Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 3 Jly 2022
As I’ve noted before, this chapter is like an echo of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, in David’s children: first the adultery committed by Amnon, and now murder committed by Absalom.
READ the text: Then her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet now. He is your brother; don’t find a place for this matter in your heart.” So Tamar settled down and was desolate at her brother Absalom’s house. Presently, David the king heard all these things and got really hot about it, {but he did not cause hardship to the spirit of Amnon his son because he loved him since he was his firstborn.} Meanwhile Absalom did not speak with Amnon for ill or for good, because Absalom hated Amnon on account of the matter in which he had taken advantage of his sister Tamar. So it was for two full years. Then it came about that there were sheep-shearings for Absalom in Baal-Khatzor which is by Ephraim, so Absalom invited all the king’s sons. And Absalom went to the king and said, “Look, please, your servant is having sheep-shearings! Please let the king (along with his servants) come with your servant!” But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, please, not all of us will go, so we will not be burdensome on you.” Nevertheless, he pressed it with him, yet he was not willing to go, so he blessed him. Then Absalom said, “Well, can’t my brother Ammon please come with us?” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” And Absalom pressed it with him, so he sent Amnon and all the sons of the king with him. {And Absalom prepared a banquet like the banquet of the king.} Presently, Absalom commanded his waiters, saying, “Please observe when Amnon is merry of heart due to the wine, then, when I say to y’all, ‘Strike Amnon,’ put him to death. Don’t be afraid; am not I the one who is commanding y’all? Be strong and become part of the army!” So Absalom’s waiters did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded {them}. Then all the king’s sons got up, and each rode on his mule and they fled. While they were on the way, it happened that the hearsay came to David, saying, “Absalom struck down all the king’s sons, and there is not a single one left among them!” So the king got up and tore his clothes and laid down on the ground – and all his servants attending {him tore their} clothes. Then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, responded and said, “Let not my master {the king} say, that they have put to death ALL your boys – the sons of the king, for it is only Amnon who has died, for it has been sitting on Absalom’s mouth from the day he took advantage of his sister Tamar. So now, let not my master the king set the matter to his heart, by saying, ‘ALL the sons of the king have died;’ rather, Amnon alone has died.” Meanwhile, Absalom scurried away. Presently the watchman servant lifted his eyes and saw that there were many people travelling out of the road behind him from the side of the mountain {where it descends, so the watchman went and communicated to the king and said, “I have seen men on the Horonaim road by the side of the mountain.”} Then Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come! It has happened just as your servant said it would.” And as soon as he finished speaking, there it was, the king’s sons had arrived, and they raised their voices and wept. And the king and all his servants also wept. It was a really big weeping-session. So, while Absalom scurried away and went to Telmai, the son of Ammichu{d}, king of Geshur {in the land of Helam, David} mourned over his son all those days. And Absalom scurried away and went to Geshur, and he was there for three years. Meanwhile, {the spirit of} the king ceased concerning going out to Absalom, for he changed tactics regarding Amnon since he was dead.
For two years, Absalom stewed over the evil that Amnon did to his sister Tamar and the fact that the king did nothing to punish Amnon for this crime. Finally, after two years, Absalom decided to proceed with vigilante justice and take matters into his own hands.
He had come into the ownership of some sheep perhaps 15 miles north of Jerusalem in the hill country of Ephraim1, and, when it came time to shear the sheep, it was traditional to throw a party and get a bunch of people helping with the shearing and to offer a big feast to everybody that comes out for the occasion (just like Nabal had done earlier in 1 Samuel, when he had excluded David’s men from the party and Abigail had to make up for it with a special delivery).
Absalom initially invites all of David’s family and servants to his sheep-shearing festival, but David says, in effect, “Do you realize how many servants I have? That would be a huge imposition on you; I’m not sure you could provide for a crowd that big, so let’s not invite everybody.”
Now, if Absalom was NOT able to entertain that many people, it would mean he was NOT in a good position to take over the kingship.
It’s hard to tell whether David is snubbing Absalom or whether he’s just making a practical observation, but I suspect it’s a snub, because the oldest manuscripts of this story add a note to the effect that Absalom went on to serve a truly kingly feast, proving that he had what it takes to be king, which was important if he was going to kill Amnon – the presumptive heir to the throne – and make his own bid to be king after David.
Absalom pushes a little longer on David to bring the whole gang, until David admits that he doesn’t really want to go personally, at which point Absalom says something to the effect of, “Well, bless your heart; we’ll just have to have the party without you, but can you at least let Amnon come along to the party?” And David eventually agrees to let all his sons go.
Perhaps he had some idea of Absalom’s hatred toward Amnon and didn’t want to leave Amnon alone with Absalom, just in case.
It’s sad that David didn’t want to gather with his family on this festive occation; if I knew that all of my children were going to be in one place, I wouldn’t want to miss out on that!
Absalom’s speech to his servants in v.28 proves that he premeditated the assasination of his brother for this occasion.
He intended to use wine to dull Amnon’s alertness – which alcohol will do, which is why we shouldn’t drink it when we need to stay alert. Amnon seems to have been as uncontrolled in his appetite for alcohol as he was with his sexual lusts.
And Absalom tells his servants that on his signal, they should all stab Amnon.
He ends his little speech to his servants with the same words David used when he tried to rally the men of Jabesh Gilead to follow him as their king2. There are hints all over the place that Absalom has his eye on taking over the throne.
The two reasons Absalom gives his servants who are waiting tables at the shearing festival that it’s o.k. to murder prince Amnon are:
You are not responsible; you are just following orders. And
you’ll be one of the gang and part of a noble cause.
