2Sa 18:6-15 | KingComments | STEP | The battle is a victory for David’s men, with the forest making more victims among the opponents than the sword. The LORD is fighting for David. He uses the forest for that purpose, thinking of potholes and marshes. Perhaps even wild animals have killed many Israelites. A total of 20,000 men are killed. On the one hand the victory is a blessing of the LORD, on the other hand it is also His discipline, for the victims are subjects of David’s kingdom. David does, as it were, “a slaughter” with himself. The loss of subjects means a weakening of its realm.

‏ 2 Samuel 18:6-15

The Battle

The battle is a victory for David’s men, with the forest making more victims among the opponents than the sword. The LORD is fighting for David. He uses the forest for that purpose, thinking of potholes and marshes. Perhaps even wild animals have killed many Israelites. A total of 20,000 men are killed. On the one hand the victory is a blessing of the LORD, on the other hand it is also His discipline, for the victims are subjects of David’s kingdom. David does, as it were, “a slaughter” with himself. The loss of subjects means a weakening of its realm.

The Death of Absalom

In the section that now comes before us is described in detail how Absalom flees and ends up in a hopeless position, caught by a tree, how Joab kills him and how David is informed of this.

When Absalom encounters the men of David, he flees. He looks for a good getaway, but drives toward his destruction. Absalom befalls the word: “The one who flees from the terror will fall into the pit, and the one who climbs up out of the pit will be caught in the snare” (Jer 48:44a). David tends to spare him, but the Divine righteousness exercises judgment on him as a traitor. God makes sure that he is captured alive by a tree. There was no human hand involved.

The great oak through which Absalom is caught is a picture of greatness. Absalom, who wanted to be great, is captured and brought down by his greatness. He hangs “between heaven and earth”, as if thereby it is said that he is unacceptable to both. The earth will not keep him, nor will heaven accept him. Therefore the realm of the dead opens its mouth to receive him.

Absalom comes to an extraordinary end because his crime is so monstrous. It would also have been possible, for example, that his donkey had thrown him off in his flight and left him half dead on the ground. The servants of David could then have killed him. Then the same goal would have been achieved. However, it would have been too common a death for such an extraordinary delinquent.

God wants to create something new here, as in the case of those other rebels, Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Num 16:29-30). He wants to make clear to everyone how much this man has taunted Him. Absalom has thus come to an end to be a terrifying example for children to warn them what may happen to them if they disobey their parents (cf. Pro 30:17).

A man who sees Absalom hanging alive in a tree tells Joab. Joab blames the man for not killing him. Joab would have rewarded him richly for this, not only by an amount of money, but also by a proof of honor in the form of a belt. Perhaps it can be compared to a medal of merit. Jonathan, for example, also gave his belt to David to pay tribute to David (1Sam 18:4). If someone’s belt was removed from him, it was an insulting treatment.

The man’s defense shows that he respects David’s desire not to kill his son. What the man says also shows that he has no respect for Joab. He knows that he would not have to expect any support from him if he had killed Absalom and King David had called him to account for his deed. Joab is known as a man who is always out to his own advantage, a man who always acts on selfish motives. This is also evident from Joab’s reaction to what the man says. He does not intend to exchange another word with this ‘royal-minded’ man. He thinks there has been enough chatter. It is time for deeds, that is to say for that one deed, the killing of Absalom.

Joab does not care about what David said. It is true that Absalom was not allowed to live and Joab acts correctly by killing the rebel. However, God does not only look at the correctness of the action, but also at the motive with which that action is done. Joab’s working method shows that he is looking for personal revenge. He would have been very capable of killing Absalom with one javelin stroke. He doesn’t, but he tortures him first and then lets ten of his servants, armor bearers, men who know how to handle a weapon, kill him.

After Absalom is killed, he is despicably thrown into “a big pit” and buried under “a very great heap of stones”. This is the end of the man who during his life thought great of himself. He is a striking picture of the antichrist, both in his haughty existence and in his inglorious death. His end is at right angles to the pillar he had erected for himself to glorify himself.

To increase the defamation of his burial, the sacred historian points this out in 2Sam 18:18. He speaks of “a pillar” that Absalom had set up “for himself” “in the King’s Valley”, which is in the valley of Kidron near Jerusalem. He did so considering that his name would then at least live on in this pillar, because he had no son. Absalom had three sons (2Sam 14:27), but they must have died already. His concern was to keep his name in remembrance. This happened, but to his eternal shame.

“The King’s Valley” is mentioned earlier, namely when Abraham meets the true king in the picture of Melchizedek (Gen 14:17). A valley indicates humiliation. That is the place where Absalom has erected a memorial for himself and his name.