2 Samuel 18:1-18 – God’s Justice in Absalom’s Death

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 21 Aug 2022

Introduction

Vs. 1-5 David’s Side Prepares For Battle

Vs. 6-8 The Battle Between David’s Troops and Absalom’s

Vs. 9-15 Absalom’s Death

Vs. 16-18 Absalom’s Memorials

APPLICATIONS

EXCURSUS on the population of Israel

Ex. 12:37 & Num. 11:21

Men who came out of Egypt

600,000

Ex. 32:28

Killed by Levites for idolatry

- 3,000

Ex. 38:26 & Num. 1

Temple census of all men over 19

603,550

Num 16:49

Plague + Korah’s rebellion

- 15,000

Num. 25:9

Plague re. Moab

- 24,000

Num 26:51

Census (+23k Levites)

601,730

Judges 9:49

Shechemites burned by Ahimelek (includes women)

-1,000

Judges 12:6

Ephriamites killed by Jephthah

- 42,000

Judges 20:2

Israelite and Benjamite soldiers

426,700


Israelite soldiers killed by Benjamites

- 40,000


Benjamite soldiers killed by Israelites

- 25,100


Jabesh Gileadites killed by Israelites

- 12,000

1 Sam. 4:2-10

Israelite soldiers killed by Philistines from Aphek

- 34,000

1 Sam. 6:19

Struck by God for looking into Ark @ Beth Shemesh

- 50,000

1 Sam. 11:8

Saul’s census of soldiers

330,000

1 Sam. 15:4

Saul’s second muster

210,000

2 Sam. 24:9

Joab’s census of soldiers

1,300,000


God’s plague for taking census

- 70,000



2 Samuel 18:1-18Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton

DRB

KJV

NAW

MT

1 Καὶ ἐπεσκέψ­ατο Δαυιδ τὸν λαὸν τὸν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ κατ­έστησεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν χιλι­άρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους,

1 And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.

1 And David, having reviewed his people X X, appointed over them captains of thousands and X of hundreds,

1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

1 Then David set up a chain-of-command with the people that was with him, and he installed over them officers over thousands and officers over hundreds.

1 וַיִּפְקֹד דָּוִד אֶת-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיָּשֶׂם עֲלֵיהֶם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת:

2 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Δαυιδ τὸν λαόν, τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ Ιωαβ καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ Αβεσσα υἱοῦ Σαρουιας ἀδελφοῦ Ιωαβ καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ Εθθι τοῦ Γεθθαίου. καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς τὸν λαόν Ἐξελθὼν ἐξελεύσομαι καί γε ἐγὼ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν.

2 And David sent away the people, the third part under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia, the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite. And David said to the people, X I also will surely go out with you.

2 And X sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abisai the son of Sarvia Joab's bro­ther, and a third part under the hand of Ethai, [who was] of Geth: and the king said to the people: I X also will X go forth with you.

2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeru­iah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

2 Then David commissioned the people: one third under the control of Joab, and one third under the control of Abishai son of Tseruiah (Jo­ab’s brother), and one third under the control of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “Indeed I am definitely going out with y’all myself!”

2 וַיְשַׁלַּח דָּוִד אֶת-הָעָם הַשְּׁלִשִׁית בְּיַד- יוֹאָב וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית בְּיַד אֲבִישַׁי בֶּן-צְרוּיָה אֲחִי יוֹאָב וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁת בְּיַד אִתַּי הַגִּתִּי ס וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל-הָעָם יָצֹא אֵצֵא גַּם-אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם:

3 καὶ εἶπαν X X Οὐκ ἐξελεύσῃ, ὅτι ἐὰν φυγῇ φύγωμεν, οὐ θήσουσιν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς καρδίαν, καὶ ἐὰν ἀποθάνωμεν τὸ ἥμισυ ἡμῶν, οὐ θήσουσιν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς καρδίαν, ὅτι σὺB ὡς ἡμεῖς δέκα χιλιάδες· καὶ νῦν ἀγαθὸν ὅτι ἔσῃ ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει [βοήθειαC] τοῦ βοηθεῖνD.

3 And they said, Thou shalt not go out: for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us should X die, they will not mind X us; for thou art as ten thousand of us: and now it is well that thou shalt be to us [an aid] to help us in the city.

3 And the people answered: Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not [much] mind X us: or if half of us should X fall, they will not greatly care X X: for thou [alone] art accounted for ten thousand X X: X it is better therefore that thou shouldst be in the city to succour us.

3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us X die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou X X succour us out of the city.

