2 Samuel 13:34

34 fugit autem Absalom et levavit puer speculator oculos suos et aspexit et ecce populus multus veniebat per iter devium ex latere montis

2 Samuel 13:34 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 13:34

But Absalom fled
He who promised his servants protection could not protect himself, and who no doubt fled with him; he knew what he had done was death by law, and that there was no city of refuge for such sort of murder as this, and he had no reason to hope the king would suffer so foul a crime as this to pass unpunished:

and the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked:
to the way that led from Absalom's house to Jerusalem, to see if he could spy any other messenger on the road from thence:

and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind
him;
that is, behind the watchman, who, looking round him, saw them; these people were the king's sons and their attendants, who, being at some distance, the young man could not discern who they were; they did not come the direct road from Absalom's house, but came a round about way, for fear, as R. Isaiah rightly conjectures, lest Absalom should pursue, or send pursuers after them, and slay them; though others, as Kimchi, think this refers to the hill, and that the sense is, that the watchman saw them coming from the way which was behind the hill, and began to see them when they came to the side of it, which was the way that led to the city, surrounded by mountains, see ( Psalms 125:2 ) .

2 Samuel 13:34 In-Context

32 respondens autem Ionadab filius Samaa fratris David dixit ne aestimet dominus meus quod omnes pueri filii regis occisi sint Amnon solus mortuus est quoniam in ore Absalom erat positus ex die qua oppressit Thamar sororem eius

33 nunc ergo ne ponat dominus meus rex super cor suum verbum istud dicens omnes filii regis occisi sunt quoniam Amnon solus mortuus est

34 fugit autem Absalom et levavit puer speculator oculos suos et aspexit et ecce populus multus veniebat per iter devium ex latere montis

35 dixit autem Ionadab ad regem ecce filii regis adsunt iuxta verbum servi tui sic factum est

36 cumque cessasset loqui apparuerunt et filii regis et intrantes levaverunt vocem suam et fleverunt sed et rex et omnes servi eius fleverunt ploratu magno nimis