Now, if any of his servants had been thinking clearly, they would have said, “No way! I’m having nothing to do with this! Absalom, you don’t have authority to put anyone to death, and if I’m the one who stabs Amnon, I’d be a murderer. ‘Just following orders’ is no excuse in God’s eyes. Furthermore, God’s opinion on what is right and wrong is more important on whether or not I’m found acceptable by your cronies. It doesn’t matter what the crowd thinks; I’m going to follow God’s command and not commit murder.” But none of Absalom’s servants took that stand, and that gives us an idea of the kind of ungodly company Absalom was keeping.
Matthew Henry commented, “Those are too obsequious that will damn their souls to please their masters, whose big words cannot secure them from God's wrath.” Don’t make yourself guilty before God simply to please bosses whose big words won’t save them from God’s wrath.
Once the other sons of David saw the servants stabbing Amnon, they all lit out, worrying that they would be next on Absalom’s hit list.
The fact that they rode mules, in violation of the Levitical law (19:19) against mating different kinds of animals could be another indication that there was compromise in David’s family.
It is also noteworthy that, when the rumor hit David’s court that Absalom had killed all his brothers, nobody hesitated to believe it. That does not reflect well on Absalom’s character!
Jonadab then shows up and reassures David that only Amnon has been murdered, for Absalom has been talking about killing him ever since the day Amnon took advantage of his sister Tamar.
On the one hand, this is welcome news that not all the princes have been slaughtered,
but on the other hand it should have been disconcerting that this member of the royal family not only encouraged Amnon in his crime, but also knew Absalom’s assasination plan in advance and did nothing to stop it.
Jonadab is walking on thin ice (legally) to reveal this, so he tries to get David to focus, not on the murder of his oldest son3 but rather on the survival of all his other sons, while ingratiatingly reminding David that, even though he is David’s nephew, he is David’s “servant.”
This kind of minimizing evil and jockeying for power is corrupt, and David’s failure to punish Jonadab for his complicity in this murder shows an erosion of David’s sense of justice.
David, however, does not minimize this murder by failing to mourn for it.
In most English translations there are two intensifying words describing the intensity of his weeping; in Hebrew there are three intensifying words.
The full weight of the horror of this murder was impressed upon all, as David and all his servants wept intensely for a prolonged time.
And it is good to mourn over evil. David’s fault lay, not in his failure to mourn, but in his failure to confront evil men under his authority.
Meanwhile, as for Absalom, it is stated three times that he fled out of the country to stay with his mom’s family in the little kingdom of Geshur just north of Israel.
The fact that he fled indicates that he knew he had broken the law of Israel – God’s law, even though nobody had breathed a word to him about being prosecuted for fratricide.
“The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them,” wrote his brother Solomon later on in Proverbs 28:1a. And that is so true.
The chapter ends with a statement about David, and there is some debate over how to translate it:
On the one hand, almost all the English versions say that David “longed to go out to Absalom,” as though he loved Absalom and wanted to go visit him4.
But that appears to be based on Jewish traditions many hundreds of years after David,
and only about a quarter of the 18 commentaries I referenced agreed with this interpretation.
The Hebrew Bible actually reads, “And… the king ceased5 concerning going out to Absalom…”
(It’s the same verb translated “finished/made an end of” in v.36.)
That is also the sense of almost all the ancient versions of the Bible, that David had considered going out after Absalom to prosecute him for murdering his brother6, but changed his mind, since Amnon was actually a criminal worthy of death whom David hadn’t had the guts to punish.
Thus David’s mind was set at ease concerning a loose end of justice, while still being upset at Absalom. I think this explains the five years of silent treatment David gives Absalom – three years while he’s in self-exile in Geshur and two years next-door to David in Jerusalem (that we’ll read about in the next chapter).
And that’s where we leave Absalom and David at the end of the chapter, with a lot of dysfunctional stuff going on. How on earth can we apply such a messy story to our lives?
Absalom’s hatred of his brother.
The fact that all the princes fled from Absalom when he murdered Amnon, and the fact that David believed the report that Absalom had killed all his brothers, indicates that Absalom had a reputation for anger. Hatred and anger towards other people is the opposite of the character of love to which God calls you and me.
Leviticus 19:17 “You may not hate your brother in your heart; you must earnestly make things right with your fellow-man and not raise up sin on account of him.” (NAW) There’s two parts to that law:
Don’t allow hatred toward your brother into your heart, and
Earnestly make things right. Don’t resort to silent treatment; take initiative to clear the air.
1 John 2:9 & 11 “The one claiming to be in the light while hating his brother is in the darkness until now… the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and is walking in the darkness, and does not know where he is heading, because the darkness blinded his eyes.” (NAW)
“That malice is the worst, which is hidden closely, and has no vent given to it. If Absalom had reasoned the matter with Amnon, he might have convinced him of his sin and brought him to repentance; but, saying nothing, Amnon's heart was hardened, and his own more and more embittered against him; therefore rebuking our neighbour is opposed to hating him in our hearts, Leviticus 19:17… If the sun going down once upon the wrath gives such place to the devil (as is intimated [in] Ephesians 4:26-27), what would the sunsets of two full years do?” ~Matthew Henry
Absalom’s Failure to trust God and wait on His Timing
Our human authorities will never give us perfect justice, and we will always be tempted to get frustrated with the leadership failures of our parents, our bosses, our church leaders, and our civil government. How often we are tempted to judge them harshly without understanding the challenges they face, and tempted to find some kind of end-run around their authority (like Absalom did) to get the results we want, instead of following God’s instructions and waiting on God’s timing with faith in His perfect justice.