3 But the people said, “You’re not coming out. Because, if we flee pell-mell, it’s not on us that they will set their heart. Even if they kill half of us, it’s not on us that they will set their heart , rather {you} are as good as 10,000 of us. So it’s better now that you be {in} the city to bring help to us.”

3 וַיֹּאמֶר הָעָם לֹא תֵצֵא כִּיE אִם-נֹס נָנוּס לֹא- יָשִׂימוּ אֵלֵינוּ לֵב וְאִם-יָמֻתוּ חֶצְיֵנוּ לֹא-יָשִׂימוּF אֵלֵינוּ לֵבG כִּי-עַתָּהH כָמֹנוּ עֲשָׂרָה אֲלָפִים וְעַתָּה טוֹב כִּי-תִהְיֶה-לָּנוּ מֵעִירI לַעְזִירJ: ס

4 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεύς Ὃ ἐὰν ἀρέσῃ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν, ποιήσω. καὶ ἔστη ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνὰ χεῖρα τῆς πύλης, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ἑκατοντάδας καὶ εἰς χιλιάδας.

4 And the king said to them, Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

4 And the king said to them: What seemeth good to you, that will I do. And the king stood by the X X gate: and all the people went forth [by their troops,] by hundreds and by thousands.

4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth X you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

4 Then the king said to them, “That which is best in y’all’s eyes is what I will do.” So the king stood by the side of the gate while all the people went forth by hundreds and by thousands.

4 וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר- יִיטַב בְּעֵינֵיכֶם אֶעֱשֶׂה וַיַּעֲמֹדK הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל-יַד הַשַּׁעַר וְכָל-הָעָם יָצְאוּ לְמֵאוֹת וְלַאֲלָפִים:

5 καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Ιωαβ καὶ τῷ Αβεσσα καὶ τῷ Εθθι λέγων Φείσασθέ μοι τοῦ παιδαρίου τοῦ Αβεσσαλωμ· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἤκουσεν ἐντελλομένου τοῦ βασιλέως πᾶσιν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑπὲρ X Αβεσσαλωμ.

5 And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake X the young man X Abessalom. And all the people heard X the king charging all the commanders concerning X Abessalom.

5 And the king commanded Joab, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save X me X the boy X Absalom. And all the people heard X the king giving charge to all the princes concerning X Absalom.

5 And the king commanded Joab and Abi­shai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning X Absalom.

5 Nevertheless, the king gave an order to Joab and Abishai and Ittai saying, “Be gentle for me toward the young man – toward Absalom,” and all the people heard it when the king gave the order to all the officers concerning the matter of Absalom.

5 וַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת-יוֹאָב וְאֶת- אֲבִישַׁי וְאֶת-אִתַּי לֵאמֹר לְאַטL-לִי לַנַּעַר לְאַבְשָׁלוֹם וְכָל-הָעָם שָׁמְעוּM בְּצַוֹּת הַמֶּלֶךְ Nאֶת-כָּל- הַשָּׂרִים עַל-דְּבַר אַבְשָׁלוֹם:

6 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς εἰς τὸν δρυμὸν ἐξ ἐναντίας Ισραηλ, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ Εφραιμ.

6 And all the people went out into the wood against Israel; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim.

6 So the people went out [in]to the field against X Israel, and the battle was [fought] in the forest of Ephraim.

6 So the people went out [in]to the field against X Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

6 So the people went forth to the field to call upon Israel, and the fighting happened in the forest of Ephraim.

6 וַיֵּצֵא הָעָם הַשָּׂדֶה לִקְרַאת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתְּהִי הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּיַעַר אֶפְרָיִם:

7 καὶ ἔπταισεν ἐκεῖ ὁ λαὸς Ισραηλ ἐνώπιον τῶν παίδων Δαυιδ, καὶ ἐγέν­ετο X θραῦσις μεγάλη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, εἴκοσι χιλιάδες [ἀνδρῶν].

7 And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was X a great slaughter in that day, even twenty thousand [men].

7 And the people of Israel were defeated there by David's armyX, and a great slaughter was [made] X XO that day of twenty thousand [men].

7 X Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of Da­vid, and there was there a greatP slaughter X that day of twenty thousand men.

7 And the people of Israel were routed there before the front of David’s servants, and the rout there was massive on that day – 20,000 {men},

7 וַיִּנָּגְפוּ שָׁם עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי עַבְדֵי דָוִד וַתְּהִי- שָׁם הַמַּגֵּפָה גְדוֹלָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא עֶשְׂרִים אָלֶףQ:

8 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐκεῖ ὁ πόλεμος διεσπαρμένος ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπλεό­νασεν ὁ δρυμὸς τοῦ καταφαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ ὑπὲρ οὓς κατέφαγεν [ἐν τῷ λαῷ] ἡ μάχαιρα ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.

