2 Samuel 18

2 Samuel 18

Clarke - It is generally supposed that, when the army was broken, they betook themselves to the wood, fell into pits, swamps, and so forth, and being entangled, were hewn down by David’s men; but the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, state that they were devoured by wild beasts in the wood.” Walton on forest devoured - When the Old Testament speaks of land devouring people (as the forest does here), it is indicating a hostile, inhospitable environment that threatens survival. Since this was a battlefield chosen by David and not Absalom, it may be expected that the king’s forces utilized the rough terrain and forested areas to their advantage. Ambushes, feints drawing troops into ravines or wadis, and other guerilla tactics may have been employed. Divisions can get disoriented, lost or isolated and become easy targets. (See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) 2 Samuel 18:9 Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For 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, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. NET 2 Samuel 18:9 Then Absalom happened to come across David's men. Now as Absalom was riding on his mule, it went under the branches of a large oak tree. His head got caught in the oak and he was suspended in midair, while the mule he had been riding kept going. CSB 2 Samuel 18:9 Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David's soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom's head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair. ESV 2 Samuel 18:9 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. NIV 2 Samuel 18:9 Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going. NLT 2 Samuel 18:9 During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David's men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. NRS 2 Samuel 18:9 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. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. NJB 2 Samuel 18:9 Absalom happened to run into some of David's guards. Absalom was riding his mule and the mule passed under the thick branches of a great oak. Absalom's head got caught in the oak and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule he was riding went on. NAB 2 Samuel 18:9 Absalom unexpectedly came up against David's servants. He was mounted on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth, his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the mule he had been riding ran off. YLT 2 Samuel 18:9 And Absalom meeteth before the servants of David, and Absalom is riding on the mule, and the mule cometh in under an entangled bough of the great oak, and his head taketh hold on the oak, and he is placed between the heavens and the earth, and the mule that is under him hath passed on. GWN 2 Samuel 18:9 Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. So he was left hanging in midair when the mule that was under him ran away. BBE 2 Samuel 18:9 And Absalom came across some of David's men. And Absalom was seated on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great tree, and his head became fixed in the tree and he was lifted up between earth and heaven, and the beast under him went on. his head: 2Sa 18:14 14:26 17:23 Mt 27:5 left hanging between heaven and earth: De 21:23 27:16,20 Job 18:8-10 31:3 Ps 63:9,10 Pr 20:20 30:17 Jer 48:44 Mk 7:10 Ga 3:13 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Kings 1:33; 38 The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon....38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. 2 Samuel 14:26+ When he cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, for it was heavy on him so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king’s weight. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride will bring him low (OR HANG HIM HIGH!), But a humble spirit will obtain honor. Exodus 20:12+ “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. Deuteronomy 27:16+ ‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ Deuteronomy 21:18-23+ “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, 19 then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. 20 “They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. 