“Absalom would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading
to the city gate.”
(2 Samuel 15:2, New International Version)
Absalom does not lift a sword; he lifts a smile. He positions himself “early” at the administrative gate—the ancient courthouse, marketplace, and newsroom rolled into one. There he offers hugs, kisses, and easy judgments (vv. 2–6). The Hebrew says he “stole the hearts” (ganab lēb, v. 6). Ganab usually describes pickpockets (Ex 22:2). Absalom pickpockets affection, trading flattery for loyalty.
Cross-references
• Proverbs 26:28 – “A flattering mouth works ruin.”
• Romans 16:18 – “Smooth talk and flattery… deceive the minds of naive
people.”
Reflection
We often imagine rebellion as loud. Scripture warns it can be charming,
polite, and well-dressed. Good leadership, whether in church, home, or
office, can be sabotaged not only by attack but by charm without
character.
Absalom’s revolt gathers momentum with a deceptively small entourage of “two hundred men” (v. 11). The number hints at frailty; he compensates with pageantry—fifty runners before his chariot (v. 1). The episode reminds us that kingdoms, marriages, ministries erode when appearance outruns substance.
Historical note
Clay bullae (seal impressions) from 8th-century gate complexes show the
gate official’s prestige. Absalom hijacks that prestige. Western
readers, accustomed to indoor courts, may miss how public and
performative Near-Eastern justice was.
“Arise, let us flee, or none of us will escape.” (v. 14)
David chooses flight not fight; he will not turn the holy city into a war-zone. His exit down the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives forms a literary echo of his earlier entrance with the ark (2 Sam 6). Now the king departs weeping, barefoot, head covered (v. 30). Centuries later another Son of David prays and bleeds on this same ridge (Luke 22:39-44).
Cross-references
• Psalm 3 (superscription: “when he fled from Absalom”).
• Luke 19:41; 22:39 – Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, then crossing
Kidron.
• 1 Kings 1 – A later usurper, Adonijah, repeats Absalom’s tactics.
A Philistine commander, only “yesterday” a refugee (v. 20), pledges,
“Wherever my lord the king may be… there will your servant be” (v.
21).
Augustine saw in Ittai a picture of Gentile believers: former outsiders
who cling to the rejected King when even insiders waiver.
Application
Who is the Ittai in your life—an unexpected ally whose faithfulness puts
ours to shame? Bless them today.
Zadok and Abiathar start carrying the ark with David. He sends it
back:
“Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor… he will bring me
back” (v. 25).
Here David refuses to treat the ark as a talisman. His God is not a
lucky charm, nor is His presence tied to furniture.
Calvin comments: “True faith seeks God’s favor, not God’s box.”
Modern parallel: We sometimes clutch a ministry brand, a worship style,
a nation’s heritage, assuming God must hitch Himself to our cause. David
relinquishes control; God is free.
Hebrew glance
The phrase “I have no delight in you” (v. 26) uses ḥāfēṣ, “to delight,
take pleasure.” David submits to God’s delight, echoing
Hannah’s song (1 Sam 2:25), anticipating Jesus’ “not my will.”
Verse 30 strings five verbs of grief—wept, covered, walked, weeping, kept—creating an almost poetic cadence. Many scholars see a deliberate chiasm around David’s ascent:
A Weeping (30a)
B Covered head (30b)
C Barefoot (30c)
B′ Covered heads of the people (30d)
A′ Weeping (30e)
The structure centers on “barefoot”—total vulnerability. In the Ancient Near East, barefoot often marked mourning or surrender (Isa 20:2; Mic 1:8). Western shoes can hide this texture; to remove sandals was to expose one’s whole life to dust and stone.
Spiritual practice
Consider a short walk today—literally barefoot if feasible—as a prayed
reminder that all ground is holy ground (Ex 3:5) and our King
walked Earth’s dust for us.
David prays, “Turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness” (v. 31). His former adviser, possibly Bathsheba’s grandfather (see 2 Sam 11:3; 23:34), now sides with Absalom—sin’s long shadow. God answers not by striking Ahithophel silent but by sending Hushai (vv. 32-37). Wisdom in Scripture is relational before rational; God embeds help in people.
Cross-references
• 1 Corinthians 1:25 – “The foolishness of God is wiser than human
wisdom.”
• James 3:15-17 – Two kinds of wisdom: earthly and heavenly.
The Rejected Yet Anointed King
David’s humiliation prefigures Christ. Both leave Jerusalem, cross
Kidron, ascend Olivet weeping, and entrust their fate to the Father
(John 18:1). Early church fathers called David’s flight a “type” of the
Passion.
Kingdom Tested by Division
Israel fractures under charisma without covenant. The New Testament
echoes this in church splits (1 Cor 1:12). Unity around Christ outlasts
personalities.
Presence Without Manipulation
Sending the ark back reminds us God’s presence is gift, not leverage.
This undergirds Protestant warnings against magic-like use of sacraments
or objects.
Archaeological sidebar
Excavations in the City of David reveal a stepped stone structure on the
eastern slope—possibly part of David’s palace complex. The narrow
descent to the Kidron is steep; David’s hurried barefoot climb up Olivet
evokes real geography—a king caught between cliffs and betrayal.
“Thou, O Lord, Art a Shield About Me” – a modern arrangement of Psalm 3 (by Frank/Thompson/Jackson). Sung from the psalm David wrote during this very flight, it invites worshipers to trade fear for faith.
Sovereign Shepherd,
You were not ashamed to walk barefoot through dust and tears.
Guard our hearts from flattery, our lips from hollow praise,
and our hands from clutching what is Yours alone.
Give us the loyal courage of Ittai,
the yielded trust of David,
and the wise boldness of Hushai.
Turn every counsel that opposes Your kingdom into holy
foolishness.
Until the day the true Son of David returns,
keep us faithful to follow, even when the path leads down the valley and
up the mount of sorrow.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.