Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 14

Was David right not to allow Absalom’s return?

2 Samuel 14:13

This woman could argue whatever suited her purposes. Here in verse 13, David is making a plan against God’s own people, she says. In verse 17, she declares that David has wisdom like an angel, one of God’s special servants in heaven.

The woman first argues that David has made a plan against the people of God. The ‘people of God’ means Israel, the only nation that God chose to be his special possession. To make a plan against God’s people is to make a plan against God himself. So, the woman is accusing David of an extremely wicked act.

The plan to which the woman refers is David’s decision not to allow Absalom’s return to Israel. It seems that Absalom was the most powerful, popular and wealthy of David’s sons. When David could no longer rule Israel, the country would need a strong king. David had many sons, but there was no clear leader among them. God had chosen Solomon, but he was still too young to rule. So by his decision about Absalom, David was causing Israel to be much weaker than it should be.

Then the woman reminded David of his decision about her son. He had just ordered her family to forgive the son who killed his brother. However, David himself was refusing to forgive Absalom, because he (Absalom) had killed his brother.

That argument disturbed David very much. There were important differences between the situation in the woman’s family and the situation in his own family. However, David could not see those differences clearly.

Next part: The woman uses religion to convince David (2 Samuel 14:14)

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