22 “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. ABSALOM'S HEAD HANGS HIM HIGH Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David - Note that this did not just "happen" as if by chance, but by divine providence. Recall 2Sa 17:14 which ends with "For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that (PURPOSE CLAUSE) the LORD might bring calamity on Absalom." For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. Mules were ridden by royalty (and this may have even been David's mule!) Riding furiously under the thick boughs of a great oak, which hung low and had never been cropped, either the twisted branches, or some low forked bough of the tree, caught him by the neck, or, possibly by the loops into which his long hair had been pinned, which had been so much his pride, and was now justly made a halter for him. There are two facts that support he actually was hanging by his hair - if he had been caught by his neck, he would have either suffocated or had a broken neck, but either way his hands would have been able to reach the branches and push his neck free. On the other hand if had hung so low from the bough, because of his long hair, he could not have used his hands to free himself. Another possibility is he was so entangled that his hands were bound, so that the more he struggled the more he was entangled. While this interpretation is quite dramatic, the text says it was his head, not his hair which was caught. This does not exclude the hair might have been in play. Either way, this "hanging high" set him up as a fair mark to the servants of David, although David had commanded to spare his rebellious son. Through Hushai, God answered David’s prayer (in two ways - first he told Absom to go into battle 2Sa 17:11+ and second he warned David of imminent attack 2Sa 17:15-21, 22+) preserved David’s throne. Absalom made his choices, but God was sovereign all the while. “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (or our "hangings") (Proverbs 16:9NLT) And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going - Josephus Antiquities 7.10.2 (see chapter 10) says he was caught by his hair, but it seems reasonable in light of 2Sa 14:26. There is something almost poetic (poetic justice) in the phrase left hanging between heaven and earth. Poetic justice describes an outcome in which vice is punished and virtue rewarded usually in a manner peculiarly or ironically appropriate Walton - The text says that it was Absalom’s head that got caught, not his hair as commonly assumed. The situation is pregnant with symbolism as the royal mule (the designated mount of kings) deserts the would-be king and leaves him hanging in a tree, a condition for one cursed of God (Deut 21:23)(See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) 2 Samuel 18:10 When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak." 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ABSALOM'S LOCATION REPORTED TO JOAB When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak - Providentially, the entanglement of Absalom (entangled by his sin! - see Are you Entangled?) was reported not to David but to Joab, the impetuous one who had already taken revenge on another man Abner who had allied himself with David (2Sa 3:23,27+). 2 Samuel 18:11 Then Joab said to the man who had told him, "Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt." 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JOAB'S REWARD FOR KILLING ABSALOM Then Joab said to the man who had told him, "Now behold, you saw him! (What! You saw this?) Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver (~four ounces of silver) and a (NIV = "warrior's belt", NLT = "hero's) belt - Joab had heard King David's clear order but is preparing to disobey it, even saying he would have given a reward to the man who killed Absalom! Ryrie thinks this means that he would have made him a commissioned officer. Walton on ten pieces of silver and a belt - A bonus of one year’s worth of pay and a distinctive article of clothing constituted a significant reward and indicates how strategic Absalom’s death was to Joab. Gilgamesh’s military attire included both a belt for his dirk and a sash or girdle of some sort, but the word used here (feminine form) is never used elsewhere as a piece of military gear (despite the NIV’s addition of “warrior”), usually conveyed by the masculine form. It is used for a woman’s sash in Isaiah 3:24 and may refer to a fancy sash or belt worn on special occasions (see comment on 1 Kings 2:5).(See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) 2 Samuel 18:12 The man said to Joab, "Even if I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Protect for me the young man Absalom!' in our hearing: 2Sa 18:5 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JOAB REPROVED RE: THE KING'S COMMAND The man said to Joab, "Even if I should receive (Lit - "weighing out in my hand") a thousand pieces (~25 pounds, ~$6500) of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king's son; for (term of explanation) in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Protect for me the young man Absalom - In our hearing recalls 2Sa 18:5 which says "All the people heard." Joab could not claim ignorance. The man's response was a clear reminder (and warning) of David's command not to touch Absalom and the reason was it was for David's sake. 2 Samuel 18:13 "Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof." BGT 2 Samuel 18:13 μὴ ποιῆσαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἄδικον καὶ πᾶς ὁ λόγος οὐ λήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ σὺ στήσῃ ἐξ ἐναντίας LXE 2 Samuel 18:13 so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and thou wilt set thyself against me. KJV 2 Samuel 18:13 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. NET 2 Samuel 18:13 If I had acted at risk of my own life– and nothing is hidden from the king!