27 The king H4428 said H559 also unto Zadok H6659 the priest, H3548 Art not thou a seer? H7200 return H7725 into the city H5892 in peace, H7965 and your two H8147 sons H1121 with you, Ahimaaz H290 thy son, H1121 and Jonathan H3083 the son H1121 of Abiathar. H54
(Beforetime H6440 in Israel, H3478 when a man H376 went H3212 to enquire H1875 of God, H430 thus he spake, H559 Come, H3212 and let us go H3212 to the seer: H7200 for he that is now H3117 called a Prophet H5030 was beforetime H6440 called H7121 a Seer.) H7200
Now Jonathan H3083 and Ahimaaz H290 stayed H5975 by Enrogel; H5883 for they might H3201 not be seen H7200 to come H935 into the city: H5892 and a wench H8198 went H1980 and told H5046 them; and they went H3212 and told H5046 king H4428 David. H1732
But if thou return H7725 to the city, H5892 and say H559 unto Absalom, H53 I will be thy servant, H5650 O king; H4428 as I have been thy father's H1 servant H5650 hitherto, H227 so will I now also be thy servant: H5650 then mayest thou for me defeat H6565 the counsel H6098 of Ahithophel. H302
Behold, they have there with them their two H8147 sons, H1121 Ahimaaz H290 Zadok's H6659 son, and Jonathan H3083 Abiathar's H54 son; and by them H3027 ye shall send H7971 unto me every thing H1697 that ye can hear. H8085
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 15
Commentary on 2 Samuel 15 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 15
Absalom's name signifies "the peace of his father,' yet he proves his greatest trouble; so often are we disappointed in our expectations from the creature. The sword entailed upon David's house had hitherto been among his children, but now it begins to be drawn against himself, with this aggravation, that he may thank himself for it, for, had he done justice upon the murderer, he would have prevented the traitor. The story of Absalom's rebellion begins with this chapter, but we must go over three or four more before we see the end of it. In this chapter we have,
2Sa 15:1-6
Absalom is no sooner restored to his place at court than he aims to be in the throne. He that was unhumbled under his troubles became insufferably proud when they were over; and he cannot be content with the honour of being the king's son, and the prospect of being his successor, but he must be king now. His mother was a king's daughter; on that perhaps he valued himself, and despised his father, who was but the son of Jesse. She was the daughter of a heathen king, which made him the less concerned for the peace of Israel. David, in this unhappy issue of that marriage, smarted for his being unequally yoked with an unbeliever. When Absalom was restored to the king's favour, if he had had any sense of gratitude, he would have studied how to oblige his father, and make him easy; but, on the contrary, he meditates how to undermine him, by stealing the hearts of the people from him. Two things recommend a man to popular esteem-greatness and goodness.
2Sa 15:7-12
We have here the breaking out of Absalom's rebellion, which he had long been contriving. It is said to be after forty years, v. 7. But whence it is to be dated we are not told; not from David's beginning his reign, for then it would fall in the last year of his life, which is not probable; but either from his first anointing by Samuel seven years before, or rather (I think) from the people's desiring a king, and the first change of the government into a monarchy, which might be about ten years before David began to reign; it is fitly dated thence, to show that the same restless spirit was still working, and still they were given to change: as fond now of a new man as then of a new model. So it fell about the thirtieth year of David's reign. Absalom's plot being now ripe for execution,
2Sa 15:13-23
Here is,
2Sa 15:24-30
Here we have,
2Sa 15:31-37
Nothing, it seems, appeared to David more threatening in Absalom's plot than that Ahithophel was in it; for one good head, in such a design, is worth a thousand good hands. Absalom was himself no politician, but he had got one entirely in his interest that was, and would be the more dangerous because he had been all along acquainted with David's counsels and affairs; if therefore he can be baffled, Absalom is as good as routed and the head of the conspiracy cut off. This David endeavours to do.