8 And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed [among the people] in that day.

8 And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country, and there were [many] more of the people [whom] the forest consumed, than whom the sword devoured XR that day.

8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more X X people X that day than X the sword devoured.

8 and there the fighting was dispersed across the surface of the whole land, and the forest devoured more {of} the people than those whom the sword devoured on that day.

8 וַתְּהִי-שָׁם הַמִּלְחָמָה נָפֹצֵיתS עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ וַיֶּרֶב הַיַּעַר לֶאֱכֹל Tבָּעָם מֵאֲשֶׁר אָכְלָה הַחֶרֶב בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא:

9 καὶ συνήντη­σεν Αβεσσαλωμ ἐνώπιον τῶν παίδων Δαυιδ, καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡμιόνου [αὐτοῦ], καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ ἡμίονος ὑπὸ τὸ δάσος τῆς δρυὸς τῆς μεγάλης, καὶ ἐκρεμάσθη ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ δρυί, καὶ ἐκρεμάσθη ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ ἡμίονος X ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ παρῆλθεν.

9 And Abessalom [went to] meet XU the servants of David: and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head wasV entangled in the oak, and he was suspended between X heavenX and X earth; and the mule passed on X from under him.

9 And [it happened that] Absalom met X the servants of David, X X riding on a mule: and as the mule went under a thick and large oak, his head stuck in the oak: and while he hung between the heavenX and the earth, X the mule on which he [rode] passed on.

9 And Absalom met X the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heavenX and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

9 And Absalom had a close-call in front of David’s servants while Absalom was riding on his mule, then the mule went under the branches of the big oak-tree, but his head caught fast in the oak-tree, so he was {hung up} between the heavens and the earth, and the mule which was under him passed on.

9 וַיִּקָּרֵא אַבְשָׁלוֹם לִפְנֵי עַבְדֵי דָוִד וְאַבְשָׁלוֹםW רֹכֵב עַל-הַפֶּרֶד וַיָּבֹא הַפֶּרֶד תַּחַת שׂוֹבֶךְ הָאֵלָה הַגְּדוֹלָה וַיֶּחֱזַק רֹאשׁוֹ בָאֵלָה וַיֻּתַּןX בֵּין הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבֵין הָאָרֶץ וְהַפֶּרֶד אֲשֶׁר-תַּחְתָּיו עָבָרY:

10 καὶ εἶδεν ἀνὴρ εἷς καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν Ιωαβ καὶ εἶπεν Ἰδοὺ ἑώρακα τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ κρεμάμενον ἐν τῇ δρυί.

10 And aZ man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.

10 And one saw this and told X Joab, X saying: I saw Absalom hanging upon an oak.

10 And a certain man saw it, and told X Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

10 Then one man saw him and communicated it to Joab, so saying, “Look, I saw Absalom hanged in the oak-tree!”

10 וַיַּרְא אִישׁ אֶחָדAA וַיַּגֵּד לְיוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה רָאִיתִי אֶת-אַבְשָׁלֹם תָּלוּי בָּאֵלָה:

11 καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἀπαγγέλλοντι Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἑόρακας· τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐπάταξας αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν γῆν; καὶ ἐγὼ ἂν δεδώκειν σοι δέκα ἀργυρίου καὶ παραζώνην μίαν.

11 And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, thou didst see him: X why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten [pieces] of silver, and a girdle.

11 And Joab said to the man that told X him: X If thou sawest him, X why didst thou not stab him X to the ground, and I would have given thee ten [sicles] of silver, and a belt?

11 And Joab said unto the man that told X him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shek­els of silver, and a girdle.

11 But Joab said to the man who had communicated it to him, “Look, if you saw him, then why didn’t you strike him down to the ground right there? Then it would have been incumbent upon me to give you ten in silver as well as one equipment-belt!”

11 וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב לָאִישׁ הַמַּגִּיד לוֹ וְהִנֵּה רָאִיתָ וּמַדּוּעַ לֹא- הִכִּיתוֹ שָׁם אָרְצָה וְעָלַי לָתֶת לְךָ עֲשָׂרָהAB כֶסֶף וַחֲגֹרָהAC אֶחָת:

12 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ πρὸς Ιωαβ Καὶ X ἐγώ εἰμι ἵστημι ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖράς μου χιλίους [σίκλους] ἀργυρίου, οὐ μὴ ἐπιβάλω χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν ἐνετείλ­ατο ὁ βασιλεὺς σοὶ καὶ Αβεσσα καὶ τῷ Εθθι λέγων Φυλάξατέ μοι X τὸ παιδάριον τὸν X Αβεσσαλωμ

12 And the man said to Joab, Were I even X to receive X X X a thousand [shekels] of silver, I would not lift my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the king charged thee and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man X Abessalom for me,

12 And X X he said to Joab: X If X thou wouldst have paid down in my hand[s] a thousand [pieces] of silver, I would not lay my hand[s] upon the king's son for in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me X the boy X Absalom.

