2 Samuel 15:13-37

2 Samuel 15:13-37

[13] And there came  a messenger  to David,  saying,  The hearts  of the men  of Israel  are after  Absalom.  [14] And David  said  unto all his servants  that were with him at Jerusalem,  Arise,  and let us flee;  for we shall not else escape  from  Absalom:  make speed  lest he overtake  us suddenly,  and bring  evil  upon us, and smite  the city  with the edge  of the sword.  [15] And the king's  servants  said  unto the king,  Behold, thy servants  are ready to do whatsoever my lord  the king  shall appoint.  [16] And the king  went forth,  and all his household  after  him. And the king  left  ten  women,  which were concubines,  to keep  the house.  [17] And the king  went forth,  and all the people  after  him, and tarried  [18] And all his servants  passed on  beside  him; and all the Cherethites,  and all the Pelethites,  and all the Gittites,  six  hundred  men  which came  after  him from Gath,  passed on  before  the king.  [19] Then said  the king  to Ittai  the Gittite,  thou also with us? return  to thy place,  and abide  with the king:  for thou art a stranger,  and also an exile.  [20] Whereas thou camest  but yesterday,  should I this day  up and down  with us? seeing I go  whither I may, return  thy brethren:  mercy  and truth  be with thee. [21] And Ittai  answered  the king,  and said,  As the LORD  liveth,  and as my lord  the king  liveth,  surely in what place  my lord  the king  shall be, whether in death  or life,  even there also will thy servant  [22] And David  said  to Ittai,  and pass over.  And Ittai  the Gittite  passed over,  and all the little ones  [23] And all the country  wept  with a loud  voice,  and all the people  passed over:  the king  also himself passed over  the brook  Kidron,  and all the people  passed over,  toward  the way  of the wilderness.  [24] And lo Zadok  also, and all the Levites  were with him, bearing  the ark  of the covenant  of God:  and they set down  the ark  of God;  and Abiathar  went up,  until all the people  had done  passing  out of the city.  [25] And the king  said  unto Zadok,  Carry back  the ark  of God  into the city:  if I shall find  favour  in the eyes  of the LORD,  he will bring me again,  and shew  me both it, and his habitation:  [26] But if he thus say,  I have no delight  in thee; behold, here am I, let him do  to me as seemeth  good  unto him. [27] The king  said  also unto Zadok  the priest,  Art not thou a seer?  return  into the city  in peace,  and your two  sons  with you, Ahimaaz  thy son,  and Jonathan  the son  of Abiathar.  [28] See,  I will tarry  of the wilderness,  until there come  word  from you to certify  me. [29] Zadok  therefore and Abiathar  the ark  of God  again  to Jerusalem:  and they tarried  [30] And David  went up  by the ascent  of mount Olivet,  and wept  as he went up,  and had his head  covered,  and he went  barefoot:  and all the people  that was with him covered  every man  his head,  and they went up,  weeping  as they went up.  [31] And one told  David,  saying,  Ahithophel  is among the conspirators  with Absalom.  And David  said,  O LORD,  I pray thee, turn the counsel  of Ahithophel  into foolishness.  [32] And it came to pass, that when David  was come  to the top  of the mount, where he worshipped  God,  behold, Hushai  the Archite  came to meet  him with his coat  rent,  and earth  upon his head:  [33] Unto whom David  said,  If thou passest on  with me, then thou shalt be a burden  unto me: [34] But if thou return  to the city,  and say  unto Absalom,  I will be thy servant,  O king;  as I have been thy father's  servant  hitherto,  so will I now also be thy servant:  then mayest thou for me defeat  the counsel  of Ahithophel.  [35] And hast thou not there with thee Zadok  and Abiathar  the priests?  therefore it shall be, that what thing  soever thou shalt hear  out of the king's  house,  thou shalt tell  it to Zadok  and Abiathar  the priests.  [36] Behold, they have there with them their two  sons,  Ahimaaz  Zadok's  son, and Jonathan  Abiathar's  son; and by them  ye shall send  unto me every thing  that ye can hear.  [37] So Hushai  David's  friend  came  into the city,  and Absalom  came  into Jerusalem. 

