Absalom’s Defeat and Death
2 Samuel 18:1-18 NLT
Absalom’s Defeat and Death
18:1 David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them. 2 He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.”
3 But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”
4 “If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,” the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.
5 And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.
6 So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim, 7 and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. 8 The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
9 During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. 10 One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.”
11 “What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!”
12 “I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’ 13 And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”
14 “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. 15 Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.
16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel. 17 They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.
18 During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.
Examine the Scriptures
2 Samuel 18:1-18 NLT
Absalom’s Defeat and Death
18:1 David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them.
David organized his troops in preparation for an encounter with Absalom and his troops.
- David’s methodical preparation shows his leadership strength being put into action.
King David is widely considered a highly skilled and successful military leader.
2 He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath.
A three pronged attack was a customary military strategy.
Judges 7:16 NLT Gideon Defeats the Midianites
16 He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
1 Samuel 11:11 NLT Saul vs. the Ammonites
11 But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.
1 Samuel 13:16-17 NLT Used by the Philistine army
16 … The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash. 17 Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual, 18 another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.
The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.”
Unlike:
2 Samuel 11:1 NLT
David and Bathsheba
11:1 In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
- David wanted to be a part of this military campaign.
3 But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you.
You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”
- David’s comrades insisted that he remained behind.
The counsel of many.
Proverbs 11:14 NLT
Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
there is safety in having many advisors.
Proverbs 15:22 NLT
Plans go wrong for lack of advice;
Many advisors bring success.
Note: David was getting old and was no longer the warrior he had once been.
David was likely in his 60s or 70s during the events of 2 Samuel 18.
All of Absalom’s troops were looking to kill David.
2 Samuel 17:1-4 NLT (Ahithophel speaking)
17:1 Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, “Let me choose 12,000 men to start out after David tonight. 2 I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged. He and his troops will panic, and everyone will run away. Then I will kill only the king, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man’s life that you seek. Then you will be at peace with all the people.” 4 This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.
- If David were killed, the whole cause would be lost and Absalom would become the next king.
4 “If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,” the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.
No one knows the size of David’s army, but it appears to have grown.
5 And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.
- David reluctantly agreed to stay behind but commanded his officers that they not harm Absalom.
“Young Absalom” is used in this verse and in verses 12, 29, and 32.
David’s love for his son was undying and almost his undoing.
From a future lesson:
2 Samuel 19:5-7 NLT
5 Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves. 6 You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. 7 Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.”
- David’s command regarding Absalom (“Deal gently with young Absalom”) reveals his deep paternal love for Absalom despite Absalom’s rebellion against David. It sets up a painful tension between David’s role as king and as father.
David’s order to spare Absalom shows how difficult it is for him to separate justice from mercy.
6 So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim, 7 and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. 8 The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
It seems like David’s army of experienced soldiers could effectively attack a much larger force, most of whom were apparently unable to maneuver well in the dense forest.
God is clearly behind David’s victory.
“more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword”
God used his creation to defeat Absalom’s army.
- The Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives.
9 During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule,
Mules were ridden by the royal family in David’s kingdom.
It appears that the forest (God) caused chaos for Absalom’s army.
But as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air.
- Absalom became a victim of the elements of the inhospitable terrain.
Absalom’s “famous long hair” became his downfall.
2 Samuel 14:25-26 NLT
25 Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot. 26 He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!
- Absalom’s pride, notably his hair, contributes to his downfall.
Food for thought:
His death hanging in a tree also evokes Deuteronomy 21:23: “a man hanged on a tree is cursed,” implying divine judgment.
Deuteronomy 21:23 NLT
23 … for anyone who is hung[a] (on a tree) is cursed in the sight of God. …
Footnotes
21:23 Greek version reads for everyone who is hung on a tree.
10 One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.”
11 “What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!”
- Joab’s actions and interests did not always coincide with David’s wishes.
At times David was unable to control Joab.
Example:
2 Samuel 3:39 NLT
39 And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah—Joab and Abishai—are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.”
12 “I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’ 13 And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”
- One of David’s soldiers found Absalom dangling from a branch of a large tree but the soldier refused to harm Absalom further because he had heard David order his men not to harm Absalom.
14 “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.
Joab felt differently than the soldier who had spared Absalom’s life.
15 Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him.
- Joab and his armor bearers disobeyed a direct order of David (see verse 5).
- Joab acts decisively, believing the rebellion must end completely.
These men wanted Absalom completely out of the picture.
16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel.
- After Absalom’s death, Joab calls off the pursuit, signaling the rebellion’s end.
David’s army appeared to be in control.
17 They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it.
This is not a formal or honorable burial. Being tossed into a pit and covered with stones is more akin to the burial of a criminal or someone disgraced.
Being buried away from family tombs was considered shameful, again highlighting Absalom’s tragic end.
Similar imagery is seen in the deaths of Achan (Joshua 7:26) and the king of Ai (Joshua 8:29)—both marked by a pile of stones that served as a visible sign of divine judgment.
Joshua 7:26 NLT
26 They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry.
Joshua 8:29 NLT
29 Joshua impaled the king of Ai on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body, as Joshua commanded, and threw it in front of the town gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today.
- Absalom’s body was thrown into a deep pit in the forest and a great heap of stones was piled over it.
And all Israel fled to their homes.
The narrative shifts to a strange epilogue about Absalom’s monument, which he had built for himself
18 During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.”
2 Samuel 14:27 NLT
27 He (Absalom) had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful.
He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.
- Absalom had already erected a memorial to his own name in the Kidron Valley.
Absalom was not unique in doing this.
1 Samuel 15:12 NLT
12 Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”
Absalom was a vain, prideful, and ambitious man.
The monument became a symbol of Absalom’s pride and tragic end.
- This contrasts starkly with his actual fate: buried in a pit and covered with stones—a dishonorable end, far from the glory he desired.
Absalom’s desire for legacy ends in disgrace. The “monument” becomes a symbol of failed ambition and rebellion against God’s anointed.
Absalom’s ambition leads to personal ruin and national bloodshed, underscoring the dangers of pride and disloyalty.
Comments from commentaries.
For generations, people threw stones at it in contempt of Absalom’s rebellion against his father.
Today there is a monument (a different monument), a tomb, in that area called Absalom’s tomb on which orthodox Jews spit when passing by.
