2 Samuel 18:12

12 The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver ^[a] were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. ^[b]’

2 Samuel 18:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 18:12

And the man said unto Joab
Disdaining his proposal:

though I should receive a thousand [shekels] of silver in mine hand;
or such a sum should be offered to me; the Arabic version is a million;

[yet] would I not put forth my hand against the king's son;
to smite him, and slay him:

for in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai;
his three generals:

saying, beware that none [touch] the young man Absalom;
so as to slay him; they were charged to abstain from it themselves, and to watch and observe others, and keep them from doing it.

2 Samuel 18:12 In-Context

10 When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”

11 “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”

12 The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. ’

13 If I had jeopardized my own life —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”

14 But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.

Footnotes

• [a]. 1,000 shekels is approximately 25.1 pounds or 11.4 kilograms of silver.
• [b]. A few Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Whoever you may be, protect the young man Absalom. or Let no one touch the young man Absalom.