After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD. After four yearsThe phrase "after four years" indicates a significant period during which Absalom was building his influence and preparing for his rebellion against King David. The Hebrew word for "years" is "שָׁנִים" (shanim), which underscores the passage of time and the patience Absalom exercised in executing his plan. This period reflects Absalom's strategic planning and the gradual erosion of David's authority, highlighting the importance of vigilance and discernment in leadership. Absalom said to the king
Absalom, the son of King David, is the speaker here. His approach to the king, his father, is both respectful and deceitful. The Hebrew name "אַבְשָׁלוֹם" (Avshalom) means "father of peace," which is ironic given his rebellious actions. This highlights the theme of betrayal and the complexities of familial relationships, reminding us of the need for integrity and honesty in our dealings with others. Please let me go to Hebron
Absalom's request to go to Hebron is significant. Hebron is a city with deep historical and spiritual roots in Israel's history, being the place where David was first anointed king (2 Samuel 2:1-4). The Hebrew word "חֶבְרוֹן" (Chevron) means "association" or "alliance," which is fitting as Absalom seeks to form alliances for his rebellion. This request is a strategic move, cloaked in religious devotion, illustrating how sacred spaces can be manipulated for personal gain. to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD
Absalom claims a religious motive for his journey, invoking a vow to the LORD. The Hebrew word for "vow" is "נֶדֶר" (neder), a solemn promise made to God. This highlights the misuse of religious language and practices for deceitful purposes. Absalom's manipulation of spiritual commitments serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of using faith as a cover for ulterior motives, urging believers to maintain sincerity in their spiritual lives. Persons / Places / Events 1. AbsalomThe third son of King David, known for his handsome appearance and charismatic personality. He is central to the account as he seeks to usurp his father's throne. 2. King DavidThe reigning king of Israel, chosen by God, and father of Absalom. His reign is marked by both triumphs and personal tragedies. 3. HebronA significant city in the history of Israel, previously the capital before Jerusalem. It is where Absalom seeks to go under the pretense of fulfilling a vow. 4. The VowAbsalom claims to have made a vow to the LORD, which he uses as a pretext to leave Jerusalem and begin his rebellion. 5. The Event of DeceptionAbsalom's request to go to Hebron is part of his larger scheme to gather support and declare himself king, initiating a rebellion against David. Teaching Points The Deceptive Nature of SinAbsalom's use of a religious vow to mask his true intentions illustrates how sin can be cloaked in seemingly righteous actions. Believers must be discerning and aware of the heart's true motives. The Importance of IntegrityAbsalom's lack of integrity contrasts with the biblical call for honesty and faithfulness. Christians are encouraged to let their "yes" be "yes" and their "no" be "no" ( Matthew 5:37). The Consequences of RebellionAbsalom's actions serve as a warning about the destructive nature of rebellion against God-ordained authority. Submission to God's will and appointed leaders is a recurring biblical theme. The Role of Vows in WorshipVows are serious commitments before God. This passage reminds believers to consider the weight of their promises and to fulfill them with sincerity. Bible Study Questions 1. What can we learn from Absalom's use of a vow to disguise his true intentions, and how can we apply this lesson to our own lives in terms of honesty and integrity? 2. How does the city of Hebron's historical significance enhance our understanding of Absalom's choice to begin his rebellion there? 3. In what ways does Absalom's rebellion against David reflect broader themes of rebellion against God, and how can we guard against such attitudes in our own hearts? 4. How do the events of 2 Samuel 15:7 connect with David's earlier anointing in 1 Samuel 16, and what does this teach us about God's sovereignty and human ambition? 5. Reflecting on the seriousness of vows in the Bible, how should we approach making commitments to God and others in our daily lives? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 28Jacob makes a vow to God, showing the seriousness and spiritual significance of vows in Hebrew culture. 1 Samuel 16The anointing of David as king, highlighting the divine choice and legitimacy of David's kingship, which Absalom seeks to undermine. Psalm 55David's lament over betrayal, which can be seen as reflective of his feelings during Absalom's rebellion. 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, Ab'salom, Complete, Effect, Forty, Fulfill, Hebron, Oath, Pass, Pay, Please, Vow, VowedDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 15:1-13 5937 rivalry 2 Samuel 15:7-8 5741 vows 2 Samuel 15:7-10 5276 crime 2 Samuel 15:7-12 5468 promises, human
8830 suspicion 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 15:7 NIV2 Samuel 15:7 NLT2 Samuel 15:7 ESV2 Samuel 15:7 NASB2 Samuel 15:7 KJV
2 Samuel 15:7 Commentaries
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