– you would have abandoned me." CSB 2 Samuel 18:13 If I had jeopardized my own life-- and nothing is hidden from the king-- you would have abandoned me." ESV 2 Samuel 18:13 On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof." NIV 2 Samuel 18:13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy--and nothing is hidden from the king--you would have kept your distance from me." NLT 2 Samuel 18:13 And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son-- and the king would certainly find out who did it-- you yourself would be the first to abandon me." NRS 2 Samuel 18:13 On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof." NJB 2 Samuel 18:13 Even if I had deceived myself, nothing stays hidden from the king and you would have dissociated yourself from me.' NAB 2 Samuel 18:13 Had I been disloyal and killed him, the whole matter would have come to the attention of the king, and you would stand aloof." YLT 2 Samuel 18:13 or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thou -- thou dost station thyself over-against.' GWN 2 Samuel 18:13 If I had done something treacherous to him, would you have stood by me? Like everything else, it wouldn't stay hidden from the king." BBE 2 Samuel 18:13 And if I had falsely put him to death (and nothing may be kept secret from the king), you would have had nothing to do with me. NIRV 2 Samuel 18:13 Suppose I had put my life in danger by killing him. The king would have found out about it. Nothing is hidden from him. And you wouldn't have stood up for me." if I had dealt treacherously: 2Sa 1:15,16 4:10-12 there is nothing hidden from the king: 2Sa 14:19,20 Heb 4:13 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ANOTHER REASON THE MAN WOULD NOT KILL ABSALOM Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof - NLT says "And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son--and the king would certainly find out who did it--you yourself would be the first to abandon me." NIV = if I had put my life in jeopardy." In essence the man is saying that if he had risked his own life and taken Absalom's life, King David would discover his deed and Joab would not have defended him at that time. Knowing Joab as we do, that is good reasoning by this man! In short, this man did not trust Joab, for his reputation preceded him! Treacherously (08267) sheqer deception, disappointment, falsehood, lie, vanity. Speaks of words or activities which are false in the sense that they are groundless, without basis in fact or reality (Ps 38:19). Vine says "As "faithfulness" is a relational term, "falsehood" denotes "one's inability to keep faith" with what one has said or to respond positively to the faithfulness of another being. 2 Samuel 18:14 Then Joab said, "I will not waste time here with you." So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. thrust them: 2Sa 18:5 Jdg 4:21 5:26,31 Ps 45:5 1Th 5:3 heart, Mt 12:40 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JOAB'S WASTES NO TIME IN KILLING ABSALOM Then - Marks progression in the narrative, and a significant progression as it relates to Absalom. Joab said, "I will not waste time here with you." - NLT = "Enough of this nonsense." But is was not nonsense, but good sense. Nevertheless, Joab refused to hear (heed) the man's arguments against killing Absalom. So he took three spears (javelins) in his hand and thrust (plunged) them through the heart (leb; Lxx - kardia) (NET - "into the middle") of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak - Joab's stabs to Absalom's heart would result in stabs (figuratively) to the heart of David! It is surprising that the text does not say it killed him. See Walton's explanation for why this verse does not say "he died" or he "killed him." Walton on three spears (javelins) - The “javelin” used by Joab everywhere else refers to a blunt rod used to beat someone. The verb is one that usually means to strike (exception, Jdg 3:21). The heart is not always internal, but can refer to the chest or the midsection. If Joab’s intention was to stab Absalom, a sword or spear would have been the more likely choice. It seems instead that Joab intends to dislodge Absalom (See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) 2 Samuel 18:15 And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him. 