12 And the man said unto Joab, X Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch X the young man X Absalom.

12 But the man said to Joab, “Even if I were weighing 1,000 in silver on my palm, I would not extend my hand against the son of the king, for it was in our own hearing that the king commanded you and Abiahsi and Ittai, saying, ‘Take care with the young man {} Absalom for me.’

12 וַיֹּאמֶר הָאִישׁ אֶל-יוֹאָב וְלֹאAD אָנֹכִי שֹׁקֵל עַל- כַּפַּי אֶלֶף כֶּסֶף לֹא-אֶשְׁלַח יָדִי אֶל-בֶּן-הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי בְאָזְנֵינוּ צִוָּה הַמֶּלֶךְ אֹתְךָ וְאֶת-אֲבִישַׁי וְאֶת-אִתַּי לֵאמֹר שִׁמְרוּ-מִיAE בַּנַּעַר בְּאַבְשָׁלוֹםAF:

13 μὴ ποιῆσαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἄδικον· καὶ πᾶς [] λόγος οὐ λήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ σὺ στήσῃ ἐξ ἐναντίας.

13 so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and thou X wilt set thyself against [me]AG.

13 [Yea and] if I should have acted boldly against my own life, X this could not have been hid from the king, and X wouldst thou have stood by me[?AH]

13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no X matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

13 Otherwise, had I acted treacherously against his soul (since there can’t be concealed from the king any matter), then as for you, you would have taken a position of being non-responsive.”

13 אוֹ-עָשִׂיתִי בְנַפְשׁוֹAI שֶׁקֶר וְכָל-דָּבָר לֹא- יִכָּחֵדAJ מִן- הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאַתָּה תִּתְיַצֵּב מִנֶּגֶד:

14 καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ [Τοῦτο ἐγὼ ἄρξομαι·] οὐχ οὕτως μενῶ ἐνώπιόν σου. καὶ ἔλαβεν [Ιωαβ] τρία βέλη ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνέπηξεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ Αβεσσαλωμ. ἔτι αὐτοῦ ζῶντος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς δρυὸς

14 And Joab said, [I will begin this;] I will not thus remain with X thee. And [Joab] took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.

14 And Joab said: Not as thou wilt, [but I will set upon him] in thy sight. So he took three lances in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom: and whilst he yet [panted for] life, sticking [on] the oak,

14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with X thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

14 Then Joab said, “Then {I’ll take the lead} I’m not going to wait around in front of you!” And he took three staves in his grasp, and he struck them to the heart of Absalom, who was still alive in the heart of the oak-tree.

14 וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב לֹא-כֵן אֹחִילָה לְפָנֶיךָAK וַיִּקַּח שְׁלֹשָׁהAL שְׁבָטִיםAM בְּכַפּוֹ וַיִּתְקָעֵםAN בְּלֵב אַבְשָׁלוֹם עוֹדֶנּוּ חַי בְּלֵב הָאֵלָה:

15 καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν δέκα παιδάρια αἴροντα τὰ σκεύη Ιωαβ καὶ ἐπάταξαν τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ ἐθανάτωσαν αὐτόν.

15 And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed Abessalom, and smote him and slew him.

15 X Ten young men, armourbearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him X slew him.

15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

15 Then ten of the young men who carried Joab’s gear came around and struck Absalom down, and so they put him to death.

15 וַיָּסֹבּוּ עֲשָׂרָה נְעָרִים נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי יוֹאָב וַיַּכּוּ אֶת-אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיְמִיתֻהוּ:

16 καὶ ἐσάλπι­σεν Ιωαβ ἐν κερατίνῃ, καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ὁ λαὸς τοῦ μὴ διώκειν ὀπίσω Ισραηλ, ὅτι ἐφείδετο Ιωαβ τοῦ λαοῦ.

16 And Joab blew X the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.

16 And Joab sounded X the trumpet, and X kept back the people from pursuing after Israel in their flight, [being willing to] spare the multitude.

16 And Joab blew X the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

16 Then Joab blew into his horn, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel because Joab restrained the people.

