Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him. Also, whenever anyone approachedThis phrase sets the scene for Absalom's actions, indicating a habitual practice. The Hebrew root for "approached" is "נָגַשׁ" (nagash), which often implies drawing near with intent or purpose. In the historical context, approaching a royal figure was a significant act, often laden with expectations of favor or judgment. Absalom's accessibility contrasts with the typical aloofness of royalty, suggesting a calculated effort to win the hearts of the people. to bow down to him
Bowing down was a customary act of respect and submission in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The Hebrew word "שָׁחָה" (shachah) conveys deep reverence, often used in worship contexts. Absalom's acceptance of such gestures indicates his desire to be seen as a figure of authority and reverence, subtly undermining King David's position by positioning himself as a worthy alternative. Absalom would reach out his hand
The act of reaching out one's hand, "שָׁלַח" (shalach) in Hebrew, signifies an intentional and deliberate action. In the context of ancient Israel, extending one's hand could symbolize offering protection, friendship, or alliance. Absalom's gesture is both welcoming and politically astute, as it breaks down barriers between him and the people, fostering a sense of personal connection and loyalty. take hold of him
The phrase "take hold" comes from the Hebrew "אָחַז" (achaz), meaning to grasp or seize. This action implies a firm and intentional grip, suggesting Absalom's determination to secure the allegiance of those who came to him. It reflects his strategic approach to gaining influence, as he physically and symbolically takes hold of the people's loyalty. and kiss him
In the ancient Near East, a kiss was a sign of respect, acceptance, and sometimes covenant. The Hebrew "נָשַׁק" (nashaq) indicates a gesture of affection and allegiance. Absalom's kiss is a powerful political tool, as it conveys warmth and acceptance, further endearing him to the people. This act of kissing those who approached him was a deliberate tactic to win the hearts of Israel, contrasting with the more formal and distant interactions they might have experienced with King David. Persons / Places / Events 1. AbsalomThe third son of King David, known for his handsome appearance and charismatic personality. He is central to this passage as he seeks to win the hearts of the Israelites and undermine his father's rule. 2. DavidThe reigning king of Israel and father of Absalom. Although not directly mentioned in this verse, he is the backdrop against which Absalom's actions are set. 3. JerusalemThe capital city of Israel, where Absalom is conducting his campaign to gain favor with the people. 4. The IsraelitesThe people of Israel who are being swayed by Absalom's charm and political maneuvering. 5. The GateThe place where Absalom positioned himself to intercept those coming to seek justice from the king, symbolizing a place of judgment and decision-making. Teaching Points The Deceptive Nature of SinAbsalom's actions remind us that sin often disguises itself as something good or harmless. We must be vigilant and discerning to recognize deceit. The Power of InfluenceAbsalom's ability to sway the people highlights the power of influence. As Christians, we should use our influence to lead others toward truth and righteousness. Guarding Our HeartsJust as Absalom's heart was set on rebellion, we must guard our hearts against pride and ambition that can lead us away from God's will. The Importance of IntegrityAbsalom's lack of integrity contrasts with the biblical call to live honestly and uprightly. Our actions should align with our professed beliefs. Consequences of RebellionAbsalom's account serves as a warning of the destructive consequences of rebelling against God's established order. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Absalom's behavior in 2 Samuel 15:5 reflect the nature of sin and deception? Can you identify similar patterns in today's world? 2. In what ways can we guard our hearts against the kind of pride and ambition that led Absalom astray? 3. How does Absalom's use of a kiss as a tool of manipulation compare to other biblical instances of betrayal? What lessons can we learn from these comparisons? 4. What role does influence play in our lives, and how can we ensure that our influence aligns with biblical principles? 5. Reflect on a time when you faced a decision at a "gate" in your life. How did you seek God's guidance, and what was the outcome? How can this passage inform future decisions? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 27The account of Jacob and Esau, where deception is used to gain a blessing, parallels Absalom's deceitful tactics to gain power. Proverbs 6:16-19Lists things the Lord hates, including a heart that devises wicked schemes, which can be related to Absalom's manipulative actions. Matthew 26:48-49Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, similar to Absalom's use of a kiss to feign loyalty and affection while harboring ulterior motives. People Abiathar, Absalom, Ahimaaz, Ahithophel, Aram, Arkite, Cherethites, David, Gittites, Hushai, Israelites, Ittai, Jonathan, Kerethites, Levites, Pelethites, ZadokPlaces Aram, Gath, Geshur, Giloh, Hebron, Jerusalem, Kidron, Mount of OlivesTopics Absalom, Anyone, Approached, Bow, Drawing, Forth, Hold, Honour, Kiss, Kissed, Laid, Nearing, Nigh, Obeisance, Pass, Prostrate, Reach, WheneverDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 15:5 5138 bowing 2 Samuel 15:1-6 5554 status
5804 charm
5919 popularity 2 Samuel 15:1-13 5937 rivalry 2 Samuel 15:2-6 5863 flattery Library A Loyal Vow