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries TEN OF JOAB'S MEN FINISH OFF ABSALOM And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him - Joab's action spurred on his armor bearers to also attack Absalom. The text said they killed him, so presumably (and surprisingly) he was still agonizing and alive even after being struck with Joab's three spears. Walton on armor-bearers. Commanders and officers within the army were accompanied by armor-bearers (see examples in the Iliad). These trusted individuals formed a bodyguard during battle (see 1Sa 31:4-6), provided substitute weapons should the commander break or lose one, and apparently even functioned as “friends” and advisers (see David as Saul’s armor-bearer in 1Sa 16:21 and Jonathan’s armor-bearer in 1Sa 14:12-17). (See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) 2 Samuel 18:16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. blew the trumpet: 2Sa 2:28 20:22 Nu 10:2-10 1Co 14:8 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JOAB BLOWS TRUMPET CALLING HALT TO PURSUIT Then - Marks progression in the narrative, now that the rebel king was dead. Joab blew the trumpet (shophar/shopar - Wikipedia), and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people - Joab's blowing of the shofar was a signal to his troops to cease chasing the army of Israel. Walton on armor-bearers. As part of the preparations for battle, ancient armies throughout the Near East broadcast to their troops a set of designated signals that would call for advance or retreat. The use of trumpets (shofar) and runners might be the only means to control troop movements. They were also used as a rallying sound to assemble troops for battle or, like the fire signals of the Mari texts, as a signal of approaching danger. (See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) ARMOR-BEARER - ar'-mer-bar'-er (nose' keli; Greek uses a phrase, ho airon ta skeue, literally "the one carrying the armor"): One who carried the large shield and perhaps other weapons for a king (1 Sam 31:4), commander-in-chief (2 Sam 23:37), captain (1 Sam 14:7) or champion (1 Sam 17:7). All warriors of distinction had such an attendant. Rather than perish by the hand of a woman, Abimelech called upon his armor-bearer to give him the finishing stroke (Jdg 9:54), and when King Saul's armor-bearer refused to do this office for him that he might not become the prisoner of the Philistines, he took a sword himself and fell upon it (1 Sam 31:4). David became Saul's armor-bearer for a time, and Jonathan's armor-bearer was a man of resource and courage (1 Sam 14:7). The shield-bearer was a figure well known in the chariots of Egypt and Assyria and the Hittites, his business being to protect his fighting companion during the engagement. 2 Samuel 18:17 They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. cast: Jos 7:26 8:29 10:27 Pr 10:7 Jer 22:18,19 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 21:20; 21+ (PENALTY FOR A REBELLIOUS SON) “They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. Joshua 7:25-26+ (ACHAN'S STONING) Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. 26 They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day. ABSALOM BURIED IN FOREST PIT They took Absalom and cast (threw) him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones - Piling up rocks was not a way to honor but was a way to show that they detested Absalom. Wycliffe Bible Commentary (borrow) Some think the heaping of stones on Absalom's grave was symbolic of the stoning which was the legal penalty due a rebel son (Dt 21:20, 21). It is still a custom in the East for passers-by to cast stones on the grave of a criminal. And all Israel fled, each to his tent - Absalom's army fled to their homes for the rebellion was clearly quelled! Quell means to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity. TSK - This was the ancient method of burying, whether heroes or traitors; the heap of stones being designed to perpetuate the memory of the event, whether good or bad. The Arabs in general make use of no other monument than a heap of stones over a grave. Thus, in an Arabic poem, it is related, that Hatim the father, and Adi the grandfather of Kais, having been murdered, at a time before Kais was capable of reflection, his mother kept it a profound secret; and in order to guard him against having any suspicion, she collected a parcel of stone on two hillocks in the neighbourhood, and told her son that the one was the grave of his father, and the other of his grandfather. The ancient cairns in Ireland and Scotland, and the tumuli in England, are of this kind. Walton on cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. - burial practice. Assyrian texts indicate that punishment of rebels regularly included impalement, leaving the bodies unburied. Israelite leaders also engaged in these forms of “display” (see the execution of the five enemy kings in Josh 10:27), but the bodies were not to be left hanging indefinitely (Dt 21:23). Thus even accursed individuals would be buried under a pile of stone (see comment on Josh 8:29)—not to be confused with the honorable funerary mounds of Mesopotamian kings (See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) 2 Samuel 18:18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to preserve my name." So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day. NET 2 Samuel 18:18 Prior to this Absalom had set up a monument and dedicated it to himself in the King's Valley, reasoning "I have no son who will carry on my name." He named the monument after himself, and to this day it is known as Absalom's Memorial. CSB 2 Samuel 18:18 When he was alive, Absalom had set up a pillar for himself 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. It is still called Absalom's Monument today. ESV 2 Samuel 18:18 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. NIV 2 Samuel 18:18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, "I have no son to carry on the memory of my name." