And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me run, I pray, and carry the king the news that Jehovah has avenged him of his enemies.
Word has just reached Joab's camp that the rebellion is over: Absalom is dead, and the throne David fled is his again. Ahimaaz asks for the job of carrying that word to the king. The chapter then turns from the battlefield to a question about messengers. A man can be fast on his feet and still be the wrong person to send.
The news Ahimaaz wants to carry gives the credit to the LORD, not to the army: God has settled accounts with the man who took his father's crown. That rebellion ended in shame:
The battle takes place. The man who lifted himself up so proudly dies a death of special shame and curse, hanging on a tree. He had flattered Israel to win them as his supporters against his father. He sought rule but not from God, setting himself against the glory of God and the king of Israel.
Ahimaaz had his own reason for pressing to go, and it had nothing to do with his career:
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn David of coming danger. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. Joab is always shrewd in politics, and he knows the king's feelings toward Absalom. He tries to discourage Ahimaaz, but in vain. It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this may hurt him personally or hinder his career. He does not share Joab's politics. Whatever may come of it, he wants to be the first, bowed before the king, to acknowledge the dignity that is his again.
Joab's first answer is no, and the reason has nothing to do with speed. He had taken the measure of the man:
Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to bear the message. But Joab knew him to be a tender-hearted man. He knew Ahimaaz would not want to tell David of the death of Absalom. Therefore Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do so.
Ahimaaz arrives first and does what he asked to do: he gives God the credit for the victory. Then David asks about his son, and the tender heart Joab had spotted takes over:
Ahimaaz was so anxious to set the king's mind at rest that he called out "All is well." Then he gives God the honour for having delivered up the man who had raised revolt against David... However, David's greatest concern was for his son, and he asks, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz knew Absalom was dead, but he was afraid to tell David this. So instead he told him that he had seen a great uproar, but knew nothing of how it ended. In other words, the goodness of Ahimaaz's character led him to compromise the faithfulness of his message.
Ahimaaz asked to do two things: to run, and to carry news. He did the running well and left the message to the slower man behind him. One writer draws the lesson for anyone who wants to be useful:
Service is necessary, but we cannot serve rightly apart from hearing His word. Ahimaaz wished to serve by running to the king with news about the death of Absalom. He was physically stronger than Cushi, but his running gained nothing, because he had no message from Joab.
The king's verdict on Ahimaaz stayed with him. Later he is found among those honoured in Solomon's kingdom:
Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, receives an equal honour. He was faithful to David at the risk of his life. The old king had given this testimony about him: "He is a good man, and comes with good news." He was the first to announce to David the victory which restored his throne to him and assured him of inheriting it according to God.
- The message first. The victory was God's before it was news. The LORD had delivered David from his enemies, and the runner's only job was to carry that word.
- The messenger's motive. Ahimaaz wanted the king's honour, not his own career. He had already risked his life for David once.
- The commander's caution. Joab said no at first. He judged Ahimaaz too tender-hearted to deliver the part of the message that would hurt.
- The message delivered. He gave God the credit for the victory. Then he stopped short of the truth about Absalom, and his kindness weakened his faithfulness.
- The running without it. He outran the other man and still arrived empty. Speed and zeal do not make a servant useful without a message to carry.
And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a bearer of news to-day, but thou shalt carry the news another day; but to-day thou shalt carry no news, because the king's son is dead.
Joab has just killed Absalom in the wood, and the battle is won. But when Ahimaaz asks to carry word to David, Joab refuses him: the day of victory is also the day the king's son died.
Joab sends a different runner, and his reason is the kind of man Ahimaaz is.
Someone must carry news of the battle against Absalom to David. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to take the message. But Joab knew he was a tender-hearted man, and that he would not want to tell David that Absalom was dead. So Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do it.
Ahimaaz will not be put off. He had already risked his life for David once, and his own career is not what drives him now.
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of impending danger... Joab, shrewd as always about politics, knows how the king feels about Absalom. He tries to discourage Ahimaaz, but it is no use. It matters little to Ahimaaz if this hurts him or damages his career; he does not share Joab's politics. Whatever comes of it, he wants to be the first to bow before the king and honour the dignity that is his again. Perhaps he is also thinking of softening the blow that Absalom's death will deal to his beloved master's heart. One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, and let no one get there before us!
Joab decides what David may and may not hear. Yet Joab is the man who made this news himself, against the king's will.
We see God's hand in this disaster, but we also see Joab's murderous hand, a terrible thing. He is always committing evil. Here he shows how much respect he has for the king's will and person. His self-interest leads him to get rid of Absalom, who had once humbled his pride and who might one day push him aside by putting Amasa in his place as commander. An ordinary man from among the people has more respect for the king's will than the head of his army does.
Joab's flat phrase hides how the king's son actually died.
The godless son hangs in a tree, cursed and shamed. The magnificent hair that was his glory becomes the means of his ruin. In his youth, before he had any sons, this man had put up a monument "to keep [his] name in remembrance." Now he lies buried under an unknown heap of stones in the wood of Ephraim. His monument still stands today, and it is a reminder of his humiliation and his terrible judgment.
after_check: meaning kept
Events proved Joab right. The king cared far less about the victory than about one person.
