Absalom used to rise early and stand by the road to the city gates; and whenever someone had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out, “What town are you from?” And when the answer came, “Your servant is from such and such a tribeasuch and such a tribe Lit. “one of the tribes.” in Israel,”
And Absalom went on, “If only I were appointed judge in the land and everyone with a legal dispute came before me, I would see that they got their rights.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
אבשלום
379
מיישמני
460
שפט
389
בארץ
293
ועלי
116
יבוא
19
כלאיש
361
אשריהיהלוריב
779
ומשפט
435
והצדקתיו
621
II Samuel 15:5
Gematria: 3255
והיהבקרבאישלהשתחותלוושלחאתידווהחזיקלוונשקלו
And if a man approached to bow to him, [Absalom] would extend his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.
After a period of fortybforty Some Septuagint mss. and Syriac read “four.” years had gone by, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow that I made to GOD.
For your servant made a vow when I lived in Geshur of Aram: If GOD ever brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship GOD.”cSome Septuagint mss. add “in Hebron.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
כינדר
284
נדר
254
עבדך
96
בשבתי
714
בגשור
511
בארם
243
לאמר
271
אםישוב
359
ישיב
322
ישיבני
382
יהוה
26
ירושלם
586
ועבדתי
492
אתיהוה
427
II Samuel 15:9
Gematria: 1389
ויאמרלוהמלךלךבשלוםויקםוילךחברונהפ
The king said to him, “Go in peace”; and so he set out for Hebron.
Absalom also sent [to fetch]dsent [to fetch] Some Septuagint mss. and 4QSamᵃ read “sent and summoned.” Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his town, Giloh, when the sacrifices were to be offered. The conspiracy gained strength, and the people supported Absalom in increasing numbers.
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישלח
354
אבשלום
379
אתאחיתפל
930
הגילני
108
יועץ
176
דוד
14
מעירו
326
מגלה
78
בזבחו
25
אתהזבחים
473
ויהי
31
הקשר
605
אמץ
131
והעם
121
הולך
61
ורב
208
אתאבשלום
780
II Samuel 15:13
Gematria: 1899
ויבאהמגידאלדודלאמרהיהלבאישישראלאחריאבשלום
Someone came and told David, “The loyalty of Israel’s force has veered toward Absalom.”
Whereupon David said to all the courtiers who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let us flee at once, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must get away quickly, or he will soon overtake us and bring down disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
דוד
14
לכלעבדיו
172
אשראתו
908
בירושלם
588
קומו
152
ונברחה
271
כי
30
לאתהיהלנו
537
פליטה
134
מפני
180
אבשלם
373
מהרו
251
ללכת
480
פןימהר
385
והשגנו
370
והדיח
33
עלינו
166
אתהרעה
681
והכה
36
העיר
285
לפיחרב
330
II Samuel 15:15
Gematria: 1687
ויאמרועבדיהמלךאלהמלךככלאשריבחראדניהמלךהנהעבדיך
The king’s courtiers said to the king, “Whatever our lord the king decides, your servants are ready.”
So the king left, followed by his entire household, except for ten concubines whom the king left to mind the palace.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויצא
107
המלך
95
וכלביתו
474
ברגליו
251
ויעזב
95
המלך
95
את
401
עשר
570
נשים
400
פלגשים
463
לשמר
570
הבית
417
II Samuel 15:17
Gematria: 1525
ויצאהמלךוכלהעםברגליוויעמדוביתהמרחק
The king left, followed by all the people,eall the people Septuagint reads “his courtiers.” and they stopped at the last house.fthe last house Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
All his followersghis followers Septuagint reads “the people.” marched past him, including all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites; andhand Emendation yields “and Ittai and.” all six hundred Gittites, who had accompanied him from Gath, also marched by the king.
And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you too go with us? Go back and stay with the [new] king, for you are a foreigner and you are also an exile fromifrom So one Heb. ms. and several ancient versions; most mss. and editions read “to.” your country.
You came only yesterday; should I make you wander about with us today, when I myself must go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kin with you, [in]j[in] Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Septuagint reads “and may GOD show you” (cf., e.g., 2.6). true faithfulness.”
Ittai replied to the king, “As GOD lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, there your servant will be, whether for death or for life!”
The whole countryside wept aloud as the troops marched by. The king crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the troops crossed by the road tokcrossed the Kidron … by the road to Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “stopped in the Kidron Valley, while all the people marched on before him by way of the Mount of Olives to…” the wilderness.
Then Zadok appeared, with all the Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God; and they set down the Ark of God until all the people had finished marching out of the city. Abiathar also came up.lAbiathar also came up Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
And the king said to the priest Zadok, “Do you understand? You returnmDo you … return Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “Look, you and Abiathar return.” to the safety of the city with your two sons, your own son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan.
David meanwhile went up the slope of the [Mount of] Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he walked barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they went up.
When David reached the top, where people would prostrate themselves to God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him, with his robe torn and with earth on his head.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויהי
31
דוד
14
בא
3
עדהראש
580
אשרישתחוה
1230
שם
340
לאלהים
116
והנה
66
לקראתו
737
חושי
324
הארכי
236
קרוע
376
כתנתו
876
ואדמה
56
עלראשו
607
II Samuel 15:33
Gematria: 2333
ויאמרלודודאםעברתאתיוהיתעלילמשא
David said to him, “If you march on with me, you will be a burden to me.
But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father’s servant formerly, and now I will be yours,’ then you can nullify Ahithophel’s counsel for me.
You will have the priests Zadok and Abiathar there, and you can report everything that you hear in the king’s palace to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.