2 Samuel 18

2 Samuel 18:1

18:1-5 David divided his army into three companies, with Joab, Abishai, and Ittai as the three generals. The king wanted to participate in the coming battle, but the people persuaded him to remain in the city and send help if needed. As the soldiers marched out of the city, David gave public orders to his generals to deal gently for his sake with . . . Absalom. 18:6-9 The battle was fought in the woods of Ephraim, east of the Jordan and near Mahanaim. There were twenty thousand fatalities that day among Absalom’s troops, largely the result of the dense forest which trapped the soldiers. David’s army was victorious. As Absalom was fleeing through the forest, he was caught by his head in a huge terebinth tree, . . . and the mule . . . went on without him. It is a sort of poetic justice that the same part of his body of which he was so proud became the means of his downfall. 18:10-15 The messenger who reported Absalom’s helpless position to Joab was rebuked for not killing the rebel. He carefully explained that no amount of money would induce him to violate the king’s instructions. Besides, if he killed Absalom, the news would get back to the king, and Joab would not come to his defense. Joab considered all this talk a waste of time. He plunged three spears through Absalom’s heart, then let his ten armorbearers administer the coup de gre2ce. All this was against the king’s command, but it was best for the kingdom. David had consistently refused to punish his sons for their crimes, so the task fell to someone else. 18:16-18 As soon as the deed was done, Joab wisely called a halt to the fighting, since his major objective had been accomplished. Absalom’s body was thrown into a large pit and covered with a very large heap of stones. This was in marked contrast to the monument which he had erected for himself in the King’s Valley, probably near Jerusalem. Absalom had three sons (2Sa_14:27), but they must have died young and left him without an heir. Consequently, he had built Absalom’s monument to preserve his name for posterity. 18:19-23 Ahimaaz wanted to carry the news to David, but Joab did not want him to. It seems that Ahimaaz had a reputation for being a bearer of good news (v. 27b), and it would have been out of character for him to bring the news of Absalom’s death. So Joab sent a Cushite as the official messenger. But after he left, Ahimaaz persuaded Joab to let him go also, even if he would receive no reward for the errand. He succeeded in overtaking the Cushite by taking a quicker route. 18:24-30 David was on the lookout for news from the battle. The watchman reported one runner approaching, then another. When David heard that the first resembled Ahimaaz, he prepared himself for good news because Ahimaaz had always brought welcome messages in the past. Drawing near, Ahimaaz ceremoniously announced that the LORD had smitten the rebel army. But when David asked about Absalom, Ahimaaz’s courage failed, and he gave a vague answer about seeing a great tumult but not knowing the details. 18:31-33 By then the Cushite had arrived. He announced that David’s enemies had been defeated. The inevitable question from the king about Absalom brought the blunt reply that all David’s enemies should be like that young manin other words, dead. This news plunged David into very deep mourning. His pathetic lament is recorded in verse 33. This was one of the greatest griefs of his life, and it is doubtful that he ever forgave Joab for it.