The watchman announces that he recognizes the swift runner as Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. "And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news." His message is that all is well. But the anxious father pays little attention to the victory won, and asks about the young man Absalom. Then Cushi, the second runner, arrives. He carries the news of Absalom's death, and he passes it on to David gently and carefully.
- Victory. David's army won the day, and the throne was his again.
- Verdict. The runner Joab held back was the one man too tender to tell a father his son had died.
- Volunteer. Ahimaaz ran anyway. His career meant nothing to him; he only wanted to be first at the feet of his king.
- Villain. "The king's son is dead" was Joab's own doing — self-interest dressed as loyalty, against the king's will.
- Verification. David's first question was not about his kingdom. It was about Absalom. Joab had judged the king's heart right.
Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
The battle against Absalom is over, and Absalom is dead by Joab's hand. Now Joab must choose who carries the news to David — and the man he picks is not the man who volunteered.
The man Joab sends is known only by this one errand. Some translations give him the name Cushi; a reference work sums up his whole story in a line:
Joab's messenger to David on the death of Absalom. 2 Samuel 18:21-32, where the Revised Version has "the Cushite."
Joab chose with care. Ahimaaz, son of Zadok the priest, had asked first, and Joab turned him down. One writer explains why:
Someone had to take news of the battle against Absalom to David. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to carry the message. But Joab knew he was a tender-hearted man, and that he would not want to tell David of the death of Absalom. So Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do it. He began his long run at once.
Joab sends the report, and Joab caused the death it reports. That shapes how we read his order to go and tell the king:
We see God's hand in this disaster, but we also see Joab's murderous hand, a terrible thing. He is always committing evil. Here he shows how much respect he has for the king's will and person. His self-interest leads him to get rid of Absalom. Absalom had once humbled his pride, and might one day work against him by putting Amasa in his place… A man from among the people has more respect for the king's will than the very head of his army does.
Ahimaaz wanted the same errand, and he did not share Joab's motives:
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of coming danger. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. Joab is always politically shrewd, and he knows the king's feelings toward Absalom. He tries to discourage him, but in vain. It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this may hurt him or hinder his career. He does not share Joab's politics… One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one outstrip us!
Ahimaaz ran anyway, and reached David first. But he held back the hardest part of the news:
Ahimaaz knew that Absalom had been killed, but he was afraid to tell David. So instead he said he had seen a great commotion but knew nothing of how it turned out. In other words, Ahimaaz's good character led him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
The Cushite, sent to say what he had seen, said it — and said it with care:
Cushi, the second runner, appears. He carries the news of Absalom's death, and he passes it on in a tender and cautious way.
One writer takes Ahimaaz as a warning for anyone who wants to serve God:
There was the Word for the world. But between the two stand the work and the worker, and they are essential if the Word is to reach the world… Christians saw and felt the need of the world and decided to be workers. Then they asked to be given work. Then they went to the Word for a message — no wonder disappointment and discouragement followed. The order is not world, worker, work, Word, but Word, work, worker, world. We must keep the sequence right. If we do not, we shall run to the world without a message, like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, who wanted to run to King David though he had no news ready.
- Sent. Joab passes over the eager volunteer and sends the Cushite. He knows Ahimaaz would not want to tell David that Absalom is dead.
- Sender. Joab, who sends the news, is the man who killed Absalom against the king's clear order. An ordinary soldier showed the king more respect than he did.
- Seen. The Cushite's task is to tell what he saw. He reports the death in a tender and cautious way.
- Softened. Ahimaaz arrives first, but he says less. His kind heart compromises the faithfulness of the message.
- Substance. Running fast is worth nothing without something to say. The order is Word, work, worker, world — not a worker hurrying off with no news ready.
And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, Come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that there is no news suited [to thee]?
Joab had already sent the Cushite with the report of the battle. Still Ahimaaz would not let it rest. He asked a second time to run. Joab's reply puts a blunt question to every eager messenger: why run at all, when you have nothing to carry?
Joab's refusal was not about the road. It was about the man. He knew Ahimaaz, and he could guess how this news would land on him.
David had to be told how the battle against Absalom had gone. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to carry the message. But Joab knew he was a tender-hearted man, and that he would not want to tell David of the death of Absalom. So Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do it. He set off at once on his long run. But Ahimaaz was anxious to give good news to David, and urged Joab to let him run too.
Ahimaaz will run whatever it costs him. One writer takes that "come what may" as the sign of a heart set on the king alone.
Joab is always shrewd in politics, and he knows how the king feels about Absalom. He tries to discourage him, but in vain. Ahimaaz does not care whether this hurts him or holds back his career. He does not share Joab's politics. Whatever comes of it, he wants to be the first to bow before the king and own the honour that is the king's once more. This is the focus of all his energy, for he belongs to David wholeheartedly... One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one outrun us!
