarters in which he confined his sister for the rest of her life. "There is no wrong in that," replied David, "it is permitted according to the law." What Does the Bible Say About Absalom? - OpenBible.info 8. But there's more. David did not rejoice in the death of his son, but lamented over and over, O my son Absalam, my son, my son! (2 Sam 18:33; 19:1). He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. David was not wrong to still love this son and yearn to see him. Absaloms Modify Search 90 Instances - Page 1 of 3 - Sort by Book Order - Feedback 2 Samuel 18:33 chapter context similar meaning copy save 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! Absalom | biblical figure | Britannica branches of the oak-tree, he was about to sever his hair with a sword stroke, but suddenly he saw hell yawning beneath him, and he preferred to hang in the tree to throwing himself into the abyss alive. After all, David agreed to his return against his better judgment, it seems. How Can Christians Knock Down Fear of the Future? Antiq. It is clear in the story that he wanted nothing more to do with Tamar. Who was Absalom? His Biblical Meaning and History - Bible Study Tools Is Absalom not the product of a home that failed? When David asked her what the trouble was, she told him. He had no intention of letting this fellow off as easily as the law would have done. If there is no one to stop them, they must fight to the death. 2 Samuel 15:13 KJV, "But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him." 2 Samuel 17:6 KJV, "And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." After Absalom returns to Jerusalem, he conspires against David. David granted him permission to leave. They had repented, and Joseph had forgiven them. 8 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! Behind his father's back, he speaks ill of his father, making him look bad in the eyes of others. Absalom got fed up with Davids inaction when it came to Amnon. ABSALOM IN THE BIBLE - King James Bible Online Who are the sons of David mentioned in the Bible? This is not the case, because David committed adultery with a married woman; Amnon raped a virgin. 2 Samuel 18:9 KJV, "So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead." , , ). Required fields are marked *. Can you imagine, for example, if you were driving down LBJ freeway and someone waved your car over to a parked limousine? Did David seek to deceive Uriah to cover his sin? The law was clear about the penalty in such cases: 16 If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. It serves as a timeless cautionary tale in navigating power dynamics within families and societies. Amnon had come to the feast feeling that the invitation was a sign of forgiveness and reconciliation; but he was wrong. 15. Absalom (2 Samuel 13:13-37--15:12) | Bible.org For a time he seemed completely successful; David, with a few followers and his personal guard, fled across the Jordan, leaving to Absalom Jerusalem and the main portion of the kingdom. Reinstated, Absalom lost no time in going after his fathers throne. 11 Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. The same is true in the church. Where had David gone wrong in his parenting that his sons ended up committing acts of rape, treason, and, in the case of Solomon, marrying 1000 wives and concubines and straying away from the Lord? The story is filled with intrigue and much sorrow, but there is also much comfort and assurance to be found as we heed this inspired account in God's Word. He was the son of King David and Maacah, and he appears in 2 Samuel chapters 13-19. the first son to be born to David after he began to reign in Hebron? Does David abuse his power, oppressing those who were powerless to oppose him? When Nathan indicted David for his sin, David willingly acknowledged his sin; when the widow reaches the bottom line of Joab's plot, David reluctantly grants Joab's request. Woman's first petition: I am a widow who had two sons. [19] Absalom had once set Joab's field of barley on fire[20] and then made Amasa Captain of the Host instead of Joab. He acquires a chariot and horses and 50 men who serve as runners. If this is all there is for Absalom, he will be better off in Geshur, for there he is a free man. That would be quite a meeting -- one you would never forget. Absalom's mother was Maacah ( 2 Samuel 3:3-4 ). By many means, he gained their affection; and after his return from Geshur ( 2 Samuel 15:7; margin notes, Revised King James Version) he . How often the same thing happens in the church. He starts to turn Davids people against him (2 Samuel 15) and manages to woo the people into helping him vie for power. The text does not say that David sent for Joab, but that he spoke to Joab. But if you are a Christian, then I can assure you that God will use even your child's rebellion to perfect you and to draw you into a more intimate relationship with Him. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death. What was Absalom known for? The garage folk band David's Doldrums references Absalom in their song, "My Name Is Absalom". 3 But Amnon had a very crafty friendhis cousin Jonadab. The more I read the story, the more I am convinced that Absalom sacrificed the interests of his sister for his own interest of getting revenge. Absalom teaches us not to try and manipulate Gods plan. 2 Samuel 19:10 KJV, "And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom." He also kept her desolate. If not, both you and your king will be swept away (1 Samuel 12:25b). Nevertheless, God would make use of Ahithophel. Absalom (2 Samuel 13:13-37--15:12) Introduction Those of us who have lost a child know the grief this brings. Adonijah is best known for his failed attempts to usurp the throne of Israel after his father's death. It is also a way of keeping him out of circulation. Two years later, Absalom (Davids son and Amnons stepbrother) kills Amnon, likely tired of waiting around for David to do something about the situation. I am saying that his suffering was not punishment for his sin, but divine discipline, which was designed to draw him closer to God and to cling more loosely to the things of this world (compare 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Absaloms story reminds us of the destructive potential of family conflicts, the allure of charismatic leaders, and the importance of addressing underlying issues rather than sweeping them under the rug. 2 Samuel 16:16 KJV, "And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. Answer There are three women named Tamar in Scripture. How can you rule to protect the life of my son and yet not do the same with your son, Absalom? [32] More striking is the following: "Did one ever hear of an oak-tree having a heart? His hands were tied by Absalom. What an impressive sight he must have been. This greatly displeased both Samuel and God, for the hearts of the people were not right before God. "[39] "That the extreme He was discovered there still alive by one of David's men, who reported this to Joab, the king's commander. Having said this, I do not believe that our text was written to show us how bad a father David was, but rather to show us how disobedient a son Absalom was. Absalom (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} Alm, "father of peace") was the third son of David, King of Israel with Maacah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur.