Absalom’s little brother reminds us in Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 “He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for everything...” (NASB)
The proper time for punishing Amnon for his crime would be “as soon as possible,” not two years later. Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.” (NASB)
The proper procedure for punishing Amnon for his crime was for David, as the agent of the state – with the power of the sword to punish evil (Rom. 13), to execute (or at least banish) Amnon. And if the king wouldn’t do it, then for Absalom to appeal to David with quotes from God’s authoritative word. For maximum impact, Tamar could plead her own case, since David tended to melt whenever a woman made an earnest appeal to him, as we saw in the case of Abigail, and as we’ll see in the next chapter with the widow from Tekoa, and later with Bathsheba.
But for Absalom, to whom God had not given the authority and sword of the state, to put Amnon to death was murder. I like Matthew Henry’s commentary that Absalom was “offering to repair the breach of [God’s] seventh commandment by the violation of his sixth, as if they were not all alike sacred. ‘But [as the Apostle James reminded us] He that said, “Do not commit adultery,” said also, “Do not murder,”’ James 2:11.”
Absalom’s fall into murder was due to a lack of trust in God’s word to act according to it, and a lack of faith in God to wait on His timing.
Similarly, Absalom did not trust God or wait on Him in the matter of succession to kingship, either. If there is anything to be learned from the books of Samuel so far, it is that God is the one who chooses the king for His people; it’s not open to whoever has the ambition to be king. Absalom’s jockeying for power to take over the throne of David was not God’s will.
God’s will is expressed by the Apostle Paul in First Thess. 4:7-11 “For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another... But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your own hands…”
If God wants you to end up in leadership, He will get you there. You don’t have to elbow your way to the top when God is lifting you up, but you have to be patient and wait on His timing.
David’s Failure to Confront Evil in his Jurisdiction
David failed to bring justice against his son Amnon, so God saw to it that justice was served against Amnon despite David’s inaction, but David’s failure set the stage for Absalom to become a murderer, and David didn’t punish him for murder either. Nor did David punish Jonadab for being an accomplice to murder.
David’s failures caused Nathan’s prophecy that “the sword will never depart from your house” (2 Sam. 12:10) to come true.
David is not enacting God’s word, but is rather living life by his emotions. He didn’t feel like punishing his son, so he didn’t, and that led to tragedy that made him feel like weeping, so he wept, but still did not enact justice, which lead to more weeping over more sons and more wishful thinking without action.
Now, I don’t expect there are any kings in the audience, but there are a lot of fathers and there are a few business owners and there are a few church elders, and there are a few government officers, and each of those positions carries authority within a certain jurisdiction that God will hold you accountable for.
Fathers (and mothers), you are responsible to nurture righteousness and punish evil in your children. God will hold you accountable if you sit on your hands at home.
Elders, you are responsible to teach and pray and bring government to the church. We don’t have the option of hoping someone else will do that.
Business owners, you are responsible for making sure that your employees are provided for and treated fairly and that they do your work ethically. You can’t just hope that happens.
The complicating problems that came from David’s failure to stay alert and active to punish criminals within his jurisdiction, stands as a warning to us to be alert to act within the callings God has given us.
Now, one reason why David – and some of us – may be hesitant to exercise the authority God has given us, is that sometimes God calls us to challenge other people over some of the very sins we ourselves have committed, and we don’t know how to deal with that. Matthew Henry commended, “[David] cannot bear the shame those must submit to who correct that in others which they are conscious of in themselves, and therefore his anger... serve[s] instead of his justice; and this hardens sinners.” But frustration and doing nothing are not the solution. What is the solution? Get the log out of your own eye, and then you can see to get the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matt. 7:5) Face your sin head-on.
Now, after these grim reminders, let me end with a word of encouragement about
God’s Grace For Sinners
We are all moral failures in various ways, but our hope is not in “doing better,” rather, our hope is in being saved by the mercy of God.
Listen to what David, the murderer and adulterer and corrupt politian says in Psalm 5:7 “But as for me, through an abundance of your lovingkindness I will go to Your house; I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of You.” (NAW)
How can he be so sure of heaven when he failed so badly? It’s because he believed in “the abundance of [God’s] lovingkindness” and walked in a personal relationship of trusting in this God to save him.