Commentators read Joab's motive differently. One sees a commander sparing a tender man a painful task. The other sees a politician who knows how the king will take the news.
One writer turns Joab's objection into a warning about Christian service. Wanting to go is not the same as having something to deliver. The order of the two matters.
There was the "Word" for the "world." But between the two, and needed if the Word is to reach the world, are the "work" and the "worker"... Christians saw and felt the need of the world. They decided to be workers. Then they asked to be given work. Then they went to the Word for a message. No wonder the result was disappointment and discouragement. The order is not world, worker, work, Word, but Word, work, worker, world. We must keep the sequence right. We must begin with the Word, or we shall run to the world with no message. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok wanted to run to King David like that, though he had no news ready.
Joab's misgiving proved right. Ahimaaz outran the Cushite and reached the king first — and then could not finish the sentence.
Ahimaaz was so anxious to set the king's mind at rest that he called out "All is well." Then he gives God the honour for having delivered up the man who had raised revolt against David... But the king's greatest concern was for his son. He asks, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz knew he had been killed, but was afraid to tell David this. So instead he told him that he had seen a great tumult, but knew nothing of how it ended. In other words, the goodness of the character of Ahimaaz influenced him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
Joab asks, "Why will you run?" Scripture has its own warning for the servant who sets off unsent.
We need to have our eye on God alone. If He sends us, all is well; then we may gladly go without a fear or a question; but woe to the one who runs unsent. The Lord must say of other prophets: "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied" (Jer. 23:21). Let us beware of such work done in the name of the Lord!
- Before the run. Wanting to run is not the same as having something to report. The Word comes before the worker, or the runner arrives empty.
- Why he ran. Ahimaaz is not chasing promotion. He runs for the king's honour, not his own career.
- Why Joab said no. Joab reads his man right. A tender heart can be the very thing that unfits someone to carry a hard word.
- What the run cost. Ahimaaz reaches David first and says "All is well." Then he holds back the one fact the king asked for. Kindness bent the truth.
- The one question. For every servant the question is not "am I willing?" but "am I sent?" Woe to the one who runs unsent.
-- But, come what may, let me run. And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outstripped the Cushite.
Absalom's revolt is over, and someone must carry the news to the waiting king. Joab has already sent the Cushite, but Ahimaaz begs to run as well. His words, "Come what may... I will run," raise a question bigger than that day: what makes a messenger fit to run, speed or a message?
Joab's reluctance was not about Ahimaaz's speed. It was about the news itself, and the kind of man Ahimaaz was.
Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to carry the message. But Joab knew he was a tender-hearted man, and that he would not want to tell David of the death of Absalom. Therefore Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do so. He began his long run at once. But Ahimaaz was anxious to give good news to David, and urged Joab to also let him run. Of course this was not necessary, but at the persistence of Ahimaaz, Joab gave him permission (v.23). It seems the Cushite had taken a mountain trail. That route would be rough, though perhaps shorter than the way through the plain, which Ahimaaz chose. The plain would at least be easier running, and Ahimaaz was fast enough to out-distance the Cushite.
Commentators differ on whether this second run was worth making at all. One calls it unnecessary. Another sees a devotion in it that had already cost Ahimaaz something.
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of danger that was coming. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. Joab is always shrewd in politics, and he knows the king's feelings toward Absalom. He tries to discourage Ahimaaz, but in vain. It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this hurts him or hinders his career. He does not share Joab's politics. Whatever may come of it, he wants to be the first to bow before the king and acknowledge the dignity that is his again. One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one outstrip us!
The sting in the account is that Joab never gave Ahimaaz anything to say. He is the picture of someone who feels the urgency and starts running before he has received anything to carry.
There was the "Word" for the "world." But between the two stand the "work" and the "worker," and they are necessary if the Word is to reach the world. Often this true sequence was reversed. Christians saw and felt the need of the world and decided to be workers. Then they asked for work, and then went to the Word for a message. It is small wonder that disappointment and discouragement were the result. The order is not world, worker, work, Word, but Word, work, worker, world. We must keep the sequence right, or we shall be running to the world without a message, as Ahimaaz the son of Zadok wanted to run to King David though he had no tidings ready.
Being fit for the job did not make up for having nothing to say.
Ahimaaz wished to be of service by running with news to the king about the death of Absalom. He was in better physical shape than the Cushite, but his running was profitless, because he had no message from Joab.
Joab had judged the man rightly. David's one real question undid him.
However, his greatest concern was for his son, and he asks, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz knew Absalom was dead, but he was afraid to tell David. So instead he said that he had seen a great uproar, but knew nothing of how it ended. In other words, the goodness of the character of Ahimaaz influenced him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
Even so, Ahimaaz is not remembered with contempt. The king himself had spoken well of him.
Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, was faithful to David at the risk of his life. About him the old king had given this testimony: "He is a good man and comes with good news." He was the first to announce to David the victory. That victory restored his throne to him and assured him of inheriting it according to God.
