2 Samuel 18:14-24

14 And Joab said, Not as thou wilt, but I shall assail him before thee. Therefore Joab took three spears in his hand, and fixed those in(to) the heart of Absalom. And when he sprawled, yet cleaving in the oak (And yet while he sprawled, still caught up in the oak),
15 ten young squires of Joab ran, and smote, and killed him. (ten young squires of Joab ran over to him, and struck, or stabbed, and killed him.)
16 And Joab trumped with a clarion, and held with him the people, lest it pursued Israel fleeing, and he would spare the multitude. (And then Joab sounded with a trumpet, to hold back the army with him, lest they pursued the men of Israel fleeing away, for he would spare the multitude.)
17 And they took Absalom, and casted forth him into a great ditch in the forest, and bare together a full great heap of stones on him; and all Israel fled into their tabernacles. (And they took Absalom's body, and threw it forth into a great ditch in the forest, and put a great heap of stones on it; and all Israel fled back to their homes.)
18 Forsooth Absalom, while he lived yet, had raised to him a memorial, which is in the valley of the king; for he said, I have no son, and this shall be the mind of my name; and he called the memorial by his name, and it is called The Hand, that is, (the) Work, of Absalom, till to this day. (And Absalom, while yet he lived, had raised up a memorial to himself, in the King's Valley; for he said, I have no son, and this shall be in remembrance of my name; and he called the memorial after his own name, and unto this day it is still called The Work of Absalom.)
19 And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, I shall run, and I shall tell to the king, that the Lord hath made doom to him of the hand of his enemies. (And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, I shall run, and I shall tell the king, that the Lord hath made judgement for him, that is, hath avenged him, upon his enemies.)
20 To whom Joab said, Thou shalt not be a messenger in this day, but thou shalt tell in another day; I will not that thou tell this today, for the son of the king is dead (I do not desire that thou tell this news today, for the king's son is dead).
21 And Joab said to Cushi, Go thou, and tell to the king those things that thou hast seen. Cushi worshipped Joab, and ran forth (Cushi bowed to Joab, and ran off).
22 And again Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab, What hindereth, if also I run after Cushi? And Joab said to him, What wilt thou run, my son? Come thou hither, thou shalt not be a bearer of good message (And Joab said to him, Why would thou run, my son? It is better to stay here, for thou shalt not be a bearer of good news).
23 The which answered, But what if I shall run? And Joab said to him, Run thou. Therefore Ahimaaz ran by the way of shortness, and speed, and passed Cushi.
24 And David sat betwixt (the) two gates; soothly the espyer, that was in the highness of the gate on the wall, raised up his eyes, and he saw a man alone running; (And David sat between the two gates of the city; and the watchman, who was on the roof of the gate by the wall, raised up his eyes, and he saw a man running alone;)

2 Samuel 18:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 18

In this chapter is an account of David's review of his army, preparing it for battle with Absalom, and those with him, 2Sa 18:1-5; and of the defeat and flight of the rebels, 2Sa 18:6-8; and of the death of Absalom, and the manner of it, and of his burial, 2Sa 18:9-18; and of the news of it brought to David by different persons, 2Sa 18:19-32; and of his great grief and sorrow on that account, 2Sa 18:33.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.