That confidence can be ours as well when we trust Jesus to make us right with God.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:13-19 and join him in trusting Jesus, waiting on His timing, loving our brother, and faithfully doing the work He calls us to do: “…I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience…” (NKJV)
LXX |
Brenton |
DRB |
KJV |
NAW |
MT |
20 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν Αβεσσαλωμ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτῆς Μὴ Αμνων ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἐγένετο μετὰ σοῦ; καὶ νῦν, ἀδελφή μου, κώφευσον, [ὅτι] ἀδελφός σού ἐστιν· μὴ θῇς τὴν καρδίαν σου [τοῦ λαλῆσαι] εἰς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο. καὶ ἐκάθισεν Θημαρ X χηρεύουσα ἐν οἴκῳ Αβεσσαλωμ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῆς. |
20
And Abessalom her brother said to her, Has thy brother Amnon been
with thee? now then, my sister, be
silent,
[for]
he is thy brother: be not |
20
And Absalom her brother said to her: Hath thy brother Ammon |
20
And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been
with thee? but hold
now thy
peace,
my sister: he is
thy brother; |
20 Then her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet now. He is your brother; don’t find a place for this matter in your heart. So Tamar settled down and was desolate at her brother Absalom’s house. |
20 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אַבְשָׁלוֹם אָחִיהָ הַאֲמִינוֹןB אָחִיךְ הָיָה עִמָּךְ וְעַתָּה אֲחוֹתִי הַחֲרִישִׁי אָחִיךְ הוּא אַל- תָּשִׁיתִי אֶת- לִבֵּךְ לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַתֵּשֶׁב תָּמָר וְשֹׁמֵמָהC בֵּית אַבְשָׁלוֹם אָחִיהָ: |
21 καὶ ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ἐθυμώθη σφόδρα· [καὶ οὐκ ἐλύπησεν τὸ πνεῦμα Αμνων τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἠγάπα αὐτόν, ὅτι πρωτότοκος αὐτοῦ ἦν.] |
21 And king David heard of all these things, and was very angry[; but he did not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon, because be loved him, for he was his first-born]. |
21 And when king David heard of these things he was exceedingly grieved[: and he would not afflict the spirit of his son Ammon, for he loved him, because he was his firstborn]. |
21 But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth. |
21 Presently, David the king heard all these things and got really hot about it, {but he did not cause hardship to the spirit of Amnon his son because he loved him since he was his firstborn.} |
21 וְהַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד שָׁמַע אֵת כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיִּחַר לוֹ מְאֹדD: |
22
καὶ οὐκ ἐλάλησεν
Αβεσσαλωμ
μετὰ Αμνων |
22
And Abessalom spoke not to Amnon, X
good
or X
bad,
because Abessalom hated Amnon, on account |
22 But Absalom spoke not to Ammon neither X good nor X evil: for Absalom hated Ammon because X X he had ravished his sister Thamar. |
22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither X good nor X bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because X X he had forced his sister Tamar. |
22 Meanwhile Absalom did not speak with Amnon for ill or for good, because Absalom hated Amnon on account of the matter in which he had taken advantage of his sister Tamar. |
22 וְלֹא-דִבֶּר אַבְשָׁלוֹם עִם- אַמְנוֹן לְמֵרָע וְעַד- טוֹב כִּי-שָׂנֵא אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת-אַמְנוֹן עַל-דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר עִנָּה אֵת תָּמָר אֲחֹתוֹ: פ |
23 Καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς διετηρίδα ἡμερῶν καὶ ἦσαν κείροντες τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ ἐν Βελασωρ τῇ ἐχόμενα Εφραιμ, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Αβεσσαλωμ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως. |
23
And it came to pass at the |
23
And it came to pass after two X
years, that the [sheep]
of Absalom |
23
And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom |
23 So it was for two full years. Then it came about that there were sheep-shearings for Absalom in Baal-Khatzor which is by Ephraim, so Absalom invited all the king’s sons. |
23
וַיְהִי
לִשְׁנָתַיִם
יָמִיםF
וַיִּהְיוּ
גֹזְזִים
לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם
בְּבַעַל
חָצוֹר
אֲשֶׁר
עִם-
אֶפְרָיִם
וַיִּקְרָא
אַבְשָׁלוֹם
לְכָלG- |
24 καὶ ἦλθεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπεν Ἰδοὺ δὴ κείρουσιν τῷ δούλῳ σου, πορευθήτω δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου. |
24 And Abessalom came to the king, and said, Behold, X thy servant has a sheep-shearingX; let now the king and his servants go with thy servant. |
24
And X
he
came to the king, and said [to
him]:
Behold X
thy
servant's sheep |
24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant. |
24 And Absalom went to the king and said, “Look, please, your servant is having sheep-shearings! Please let the king (along with his servants) come with your servant!” |
24 וַיָּבֹא אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה-נָא גֹזְזִים לְעַבְדֶּךָ יֵלֶךְ-נָא הַמֶּלֶךְ וַעֲבָדָיו עִםH-עַבְדֶּךָ: |
25 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Αβεσσαλωμ Μὴ δή, υἱέ μου, μὴ πορευθῶμεν πάντες ἡμεῖς, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταβαρυνθῶμεν ἐπὶ σέ. καὶ ἐβιάσατο X αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν τοῦ πορευθῆναι καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτόν. |
25 And the king said to Abessalom, Nay, my son, let us not all go, and let us not be burdensome to thee. And he pressed X him; but he would not go, but blessed him. |
25 And the king said to Absalom: Nay, my son, X do not ask that we should all come, and X be chargeable to thee. And when he pressed him, and he would not go, X he blessed him. |
25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, X let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed X him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him. |
25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, please, not all of us will go, so we will not be burdensome on you.” Nevertheless, he pressed it with him, yet he was not willing to go, so he blessed him. |
25 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל-אַבְשָׁלוֹם אַל-בְּנִיI אַל-נָא נֵלֵךְ כֻּלָּנוּ וְלֹא נִכְבַּד עָלֶיךָ וַיִּפְרָץJ-בּוֹ וְלֹא-אָבָה לָלֶכֶת וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ: |
26 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ Καὶ εἰ μή, πορευθήτω δὴ μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν Αμνων ὁ ἀδελφός μου. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς Ἵνα τί πορευθῇ μετὰ σοῦ; |