- Word first. The right order is Word, work, worker, world — reverse it, and you run to the world with nothing to say.
- Message before speed. Ahimaaz outran the Cushite and still ran to no purpose, because Joab had given him no news to carry.
- Motive still matters. He wanted no career advantage, only to be first at the feet of the restored king — a run worth imitating.
- Kindness is not faithfulness. His gentleness made him dodge David's question; the truth had to wait for the second runner.
- Character counts. David called him a good man who brings good news, and he was the first to bring the king word of the victory that restored his throne.
And David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate, on to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running alone.
The battle for David's throne is being fought out in the forest, and the king is not in it. He sits at the city gate, and the first news of the outcome is one man running toward the wall.
David wanted to march out with his troops, and they refused to let him. One writer says both sides were right, and that the people refused out of active faith.
David wants to go out with his people into battle. They all reply: "You shall not go out." Both these feelings are according to God. Instead of going out with his people David had stayed at Jerusalem in the past (2 Sam. 11:1), and he had had to bear the consequences. Now he understands that his place is with the army. But the people are right too, for they value David's worth: "You are worth ten thousand of us" (v. 3)... Both sides are convinced that everything depends on David. But on the people's side faith is active. For them, David away from the battlefield counts just as much as David present. "It is better that you send us help from the city," they say. David yields to their request: "Whatever seems best to you I will do." This is how the Lord Jesus acts toward us... He yields to faith, He allows Himself to be persuaded, for He can do nothing other than answer what His own grace has produced in the heart.
The gate is a public place, but David's waiting there is private agony. Either outcome would carry him back to an old sin.
With a heart full of such affections, he sits between the gates to wait for the solemn outcome. The captains and their armies go off to the battle of the wood of Ephraim. Victory or defeat would be much the same to David. Whatever the result, it could only tell him where it came from. It would also carry a sad memory of that other battle, in which another man had fallen — fallen under the judgment of God, murdered by David's hand, while he stayed idle in the city. But the Lord is only refining him, and in no way destroying him. His chastening, blessed be His name, is salvation.
The watchman on the roof could tell what the runner meant before the man said a word.
David was waiting anxiously for news, sitting between the gates of the city. As the watchman saw a man running alone, David knew that he was bringing news. As he came nearer the watchman saw another following.
Joab tried to talk the first runner out of going. Ahimaaz went anyway, and what it might cost him did not matter.
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David... Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. Joab is always shrewd in politics, and he knows how the king feels about Absalom. He tries to discourage Ahimaaz, but he fails. It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this may hurt him personally or hinder his career... Whatever may come of it, he wants to be the first, bowed before the king, to acknowledge the dignity that is his again... May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one get ahead of us!
The report of the battle reached David. One name mattered more to him.
The watchman announces that he recognises the swift runner as Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. "And the king said, 'He is a good man and comes with good news.'" His message is that all is well. But the anxious father-heart pays little attention to the victory won, and asks about the young man Absalom.
None of this is an accident of politics. David's exile and his grief came under the hand of God.
It is painful to see the conqueror of Goliath driven from his home and his throne by his beloved son — and driven under God's hand. For if God had not allowed it, who could have driven God's elect from the royal seat in which Jehovah had placed him?... But whom He loves He chastens. So all this displays the righteous rule of God. For David it is also a time of deep searching of heart, and of a more real and closer knowledge of God.
- Yielded — David meant to fight. His people said he was worth ten thousand of them, so he helped them from the city instead.
- Waited — between the gates, victory and defeat felt much the same to him. God's chastening was meant to save him.
- Watched — the man on the roof read the news before it spoke: one runner alone meant a message, not a rout.
- Ran — Ahimaaz ran with nothing to gain, only to be first at the king's feet with word of his restored honour.
- Asked — the king let the victory pass and asked after his son. The whole scene lay under the hand of the God who chastens those He loves.
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near.
David sits between the gates while a watchman calls down what he can see. A single figure is running toward the city, and the king reads it as a sign that news from the battle is coming. But David's first question is not who won. It is what happened to his son.
David stayed behind while his captains went to the battle. One writer weighs what the news would mean to him either way:
With a heart full of such feelings, "he sits between the gates to wait the solemn outcome." The captains and their armies go to the battle of the wood of Ephraim. Victory or defeat would be much the same to David. Either result would tell him where it came from. Either would carry a sad reminder of that other battle in which another man had fallen — fallen in the judgment of God, as one murdered by his hand, though he himself was lingering in the city all the while. But the Lord is only refining him, and in no way destroying him. His chastening, blessed be His name, is salvation.
The king makes his judgment from one detail — the runner is alone:
David was waiting anxiously for news, sitting between the gates of the city. As the watchman saw a man running alone, David knew that he was bringing news. As he came nearer the watchman saw another following. Then the watchman recognised the first as Ahimaaz. David knew the man, and expected him to bring good news.