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day. NLT 2 Samuel 18:18 During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to carry on my name." He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom's Monument to this day. NRS 2 Samuel 18:18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a 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 by his own name. It is called Absalom's Monument to this day. NJB 2 Samuel 18:18 Now, during his lifetime, Absalom had made and erected a pillar to himself, which is in the Valley of the King. 'I have no son', he said, 'to preserve the memory of my name.' He gave his own name to the pillar, and today it is still called Absalom's Monument. NAB 2 Samuel 18:18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it for himself in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to perpetuate my name." The pillar which he named for himself is called Yadabshalom to the present day. set up for himself a pillar: 1Sa 15:12 the King's Valley,: Ge 14:17 I have no son: 2Sa 14:27 Job 18:16,17 Ps 109:13 Jer 22:30 he named the pillar after his own name: Ge 11:4 1Sa 15:12 Ps 49:11 Da 4:30 Absalom's: Ge 11:9 Ac 1:18,19 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Samuel 15:12+ (SAUL'S MONUMENT TO SELF) Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.” Genesis 14:17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). Modern Absalom's Tomb (Probably Not Original Site) ABSALOM'S MONUMENT Now - marks a parenthetical statement in this context and is used, especially in conversation, to draw attention to a particular statement or point in a narrative. Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar (matstsebah) which is in the King's Valley, for he aid (reasoned), "I have no son to preserve my name." - Let's be honest, every man wonders what will they remember about me when I'm gone? Or will they even remember me at all? In 2Sa 14:27+ "To Absalom there were born three sons," but clearly they did not live to be adults so there was no male to pass on the line of Absalom. Note that this is not the King's Valley in Egypt, but the valley in Israel. The exact location of the King's Valley is unknown but is often identified with the Kidron Valley, east of Jerusalem, or the confluence of the Hinnom, Tyropoeon and Kidron Valleys and is also called the Valley of Shaveh in Genesis 14:17. The Modern Absalom's Tomb may be at the same site but we cannot be certain, but in any event is notable that orthodox Jews spit on this tomb when passing by. Did you observe the dramatic contrast in 2Sa 18:17 a very great heap of stones and 2Sa 18:18 named the pillar after his own name? Believer's Study Bible - The "King's Valley" was probably the same as the Kidron Valley just outside the wall of Jerusalem. But the pyramid-shaped structure which now stands there is of Greek rather than Hebrew origin. So he named the pillar (matstsebah) after his own name, and it is called Absalom's Monument (yad) to this day - Since he had no surviving, living sons, he sought to memorialize his name in a dead stone monument. Are we surprised that Absalom builds a monument to himself? He reminds us of another man who was a man after his own heart, King Saul who "set up a monument for himself" (1Sa 15:12+). TSK - Josephus says there was in his time, about two furlongs from Jerusalem, a marble pillar called Absalom's hand (yad - literally = hand, but used for "monument"), as it is in the Hebrew, (See note on 1 Sa 15:12+) and there is one shown to the present day, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, which, though comparatively a modern structure, probably occupies the site of the original one set up by Absalom. Walton on - pillar as monument - The Ugaritic Epic of Aqhat (c. 1600 B.C.) mentions that one of the duties that a son owes to his father is to erect a stele or pillar in honor of the ancestor gods. Since Absalom has no [living?] son to do this for him, he does the job himself. This is rather ironic considering that he was not buried in the family tomb. His personal monument becomes a sad marker of a failed life. The tomb in the village of Silwan (across the Kidron valley from Jerusalem) today called Absalom’s