2 Samuel 14:30

Therefore he said unto his servants,.... That did his business for him in the field, in keeping his flocks, and tilling his ground: see Joab's field is near mine: for great personages in those days

Go and set it on fire, that Joab may be forced to come to me to complain of and demand reparations for, this injury.

2 Samuel 14:30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’ s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’ s servants set the field on fire.Ver. 30. Go and set it on fire,] viz., That he may have cause to come and speak with me. So - but in a mere just way - God fetcheth his home to himself by afflictions, he fireth them out of their false refuges.

(30) Set it on fire.—Absalom’s stratagem for obtaining an interview with Joab was perfectly successful, but would only have been resorted to by a lawless and unscrupulous character.

Verse 30. Go and set it on fire] This was strange conduct, but it had the desired effect. He had not used his influence to get Absalom to court; now he uses it, and succeeds. ADDITIONAL observations on ver. 26: - "And at every year's end, he (Absalom) polled his head; and he weighed the hair at two hundred shekels." The very learned Bochart has written a dissertation on this subject (vide Bocharti Opera, vol. iii., col. 883, edit. Lugd. 1692) in a letter to his friend M. Faukell. I shall give the substance in what follows. There is nothing more likely than that corruptions in the Scripture numerals have taken place. Budaeus de Asse (lib. ii., p. 49 and 51, also lib. iii., p. 67 c.) complains loudly of this. This might easily have happened, as in former times the numbers in the sacred writings appear to have been expressed by single letters. The letter ר resh stands for two hundred, and might in this place be easily mistaken for ד daleth which signifies four but this may be thought to be too little, as it would not amount to more than a quarter of a pound; yet, if the two hundred shekels be taken in the amount will be utterly incredible; for Josephus says, (Antiq. lib. vii., cap. 8), Σικλουςδιακοσιους, οὑτοιδεεισιπεντεμναι, i.e., "Two hundred shekels make five minae," and in lib. xiv., cap. 12. he says, Ἡδεμναπαρ' ἡμινισχειλιτραςβ' καιημισυ; "And a mina with us (i.e., the Jews) weighs two pounds and a half." This calculation makes Absalom's hair weigh twelve pounds and a half! Credat Judaeus Apella! Indeed, the same person tells us that the hair of Absalom was so thick, c., ὡςμολιςαυτηνἡμεραιςαποκειρεινοκτω, "that eight days were scarcely sufficient to cut it off in! "This is rabbinism, with a witness. Epiphanius, in his treatise De Ponderibus et Mensuris, casts much more light on this place, where he says, Σικλοςὁλεγεταικαικοδραντηςτεταρτονμενεστιτηςουγκιας, ἡμισυδετουστατηρος, δυοδραχμαςεχων; "A shekel, (i.e., a common or king's shekel, equal to half a shekel of the sanctuary), which is called also a quarter, is the fourth part of an ounce, or half a stater; which is about two drachms." This computation seems very just, as the half-shekel, (i.e., of the sanctuary,) Exodus 30:13, which the Lord commanded the children of Israel to give as an offering for their souls, is expressly called in Matthew 17:24, τοδιδραχμον, "two drachms:" and our Lord wrought a miracle to pay this, which the Romans then exacted by way of tribute: and Peter took out of the fish's mouth a stater, which contained exactly four drachms or one shekel, (of the sanctuary), the tribute money for our Lord and himself. The king's shekel was about the fourth part of an ounce, according to what Epiphanius says above; and Hesychius says the same: ΔυναταιδεὁσικλοςδυοδραχμαςΑττικας; "A shekel is equal to, or worth, two Attic drachms." The whole amount, therefore, of the two hundred shekels is about fifty ounces, which make four pounds two ounces, Troy weight, or three pounds two ounces, Avoirdupois.

30. set it on fire] Partly in revenge for Absalom’s refusal (cp. Judges 15:3-5), partly in the hope of bringing Joab to make a complaint in person. The Sept. and some MSS. of the Vulg. add at the end of the verse: “And Joab’s servants came to him with their clothes rent, and said, Absalom’s servants have set thy field on fire.” The words are not absolutely necessary to the sense, but they may have been accidentally omitted from the Heb. text.

30. Set it on fire — This act shows up the bold and daring spirit of this prince. Only one of such spirit could plan and carry out the bold scheme of usurping a father’s throne.