The first runner was Ahimaaz, son of Zadok. One writer sees in his running a heart set on the king:
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of coming danger. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king... It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this hurts him or holds back his career... Whatever comes of it, he wants to be the first to bow before the king and acknowledge the honour that is his again... May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, permitting no one to outstrip us!
Ahimaaz reached the king with good news. His kindness then kept back the rest of it:
Indeed, Ahimaaz was so anxious to set the king's mind at rest that he called out "All is well."... However, his greatest concern was for his son. He asks, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz knew the young man was dead, but he was afraid to tell David. So he said instead that he had seen a great uproar, but knew nothing of how it ended. In other words, the good character of Ahimaaz led him to compromise the faithfulness of his message.
The king hears of the victory and asks about his son instead. The second runner brings the news the first held back:
The watchman announces that he recognises Ahimaaz the son of Zadok in the swift runner. "And the king said, 'He is a good man, and comes with good news.'" His message is that all is well. But the anxious father-heart pays little attention to the victory won, and asks about the young man Absalom. Cushi, the second runner, arrives. He carries the news of Absalom's death, and he gives it in a tender and careful way.
The news that ended the revolt reopened an older wound:
No: David has no music at this time. Absalom had fallen, and the blood of Uriah was crying from the ground again in David's ears. It was not right that he should celebrate and be glad... Victory was defeat, and life was death to David. His path is still the perfect path of the penitent; and so he now goes to his room rather than to his throne.
- Waiting — David sits between the gates while the battle settles his own chastening. Either outcome will speak to him of his sin. Yet the Lord is refining him, not destroying him.
- Sign — The runner comes alone, so the king knows a messenger is on the way with news.
- Runner — Ahimaaz runs at cost to himself, wanting only to be first at his king's feet with word of his restored honour.
- Silence — A good man can bring true news of victory and still hold back the hard half. His kindness cost his faithfulness.
- Grief — At the end the father hears only about his son. Victory becomes defeat, and the king goes to his room instead of his throne.
And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter and said, Behold a man running alone. And the king said, He also is a bearer of news.
David sits at the city gate. Out in the wood his army is fighting his son Absalom, and a watchman on the roof is his only source of news. Now a second runner appears behind the first. Who is coming, and will he tell the king the truth?
David is a waiting father as much as a waiting king. Everything reaches him second-hand. A man on the wall sees the runners long before anyone can hear a word.
David was waiting anxiously for news, sitting between the gates of the city. As the watchman saw a man running alone, David knew that he was bringing news. As he came nearer the watchman saw another following. Then the watchman recognised the first runner as Ahimaaz. David knew the man, and expected him to bring good news.
The second runner goes back to a decision on the battlefield. Joab picked one messenger. Then Ahimaaz talked him into sending a second man he had not wanted to send.
Someone had to carry news of the battle against Absalom to David. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to take the message. But Joab knew he was a tender-hearted man. He would not want to tell David that Absalom was dead. So Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do it. He set off at once on his long run. But Ahimaaz was anxious to give good news to David, and urged Joab to let him run too. Of course this was not necessary, but because Ahimaaz kept pressing, Joab gave him permission (v. 23). It seems the Cushite took a mountain trail. It would be rough, though possibly shorter than the way by the plain, which Ahimaaz chose. That at least was easier running, and Ahimaaz was fast enough to outrun the Cushite.
He did not run to get ahead. Commentators see a heart set on David alone, and a call to run the same way.
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of coming danger. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. Joab, always politically shrewd and knowing the king's feelings toward Absalom, tries to discourage him, but in vain. It matters little to Ahimaaz if this hurts him or holds back his career. He does not share Joab's politics… One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one outrun us!
David judges the message by the messenger, before a word reaches him. But the news he wants is not news of the war.
The watchman announces that he recognises in the swift runner Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. "And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news." All is well — that is his message. But the anxious father-heart pays little attention to the victory won, and asks after the young man Absalom.
When Ahimaaz reaches the king, his warmth becomes a weakness. He knew what had happened, and did not say it.
Ahimaaz was so anxious to set the king's mind at rest that he called out, "All is well." Then he gives God the honour for having handed over the man who had raised revolt against David… However, his greatest concern was for his son, and he asks, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz knew Absalom was dead, but he was afraid to tell David. So instead he said he had seen a great commotion, but knew nothing of how it ended. In other words, the goodness of Ahimaaz's character led him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
The slower runner did what the faster one would not. He told the truth, and he told it gently.
The Cushite, following close behind, also gave David the good news of his armies' victory first. Then David asked about Absalom, and he told him, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do you harm, be like that young man!" No doubt this way of speaking was as considerate as anyone could expect in telling the truth of the matter.
David's verdict at the gate stayed attached to his name long afterwards.
Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, receives equal honour. He was faithful to David at the risk of his life, and the old king had given this testimony about him: "He is a good man, and comes with good news." He was the first to announce to David the victory that restored his throne to him.
- Watching — David waits between the gates and learns everything through a watchman's eyes. The watchman sees the second runner before either man can speak.
- Running — Ahimaaz outruns the Cushite to be first at his king's feet, not to get ahead. Run to your King the same way.