tomb is from a much later period (Herodian). messengers bringing news. Runners were used by armies and government officials in the ancient Near East. The Mari texts describe battlefield movements being partially (See page 347 IVP Bible Background Commentary) Pillar (04676) matstsebah from natsab = to take a stand) means something set upright, most often "a standing, unhewn block of stone utilized for religious and memorial purposes. After a powerful experience of the Lord in a dream, Jacob set up as a pillar the stone on which he had laid his head, in commemoration of the event (Ge 28:18, 22; cf. Ge 31:45; 35:20). Moses set up an altar and also twelve pillars at the base of Mount Sinai to represent the twelve tribes of Israel (Ex. 24:4). These pillars were erected as monuments to God (Hos 3:4); or, more commonly, to pagan deities (1Ki 14:23, Mic. 5:13). Many times in 2 Kings, the term refers to a sacred pillar that aided people in their worship of pagan gods, especially the Canaanite god Baal. In most of these passages, the sacred columns were used by Israelites, contrary to the Lord's prohibition concerning the worship of any other god (2 Ki 3:2; 10:26, 27; 18:4; 23:14; cf. Hos. 10:1, 2; Mic. 5:13)." (Baker) Septuagint in 2Sa 18:18 = stele = a commemorative stone block or pillar, monument, pillar from the time of Hom. inscribed and used as a grave marker, or for commemoration of events, proclamation of decrees, recognition of personal achievements. Stele is a block or slab, bearing an inscription; and so, 1. a gravestone, Hom., Att. 2. a block or slab, inscribed with record of victories, dedications, treaties, decrees, etc., Hdt., Att.; whether for honour, or for infamy, Hdt., Dem.:-also the record itself, a contract, agreement, kata. th.n sth,lhn according to agreement, 3. a boundary post, Xen.:-the turning-post at the end of the racecourse, See also dictionary descriptions of pillar Josephus Antiquities 7, chapter 10 - 3. Now Absalom had erected for himself a stone marble pillar, in the King’s dale; two furlongs distant from Jerusalem: which he named Absalom’s Hand (yad = hand): saying, that if his children were killed, his name would remain by that pillar. For he had three sons, and one daughter, named Tamar: as we said before:20 who, when she was married to David’s grandson, Rehoboam, bare a son Abijah by name,21 who succeeded his father in the kingdom. But of these we shall speak in a part of our history which will be more proper.22 But after the death of Absalom they returned every one to their own homes respectively. The Tomb of Absalom (Hebrew: יד אבשלום, romanized: Yad Avshalom, lit. 'Absalom's Memorial'), also called Absalom's Pillar, is an ancient monumental rock-cut tomb with a conical roof located in the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem, a few metres from the Tomb of Zechariah and the Tomb of Benei Hezir. Although traditionally ascribed to Absalom, the rebellious son of King David of Israel (circa 1000 BC), recent scholarship has dated it to the 1st century AD. King's Garden and King's Valley - In the times of the Old Testament kings, the Kidron Valley was identified with, at least in part, the King's Garden; the kings owned land in the area.[9] That the upper Kidron Valley was also known as the King's Valley, in which Absalom set up his monument or "pillar" (see 2 Samuel 18:18; no connection to the much later "Absalom's Pillar"), is problematic. The Bible does not make this identification explicit, and the association can only be inferred as associated with En-rogel, which is farther down the Kidron Valley towards the desert.[14] The name 'King's Valley' may be derived from its location just east of the palace of David in the City of David on the western slopes of the Kidron Valley and south of where the platform was built.[15] Pillar (04676) matstsebah from natsab = to take a stand) means something set upright, most often "a standing, unhewn block of stone utilized for religious and memorial purposes. After a powerful experience of the Lord in a dream, Jacob set up as a pillar the stone on which he had laid his head, in commemoration of the event (Ge 28:18, 22; cf. Ge 31:45; 35:20). Moses set up an altar and also twelve pillars at the base of Mount Sinai to represent the twelve tribes of Israel (Ex. 24:4). These pillars were erected as monuments to God (Hos. 3:4); or, more commonly, to pagan deities (1 Ki. 14:23, Mic. 5:13). Many times in 2 Kings, the term refers to a sacred pillar that aided people in their worship of pagan gods, especially the Canaanite god Baal. In most of these passages, the sacred columns were used by Israelites, contrary to the Lord's prohibition concerning the worship of any other god (2 Ki. 3:2; 10:26, 27; 18:4; 23:14; cf. Hos. 10:1, 2; Mic. 5:13)." (Baker) Matstsebah refers to the obelisks which stood at the entrance to the temple of the Sun in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (Jer. 