What does 2 Samuel 15:13-37 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The people of Israel had formerly given the kingdom to David as a gift ( 2 Samuel 5:1-3), but now they took that gift from him ( 2 Samuel 15:13). [1] David knew that Absalom was popular with the people. Evidently he fled Jerusalem to save his own life and to spare the capital from destruction. Perhaps Absalom planned to destroy David"s capital as well as to kill the king and reassert Judean supremacy. Clearly David planned to return to Jerusalem ( 1 Chronicles 16:39-42). He was fleeing from an attack, not going into exile. The Cherethites and Pelethites were David"s bodyguard. The600 men from Gath ( 2 Samuel 15:18) were probably mercenary soldiers. These foreigners were loyal to David even when his own son deserted him.
"Ancient kings quite often preferred to employ foreign bodyguards, since they were unlikely to be affected by local political considerations or won over by local political factions." [2]
David later repaid Ittai, another former resident of Gath, for his loyalty by making him commander of one-third of his army ( 2 Samuel 18:2). David urged Ittai to return to Jerusalem and to remain loyal to him there ( 2 Samuel 15:19), but Ittai insisted on accompanying the king. Ittai"s commitment to David ( 2 Samuel 15:19-22) recalls Ruth"s commitment to Naomi ( Ruth 1:16-17). David crossed the Kidron Valley immediately east of Zion and moved up the Mount of Olives that lay on the other side of the valley. In this he anticipated the movement of his descendant, Jesus Christ, who also crossed the Kidron Valley to pray on Mt. Olivet during His passion ( John 18:1).
At this time there were two leading priests in Israel: Zadok (who was also a prophet, 2 Samuel 15:27) and Abiathar. Probably Zadok was responsible for worship in Jerusalem where David built a new structure to house the ark. Abiathar seems to have functioned for many years as David"s personal chaplain. Earlier Zadok had been in charge of the Gibeon sanctuary ( 2 Samuel 15:16). God"s "habitation" ( 2 Samuel 15:25) most likely refers to the new tent David had recently completed in Jerusalem (cf. 1 Chronicles 15:1). These facts suggest another reason for Absalom"s rebellion and the support he enjoyed. Many of the Israelites probably considered David"s projects of building a new tabernacle and bringing the ark into Jerusalem inappropriate, since Jerusalem was a formerly Canaanite stronghold. Many other people may have shared Michal"s reaction ( 2 Samuel 6:16-20). [3]
David"s complete submission to God"s authority over his life is admirable ( 2 Samuel 15:26). The phrase "the fords of the wilderness" ( 2 Samuel 15:28) probably refers to the place people forded the Jordan River near the wilderness of Judah (cf. 2 Samuel 17:22). David did not believe superstitiously that the presence of the ark would ensure his victory (cf. 1 Samuel 4:3).
David trudged up the Mount of Olives, attired for mourning ( 2 Samuel 15:30), praying as he wept ( 2 Samuel 15:31). On Mt. Olivet David was still only a few hundred yards from the City of David. It rises about200 feet above the city to its east. Walking barefoot ( 2 Samuel 15:30) symbolized "the shameful exile on which he is now embarking (cf. Isaiah 20:2-3; cf. similarly Micah 1:8)." [4] David"s friend (i.e, counselor) Hushai came from a family that evidently lived on Ephraim"s southern border between Bethel and Ataroth ( Joshua 16:2). [5] He was probably quite old.
Chapter15 teaches us a lot about friendship. Absalom is the negative example, and David"s supporters as he left Jerusalem are the positive ones. David lost Absalom as a friend because he failed to reach out to him in genuine forgiveness. David won the friendship of many others in Israel because he had a heart for God that expressed itself in lovingkindness for people (cf. Matthew 22:37-39). This made people love David, and we see the marks of their friendship in their dealings with David in this chapter. The king"s servants modeled true service by offering to do whatever David needed them to do ( 2 Samuel 15:15-18). Ittai expressed his friendship by being a companion to David ( 2 Samuel 15:19-23). Zadok and Abiathar became informants and made sure their friend had the information he needed to guarantee his welfare ( 2 Samuel 15:24-29). Hushai was willing to hazard his own safety to defend David in the presence of his enemies ( 2 Samuel 15:30-37). These people proved to be "sheltering trees" [6] for their friend in his hour of need.
"Meanwhile David showed a commendable attitude very much in contrast to Absalom"s arrogance. He was completely willing to submit to God"s will ( 2 Samuel 15:25 f.), whatever that might prove to be. Such willingness to surrender leadership at the right time is another hallmark of good leadership." [7]