26 And Abessalom said [to himK], And if not, let I pray thee, my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with thee? |
26
And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother
Ammon, I beseech thee, come with us. And the king said to him: It
is [not]
|
26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee? |
26 Then Absalom said, “Well, can’t my brother Ammon please come with us?” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” |
26 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְשָׁלוֹם וָלֹא יֵלֶךְ-נָא אִתָּנוּL אַמְנוֹן אָחִי וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָמָּה יֵלֵךְ עִמָּךְ: |
27 καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτὸν Αβεσσαλωμ, καὶ ἀπέστειλεν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸν Αμνων καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως. [καὶ ἐποίησεν Αβεσσαλωμ πότον κατὰ τὸν πότον τοῦ βασιλέως.] |
27 And Abessalom pressed him, and he sent with him Amnon and all the king's sons; [and Abessalom made a banquet like the banquet of the king.] |
27
But Absalom pressed X
him,
so that he |
27
But Absalom pressed X
him,
that he |
27 And Absalom pressed it with him, so he sent Amnon and all the sons of the king with him. {And Absalom prepared a banquet like the banquet of the king.} |
27 וַיִּפְרָץ-בּוֹ אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיִּשְׁלַח אִתּוֹM אֶת-אַמְנוֹן וְאֵת כָּל-בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְN: ס |
28 καὶ ἐνετείλατο Αβεσσαλωμ τοῖς παιδαρίοις αὐτοῦ λέγων Ἴδετε ὡς ἂν ἀγαθυνθῇ ἡ καρδία Αμνων ἐν τῷ οἴνῳ καὶ εἴπω πρὸς ὑμᾶς Πατάξατε τὸν Αμνων, καὶ θανατώσατε αὐτόν· μὴ φοβηθῆτε, ὅτι οὐχὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν; ἀνδρίζεσθε καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς υἱοὺς δυνάμεως. |
28 And Abessalom charged his servants, saying, Mark X when the heart of Amnon shall be merry with wine, and I shall say to you, Smite Amnon, and slay him: fear not; for is it not I that command you? Be courageous, and be valiant. |
28
And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice X
when
X
Ammon
shall be drunk
with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike |
28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. |
28 Presently, Absalom commanded his waiters, saying, “Please observe when Amnon is merry of heart due to the wine, then, when I say to y’all, ‘Strike Amnon,’ put him to death. Don’t be afraid; am not I the one who is commanding y’all? Be strong and become part of the army!” |
28 וַיְצַו אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת-נְעָרָיו לֵאמֹר רְאוּ נָא כְּטוֹב לֵב-אַמְנוֹן בַּיַּיִן וְאָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם הַכּוּ אֶת-אַמְנוֹן וַהֲמִתֶּםO אֹתוֹ אַל-תִּירָאוּ הֲלוֹא כִּי אָנֹכִי צִוִּיתִי אֶתְכֶם חִזְקוּ וִהְיוּ לִבְנֵי-חָיִלP: |
29 καὶ ἐποίησαν τὰ παιδάρια Αβεσσαλωμ τῷ Αμνων καθὰ ἐνετείλατο [αὐτοῖς] Αβεσσαλωμ. καὶ ἀνέστησαν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐπεκάθισαν ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμίονον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφυγαν. |
29 And the servants of Abessalom did to Amnon as Abessalom commanded [them]: and all the sons of the king rose up, and they mounted every man X his mule, and fled. |
29 And the servants of Absalom did to Ammon as Absalom had commanded [them]. And all the king's sons arose and got up every man upon his mule, and fled. |
29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled. |
29 So Absalom’s waiters did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded {them}. Then all the king’s sons got up, and each rode on his mule and they fled. |
29 וַיַּעֲשׂוּ נַעֲרֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם לְאַמְנוֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהQ אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיָּקֻמוּ כָּל-בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּרְכְּבוּ אִישׁ עַל-פִּרְדּוֹ וַיָּנֻסוּ: |
30 καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῶν ὄντων ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ἡ ἀκοὴ ἦλθεν πρὸς Δαυιδ λέγων Ἐπάταξεν Αβεσσαλωμ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη ἐξ αὐτῶν [οὐδὲ] εἷς. |
30
And it came to pass, when they were in the way, that |
30
And while they were yet in the way, |
30 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that X tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left. |
30 While they were on the way, it happened that the hearsay came to David, saying, “Absalom struck down all the king’s sons, and there is not a single one left among them!” |
30 וַיְהִי הֵמָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ וְהַשְּׁמֻעָה בָאָה אֶל-דָּוִד לֵאמֹר הִכָּה אַבְשָׁלוֹם אֶת-כָּל- בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא- נוֹתַר מֵהֶם אֶחָד:ס |
31
καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ
βασιλεὺς καὶ
διέρρηξεν τὰ
ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ
καὶ ἐκοιμήθη
ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ
πάντες οἱ παῖδες
αὐτοῦ οἱ περιεστῶτες
[αὐτῷ]
διέρρη |
31
Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay upon the
ground: and all his servants that were standing round [him]
|
31
Then the king rose up, and rent his garments: and |
31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with [their] clothes rent. |
31 So the king got up and tore his clothes and laid down on the ground – and all his servants attending {him tore their} clothes. |
31 וַיָּקָם הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּקְרַע אֶת-בְּגָדָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב אָרְצָה וְכָל-עֲבָדָיו נִצָּבִיםR קְרֻעֵיS בְגָדִיםT: ס |
32
καὶ ἀπεκρίθη
Ιωναδαβ υἱὸς
Σαμαα ἀδελφοῦ
Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπεν
Μὴ εἰπάτω ὁ κύριός
μου [ὁ
βασιλεὺς]
ὅτι πάντα τὰ
παιδάρια
τοὺς υἱοὺς
τοῦ βασιλέως
ἐθανάτωσ |
32
And Jonadab the son of Samaa brother of David, answered and said,
Let not my Lord [the
king]
say that |
32
But Jonadab the son of Semmaa David's brother
answering, X
said: Let not my lord [the
king]
|
32
And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother,
answered and said, Let not my lord |
32 Then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, responded and said, “Let not my master {the king} say, that they have put to death ALL your boys – the sons of the king, for it is only Amnon who has died, for it has been sitting on Absalom’s mouth from the day he took advantage of his sister Tamar. |
