2 Samuel 18:9-18

The Death of Absalom. 2 Samuel 18:9-18

9And Absalom met 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 heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

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

11 And Joab said unto the man that told 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.

12 And the man said unto Joab, 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 the young man Absalom.

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

14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with 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.

15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people,
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.
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.

6.

How was Absalom's head caught? 2 Samuel 18:9

Absalom was following a trail through the forest that led through dense underbrush. He caught his hair in the branches of a tree. His mule went out from under him, and he was left suspended. When the enemy found him, they slew him and covered his body with a heap of stones. This was a Jewish way of showing contempt.

The mention of the pillar in 2 Samuel 18:18 seemed to be over against the heap of stones in 2 Samuel 18:17. Absalom had raised a pillar in the valley of Jehoshaphat to perpetuate his name. The sons of Absalom that had been mentioned all died young, and there was no one to bear his name. A daughter would not perpetuate his name. For all these reasons, the pillar was erected. The men of David heaped stones over his body to show their contempt for Absalom and his pillar in the king's dale.

7.

Why had the young man failed to kill Absalom? 2 Samuel 18:10

One of the young soldiers in Israel had seen Absalom hanging by his head from the oak tree, but he did not kill. Absalom; rather he ran and told Joab, his captain. Joab rebuked the young man for sparing Absalom's life and told him that he would have given him ten shekels of silver and a military man's girdle if he had killed him. The young man replied that if he had received a thousand shekels of silver, he would not have put forth his hand against Absalom, since David had charged his captains not to harm him. He said that he would have endangered his own life if he had smitten Absalom. He could have expected no better treatment than David gave the Amalekite (2 Samuel 1:15) and the assassins of Ish-bosheth (2 Samuel 4:12).

8.

What action did Joab take? 2 Samuel 18:14

Joab turned impatiently away from the soldier who had discovered Absalom hanging from a tree. He took three darts in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was hanging yet alive from the branches of the oak tree. Ten of Joab's armour bearers ringed the tree around and smote Absalom. This sadistic treatment of the king's son was completely unnecessary, and the action revealed the spirit of Joab and his men.

9.

Where was Absalom buried? 2 Samuel 18:17

Absalom's body was cast into a huge pit in the forest of Ephraim. The men of Israel cast a very large heap of stones on him to show their contempt and then withdrew from the battlefield. Joab blew the trumpet and called the people from their pursuit of Absalom's men and the text states that Joab held back the people. They were enraged by Absalom's rebellion, and fought valiantly to restore David to his former position.

10.

Where was the king's dale? 2 Samuel 18:18

Absalom's body was covered by a heap of stones as a mark of the contempt of his enemies, but he had reared for himself a pillar of honor in the king's dale. Absalom had three sons, according to the record in 2 Samuel 14:27, but they must have died untimely deaths; for when he reared the pillar, he said that he had no son to perpetuate his name in Israel. Although Absalom was beaten in his campaign to overthrow his father's throne, the pillar was left standing; and it was still there when the book was written at the end of David's reign. The location of the king's dale is unknown, but Josephus located it one mile and a half from Jerusalem (Antiquities VIII; x; 3).