# 2 Samuel 15 📖: Absalom's Revolt and David's Flight [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-2 Samuel Overview]] | [[2 Samuel 14]] | [[2 Samuel 16]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### Absalom Leads an Insurrection against David [[#Verse 01.]] Some time later Absalom managed to acquire a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.  [[#Verse 02.]] Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, “What city are you from?” The person would answer, “I, your servant, am from one of the tribes of Israel.”  [[#Verse 03.]] Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.”  [[#Verse 04.]] Absalom would then say, “If only they would make me a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.” [[#Verse 05.]] When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him.  [[#Verse 06.]] Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty of the citizens of Israel. [[#Verse 07.]] After four years Absalom said to the king, “Let me go and repay my vow that I made to the Lord while I was in Hebron.  [[#Verse 08.]] For I made this vow when I was living in Geshur in Aram: ‘If the Lord really does allow me to return to Jerusalem, I will serve the Lord.’” [[#Verse 09.]] The king replied to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom got up and went to Hebron. [[#Verse 10.]] Then Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel who said, “When you hear the sound of the horn, you may assume that Absalom rules in Hebron.”  [[#Verse 11.]] Now 200 men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem. Since they were invited, they went naively and were unaware of what Absalom was planning.  [[#Verse 12.]] While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser, to come from his city, Giloh. The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were starting to side with Absalom. ### David Flees from Jerusalem [[#Verse 13.]] Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!”  [[#Verse 14.]] So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come on! Let’s escape! Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.”  [[#Verse 15.]] The king’s servants replied to the king, “We will do whatever our lord the king decides.” [[#Verse 16.]] So the king and all the members of his royal court set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines to attend to the palace.  [[#Verse 17.]] The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing at a spot some distance away.  [[#Verse 18.]] All his servants were leaving with him, along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites—some 600 men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with the king. [[#Verse 19.]] Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.  [[#Verse 20.]] It seems as if you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men with you. May genuine loyal love protect you!” [[#Verse 21.]] But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether it means death or life, there I will be as well!”  [[#Verse 22.]] So David said to Ittai, “Come along then.” So Ittai the Gittite went along, accompanied by all his men and all the dependents who were with him. [[#Verse 23.]] All the land was weeping loudly as all these people were leaving. As the king was crossing over the Kidron Valley, all the people were leaving on the road that leads to the desert.  [[#Verse 24.]] Zadok and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. When they positioned the ark of God, Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city. [[#Verse 25.]] Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again.  [[#Verse 26.]] However, if he should say, ‘I do not take pleasure in you,’ then he will deal with me in a way that he considers appropriate.” [[#Verse 27.]] The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar.  [[#Verse 28.]] Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you reaches me.”  [[#Verse 29.]] So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there. [[#Verse 30.]] As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up.  [[#Verse 31.]] Now David had been told, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O Lord.” [[#Verse 32.]] When David reached the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.  [[#Verse 33.]] David said to him, “If you leave with me you will be a burden to me.  [[#Verse 34.]] But you will be able to counter the advice of Ahithophel if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father’s servant, and now I will be your servant.’  [[#Verse 35.]] Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you. Everything you hear in the king’s palace you must tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests.  [[#Verse 36.]] Furthermore, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You must send them to me with any information you hear.” [[#Verse 37.]] So David’s friend Hushai arrived in the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ###### Verse 31. ###### Verse 32. ###### Verse 33. ###### Verse 34. ###### Verse 35. ###### Verse 36. ###### Verse 37. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. City gates were places of legal business where elders and kings heard cases (15:2; Ruth 4:1). 2. The Hebrew text of 15:7 says "forty years," but some ancient versions read "four years," which most translations follow. 3. Absalom launched his revolt at Hebron, his birthplace and David's first capital (3:2-3; 5:5). 4. Ahithophel was from Giloh (15:12) and may have been Bathsheba's grandfather (11:3; 23:34). 5. Six hundred men from Gath marched with David (15:18), and Ittai, also from Gath, refused to leave him (15:19-21). 6. David crossed the Kidron Valley, just east of Jerusalem (15:23). 7. David went up the Mount of Olives weeping, barefoot, with his head covered (15:30), all signs of mourning. 8. The title of Psalm 3 connects it to David's flight from Absalom. 9. David prayed that the Lord would turn Ahithophel's advice into foolishness (15:31), and Hushai arrived right then (15:32). 10. Hushai was an Arkite (15:32), from a clan whose territory bordered Ephraim (Joshua 16:2). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is the rejected King who crossed the Kidron and climbed the Mount of Olives in sorrow (15:23, 30). Jesus walked that same way the night a trusted friend betrayed Him (John 18:1-2), and He entrusted Himself to the Father's will. ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Absalom stole the hearts of the people with flattery and promises (15:6). How can we recognize leaders who flatter rather than serve? 2. Ittai, a foreigner, pledged to stay with David in life or death (15:21). What does loyal faith look like when following Jesus is costly? 3. David sent the ark back and left his future in the Lord's hands (15:25-26). What would it look like for you to trust God that fully? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 6: Absalom steals the hearts of the men of Israel. - 📖 verse 21: Ittai vows to stay with David in life or death. - 📖 verses 25-26: David sends the ark back and entrusts himself to the Lord's will. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Psalm 03#Verse 01.|Psalm 3:1-8]] - David's prayer when fleeing from Absalom. - 🔗 [[Psalm 41#Verse 09.|Psalm 41:9]] - Even a trusted friend has turned against me. - 🔗 [[John 18#Verse 01.|John 18:1]] - Jesus crosses the Kidron with His disciples. - 🔗 [[Luke 22#Verse 39.|Luke 22:39-44]] - Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives. - 🔗 [[Ruth 01#Verse 16.|Ruth 1:16-17]] - Where you go, I will go. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[2 Samuel 15 - SOAP|You’re A Spy in the Camp]] ## 📂 Internal Notes