32 וַיַּעַן יוֹנָדָב בֶּן-שִׁמְעָה אֲחִי-דָוִד וַיֹּאמֶר אַל-יֹאמַר אֲדֹנִיW אֵת כָּל-הַנְּעָרִים בְּנֵי-הַמֶּלֶךְ הֵמִיתוּX כִּי-אַמְנוֹן לְבַדּוֹ מֵת כִּי-עַל-פִּיY אַבְשָׁלוֹם הָיְתָה שׂוּמָהZ מִיּוֹם עַנֹּתוֹ אֵת תָּמָר אֲחֹתוֹ: |
33 καὶ νῦν μὴ θέσθω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ῥῆμα λέγων Πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπέθαναν, ὅτι ἀλλ᾿ ἢ Αμνων μονώτατος ἀπέθανεν. |
33
And now let not my lord the king |
33
Now therefore let not my lord the king |
33
Now therefore let not my lord the king |
33 So now, let not my master the king set the matter to his heart, by saying, ‘ALL the sons of the king have died;’ rather, Amnon alone has died.” |
33 וְעַתָּה אַל-יָשֵׂם אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל- לִבּוֹ דָּבָר לֵאמֹר כָּל-בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ מֵתוּ כִּי-אִםAB-אַמְנוֹן לְבַדּוֹ מֵת: פ |
34 καὶ ἀπέδρα Αβεσσαλωμ. καὶ ἦρεν τὸ παιδάριον ὁ σκοπὸς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶδεν καὶ ἰδοὺ λαὸς πολὺς πορευόμενος ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ὄπισθενAC αὐτοῦ ἐκ πλευρᾶς τοῦ ὄρους [ἐν τῇ καταβάσει· καὶ παρεγένετο ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εἶπεν Ἄνδρας ἑώρακα ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς Ωρωνην ἐκ μέρους τοῦ ὄρους.] |
34 And Abessalom escaped: and the young man the watchman, lifted up his eyes, and looked; and, behold, much people went in the way behind him from the side of the mountain [in the descent: and the watchman came and told the king, and said, I have seen men by the way of Oronen, by the side of the mountain.] |
34 But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people by a by-way X on the side of the mountain. |
34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him. |
34 Meanwhile, Absalom scurried away. Presently the watchman servant lifted his eyes and saw that there were many people travelling out of the road behind him from the side of the mountain {where it descends, so the watchman went and communicated to the king and said, “I have seen men on the Horonaim road by the side of the mountain.”} |
34 וַיִּבְרַח אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיִּשָּׂא הַנַּעַר הַצֹּפֶה אֶת-עֵינוֹAD וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה עַם-רַב הֹלְכִים מִדֶּרֶךְ אַחֲרָיוAE מִצַּד הָהָרAF: |
35 καὶ εἶπεν Ιωναδαβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ἰδοὺ οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως πάρεισιν· κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ δούλου σου, οὕτως ἐγένετο. |
35
And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons are |
35 And Jonadab said to the king: Behold the king's sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is. |
35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king's sons come: as thy servant said, so it is. |
35 Then Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come! It has happened just as your servant said it would.” |
35 וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹנָדָב אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה בְנֵי-הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּאוּ כִּדְבַר עַבְדְּךָ כֵּן הָיָה: |
36 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα συνετέλεσεν λαλῶν, καὶ ἰδοὺ οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἦλθαν καὶ ἐπῆραν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔκλαυσαν, καί γε ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἔκλαυσαν κλαυθμὸν μέγαν σφόδρα. |
36 And it came to pass when he had finished speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voices and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept with a very great weeping. |
36 And when he made an end of speaking, the king's sons also appeared: and coming in they lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept X very much. |
36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept X very sore. |
36 And as soon as he finished speaking, there it was, the king’s sons had arrived, and they raised their voices and wept. And the king and all his servants also wept. It was a really big weeping-session. |
36 וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה בְנֵי-הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּאוּ וַיִּשְׂאוּ קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ וְגַם-הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל-עֲבָדָיו בָּכוּ בְּכִי גָּדוֹל מְאֹד: |
37 καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ ἔφυγεν καὶ ἐπορεύθη πρὸς Θολμαι υἱὸν Εμιουδ βασιλέα Γεδσουρ [εἰς γῆν Μαχαδ]. καὶ ἐπένθησεν [ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ] ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας. |
37 But Abessalom fled, and went to Tholmi son of Emiud the king of Gedsur [to the land of AGChamaachad]: and [king David] mourned for his son continually X. |
37 But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai the son of Ammiud the king of Gessur. And [David] mourned for his son every dayX. |
37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every dayX. |
37 So, while Absalom scurried away and went to Telmai, the son of Ammichu{d}, king of Geshur {in the land of Helam, David} mourned over his son all those days. |
37 וְאַבְשָׁלוֹם בָּרַח וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל-תַּלְמַי בֶּן-עַמִּיחוּרAH מֶלֶךְ גְּשׁוּרAI וַיִּתְאַבֵּלAJ עַל-בְּנוֹ כָּל-הַיָּמִיםAK: |
38 Καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ ἀπέδρα καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσουρ καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἔτη τρία. |
38 So Abessalom fled, and departed to Gedsur, and was there three years. |
38 And Absalom after he [was] fled, and come into Gessur, was there three years. |
38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. |
38 And Absalom scurried away and went to Geshur, and he was there for three years. |
38 וְאַבְשָׁלוֹם בָּרַח וַיֵּלֶךְ גְּשׁוּר וַיְהִי-שָׁם שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים: |
39
καὶ ἐκόπασεν
|
39
And kingAL
David ceased
to go out |
38
And king David ceased
to |
39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. |
39 Meanwhile, {the spirit of} the king ceased concerning going out to Absalom, for he changed tactics regarding Amnon since he was dead. |
39 וַתְּכַלAM דָּוִדAN הַמֶּלֶךְ לָצֵאת אֶלAO-אַבְשָׁלוֹם כִּי-נִחַם עַל- אַמְנוֹן כִּי-מֵת: ס |
1Gill and K&D cited a variety of hypotheses as to the location, so it is not certain. Gill preferred a site 8 miles from Jerusalem on the way to Jericho. The location I cited is based on the BibleWorks map and the Soncino commentary.
