The Death of Absalom
18:1 David assembled the army that was with him. He appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds.
David started with six hundred men. Now, thousands answered his call. Many people knew that David was anointed and Absalom was a rebellious trouble maker. It was against the Mosaic Law for a son to rebel against his parents. Children rebellion was so severe in God’s eyes, that it was a capital offense. Many of the people of Israel did not trust Absalom as king.
18:2 David then sent out the army – a third under the leadership of Joab, a third under the leadership of Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under the leadership of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, “I too will indeed march out with you.”
Joab and Abishai were very experienced generals. Ittai was a Philistine commander who was loyal to David.
18:3 But the soldiers replied, “You should not do this! For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.”
King David was an experienced commander as well. He wanted to lead the troops, but the soldiers would not allow him to do so. The purpose of this war was to kill David and replace him with Absalom.
18:4 Then the king said to them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”So the king stayed beside the city gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
The king listened to his commanders and stayed behind the city gate with his own personal body guard protecting him.
18:5 The king gave this order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake deal gently with the young man Absalom.” Now the entire army was listening when the king gave all the leaders this order concerning Absalom.
David commanded his officers in front of the entire army to deal gently with Absalom. This most likely made some of the soldiers very angry. Notice that David called Absalom “young man.” He was implying that Absalom was too young and naive to make responsible decisions.
18:6 Then the army marched out to the field to fight against Israel. The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
David chose a forest as the battle site because it would be more advantageous to a smaller experienced army.
18:7 The army of Israel was defeated there by David’s men. The slaughter there was great that day – 20,000 soldiers were killed.
Israel’s larger army was too inexperienced for forest warfare.
18:8 The battle there was spread out over the whole area, and the forest consumed more soldiers than the sword devoured that day.
The forest environment killed more soldiers than the sword.
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.
The mule was the transportation mode of kings and nobles. Either his neck or hair was caught in a tree. Josephus recorded that his hair was caught in a tree.
18:10 When one of the men saw this, he reported it to Joab saying, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.
One of the men reported Absalom’s predicament to General Joab.
18:11 Joab replied to the man who was telling him this, “What! You saw this? Why didn’t you strike him down right on the spot? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a commemorative belt!”
General Joab condemned the soldier for not killing Absalom.
18:12 The man replied to Joab, “Even if I were receiving a thousand pieces of silver, I would not strike the king’s son! In our very presence the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
Good soldiers do not disobey orders. The soldier would not have disobeyed King David’s order for even a thousand pieces.
18:13 If I had acted at risk of my own life – and nothing is hidden from the king! – you would have abandoned me.”
If King David found out that this soldier killed Absalom, he would have ordered General Joab to execute him for killing a prince. General Joab would not have protected the soldier.
18:14 Joab replied, “I will not wait around like this for you!” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the middle of Absalom while he was still alive in the middle of the oak tree.
General Joab disobeyed David and killed the prince of Israel. According to the Mosaic Law, Absalom should have been executed by the elders of the city for rebellion against his parents. David would not have enforced this law, so Joab did.
18:15 Then ten soldiers who were Joab’s armor bearers struck Absalom and finished him off.
After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah, the prophet Nathan predicted that the sword would kill members of the house of David. David named his own sentence of “four-fold.” Three sons had died. There was still one more son to die. David did not get away with his sin.
There were at least ten soldiers who witnessed this disobedience of the king’s orders. How would David handle General Joab’s disobedience?
18:16 Then Joab blew the trumpet and the army turned back from chasing Israel, for Joab had called for the army to halt.
The civil was was over. Civil wars destroy the male populations of nations. It drains the nation of resources. The result is a weakened army, weakened nation, weakened economy, a shortage of husbands, and an increase in widows and single women.
18:17 They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and stacked a huge pile of stones over him. In the meantime all the Israelite soldiers fled to their homes.
Criminals were buried with stones.
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.
Absalom built a memorial for himself. This shows some of Absalom’s pride and arrogance. He had done nothing for Israel, but cause a civil war. His civil war was for personal ambition.
David Learns of Absalom’s Death
18:19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and give the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him before his enemies.”
The fastest distance runners were chosen to be messengers. Ahimaaz wanted to deliver the message to the king. Messengers would usually be rewarded for bringing a good message.
18:20 But Joab said to him, “You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today, for the king’s son is dead.”
Pagan kings often killed messengers who brought them bad news. Joab did not want to send Ahimaaz, because he wanted to protect him from David’s anger.
18:21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” After bowing to Joab, the Cushite ran off.
Cushites were from Ethiopia. God sent a Cushite messenger to David who possessed strong details about the battle.
18:22 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, “Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.” But Joab said, “Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.”
Zadok wanted to deliver the message. General Joab warned him not to go, because the message would not bring good news to David.
18:23 But he said, “Whatever happens, I want to go!” So Joab said to him, “Then go!” So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Jordan plain, and he passed the Cushite.
Ahimaaz made his second request and it was granted.
18:24 Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself.
David’s guards reported that messengers from the battle were running into town.
18:25 So the watchman called out and informed the king. The king said, “If he is by himself, he brings good news.” The runner came ever closer.
Solo runners brought good news. Multiple runners brought bad news. The number of runners prepared the emotions of the king for the message.
18:26 Then the watchman saw another man running. The watchman called out to the gatekeeper, “There is another man running by himself.” The king said, “This one also is bringing good news.”
Another solo messenger advanced, meaning that there was more good news coming in from the battle.
18:27 The watchman said, “It appears to me that the first runner is Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and he comes with good news.”
Zadok means “righteousness.” If the general sent a righteous man, then the news was very good. If the general sent evil men, then the news was usually bad.
18:28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “Greetings!” He bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and said, “May the Lord your God be praised because he has defeated the men who opposed my lord the king!”
Ahimaaz took the shortcut and arrived first. He gave only the good news, although he most likely knew about the death of Absalom.
18:29 The king replied, “How is the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz replied, “I saw a great deal of confusion when Joab was sending the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was all about.”
Ahimaaz either lied or he did not know the details about the death of Absalom.
18:30 The king said, “Turn aside and take your place here.” So he turned aside and waited.
The messenger was asked to wait for the delivery of the second message.
18:31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “May my lord the king now receive the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today and delivered you from the hand of all who have rebelled against you!”
The Cushite delivered the good news of victory, but he did not report the bad news about the death of Absalom.
18:32 The king asked the Cushite, “How is the young man Absalom?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who have plotted against you be like that young man!”
The Cushite delivered the bad news about Absalom. Many pagan kings would have killed the messenger on the spot.
18:33 The king then became very upset. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, “My son, Absalom! My son, my son, Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!”
It is very difficult for a father to lose a son. David would rather die than to see his son live, even though he was a rebel and bad for Israel.