16 וַיִּתְקַע יוֹאָב בַּשֹּׁפָרAO וַיָּשָׁב הָעָם מִרְדֹף אַחֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי-חָשַׂךְ יוֹאָב אֶת-הָעָם:

17 καὶ ἔλαβεν τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ ἔρριψεν αὐτὸν [εἰς χάσμα μέγα] ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ εἰς τὸν βόθυνον τὸν μέγαν καὶ ἐστήλωσεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν σωρὸν λίθων μέγαν σφόδρα. καὶ πᾶς Ισραηλ ἔφυγεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ.

17 And he took Abessalom, and cast him [into a great cavern] in the wood, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled [every] man to his tent.

17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and they laid an exceeding great heap of stones upon him: but all Israel fled X to their own dwellings.

17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled [every] one to his tent.

17 Then they took Absalom into the forest and cast him into the big trench, and they erected over him a very large heap of stones, and all Israel fled, each to his tent.

17 וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת-אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ בַיַּעַר אֶל- הַפַּחַתAP הַגָּדוֹל וַיַּצִּבוּ עָלָיו גַּל-אֲבָנִים גָּדוֹל מְאֹד וְכָל- יִשְׂרָאֵל נָסוּ אִישׁ לְאֹהֵלוֹAQ: ס

18 καὶ Αβεσσα­λωμ ἔτι ζῶν καὶ ἔστησεν ἑαυτῷ τὴν στήλην, ἐν ᾗ ἐλήμφθη, καὶ ἐστήλωσεν αὐτὴν λαβεῖν, τὴν στήλην τὴν ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι εἶπεν Οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ υἱὸς ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἀναμνῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὴν στήλην Χεὶρ Αβεσσαλωμ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.

18 Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king's dale; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance: and he called the pillar, Abessalom's hand, until this day.

18 Now Absalom had reared up for himself, in his lifetime, a pillar, which is in the king's valley: for he said: I have no son, and this shall be the monument of my name. And he called the pillar by his own name, and it is called the hand of Absalom, to this day.

18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

18 (Now, while he was alive, Absalom had taken and erected for himself a pillar, which was in the valley of the king, “Because,” he said, “I do not have a son to cause my name to be remembered,” so he called the pillar after his own name, and it has been called the Monument of Absalom unto this day.)

18 וְאַבְשָׁלֹם לָקַח וַיַּצֶּב-לוֹ בְחַיָוAR אֶת- מַצֶּבֶתAS אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵמֶק-הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי אָמַר אֵין-לִי בֵן בַּעֲבוּר הַזְכִּיר שְׁמִי וַיִּקְרָא לַמַּצֶּבֶת עַל-שְׁמוֹ וַיִּקָּרֵא לָהּ יַד אַבְשָׁלֹם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה: ס



1Josephus wrote that he had under 4,000, Gill that he had over 4,000, and Willett that he had 6,000, but these are based on pure conjecture.

2Abarbinel suggested that it was at this point that David composed Psalm 20 "The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble"

3Willett suggested that it was named Ephraim “because of the slaughter of the Ephramites there made by Jephtha in Judges 12 and therefore it had the name of Ephraim though it were situate in the tribe of Manasseh.”
Jewish commentators like Rashi, Kimchi, and Abarbinel wrote that Joshua gave the Ephriamites permission to graze their cattle anywhere they wanted, so they drove some of their cattle across the Jordan River to pasture in this place.

4Keil and Delitzsch, however, had an interesting theory based on the forest being labeled “Ephraim” and based on v.32, which appears to have Ahimaaz running from the battle across the Jordan River plain to get back to David at Machanaim, that the battle could have been on the West side of the Jordan River. The biggest thing against that theory, however, is why two armies who had crossed the Jordan to meet each other in battle on the East side suddenly started fighting on the West side.

5Willett, following Osiander, interpreted maggepheh as only those slaughtered by the sword, and estimated that the total losses, including those to the woods, were over 40,000, but it doesn’t make sense to me for a war statistician not to report total losses, and I question whether an accurate distinction could have been made concerning who was killed by a sword vs. who was killed by an accident in the woods. Gill was adamant that 20,000 was the total.

6Curiously, archaeologists have estimated the early Iron-Age Israelite population at much smaller numbers, Stager at 150,000 and Finklestein at less than 50,000, according to William G. Dever in Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? (p.98). The only explanation I can offer is that Joab probably had a lot more data available to him, whereas archaeologists have to construct theories as best they can by deductions from fragmentary data.

7Willet took for granted that it was Absalom’s hair, and in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Tsumura noted that in Hebrew, Japanese, and English, “head” can mean “hair.”

