Thematic Bible: Absalom

Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter Tamar was a beautiful woman. Verse Concepts

During his lifetime Absalom built a monument for himself in King's Valley. He had no son to keep his name alive. So he named it after himself. To this day it is known as Absalom's Monument. Verse Concepts

He ruled three years as king in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. Verse Concepts

After marrying Mahalath, he married Maacah, Absalom's granddaughter. She gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. Verse Concepts

A messenger told David: Absalom has the hearts of the people of Israel. David told all his men who were with him in Jerusalem: We must run away quickly, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Leave right away or he will catch up to us and bring ruin upon us when he massacres the city.

The king was shaken by the news. He went to the room above the gate and cried. My son Absalom! He said. My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son! Verse Concepts

They brought Joab word. They said: The king weeps and mourns for Absalom. David's army found out he was crying because his son died. Suddenly their day of victory turned into a day of sadness. The troops returned to Mahanaim without celebration. It was as if they ran away from battle and were ashamed. read more.
David held his hands over his face and kept on crying loudly. My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son! Joab went to the house where David was staying and told him: You have made your soldiers ashamed! They saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and wives as well. You are more loyal to your enemies than to your friends. You show your officers and soldiers that they do not mean a thing to you. You would be happy if Absalom was still alive even if the rest of us were dead. Now stand up! Go out there and thank them for what they did. If you do not, I swear by Jehovah you will not even have one man left on your side tomorrow morning. You may have had a lot of troubles in the past. But this will be the worst thing that has ever happened to you! The king sat in the gateway. The troops were told: The king is sitting in the gateway. So they went to the king. Meanwhile, Israel fled back to their homes.

The second was Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel. The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. Verse Concepts

the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;

He would rise early in the morning and stand by the road at the city gate. When someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. After the man told him what tribe he was from, Absalom would say: My friend, the law is on your side. However, there is no representative of the king to hear your case.

No one in all Israel was praised for his good looks as much as Absalom was. He had no blemish from head to toe. Verse Concepts

Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules, and fled. Verse Concepts

David was sad for a long time because Amnon was dead. Verse Concepts

Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule. The mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair when the mule under him ran away. Verse Concepts

He would rise early in the morning and stand by the road at the city gate. When someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. After the man told him what tribe he was from, Absalom would say: My friend, the law is on your side. However, there is no representative of the king to hear your case. He added: How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me. I would give him justice. read more.
The man would approach Absalom and bow down before him. Then Absalom would reach out and hug and kiss him. Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. That way he won their loyalty.

A messenger told David: Absalom has the hearts of the people of Israel. Verse Concepts

The second was Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel. The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. Verse Concepts

David was sad for a long time because Amnon was dead. Absalom ran away to Geshur. He stayed there for three years with King Talmai the son of Ammihud.

Absalom hated Amnon so much because he raped his sister Tamar. He would not speak to him anymore. Two years later Absalom had sheep sheared at Baal Hazor, near the town of Ephraim. He invited all the king's sons to be there. He went to King David and said: Your Majesty, I am having my sheep sheared. Will you and your officials take part in the festivities? read more.
The king answered: No, my son. It would be too much trouble for you if we all went. Absalom insisted, but the king would not give in. So he asked Absalom to leave. Absalom said: Will you at least let my brother Amnon come? Why should he? The king asked. Absalom insisted until David finally let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. Absalom gave an order to his servants: Watch now and when Amnon begins to feel good from drinking too much wine, I will tell you, Attack Amnon. Then kill him. Do not be afraid. I give this order. Be strong and courageous. Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules, and fled.

Joab son of Zeruiah knew the king was still thinking about Absalom. Joab sent someone to Tekoa to get a wise woman from there. He told her: Please act like a mourner. Dress in mourning clothes. Do not use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time. Go to the king and speak to him in this way. Then Joab told her exactly what to say. read more.
The woman from Tekoa came to the king. She immediately bowed down with her face touching the ground. Help me, Your Majesty, she said. The king asked her: What can I do for you? She answered: I am a widow; my husband is dead. I had two sons who fought with each other in the field. There was no one to separate them. One killed the other. All my relatives have turned against me and are demanding that I hand my son over to them. They want to kill him for murdering his brother. If they do this, I will be left without a son. They will destroy my last hope. They will leave my husband without a son to keep his name alive. The king responded: Go back home. I will take care of the matter. Your Majesty, she said, do whatever you must. My family and I will take the blame. You and the royal family are innocent. The king replied: If someone threatens you, bring him to me. He will never bother you again. She said: Please pray to Jehovah your God, Your Majesty, so that my relative who is responsible for avenging the death of my son will not commit a greater crime by killing my other son. I promise by the living Jehovah, David replied, your son will not be harmed. She added: Your Majesty, May I say something? Yes, he answered. The woman said: Have you been hurting God's people? Your own son had to leave the country. When you judged in my favor, it was the same as admitting that you should have let him come back. We each must die and disappear like water poured out on the ground. But God does not take our lives. Instead, he figures out ways of bringing us back when we run away. Your Majesty, I came here to tell you about my problem. I was afraid of what someone might do to me. I decided to come to you, because I thought you could help. In fact, I knew that you would listen and save my son and me from those who want to take the land that God gave us. I can rest easy now that you have given your decision. You know the difference between right and wrong just like an angel of God. I pray that Jehovah your God will be with you. David said: Now I ask you a question. Do not try to hide the truth! The woman replied: Please go ahead, Your Majesty. Did Joab put you up to this? The king asked. The woman answered: I solemnly swear on your life, Your Majesty, you are absolutely right! Yes, your servant Joab ordered me to do this. He told me to say exactly what I said. Your servant Joab has done this to view this matter from a different angle. You are as wise as an angel of God (messenger of God), who knows everything on earth. Later on the king said to Joab: I have decided to do what you want. Go and get the young man Absalom and bring him back here. Joab quickly bowed down with his face touching the ground. He blessed the king. He said: Today I know that you have been kind to me because you did what I wanted. Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. The king said: Absalom should return to his own house. Do not let him see me. So Absalom returned to his house. He did not see the king.

Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule. The mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair when the mule under him ran away. A man who saw this told Joab: I saw Absalom hanging in a tree. What! You saw what? Joab said. Why did you not strike him to the ground? Then I would have felt obligated to give you four ounces of silver and a belt. read more.
The man told Joab: Even if I felt the weight of twenty pounds of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and Ittai. Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. Would you have stood by me if I did something treacherous to him? There is nothing hidden from the king. You would turn against me. I will not waste any more time with you, Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive and hanging in the oak tree. Ten of Joab's soldiers closed in on Absalom and finished killing him. Joab ordered the trumpet blown to stop the fighting. His troops came back from pursuing the Israelites. They took Absalom's body and threw it into a deep pit in the forest. Then they covered it with a huge pile of stones. All the Israelites fled to their own hometowns.

The king and his troops left the city on foot. They stopped at the city limits. Verse Concepts

No one in all Israel was praised for his good looks as much as Absalom was. He had no blemish from head to toe. Verse Concepts

During his lifetime Absalom built a monument for himself in King's Valley. He had no son to keep his name alive. So he named it after himself. To this day it is known as Absalom's Monument. Verse Concepts

They pitched a tent for Absalom on the palace roof. There in the sight of everyone Absalom went in and had intercourse with his father's concubines. Verse Concepts

Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself. He had an escort of fifty men to run ahead of him. He would rise early in the morning and stand by the road at the city gate. When someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. After the man told him what tribe he was from,

He added: How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me. I would give him justice. Verse Concepts

During his lifetime Absalom built a monument for himself in King's Valley. He had no son to keep his name alive. So he named it after himself. To this day it is known as Absalom's Monument. Verse Concepts

Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself. He had an escort of fifty men to run ahead of him. He would rise early in the morning and stand by the road at the city gate. When someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. After the man told him what tribe he was from, Absalom would say: My friend, the law is on your side. However, there is no representative of the king to hear your case. read more.
He added: How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me. I would give him justice. The man would approach Absalom and bow down before him. Then Absalom would reach out and hug and kiss him. Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. That way he won their loyalty. After four years Absalom said to King David: My lord let me go to Hebron and keep a promise I made to Jehovah. When I lived at Geshur in Syria (Aram), I promised Jehovah that if he would take me back to Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron. Go in peace, the king said. So Absalom went to Hebron. He sent messengers to all the tribes of Israel. He told them: When you hear the sound of trumpets, shout: 'Absalom is king in Hebron!' Absalom had two hundred men who at his invitation traveled from Jerusalem with him. They knew nothing of the plot and went in good faith. Absalom was offering sacrifices. He sent for Ahithophel, David's adviser, to come from his home in Giloh. Meanwhile, the conspiracy grew stronger. The number of people siding with Absalom kept getting larger. A messenger told David: Absalom has the hearts of the people of Israel.

No one in all Israel was praised for his good looks as much as Absalom was. He had no blemish from head to toe. Verse Concepts

He sent messengers to all the tribes of Israel. He told them: When you hear the sound of trumpets, shout: 'Absalom is king in Hebron!' Absalom had two hundred men who at his invitation traveled from Jerusalem with him. They knew nothing of the plot and went in good faith. Absalom was offering sacrifices. He sent for Ahithophel, David's adviser, to come from his home in Giloh. Meanwhile, the conspiracy grew stronger. The number of people siding with Absalom kept getting larger. read more.
A messenger told David: Absalom has the hearts of the people of Israel.

After four years Absalom said to King David: My lord let me go to Hebron and keep a promise I made to Jehovah. When I lived at Geshur in Syria (Aram), I promised Jehovah that if he would take me back to Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.

He would rise early in the morning and stand by the road at the city gate. When someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. After the man told him what tribe he was from, Absalom would say: My friend, the law is on your side. However, there is no representative of the king to hear your case. He added: How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me. I would give him justice. read more.
The man would approach Absalom and bow down before him. Then Absalom would reach out and hug and kiss him. Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. That way he won their loyalty.

