2 Samuel 15

ARC · Chapter 15/24

1E aconteceu depois d'isto que Absalão fez apparelhar carros e cavallos, e cincoenta homens que corressem adiante d'elle.

2Tambem Absalão se levantou pela manhã, e parava a uma banda do caminho da porta. E succedia que a todo o homem que tinha alguma demanda para vir ao rei a juizo, o chamava Absalão a si, e lhe dizia: De que cidade és tu? E, dizendo elle: D'uma das tribus d'Israel é teu servo;

3Então Absalão lhe dizia: Olha, os teus negocios são bons e rectos, porém não tens quem te ouça da parte do rei.

4Dizia mais Absalão: Ah, quem me dera ser juiz na terra! para que viesse a mim todo o homem que tivesse demanda ou questão, para que lhe fizesse justiça.

5Succedia tambem que, quando alguem se chegava a elle para se inclinar diante d'elle, elle estendia a sua mão, e pegava d'elle, e o beijava.

6E d'esta maneira fazia Absalão a todo o Israel que vinha ao rei para juizo: assim furtava Absalão o coração dos homens de Israel.

7Aconteceu, pois, ao cabo de quarenta annos, que Absalão disse ao rei: Deixa-me ir pagar em Hebron o meu voto que votei ao Senhor.

8Porque, morando eu em Gesur, em Syria, votou o teu servo um voto, dizendo: Se o Senhor outra vez me fizer tornar a Jerusalem, servirei ao Senhor.

9Então lhe disse o rei: Vae em paz. Levantou-se, pois, e foi para Hebron.

10E enviou Absalão espias por todas as tribus d'Israel, dizendo: Quando ouvirdes o som das trombetas, direis: Absalão reina em Hebron.

11E de Jerusalem foram com Absalão duzentos homens convidados, porém iam na sua simplicidade, porque nada sabiam d'aquelle negocio.

12Tambem Absalão enviou por Achitophel, o gilonita, do conselho de David, á sua cidade de Gilo, estando elle sacrificando os seus sacrificios: e a conjuração se fortificava, e vinha o povo, e se augmentava com Absalão.

13Então veiu um mensageiro a David, dizendo: O coração de cada um em Israel segue a Absalão.

14Disse pois David a todos os seus servos que estavam com elle em Jerusalem: Levantae-vos, e fujamos, porque não poderiamos escapar diante de Absalão. Dae-vos pressa a caminhar, para que porventura não se apresse elle, e nos alcance, e lance sobre nós algum mal, e fira a cidade a fio de espada.

15Então os servos do rei disseram ao rei: Eis aqui os teus servos, para tudo quanto determinar o rei, nosso senhor.

16E saiu o rei, com toda a sua casa, a pé: deixou porém o rei dez mulheres concubinas, para guardarem a casa.

17Tendo pois saido o rei com todo o povo a pé, pararam n'um logar distante.

18E todos os seus servos iam a seu lado, como tambem todos os cheretheos e todos os peletheos: e todos os getheos, seiscentos homens que vieram de Gath a pé, caminhavam diante do rei.

19Disse pois o rei a Ittai, o getheo: Porque irias tu tambem comnosco? Volta, e fica-te com o rei, porque estranho és, e tambem te tornarás a teu logar.

20Hontem vieste, e te levaria eu hoje comnosco a caminhar? Pois força me é ir aonde quer que podér ir: volta, pois, e torna a levar teus irmãos comtigo, com beneficencia e fidelidade.

21Respondeu porém Ittai ao rei, e disse: Vive o Senhor, e vive o rei meu senhor, que no logar em que estiver o rei meu senhor, seja para morte seja para vida, ahi certamente estará tambem o teu servidor.

22Então David disse a Ittai: Vem pois, e passa adiante. Assim passou Ittai, o getheo, e todos os seus homens, e todas as creanças que havia com elle.

23E toda a terra chorava a grandes vozes, passando todo o povo: tambem o rei passou o ribeiro de Cedron, e passou todo o povo na direcção do caminho do deserto.

24Eis que tambem Zadok ali estava, e com elle todos os levitas que levavam a arca do concerto de Deus; e pozeram ali a arca de Deus, e subiu Abiathar, até que todo o povo acabou de passar da cidade.