2NAW 2 Samuel 2:7 “So now, y'all strengthen your hands and become part of the army, for Saul your master has died, and furthermore it is me whom the households of Judah have anointed over them to be king.”
3 Perhaps Chileab was technically born first, but he disappears from the history early, presumably from an early death.
4Commentators I found in favor of this view were: Willett (who cited “Pag. Iun. B. G.” in support), Henry, and Gill.
5“Ceased/restrained” is spelled with a feminine subject in the Hebrew here, which is part of the reason why I translated it “the spirit of the King ceased” – the other reason being that the oldest known manuscripts of this passage insert the word “spirit.”
6In favor of this view I found Goldman, Keil & Delitzsch (who also cited Gussett and Luther in support), Tsumura (who cited McCarter in support), Willett cited “Vat. Lat. Pellic. Montan. ... Osiand,” and Gill cited Abarbinel.
AMy
original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in
footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB,
or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not
in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use
of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square
brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different
from all the other translations, I underline it. When a
version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs
too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far
from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout.
And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I
insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original
word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I
occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between
the various editions and versions when there are more than two
different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea
Scroll containing 2 Samuel 7 is 4Q51Samuela, which
contains fragments of vs. 6-7 & 22-29, and which has been dated
between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS is legible and in agreement with
the MT, the MT is colored purple. Where
the DSS supports the LXX (or Vulgate) with omissions or text not in
the MT, I have highlighted with
yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I
have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with
{pointed brackets}.
BKimchi suggested that Absalom purposefully mispronounced the name in Hebrew with an extra “i” in the middle to show contempt.
CSyriac and Targums support the “and” before this participle, but it’s not in the old Latin, Vulgate, or LXX. The DSS is obliterated at this point.
DDSS adds ולוא עצב את רוח אמנון בנו כי אהבו כי בכורו הוא (“And he would not cause hardship to the spirit of Amnon his son because he loved him since he was his firstborn.”)(Grey letters are in an obliterated section and reconstructed from the LXX and Vulgate to fit the available space in the DSS.)
EIn Hebrew (and in Greek), the verb is plural (“were”), matching the plural subject “shearers,” not the singular Absalom, which is the object of a preposition.
FSyriac and Targums seem to read as though the word for “years” is the word for “two” and then replace the word for “days” with the word for “years,” which yields practically the same interpretation.
GDSS omits “all” but it’s in the Targums, Syriac, LXX and Vulgate.
HDSS uses the synonym אל, and this is supported by the Vulgate, but Targums, Syriac, and LXX support the MT.
I“No my son” is absent in the DSS, but in the Targums, Syriac, LXX, and Vulgate. The rest of the reply recorded in thisverse implies “No, my son,” whether or not it is original.
JThe Hebrew word in the MT means “he divided” but if you reverse the last two letters, as the DSS does, you get rxpyw “and he pushed.” Although I’m not sure about the Syriac (אלצה), all the other verions seem to support the DSS over the MT: Targums read אַתקֵיף (“strengthened”), LXX (from βιάζομαι = strengthened), English all reads either “pressed” or “urged,” Vulgate cogeret. When this verb recurrs at the beginning of v.27, the DSS is illegible for comparison, but all the versions use the same words they used here.
KVaticanus and Syriac read “to him,” but it’s not in the MT, Targums, or Rahlfs’ edition of the LXX. The DSS is somewhat ambivalent; it is mostly obliterated, but there is an “l” legible which occurs a little late for the “l” in “Absalom,” but too early to insert the preposition “to” (in “to him”) after “Absalom.”
LThe DSS omits “with us,” but it’s in all the ancient versions.
MThe DSS omits “with him,” but it’s in all the ancient versions.
NAll the oldest manuscripts, including the DSS, LXX, and Vulgate, add the fact that Absalom put on a feast that was a good as any feast King David put on.
ODSS spells this verb Qal (“kill”) instead of the MT’s Hiphil (“put to death”), but it means practically the same thing.
PDavid used these same words with the men of Jabesh Gilead when he urged them to make him king in 2 Sam. 2:7a.
QLXX, Syriac, Old Latin, and Vulgate all insert “them.” DSS is obliterated here, but doesn’t have enough space for the word “Absalom” but does have enough space for “them.”
RThe Greek, Old Latin, Vulgate, and some Targums as well as one Hebrew manuscript insert “him” here. This would match the way this verb appears every other time in the books of Samuel, i.e. 1 Sam. 22:6,7,17, e.g. 1 Samuel 22:6b “...Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk-tree at the high place, with his spear in his hand and all his servants attending upon him [הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו].” (NAW)
STwo Hebrew manuscripts read as a Qal perfect “they tore” wurq, and this is the way the LXX, Old Latin, Syriac, and Vulgate read as well. The DSS is obliterated at this point and nothing can be judged of the spacing.
TThe DSS reads “his clothes” wydgb], but sometimes a singular suffix stands for a plural, and the LXX, Old Latin, Syriac, Targums, and Vulgate all read “their clothes.”