'And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.'--2 SAMUEL xv. 15. We stand here at the darkest hour of King David's life. Bowed down by the consciousness of his past sin, and recognising in the rebellion of his favourite son the divine chastisement, his early courage and buoyant daring seem to have ebbed from him wholly. He is forsaken by the mass of his subjects, he is preparing to abandon Jerusalem, and to flee as an …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureIttai of Gath
'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.'--2 SAMUEL xv. 21. It was the darkest hour in David's life. No more pathetic page is found in the Old Testament than that which tells the story of his flight before Absalom. He is crushed by the consciousness that his punishment is deserved--the bitter fruit of the sin that filled all his later life …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Pardoned Sin Punished
'And It came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2. And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. 3. And Absalom said unto him. See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Loyal to the Core
On the other hand, look at Ittai, perfectly free to go, but in order to end the controversy once for all, and to make David know that he does not mean to leave him, he takes a solemn oath before Jehovah his God, and he doubles it by swearing by the life of David that he will never leave him; in life, in death, he will be with him. He has cast in his lot with him for better and for worse, and he means to be faithful to the end. Old Master Trapp says, "All faithful friends went on a pilgrimage years …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 26: 1880 Following Christ
"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."--2 Samuel 15:21. SOME men have a very remarkable power of creating and sustaining friendship in others. David was a man brimming over with affection--a man, notwithstanding all his rough soldier-life, of an exceedingly tender heart--a man, I was about to say--the word was on my tongue--a man of vast …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916 The Will of God
"Here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him."--2 Sam. xv. 26. G. Ter Steegen. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 Thou sweet beloved Will of God, My anchor ground, my fortress hill, The Spirit's silent fair abode, In Thee I hide me and am still. O Will, that willest good alone, Lead Thou the way, Thou guidest best; A silent child, I follow on, And trusting, lean upon Thy Breast. God's Will doth make the bitter sweet, And all is well when it is done; Unless His Will doth hallow it, The glory …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series) A Light to Lighten the Gentiles
P. G. 2 Sam. xv. 19-22; John xii. 26 "Wherefore goest thou with me?" Said the king disowned-- Said the king despised, rejected, Disenthroned. "Go, return unto thy place, To thy king of yore-- Here a pilgrim and a stranger, Nothing more. "Not for thee the cities fair, Hills of corn and wine-- All was portioned ere thou camest, Nought is thine. "Wandering forth where'er I may, Exiled from mine own, Shame, rejection I can grant thee; That alone. "Turn and take thy brethren back, With thy people …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others The Daily Walk with Others (iii. ).
Thrice happy they who at Thy side, Thou Child of Nazareth, Have learnt to give their struggling pride Into Thy hands to death: If thus indeed we lay us low, Thou wilt exalt us o'er the foe; And let the exaltation be That we are lost in Thee. Let me say a little on a subject which, like the last, is one of some delicacy and difficulty, though its problems are of a very different kind. It is, the relation between the Curate and his Incumbent; or more particularly, the Curate's position and conduct …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren And V the Kingdom Undivided and the Kingdom Divided
THE HISTORICAL BOOKS: I and II Samuel. I and II Kings. I and II Chronicles. NOTE.--As these three pairs of books are so closely related in their historical contents, it is deemed best to study them together, though they overlap the two divisions of IV and V. I. CHARTS Chart A. General Contents +--+ " I AND II SAMUEL " +-------------+-----+------+ "Samuel "Saul "David " +-------------+-----+------+----------+ " " " " I AND II KINGS "NOTE.--Biblical …
Frank Nelson Palmer—A Bird's-Eye View of the Bible That Whereas the City of Jerusalem had Been Five Times Taken Formerly, this was the Second Time of Its Desolation. A Brief Account of Its History.
1. And thus was Jerusalem taken, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, on the eighth day of the month Gorpeius [Elul]. It had been taken five [34] times before, though this was the second time of its desolation; for Shishak, the king of Egypt, and after him Antiochus, and after him Pompey, and after them Sosius and Herod, took the city, but still preserved it; but before all these, the king of Babylon conquered it, and made it desolate, one thousand four hundred and sixty-eight years and …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem King of Kings and Lord of Lords
And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, K ING OF K INGS AND L ORD OF L ORDS T he description of the administration and glory of the Redeemer's Kingdom, in defiance of all opposition, concludes the second part of Messiah Oratorio. Three different passages from the book of Revelation are selected to form a grand chorus, of which Handel's title in this verse is the close --a title which has been sometimes vainly usurped by proud worms of this earth. Eastern monarchs, in particular, …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Samuel 15:5 NIV2 Samuel 15:5 NLT2 Samuel 15:5 ESV2 Samuel 15:5 NASB2 Samuel 15:5 KJV
2 Samuel 15:5 Commentaries
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