- Reputation — the king judges the news by the man carrying it: a good man brings good news.
- Reserve — Ahimaaz is too tender to report Absalom's death. His good character compromises the faithfulness of his message.
- Reward — the words David spoke at the gate became the lasting testimony of Ahimaaz.
And the watchman said, I see the running of the foremost like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man; and comes with good news.
The watchman names a runner before he can see his face. David hears the name and at once decides what the news must be. Two questions sit inside that moment: can a man's character guarantee his news, and what is David waiting to hear?
David's confidence was not a guess. Ahimaaz had carried news to him before, during Absalom's revolt, and he outran the man who set off ahead of him.
When Absalom revolted, David had to flee from Jerusalem. Zadok stayed loyal to David and returned to the city. Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar stayed at En-rogel. Zadok sent them word of the counsel of Ahithophel and of Hushai, and they hurried to David with the news. … After Absalom's defeat and death, Ahimaaz begged to run with the news to David. Joab at first refused, but after Cushi had started, he let Ahimaaz go as well. Ahimaaz was swift of foot, so he reached David first and told him of the defeat of Absalom, but let Cushi tell of his death.
David sits at the gate, waiting for word from the battle. The watchman gives him a name, and the name is enough.
David was waiting anxiously for news, sitting between the gates of the city. As the watchman saw a man running alone, David knew that he was bringing news. As he came nearer the watchman saw another following. Then the watchman recognised the first runner as Ahimaaz. Knowing the man, David expected him to bring good news.
Joab tried to stop him from running at all. One writer reads Ahimaaz's refusal to be held back as pure devotion to the king's honour.
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of coming danger. Now he does not want to let anyone else have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. Joab, always politically shrewd and knowing the king's feelings toward Absalom, tries to discourage him, but in vain. It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this may hurt him or hold back his career. He does not share Joab's politics… Perhaps he is also thinking of softening the blow that Absalom's death will deal to his beloved master's heart. One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one outrun us!
David's verdict proved half right. Ahimaaz did bring word of victory. But David's mind was elsewhere, and the second runner had to carry what the first would not say.
"And the king said, He is a good man and comes with good news." All is well — that is his message. But the anxious father's heart paid little attention to the victory won, and asked about the young man Absalom. Then Cushi, the second runner, appears. He carries the news of Absalom's death, and passes it on to David in a tender and careful way.
Here commentators draw a sharp lesson from the same man David praised. Good character shaped what he said — and what he held back.
Ahimaaz knew Absalom was dead, but he was afraid to tell David. So instead he told him that he had seen a great uproar, but did not know anything of its outcome. In other words, the goodness of Ahimaaz's character led him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
David's verdict on Ahimaaz was not forgotten. It stands as a testimony attached to him beyond this chapter.
Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, receives an equal honour. He was faithful to David at the risk of his life, and the old king had given this testimony about him: "He is a good man and comes with good news." He was the first to announce to David the victory which restored his throne to him and assured him of inheriting it according to God.
Commentators differ in emphasis. One holds up Ahimaaz's running as a pattern to copy. Another reads his answer to David as a warning: kindness can soften the truth too far. Both readings come from the same man.
- Character — David's verdict rests on a known history. Ahimaaz had carried word to him before, at the risk of his life.
- Confidence — knowing the man, the king expects the message to match him, before the runner says a word.
- Devotion — he runs not for reward or career, but to be first at the feet of the king whose throne is restored.
- Caution — asked about Absalom, he softens the truth to spare the king. Good character is no substitute for a faithful message.
- Commendation — the king's word about him outlived the day. Yet David cared less for the victory than for the son he had lost.
And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, Peace! And he fell down to the earth on his face before the king, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
David waits at the gate for news of the battle against his son Absalom. The first runner to reach him is Ahimaaz, who shouts that all is well, bows to the ground, and blesses God for the victory — yet the king will ask about only one thing.
One writer traces what drove Ahimaaz to run, and how little Joab's discouragement weighed with him:
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of impending danger. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. Joab is always politically shrewd, and he knows the king's feelings toward Absalom. He tries to discourage him, but in vain. It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this may hurt him or hinder his career. He does not share Joab's politics. Whatever comes of it, he wants to be the first to bow before the king and acknowledge the dignity that is his again. This is the focus of all his energy, for he belongs to David wholeheartedly. Perhaps he is also thinking of softening the blow that Absalom's death will deal to his beloved master's heart. One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, permitting no one to outstrip us!
The bow matters as much as the news. The revolt had cost David his throne, and the runner's first act is to treat him as king again.
The words Ahimaaz shouts do two things at once. They calm the waiting king, and they name who won the battle.
Ahimaaz was so anxious to set the king's mind at rest that he called out "All is well." Then he gives God the honour for having delivered up the man who had raised revolt against David. Of course, David would know by this that the victory was decisive.
He does not say the army won, or that Joab won. He blesses the Lord. The rebellion collapsed because God handed over the men who raised their hand against the king.