UThis is a literal translation of the Hebrew word “mouth,” but later Jewish translators (Aquilla and Symmachus) rendered it figuratively οργη (“anger”), and Targums rendered it “heart.”
VThis is not in Rohlf’s edition or the Vaticanus, but appears to be an insert from Brenton, and the same appears to be the case concerning the next phrase of this verse in square brackets.
WThe LXX, Old Latin, Vulgate, and Syriac all insert “the king,” and, although this part of the verse is obliterated in the DSS, the DSS has too much space for the MT, but just enough to add “the king.”
XSome Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac manuscripts spell this verb in the Qal rather than the Hiphil stem, but it doesn’t really change the meaning.
YWillett: “according to the mouth, is taken in this sense, for appointment in other places; as Numb. 3.16”
ZDSS seems to omit ה שׂוּמָה-, as does the Syriac, and it can go without saying and not change the meaning since the verb of being is still there (“been lying on the mouth” = “been on the mouth”), but it’s in all the other versions. Targums translate “lying in ambush.”
AA“His” is in the Vaticanus; Brenton just missed it. The same goes for “instead/rather,” the omission of which is noted with an X later in this verse.
ABSyriac and some Latin versions don’t seem to have this intensification of the conjunction (reading “for” instead of “instead/rather”), but this doesn’t significantly affect the meaning.
ACLucian Rescription reads a proper noun here Swraim, which may be from the old Latin.
ADThe MT apparently has an archaic spelling of the dual form of “eyes” which the masoretic scribes suggested be conformed to the standardized עֵינָיו in order to avoid being misintepreted as a singular, but even that would not be an important detail.
AE“[T]hey did not come the direct road from Absalom's house, but came a round about way, for fear, as R. Isaiah rightly conjectures, lest Absalom should pursue, or send pursuers after them, and slay them; though others, as Kimchi, think this refers to the hill... which was the way that led to the city…” ~John Gill
AFThe LXX (including the Vaticanus) adds a bit more text, and, although this part of the verse is obliterated in the DSS, there is plenty of space in the DSS to contain the 65 or so extra Hebrew letters and spaces that would be necessary to convey in Hebrew all that is in the Greek. The additional information that the travellers were on a downhill slope and that the watchmen saw them and communicated it to David, is not significant, however, since it can all be deduced from the terser reading of the MT which already stated that they were seen travelling on the side of the hill.
AGMachad does not appear anywhere else in the Septuagint. The Vaticanus manuscript of the Septuagint adds an extra syllable (“Χα-”) which is not in the majority of LXX manuscripts to the front of this name, but that longer form also does not appear anywhere else in the Greek Bible. The only letter that survived obliteration in the DSS in this name is the letter “l” which doesn’t appear in either Greek tradition. It has been suggested that this is the place “[K]helam” mentioned in 2 Sam. 10:16, which would corroborate with the Vaticanus spelling somewhat. On the other hand, that Hebrew word usually just means “their force/wealth.”
AHThe masoretic scribes suggested changing the last character from an “r” (ר-) to a “d” (עַמִּיהוּד) (the two characters look mighty similar in Hebrew). This would bring it in line with what the Targums, Syriac, and Septuagint read. The DSS is obliterated at this point. This would not be the same Abihud who was an Isralite mentioned in Numbers (1:10; 2:18; 7:48,53; 10:22; 34:20,28) and 1 Chronicles (7:26; 9:4), so it really doesn’t matter which way the name is spelled, since this person isn’t named again in the Bible.
AIDSS and LXX insert “in the land of Khilam/Makhad/Khamakhad”
AJAlthough the DSS is obliterated at this point, it has enough room for one extra word, supporting the reading of the Syriac and Vulgate and Origen’s Greek translation with “David.” The Old Latin and Lucian rescention of the LXX agree with the MT reading which omits any explicit subject. Rohlfs’ Greek edition, presumably the majority of Septuagint manuscripts, reads not just “David” but “King David,” but no other version supports that. In any case, there is no difference in meaning, for “he,” “David,” and “King David” are all the same person. The son over which he mourned is thought to be Amnon by Gill, Keil & Delitzsch, Tsumura and Goldman. (The only commentator I found in favor of it being Absalom was McCarter.)
AKSyriac and Targums add (or substitute?) the word “many” (-סגיא), corroborating with several Hebrew manuscripts which add <ybr (“many”), which is also in the Old Latin, but it’s not in the DSS or LXX or Vulgate. Anyhow, it doesn’t change the basic meaning.
ALVaticanus, the oldest of the LXX manuscripts reads “David,” whereas the majority of LXX manuscripts reads “the spirit.”
AM Although K&D maintain it was from כלא “restrain,” the Hebrew verb here appears to be from כלה “stop/cease/end,” and that is the meaning of the words chosen by the ancient Greek (ἐκόπασεν), Syriac (אהמי) and Latin (cessavitque) translators in their versions of this verse, but the Aramaic Targums, the oldest manuscript of which dates to the 1800’s AD reads חַמֵידַת (“desired/longed for”), and every English version inexplicably decided to go with that meaning instead. The CEV wins the prize for the most curious translation: “David still felt so sad over the loss of Amnon that he wanted to take his army there and capture Absalom.”
ANIn the DSS, only the last letter of this word is legible, and it is ח (matching the LXX “ruach/spirit”) not ד (as in “David”). The Targums and Vulgate support the MT. Old Latin supports neither, omitting both “David” and “spirit,” while Targums (and some Greek manuscripts) support both with “the spirit of David the King.” There is no significant difference in meaning, however.
AO2 Hebrew manuscripts, as well as the Targums and Syriac use the synonym על "over” here, matching the sense of the Greek and Latin, not that David longed to go visit Absalom, but that David decided not to press charges against Absalom.