43:13). According to Heroclitus (II.3), two of these pillars were a hundred cubits high and eight cubits across, and each was a single stone. The word is also used of the statues of Baal (2 Ki. 3:2) which were erected in the innermost recess of the Temple. In 2Sa 18:18 pillar is translated in the Septuagint with stele (see STELE in Wikipedia) which is a commemorative stone block or pillar, monument, pillar from the time of Hom. inscribed and used as a grave marker, or for commemoration of events, proclamation of decrees, recognition of personal achievements. Stele is a block or slab, bearing an inscription; and so, 1. a gravestone, Hom., Att. 2. a block or slab, inscribed with record of victories, dedications, treaties, decrees, etc., Hdt., Att.; whether for honour, or for infamy, Hdt., Dem.:-also the record itself, a contract, agreement, kata. th.n sth,lhn according to agreement, 3. a boundary post, Xen.:-the turning-post at the end of the racecourse, Holman Bible Dictionary - Pillar - Stone monuments (Hebrew matstsebah) or standing architectural structures (Hebrew amudim ). 1. Stones set up as memorials to persons. Jacob set up a pillar on Rachel's grave as a memorial to her (Genesis 35:20 ). Because Absalom had no son to carry on his name, he set up a pillar and carved his name in it (2 Samuel 18:18 ). Shrines both to the Lord and to false gods. Graven images often were pillars set up as gods. God commanded Israel to break down such “images” (Hebrew matstseboth; Ex 23:24). The Canaanites erected pillars at their places of worship, and probably influenced Israelite practice. Archaeologists found pillars, at Gezer. Jacob set up a pillar following his dream (Genesis 28:18 ) and again when God spoke to him at Bethel (Genesis 35:9-15 ) as memorials of God's revelation. Moses set up twelve pillars to commemorate the giving of the law to the tribes of Israel (Exodus 24:4). 2 Samuel 18:19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Please let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has freed him from the hand of his enemies." Ahimaaz: 2Sa 18:23,27-29 2Sa 15:36, 17:17 the LORD has freed him from the hand of his enemies Ps 7:6,8,9 9:4,16 10:14,18 Ro 12:19 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries AHIMAAZ'S DESIRE TO BRING NEWS OF VICTORY Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said "Please let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has freed him from the hand of his enemies - Ahimaaz is one of the brothers that brought the critical news to David allowing him to escape across the Jordan River (2Sa 17:17+). It would see apropos that he would be one to carry the news of the final victory. 2 Samuel 18:20 But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king's son is dead." to carry news 2Sa 17:16-21 because: 2Sa 18:5,27,29,33 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JOAB REJECTS AHIMAAZ'S REQUEST But Joab said to him, "You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king's son is dead - The reason Joab refused Ahimaaz's request is that the good news was tainted by the bad news of Absalom's death. As the NLT says ""it wouldn't be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger some other time, but not today." Clearly Joab knew the negative effect Absalom's death would have on David, especially since he had commanded that he not be harmed and Joab directly disobeyed. Walton on messengers bringing news. Runners were used by armies and government officials in the ancient Near East. The Mari texts describe battlefield movements being partially directed by messengers as well as diplomatic dispatches and news of the approach of delegations and caravans. It seems apparent from these texts as well as the biblical narrative that messengers had different ranks. Some, like the suh6 arum of Mari, were young men employed for their stamina and speed. However, there were also messengers in the lower levels of the diplomatic corps (perhaps comparable to the priestly status of Ahimaaz) who were trusted with more important missions. (See page 348 IVP Bible Background Commentary) 2 Samuel 18:21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CUSHITE TO CARRY BAD NEWS Then Joab said to the Cushite - Joab selects a foreigner, a man from Ethiopia to carry the sad, badnews to David. "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran - Cushite obeys Joab's command. The implication is that he had seen Absalom's body (or grave marked with stones). 2 Samuel 18:22 Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going?" since you will have no reward for going, Ro 1:28 Eph 5:4 2 Samuel 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries AHIMAAZ STILL DESIRES TO RUN Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, "But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going - Joab questions Ahimaaz's desire to run with the message, explaining that there would be no reward for this news. F B