The Meaning of 2 Samuel 14:26 Explained

2 Samuel 14:26

KJV: And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

YLT: and in his polling his head -- and it hath been at the end of year by year that he polleth it, for it is heavy on him, and he hath polled it -- he hath even weighed out the hair of his head -- two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

Darby: And when he shaved his head (for it was at every year's end that he shaved it, because it was heavy on him, therefore he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

ASV: And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when he polled  his head,  (for it was at every year's  end  that he polled  [it]: because [the hair] was heavy  on him, therefore he polled  it:) he weighed  the hair  of his head  at two hundred  shekels  after the king's  weight. 

What does 2 Samuel 14:26 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 14:18-33 - Restored Though Unrepentant
Joab knew perfectly that David was well pleased to recall Absalom, in response, as it appeared, to the request of the most powerful of his subjects. But Joab was equally satisfied that Absalom was now in a position to execute plans for personal advancement. His refusal to meet Absalom was perhaps only a blind. David, at least, was bitterly to rue his weakness in restoring his wayward son without the latter's penitence.
Absalom's behavior was based in the extreme. Beauty of body and deformity of soul often coexist in the same individual. A flower-covered grave may hide gross corruption. See in his case an illustration of what would happen if sin could be forgiven apart from repentance and regeneration. Justification without sanctification would turn heaven into hell. There must be deep soul-work, if we are to come forth into the light of the love of God. The barley-field, set on fire to bring about this meeting between Absalom and Joab, suggests how often God has to fire our choice possessions, that, as the flame flares up to heaven, we may be induced to seek the presence of Him whom we have deeply wronged. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 14

1  Joab, suborning a widow of Tekoah to incline the king's heart to fetch Absalom,
21  brings him home to Jerusalem
25  Absalom's beauty, hair, and children
28  After two years, Absalom is brought into the king's presence by Joab

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 14:26 mean?

And when he cut the hair of his head and at the end of every year that he cut [it] because it was heavy on him and when he cut it and he weighed - the hair of his head two hundred at shekels according to standard of the king
וּֽבְגַלְּחוֹ֮ אֶת־ רֹאשׁוֹ֒ וְֽ֠הָיָה מִקֵּ֨ץ יָמִ֤ים ׀ לַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְגַלֵּ֔חַ כִּֽי־ כָבֵ֥ד עָלָ֖יו וְגִלְּח֑וֹ וְשָׁקַל֙ אֶת־ שְׂעַ֣ר רֹאשׁ֔וֹ מָאתַ֥יִם שְׁקָלִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥בֶן הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וּֽבְגַלְּחוֹ֮  And  when  he  cut  the  hair 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלַח  
Sense: to poll, shave, shave off, be bald.
רֹאשׁוֹ֒  his  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
מִקֵּ֨ץ  at  the  end 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֵץ  
Sense: end.
יָמִ֤ים ׀  of  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לַיָּמִים֙  year 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְגַלֵּ֔חַ  he  cut  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלַח  
Sense: to poll, shave, shave off, be bald.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
כָבֵ֥ד  it  was  heavy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
עָלָ֖יו  on  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְגִלְּח֑וֹ  and  when  he  cut  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלַח  
Sense: to poll, shave, shave off, be bald.
וְשָׁקַל֙  and  he  weighed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁקַל  
Sense: to weigh, weigh out, pay out.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׂעַ֣ר  the  hair 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׂעָר  
Sense: hair.
רֹאשׁ֔וֹ  of  his  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
מָאתַ֥יִם  two  hundred 
Parse: Number, fd
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
שְׁקָלִ֖ים  at  shekels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֶׁקֶל  
Sense: shekel.
בְּאֶ֥בֶן  according  to  standard 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.