The king's testimony about this runner was remembered long after the battle:
An equal honour is granted to Ahimaaz, son of Zadok. He was faithful to David at the risk of his life, and the old king had given this testimony about him: "He is a good man, and comes with good news." He was the first to announce to David the victory that restored his throne and assured him of inheriting it according to God.
This is the news a king wants most. David's mind is elsewhere:
All is well — that is his message. But the anxious father-heart paid little attention to the victory won, and asked about the young man Absalom.
Commentators do not treat David's grief as simple virtue:
The king shows the natural affection of a father's heart. But it may be with too little sense of his son's godless rebellion, or of God's righteous retribution. The account brings this before us in the most touching manner.
Commentators differ on Ahimaaz. Rossier holds him up as a model; another writer weighs the errand by what he carried:
Service is necessary, but we cannot serve rightly apart from hearing His word. Ahimaaz wished to be of service by running to the king with news about the death of Absalom. He was physically the better runner of the two, but his running was profitless, because he had no message from Joab.
He arrives first, he bows first, he blesses God first — and when the king asks the one question that matters, he has nothing to give. Willingness got him to the gate. It could not supply him with a word.
- Devotion runs. Ahimaaz ran with no thought of his career. He wanted only to be first at his king's feet — the pattern for anyone serving a victorious Lord.
- Devotion bows. His first act on arrival was to fall on his face; the message of peace came from a man already in the posture of a subject.
- Devotion credits God. He did not report a military success. He blessed the Lord for handing over the men who raised their hand against the king. David learned at once that the victory was complete.
- Devotion earns a name. David judged him before hearing his report: "He is a good man, and comes with good news." That honour stayed with him into the next reign.
- Devotion still needs a message. Commentators differ over Ahimaaz. Some praise his heart; another says he ran in vain, because speed and goodwill cannot replace a message he was never given.
And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant; but I knew not what it was.
The battle in the wood is over, and David waits at the gate for news from the field. Two runners race toward him, but the king's first question is not about the kingdom he has won back — it is about one young man.
One writer sees loyalty, not ambition, behind Ahimaaz's hurry to reach the king:
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of danger. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king. It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this hurts him or holds back his career. Whatever comes of it, he wants to be the first to bow before the king and honour the dignity that is his again. This is the focus of all his energy, for he belongs to David wholeheartedly. May we run like Ahimaaz!
Joab chose a different runner, and his reason was the man's own gentleness:
Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to carry the message. But Joab knew he was a tender-hearted man who would not want to tell David that Absalom was dead. Therefore Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do so.
Grant reads the runner's answer as kindness that cost the message its honesty:
Ahimaaz was so anxious to set the king's mind at rest that he called out, "All is well." Then he gives God the honour for handing over the man who had raised a revolt against David. But David's greatest concern was for his son. He asks, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz knew that Absalom had been killed. He was afraid to tell David, so instead he said he had seen a great commotion but knew nothing of how it ended. In other words, the goodness of Ahimaaz's character led him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
What met the runner at the gate was not a commander debriefing an officer, but a father:
The watchman announces that he recognises the swift runner as Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. "And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news." His message is that all is well. But the anxious father's heart paid little attention to the victory won, and asked about the young man Absalom.
Why did David pity a son who had tried to take his throne? Another writer, quoted in the same commentary, finds the answer in David's own guilt:
David's behaviour toward his immoral son is certainly extraordinary, but it does not come from weakness of character. Weakness would not fit the strict justice with which he banished Absalom from his presence for five years. We can look at Absalom's shameful and sinful conduct in two ways. On one hand, it shows the working of the curse which David's sin brought on his house. On the other hand, it shows Absalom's own corruption. David saw it in the first way, not the second. His own guilt weighed so heavily on him that, next to it, he thought Absalom's wickedness slight. From this comes the deep and boundless compassion with which he looks at his rebel son.
The second runner said what Ahimaaz would not say, and still said it with care:
The Cushite arrived close behind, and he too began with the good news that David's armies had won. But when David asked about Absalom, he told him, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be like that young man." No doubt this way of speaking was as considerate as anyone could be while still telling the truth of the matter.
- Run — Ahimaaz raced ahead because his whole heart belonged to David. He wanted no one else to reach the king first with news of the victory.
- Rejected — Joab picked another runner, judging Ahimaaz too tender-hearted to tell a father his son was dead.
- Reserve — he reported the victory and left out the death. His kindness cost his message its faithfulness.
- Reason — the king passed over the kingdom he had won back and asked only about his son. His own guilt made Absalom's wrong look small to him.
- Relay — the Cushite spoke the truth Ahimaaz withheld, and said it as gently as anyone could.
And the king said, Turn aside [and] stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.
David waits at the gate. The first runner to reach him has just dodged the only question the king cared about: he saw a commotion, but says he does not know what it meant. So the king moves him aside and waits for the second runner. Ahimaaz fought hard for the honour of carrying this news, and now he stands to one side in silence.
