2 Samuel 14:24

24 The king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Avshalom turned to his own house, and didn't 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 Yo'av fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Yo'av said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.

23 So Yo'av arose and went to Geshur, and brought Avshalom to Yerushalayim.

24 The king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Avshalom turned to his own house, and didn't see the king's face.

25 Now in all Yisra'el there was none to be so much praised as Avshalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.