8The only occurrences of this verb in the history books of the Bible are of Joshua hanging the king of Ai (Josh. 8:29) and the 5 Kings of the Amorites (Josh. 10:26), the Philistines hanging up Saul’s carcass (2 Sam. 21:12), David’s hanging of the men who assassinated IshBosheth (2 Sam. 4:12), and the nine verses in Esther referring to the gallows which Haman had made to hang Mordecai, but upon which he and his 10 sons were hanged instead.

9Willett was of a different opinion that Joab did the best thing and had the authority to do so, noting that he was not charged with murder over Absalom’s death like he was with his other assassinations.

10Commentators Gill, Keil & Delitzsch, and Goldman raised the point that whatever Joab did with these shevetim, it wasn’t the death-blow, so perhaps the belev could be translated some way other than literally “though his heart.” This makes me wonder if it could be interpreted as a disciplinary beating with these “rods” “against his heart” followed by an execution performed by his men with swords?

11Death by stoning was also reserved for criminals, and several commentators noted the appropriateness of it for Absalom as a rebellious son in light of Deut. 21:21.

12Josh. 7:26 “Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So 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.” (NKJV)

13Josh. 8:29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day. (NKJV)

142 Sam. 14:27 “There was also born to Absalom three sons and one daughter – and her name was Tamar. She became a woman of beautiful appearance.” (NAW)

15Gill in loc. wrote a detailed description of it, but now, photographs of it are easy to find on the Internet. There is an interesting post on Bible Reading Archaeology which postulates that the main part of the structure was built to honor Herod Antipas https://biblereadingarcheology.com/2016/06/03/the-mystery-of-absaloms-tomb-part-2/

AMy original chart includes the NASB, NIV, and ESV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. (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 Scrolls containing 2 Samuel 18 are 4Q51 Samuela containing parts of verses 1-11, 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}.

BAquila and Theodotion’s Greek versions followed the MT with νυν, but Symmachus maintained the LXX “you.”

CDSS is obliterated here, but has room for the reduplication of the verb as it is here in the LXX. No other versions seem to do this. But since the simple form of the verb is there in the MT, it doesn’t change the meaning beyond adding some intensity.

DFields cited Greek manuscripts “Codd. XI, 29, 56” as omitting the reduplication of the verb (as the MT does), and cited a few more Greek manuscripts which ended with a first person plural pronoun “to us” or “of us” (“Comp., Codd. 19, 82, 93, 108, Reg.”).

EThe DSS omits this causative, but it’s in all the ancient versions (although I’m not sure about the Syriac).

FThe DSS omits the final vav, rendering this verb singular instead of plural, but it appears to be plural in all the ancient versions, furthermore, the sense could still be retained if the enemy is regarded as a singularity instead of a plurality. DSS also shortens the next word by removing the first letter, but it makes no difference in meaning.

GThis second instance of “heart” is omitted in the Syriac and a couple of Hebrew manuscripts, but it can be understood as being there in meaning by ellipsis, so this does not change the meaning.

HTwo Hebrew manuscripts read “you” instead (which is spelled very similarly אתה), and this pronoun is what is also in the LXX, Symmachus, Vulgate, and Targums. K&D wrote, “we must evidently read אתה for עתה, and עתה has merely got into the text on consequence of ועתה following.”
There is room for about 10 more characters or spaces in the DSS between this word and the next legible word than the MT has. TWTY suggested “and he will cut from the land” Targums seems to support an insertion of that length with‎יָכֵיל לְמִסעַד (“he will overpower to help”). Vulgate inserts unus (“alone”). K&D wrote that infinitive Hiphil Kethib here “is not to be disputed.”

ILXX, Old Latin, and Vulgate all have a preposition meaning “in” instead of “from.” Targums support the MT “from,” and the Syriac appears to have a different reading altogether. DSS is obliterated here, so not available for comparison.

JQere suggests instead a simple Qal form לַעְזוֹר ("to help") instead of the MT’s Hiphil form ("bring help"). Although a few Greek manuscripts follow the Qere, most reduplicate this verb, a few others add the pronoun ημιν or ημων.

KThe DSS has only two legible letters in this word, the mem which is in the MT, and before it, a shin, which is different from the MT. Perhaps it could be the verb “he kept” from שמר, which could be construed as a synonym. The Targums and Syriac render a synonym to the MT with‎ קם (“he established [himself]”). The LXX ἔστη and Latin stetit (both meaning “stood”) support the MT.

LThis adverb occurs only 4 other places in the Hebrew Bible, describing gentle/soft walking pace (Gen. 33:14), mourning lifestyle (1 Ki. 21:27), speech (Job 15:11) and water (Isa. 8:6).

