2 Samuel 15:2

2 He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from,

2 Samuel 15:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 15:2

And Absalom rose up early
Every morning, to show how diligent and industrious he should be, and closely apply himself to business, was he in any office trader the king, and especially when he should be king himself; this he did to ingratiate himself into the affections of the people:

and stood beside the way of the gate;
either of the king's palace, so Josephus ^F4, or of the city, where courts of judicature are held: the former seems most probable by what follows:

and it was [so], that when any man that had a controversy came to the
king for judgment;
that had a controversy with another man on any account, and came to the king to have it decided according to law, or the rules of justice and equity:

then Absalom called unto him, and said, of what city [art] thou?
which question he asked, only to lead on to some further discourse:

and he said, thy servant [is] of one of the tribes;
that is, of one of the cities of the tribes of Israel, and not of a city of another nation.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F4 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 1.

2 Samuel 15:2 In-Context

1 After this, Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself, and an escort of fifty men.

2 He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from,

3 Absalom would say, "Look, the law is on your side, but there is no representative of the king to hear your case."

4 And he would add, "How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me, and I would give him justice."

5 When the man would approach Absalom to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him.