2 Samuel 14:24

24 But the king said, Let him go to his own house and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king’s face.

2 Samuel 14:24 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 14:24

And the king said
Very probably to Joab, when he informed him of Absalom's being come to Jerusalem:

let him turn to his own house;
depart from the king's palace, where Joab had brought him, and go to his own house, which was in Jerusalem; for here he had one before he fled to Geshur; see ( 2 Samuel 13:20 ) ;

and let him not see my face;
which he ordered, partly to show his detestation of the crime he had been guilty of, and some remaining resentment in his mind at him on account of it; and partly for his credit among some of the people at least, who might think it was a crime so great as not to go unpunished, though others were of a different mind; and also for the greater humiliation of Absalom, who, the king might think, had not been sufficiently humbled for his sin, or had not truly repented of it:

so Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face;
in obedience to his father's orders.

2 Samuel 14:24 In-Context

22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face and worshipped and blessed the king, and Joab said, Today thy slave knows that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the word of his slave.

23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 But the king said, Let him go to his own house and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king’s face.

25 And in all Israel there was no one to be so greatly praised as Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 And when he shaved his head (for it was at every year’s end that he shaved it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore, he shaved it), the hair of his head weighed two hundred shekels after the king’s weight.