MThere is some debate over how this word should be spelled. The subject “people” is singular, so the verb shouldn’t be spelled plural, but it is plural in the MT and Targums here, and it has a plural form (although it is changed to a participle) in the DSS (שמעים). The LXX and Syriac and Latin, however, have singular verb-forms. Nevertheless, everyone understands “people” to be the subject of “heard,” and everyone understands that there was a plurality of persons represented by the singular word “people,” so there is no practical difference in meaning. The grammar error in the MT could be resolved by going back to the consonantal text and reading the final vav as a pronominal object “the people heard IT” instead of as a marker of plurality on the verb (“they heard”).

NThe DSS is obliterated at this point, but there isn’t quite enough space to fit all the words of the MT. A small word like the direct object indicator or the word “all” could be dropped out without a significant loss of meaning.

OThe omission of “there” (ibi) and “in” (in) is the fault of Douay in his English translation, not of Jerome, who included these words from the MT in the Latin Vulgate. Douay also added the word “men” at the end, which is not in the Vulgate or in the MT.

PKJV treats this adjective as though it were attributive, but, since it does not match in definiteness with the noun it modifies – either in the Hebrew or in the Greek, it is actually predicative (“the slaughter was great” not “it was a great slaughter”).

QDSS and LXX inserted “men” here hundreds of years before the oldest-known MT manuscript which dropped it out, and over a thousand years before the printed Targums which also dropped it out. The ancient Vulgate and Syriac, however support the terse reading of the MT. It doesn’t change the meaning, however, for the context requires that the number was of fighting men.

R“in” is in the Vulgate, matching the MT, but is missing in Douay’s English translation.

SThe Hebrew in this column is the Westminster text of the MT. The BHS text of the MT spells this word with a seghol instead of a sere in the penultimate syllable. Furthermore, the BHS has a Qere marginal note spelled נפוצת, whereas the Westminster spells it נָפֹצֶת. Either way, the Qere is a suggestion that the original plural spelling be changed to singular. The word “battle” is singular and is the only word which could be the subject, and the ancient Greek and Latin, as well as the modern English versions all read with the Qere.

TThe LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate all read “from the people” instead of the MT’s (and Targums’) “among the people,” and the DSS, although it is partially obliterated, agrees with the former against the MT with מן העם (grey characters being where the text is obliterated), definitely disagreeing with the MT by putting a simple definite article instead of a beth preposition before “people” and having space for the two extra consonants in the Hebrew preposition “from.” The sense comes out the same either way in Hebrew, but the sense is clearer the way the DSS spells it.

UThe Vaticanus matches the LXX; it does not add the verb “went” or omit the preposition “before” here, nor does it pluralize the “bough” or make “oak” indefinite, as Brenton made them in his English version.

VThe Masoretic pointing makes this verb Qal (Active) but the consonantal text that the LXX translated from could be construed as Niphal (passive).

WDSS reads “he” awhw instead of the MT’s “Absalom,” and the NIV follows the DSS here. Vulgate omits. But in every variant, the subject of the action is the same person, so there is no essential difference in meaning.

XDSS reads instead h*** ltyw and he [was?] hung [there?/in the oak?/up?]” The verb matches the LXX ἐκρεμάσθη ἀνὰ (“he was hung up”) and the verb from the Vulgate suspenso, and the Syriac, and the Targumsוְאִתְלִי. Also, when the verb recurs in the next verse of the MT, it is תל not תן.

YDSS is obliterated but has room for one more word, which may be the extra word found in the Syriac (ואזל) or a form of הלך (“went”) which might be what inspired the NIV translators to add “kept on.” LXX, Vulgate, and Targums, however, support the shorter reading of the MT. Either way, it is not a significant difference in meaning.

ZThe Vaticanus has the word for “one” here just like the LXX and MT do; it also uses a passive verb form for “hanged,” and employs a definite article before the word for “tree” at the end of the sentence, just like the LXX and MT do.

AADSS does not have this word “one” in between “man” and “told,” but it does have a strangely long space after “told” which would be just the right size to relocate the word for “one.” It makes no difference to the story, though.

ABVulgate inserts sicles probably for the same reason Targums insert‎ סִלעִיןfor the sake of explanation that “ten of silver” meant “ten silver coins.” K&D and Goldman agreed that “shekels” is implied. Curiously, in the DSS, this word for “ten” in the MT is instead spelled שים**, (asterices representing spaces where letters are illegible) matching the Hebrew word for “thirty” (which would be a fascinating corroboration with the bounty paid to Judas Iscariot in the Gospels) or “fifty” (which Josephus maintained) instead of the word for “ten,” but all the other ancient manuscripts read “ten” along with the MT. Trebling or quintupling the bounty would not change the shape of the story except to demonstrate the poor financial situation of Joab, since most bounties were a lot bigger than 10 pieces of silver (compare to Abimelech’s 1,000 in Gen. 20:16, Joseph’s 300 in Gen 45:22, Shechem’s 70 in Judges 9:4, the Philistines’ 1,100, Micah’s 10 per year + suit of clothes + room & board in Judges 17:10, and Judas’ 30 in Matt. 27:10).