So the troops went to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim. Battles were fought all over the forest. David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed that day. More soldiers died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting. read more.
Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule. The mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair when the mule under him ran away. A man who saw this told Joab: I saw Absalom hanging in a tree. What! You saw what? Joab said. Why did you not strike him to the ground? Then I would have felt obligated to give you four ounces of silver and a belt. The man told Joab: Even if I felt the weight of twenty pounds of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and Ittai. Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. Would you have stood by me if I did something treacherous to him? There is nothing hidden from the king. You would turn against me. I will not waste any more time with you, Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive and hanging in the oak tree. Ten of Joab's soldiers closed in on Absalom and finished killing him. Joab ordered the trumpet blown to stop the fighting. His troops came back from pursuing the Israelites. They took Absalom's body and threw it into a deep pit in the forest. Then they covered it with a huge pile of stones. All the Israelites fled to their own hometowns.

The woman said: Have you been hurting God's people? Your own son had to leave the country. When you judged in my favor, it was the same as admitting that you should have let him come back. We each must die and disappear like water poured out on the ground. But God does not take our lives. Instead, he figures out ways of bringing us back when we run away.

The king said: Absalom should return to his own house. Do not let him see me. So Absalom returned to his house. He did not see the king. Verse Concepts

Absalom gave an order to his servants: Watch now and when Amnon begins to feel good from drinking too much wine, I will tell you, Attack Amnon. Then kill him. Do not be afraid. I give this order. Be strong and courageous. Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules, and fled.

Absalom has fled. The servant keeping the watch looked outside. He saw many people coming down the road beside the mountain west of him. Jonadab said: Your Majesty, look! Here come your sons now, just as I told you. As soon as he finished speaking, the king's sons arrived. They cried loudly and the king and all his men also cried very bitterly. read more.
David was sad for a long time because Amnon was dead. Absalom ran away to Geshur. He stayed there for three years with King Talmai the son of Ammihud.

Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule. The mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair when the mule under him ran away. Verse Concepts

Absalom hated Amnon so much because he raped his sister Tamar. He would not speak to him anymore. Two years later Absalom had sheep sheared at Baal Hazor, near the town of Ephraim. He invited all the king's sons to be there. He went to King David and said: Your Majesty, I am having my sheep sheared. Will you and your officials take part in the festivities? read more.
The king answered: No, my son. It would be too much trouble for you if we all went. Absalom insisted, but the king would not give in. So he asked Absalom to leave. Absalom said: Will you at least let my brother Amnon come? Why should he? The king asked. Absalom insisted until David finally let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. Absalom gave an order to his servants: Watch now and when Amnon begins to feel good from drinking too much wine, I will tell you, Attack Amnon. Then kill him. Do not be afraid. I give this order. Be strong and courageous. Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules, and fled.

Ahithophel answered: Some of your father's wives were left here to take care of the palace. You should have sex with them. Then everyone will find out that you have publicly disgraced your father. This will make you and your followers even more powerful. They pitched a tent for Absalom on the palace roof. There in the sight of everyone Absalom went in and had intercourse with his father's concubines.

He would rise early in the morning and stand by the road at the city gate. When someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. After the man told him what tribe he was from, Absalom would say: My friend, the law is on your side. However, there is no representative of the king to hear your case. He added: How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me. I would give him justice. read more.
The man would approach Absalom and bow down before him. Then Absalom would reach out and hug and kiss him. Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. That way he won their loyalty.

A messenger told David: Absalom has the hearts of the people of Israel. Verse Concepts

Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself. He had an escort of fifty men to run ahead of him. He would rise early in the morning and stand by the road at the city gate. When someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. After the man told him what tribe he was from,

He added: How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me. I would give him justice. Verse Concepts

Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. That way he won their loyalty.

Thematic Bible: Absalom

Thematic Bible

Absalom » Children of

Absalom » Facts concerning » Conspires against his father, david

Absalom » David's mourning for

Absalom » Son of david by maacah

Absalom » Facts concerning » The designing politician

Absalom » Facts concerning » Renowned for his beauty

Absalom » Facts concerning » Murders his brother

Absalom » Facts concerning » An exile from home

Absalom » Facts concerning » Comes to an untimely end

Absalom » His demagogism

Absalom » Facts concerning » Born of a polygamous marriage

Absalom » Flees to geshur

Absalom » Kills amnon

Absalom » Is permitted by david to return to jerusalem

Absalom » Death and burial

Absalom » Conspiracy

Absalom » Beauty of

Absalom » Pillar of

Adultery » Instances of » Absalom

Ambition » Ambition, worldly, examples of » Absalom

Ambition » Instances of » Absalom

Beauty » Instances of » Absalom

Children » Wicked » Absalom

Citizens » Instances of wicked » Absalom

Covenant » Of man with God » Absalom

Demagogism » Instances of » Absalom

Ephraim » Forest » East » Jordon river » Absalom

Exile » Absalom

Fratricide » Instances of » Absalom

Fugitives » Instances of » From justice » Absalom

Gilead » Absalom » defeated

Homicide » Instances of felonious » Absalom

Incest » Instances of » Absalom

Popularity » Instances of » Absalom

Rebellion » Instances of » Absalom

Worldly » Ambition » Absalom

Young men » Examples of sinful » Absalom