25Então disse o rei a Zadok: Torna a levar a arca de Deus á cidade; que, se achar graça nos olhos do Senhor, elle me tornará a trazer para lá, e me deixará vêr a ella e a sua habitação.

26Se porém disser assim: Não tenho prazer em ti; eis-me aqui, faça de mim como parecer bem aos seus olhos.

27Disse mais o rei a Zadok, o sacerdote: Não és tu porventura o vidente? torna pois em paz para a cidade, e comvosco tambem vossos dois filhos, Ahimaas, teu filho, e Jonathan, filho d'Abiathar.

28Olhae que me demorarei nas campinas do deserto até que tenha novas vossas.

29Zadok pois e Abiathar tornaram a levar para Jerusalem a arca de Deus: e ficaram ali.

30E subiu David pela subida das oliveiras, subindo e chorando, e com a cabeça coberta; e caminhava com os pés descalços: e todo o povo que ia com elle cobria cada um a sua cabeça, e subiam chorando sem cessar.

31Então fizeram saber a David, dizendo: Tambem Achitophel está entre os que se conjuraram com Absalão. Pelo que disse David: Ó Senhor, enlouquece o conselho de Achitophel.

32E aconteceu, que chegando David ao cume, para adorar ali a Deus, eis que Husai, o archita, veiu encontrar-se com elle com o vestido rasgado e terra sobre a cabeça.

33E disse-lhe David: Se passares comigo, ser-me-has pesado.

34Porém se voltares para a cidade, e disseres a Absalão: Eu serei, ó rei, teu servo; bem fui d'antes servo de teu pae, mas agora serei teu servo: dissipar-me-has então o conselho de Achitophel.

35E não estão ali comtigo Zadok e Abiathar, sacerdotes? E será que todas as coisas que ouvires da casa do rei, farás saber a Zadok e a Abiathar, sacerdotes.

36Eis que estão tambem ali com elles seus dois filhos, Ahimaas filho de Zadok, e Jonathan filho de Abiathar: pela mão d'elles aviso me mandareis pois de todas as coisas que ouvirdes.

37Husai pois, amigo de David, veiu para a cidade: e Absalão entrou em Jerusalem.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Absalom spends years winning the people's hearts with promises and flattery, then launches a conspiracy and declares himself king in Hebron. David flees Jerusalem with his loyal followers, including the priest Zadok and his advisor Hushai, who is sent back to undermine Absalom's plans.

Explanation

Absalom's rebellion is the lowest political point of David's reign — his own son seizes his throne. The way Absalom manipulates the people (intercepting their complaints and promising a justice he never delivers) is a classic portrait of demagogic populism. David's response, however, is remarkable: he does not fight to hold on to power at any cost, choosing to flee rather than shed unnecessary blood in Jerusalem, and even in flight he entrusts the outcome to God ('if he will, he will bring me back'). It is an example of humility in the midst of a devastating crisis.

