2 Samuel 15:14-28

David's Flight. 2 Samuel 15:14-28

14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword,

15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.

16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.

17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.
18 And all his servants passed on beside him; all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.

21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation:

26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

7.

Why did David leave ten women behind? 2 Samuel 15:16

David left ten women of the concubines to keep his house in Jerusalem. He could hardly have known that Absalom would misuse these women and take them as a part of his household. Absalom was advised to do this by Ahithophel, who knew this would show all Israel that Absalom had completely severed his relations with his father. Absalom spread a tent on the top of his house and went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel (2 Samuel 16:22). David must have thought he would be able to return to the city, or else he would hardly have been willing to leave these women behind.

8.

Why did David stop Ittai? 2 Samuel 15:19

Ittai, the Gittite, was one of David's soldiers and a former resident of Gath, as the name indicates. Gath was a Philistine city, and such a civil war as the conflict between Absalom and David would have no real meaning to a foreigner, David instructed him to go back and to serve with Absalom, since he was in the position of a mercenary anyway. The man was loyal to David, however; and David allowed him to go with him.

9.

Who were Ittai's brethren? 2 Samuel 15:20

Ittai's brethren were the Cherethites, Pelethites, and the other Gittites, six hundred men of which had come to David from Gath. They had passed in review before the king, and David was reluctant to subject them to the fortunes of a vagabond and fugitive. His action, at this point, was similar to the action of the Philistine lords who had stopped David and his men from going into the final battle with Saul (1 Samuel 29:4). The Cherethites and Pelethites were hired soldiers from Philistia who had been serving as David's bodyguard. These men made excellent personal attendants for the king, since they had no political axes to grind and would hardly be a party to court intrigues and vendettas. Their situation would be different as they were fleeing in the midst of civil strife; but when David saw their determined purpose, he allowed them to go with him. Ittai assured David of his loyalty as well as the loyalty of his men, and David allowed them to go before him (2 Samuel 15:21).

10.

What was the attitude of the people? 2 Samuel 15:23

Israel was in deep distress; the people that were with David were weeping with a loud voice as they journeyed on towards the valley of the Jordan, and crossed the brook Kidron. They made their way towards the wilderness which lay around the Dead Sea. The affairs of the nation had turned from the prosperity and peace which they had known under David and were brought again to times similar to those in the early days of Saul when the people had to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, in high places, and in pits (1 Samuel 13:6).

11.

Where was the brook Kidron? 2 Samuel 15:23 b

The brook Kidron runs along the eastern side of the ancient wall of the city of Jerusalem. The valley begins about a mile north of the city as a mere depression in the surface. It turns southward just northeast of the city and becomes a smooth, broad valley covered with green fields and olive orchards. As it reaches a point opposite the northeastern corner of the city, it becomes quite narrow. The sides are steep, and the depth beneath the wall is as great as attained at any point farther along. The bed continues to descend, but the surface along the edge of the city also descends equally rapidly. Walls have been built across it at intervals to check the rush of the water and to accumulate some soil. After the brook Kidron passes Ophel, it widens again and makes room for additional building sites and vegetable gardens. A company leaving Jerusalem would have to cross this brook some place in order to go to a point east of the city. David and his followers made their sad journey down into this brook and up over the mount of Olives which lies just east of Jerusalem.

12.

What plan did David formulate? 2 Samuel 15:28

David asked Zadok, the priest, to take the Ark back into the city. He believed that if God blessed him in his flight from Absalom, he would have the opportunity to return and worship Him in Jerusalem. If God were not favorable to him, then he was willing that God's will be done in his life. He asked Zadok to help him in his campaign by observing the movements of Absalom. Zadok, in turn was to report these to his son Ahimaaz and to Jonathan, the son of the other priest, Abiathar. These young men would serve as couriers to bring news to David. David planned to wait in the Jordan valley until he could find out what was happening in Jerusalem under Absalom.