ACThe only other places this word occurs in the Hebrew Bible are Gen. 3:7 (Adam & Eve’s fig leaves); 1 Ki. 2:5 (Joab’s war-belt); 2 Ki. 3:21 (Moabite’s equipping for war); and Isa. 3:24 (a woman’s sash).

ADQere spells “Oh/I wish” with an extra vav - וְלוּא (in the Westminster) or ולו (in the BHS) – to distinguish it more clearly from the negative particle (“and not”) which is also spelled ולא, but this is just a spelling variant, not a meaning variant.

AEMT reads without a preposition (“Take care me with the lad…”), and two Hebrew manuscripts (and the Leningrad Syriac) read without a preposition or a pronoun (“Take care of the lad…”), but two Hebrew manuscripts read with both the pronoun and preposition yl (“Take care with the lad Absalom to/for me”), which makes the most sense, and is the reading of the Septuagint, Targums, Vulgate, and most Syriac manuscripts.

AFSyriac, LXX, and Vulgate all omit the preposition before Absalom. It makes no difference in meaning, however, because the same preposition is with the matching word “boy.”

AGVaticanus matches LXX. The missing emphatic “you” and added “me” are Brenton’s contributions to the English version.

AHWillett supported interpreting this as an interrogative (although there is no indication in the Hebrew of it being interrogative) because he thought it would be too cheeky for a soldier speaking to his general not to frame it as a question.

AIMT reads “with his soul” but Qere suggests בְנַפְשִׁי (with my soul), based on other Hebrew manuscripts, and this is also the reading of the Syriac, Targums, Vulgate, and Lucian Rescription of the Greek, but the LXX matches the MT.

AJcf. 2 Samuel 14:18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please don't conceal from me the thing which I am about to ask you." And the woman said, "Please let my lord the king speak." (NAW)

AKLXX, Vulgate, Targums (אְנָא אְשָׁרֵי קְֹדָמָך וּנסֵיב), and Syriac (אנא אשׁרא קדמיך ונסב) all have four words where the MT has only two. The DSS is too obliterated for comparison.

ALWillett listed numerous conjectures from older commentators on which three things about Absalom the three staves stood for, but he concluded that Joab took up more than one lance just “to make sure work, that he might thoroughly dispatch him.” Gill also suggested that the death blows from the 10 men were for the 10 concubines Absalom had violated, but I have my doubts that Joab and his men intended any symbolism by these numbers.

AMThis is the only time in English Bibles that this word is translated “spear/javelin/dart;” usually it is translated “rod” or “scepter” or “staff” or “tribe.” K&D translated it “staffs.” Gill interpreted them as “iron rods,” but he was the only commentator not to think of them as wooden.

ANThis verb is more often used to describe the “blowing” on a trumpet/shophar (as in v.15). The only other time in Samuel that it is used to mean something like “stab” is 1 Sam. 31:10 “And they put his weapons in the temple of Astaroth, and they impaled his body on the wall of Beth Shan.” (NAW) Alternately, the verb could be translated “clap/slap/spank,” which would be more appropriate use of such a “rod,” and could explain the separate “striking down” and “killing” by the armor-bearers, but the problem with this alternative would be the phrase “in the heart,” which isn’t the usual use of the rod as a disciplinary measure.

AOcf. 2 Sam. 2:28 “And Joab blew into his horn, then all his people stood down, and they did not pursue any more after Israel, and they did not continue to fight any more.” (NAW)

APcf. 2 Sam. 17:9 “Probably now he is hiding himself in one of his trenches…” (NAW)

AQSyriac supports the MT with singular “man” and singular “dwelling”‎ למשׁכנה, but the Qere follows multiple Hebrew manuscripts which read לְאֹהָלָיו (plural rather than singular “tents,” while strangely retaining the singular object “his”), and the Targums follow suit with‎ לְקִרווֹהִי (“to his walled-cities”). The LXX could be construed to follow either the MT or the Qere, since the neuter spelling of the word for “tent” is the same whether it is singular or plural. The Vulgate pluralizes both “tents” and “their.”

ARQere בְחַיָּיו suggests adding an extra yod to make it more obvious that it is plural, but this is just a spelling variation, not a variation in meaning.

ASThe only other place this same spelling of this word is found is Isaiah 6:13, where it is almost-universally translated “stump.” The previous three times the noun occurred, however, were in Deuteronomy’s warnings not to erect pillars!

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