Fun facts

  • Ahithophel, the advisor who joins Absalom, was Bathsheba's grandfather (comparing the genealogies in 2 Samuel 11:3 and 23:34) — which may explain part of his bitterness toward David.
  • David's ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping and barefoot, described here, is the same path Jesus would walk a thousand years later on his way to Jerusalem, a parallel Bible scholars often point out.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Samuel 15:1Absalom begins to prepare himself like a king: he gets chariots and horses ready, along with fifty men to run ahead of him.
  2. 2 Samuel 15:2Sitting by the gate of the city, where Israel’s informal court was held, and intercepting people who came seeking justice was Absalom’s strategy for stealing the people’s hearts—he presented himself as someone more approachable than his own father.
  3. 2 Samuel 15:3Absalom would tell people that their case was good and right, but that there was no one appointed by the king to hear them.
  4. 2 Samuel 15:4Absalom laments that he is not made judge in the land, saying he would give justice to anyone who came to him with a case.
  5. 2 Samuel 15:5Whenever someone bowed down before him, Absalom would take him by the hand and kiss him, a gesture of false closeness and humility.
  6. 2 Samuel 15:6In this way, little by little, Absalom steals the hearts of the men of Israel with this calculated show of closeness.
  7. 2 Samuel 15:7“Forty years” here is probably an ancient copying error—most scholars read “four years,” counting from Absalom’s return to Jerusalem, since forty years does not fit within the chronology of David’s reign.
  8. 2 Samuel 15:8Absalom uses as his excuse a vow he claims to have made while living in Geshur, promising to serve the LORD if he returned to Jerusalem.
  9. 2 Samuel 15:9David, suspecting nothing, authorizes Absalom to go to Hebron to fulfill the supposed vow.
  10. 2 Samuel 15:10Meanwhile, Absalom sends secret agents throughout all the tribes of Israel, arranged so that at the sound of the trumpet they would announce that Absalom reigns in Hebron.
  11. 2 Samuel 15:11Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompany Absalom, invited in their innocence, unknowingly taking part in the conspiracy.
  12. 2 Samuel 15:12Absalom also sends for Ahithophel, one of David’s chief counselors, to join him, and the conspiracy grows stronger and gains more popular support.
  13. 2 Samuel 15:13Word reaches David that the hearts of the men of Israel are turning after Absalom.
  14. 2 Samuel 15:14David decides to flee Jerusalem at once with his servants, fearing that Absalom will overtake them and bring destruction on the city.
  15. 2 Samuel 15:15The king’s servants place themselves at his disposal, ready to follow whatever decision David makes.
  16. 2 Samuel 15:16David goes out on foot with his whole household, leaving behind only ten concubines to keep the palace.
  17. 2 Samuel 15:17After leaving the city on foot with all the people, the king stops at a place farther off to regroup.
  18. 2 Samuel 15:18All his servants, including the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and six hundred Gittite soldiers who had come from Gath, march on before the king.
  19. 2 Samuel 15:19David asks Ittai the Gittite why he insists on following him, since he is a foreigner and a recent exile, suggesting he turn back.
  20. 2 Samuel 15:20David says it is not fair to drag Ittai into an uncertain flight so soon after his arrival, and releases him to go back with his people.
  21. 2 Samuel 15:21Ittai answers with an oath of total loyalty: wherever the king is, whether for death or for life, there Ittai will be also.
  22. 2 Samuel 15:22Faced with such loyalty, David allows Ittai to go on with him, together with all the little ones in his care.
  23. 2 Samuel 15:23The whole countryside weeps aloud as the people pass by, and the king himself crosses the brook Kidron toward the wilderness.
  24. 2 Samuel 15:24Zadok and the Levites bring the ark of the covenant and set it down there, while Abiathar waits until all the people finish leaving the city.
  25. 2 Samuel 15:25David has the ark taken back to the city, trusting that if he finds favor in the LORD’s eyes, he himself will be brought back to see it again.
  26. 2 Samuel 15:26But David also submits himself: if God no longer delights in him, let Him do to him whatever seems good in His eyes.
  27. 2 Samuel 15:27David asks Zadok to return to the city in peace, taking along his two sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, to serve as contacts.
  28. 2 Samuel 15:28David tells them he will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from them.
  29. 2 Samuel 15:29Zadok and Abiathar carry the ark back to Jerusalem and stay there, as David had asked.
  30. 2 Samuel 15:30Going up weeping, with head covered and feet bare, was the public posture of mourning and humiliation in the ancient world—David takes on the same gesture as the people around him, visibly showing the depth of his grief as he flees his own capital.
  31. 2 Samuel 15:31On learning that Ahithophel, his former counselor, has also joined Absalom’s conspiracy, David prays that the LORD will turn his counsel into foolishness.
  32. 2 Samuel 15:32Reaching the top of the mount to worship God, David meets Hushai the Archite, with his coat torn and earth on his head, signs of mourning.
  33. 2 Samuel 15:33David tells Hushai that if he goes along with him in flight, he will only be an added burden to carry.
  34. 2 Samuel 15:34David would rather Hushai go back to the city and feign loyalty to Absalom, so he can undermine Ahithophel’s counsel from the inside.
  35. 2 Samuel 15:35David reminds him that the priests Zadok and Abiathar remain in the city, and that Hushai is to pass on to them everything he hears in the palace.
  36. 2 Samuel 15:36The priests’ sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, would serve as messengers to carry this information to David.
  37. 2 Samuel 15:37Hushai, David’s friend, returns to the city just as Absalom is entering Jerusalem.

Chapters

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.