Ahimaaz asked for this run. He wanted it because of who was waiting at the other end of it.
Ahimaaz wants to be the first to bring the good news to David. He had risked his life to warn him of danger that was coming. Now he does not want to let another have the privilege of announcing his triumph to the king... Whatever may come of it, he desires to be the first, bowed before the king, to acknowledge the dignity that again is his. This is the focus of all his energy, for he belongs to David wholeheartedly... One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one get ahead of us!
Joab judged the man in front of him and sent a different messenger first.
Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to carry the message. But Joab knew him to be a tender-hearted man, who would not want to tell David of the death of Absalom. So Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do it... But Ahimaaz was anxious to give good news to David, and urged Joab to let him run too. Of course this was not necessary, but at the insistence of Ahimaaz, Joab gave him permission.
David tells him to stand aside because of what he had just said. Ahimaaz had outrun the Cushite, but he arrived with only the part of the news he was willing to repeat.
However, his greatest concern was for his son, and he asks, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" Ahimaaz knew that Absalom had been killed, but he was afraid to tell David this. So instead he told him that he had seen a great commotion, but did not know anything of its outcome. In other words, the goodness of Ahimaaz's character led him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
That is the quiet sting of this verse: kindness is not the same thing as faithfulness, and a messenger who softens the hard half of his report has not delivered it. Commentators note the same oddity in the way the whole episode is told.
The bringing of the news to David is described with unexpected detail: the two messengers, one of whom so persistently seeks the job while he holds back the distressing part he knows.
Other writers state the principle behind this failure.
It is unworthy of a servant to trim down the message of the Master. He need only take care not to add to His words, or to the tone in which he should deliver them. Much depends on this, especially in dealing with others.
The wrong messenger goes wrong at two points, and his message is only the second of them.
This wrong messenger has wrong views of his Master, like the man who said to Him, "I knew that you were an austere man." He has wrong views about his message too. He will put his own sweetened words in place of his Master's faithful message.
David sets Ahimaaz aside because the report he most wanted has still not come.
"All is well" is his message. But the anxious father's heart paid little attention to the victory won, and asked about the young man Absalom.
David had been sitting at that gate since before the battle began.
With a heart full of such affections, "he sits between the gates to wait the solemn outcome." The captains and their armies go to the battle of the wood of Ephraim. Victory or defeat would be much the same to David.
- Sent. Ahimaaz ran because he belonged to David. He wanted to be first at the king's feet with news of his triumph.
- Screened. Joab saw a tender-hearted man who would not want to report Absalom's death, so he sent the Cushite first.
- Softened. Ahimaaz arrived first and shouted the victory. But he claimed not to know the outcome of the commotion he saw. His kindness compromised the faithfulness of his message.
- Set aside. A servant may not trim down his Master's message. David moves the runner who kept back half of it out of the way, and waits for the full report.
- Sought. The king's heart was not on the victory but on one young man. No messenger satisfied him until he had an answer about Absalom.
And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Let my lord the king receive good tidings, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
The Cushite reaches David second, after Ahimaaz. He brings good news and credits the victory to the LORD. But the king waiting for him is a father, and his question is about his son.
The man who speaks here is known only by this one errand. Translations differ over what to call him.
Joab's messenger to David on the death of Absalom. 2 Samuel 18:21-32, where the Revised Version has "the Cushite."
Joab's choice of him was deliberate. He wanted a runner who would say the hard part out loud.
Someone had to bring David news of the battle against Absalom. Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest was eager to carry the message. But Joab knew he was a tender-hearted man who would not want to tell David that Absalom was dead. So Joab chose another man, the Cushite, to do it. He set off at once on his long run. But Ahimaaz was anxious to give good news to David, and urged Joab to let him run too.
The Cushite says the LORD did it, and the account of the fighting bears him out. The ground itself fought for David.
The battle is hot for a moment in the wood of Ephraim, but the Lord is in it, as He was before at Gibeon. There the hailstones did the work; here the wood devours more than the sword. There was a great slaughter that day of more than twenty thousand men. Everything is confusion and utter destruction in the ranks of the rebels. Absalom is caught in the branches of a great oak. He hangs between heaven and earth, a spectacle to both.
Gibeon was an earlier battle where God's hailstones killed more of Israel's enemies than the sword.
Ahimaaz arrived first with the victory report. But when David asked about Absalom, he stopped short of the truth. Commentators judge him differently. One faults the gap between his kindness and his accuracy:
Ahimaaz knew Absalom had been killed. But he was afraid to tell David, so instead he said he had seen a great commotion and knew nothing of how it turned out. In other words, the goodness of Ahimaaz's character led him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
Another sees a man who wanted only one thing: to be first at his king's feet.
It matters little to Ahimaaz whether this may hurt him personally or hold back his career; he does not share Joab's politics. Whatever may come of it, he wants to be the first, bowed before the king, to acknowledge the dignity that is his again... One thing is certain: he has only David's glory in view. May we run like Ahimaaz! May we run to be the first at the feet of our victorious Lord, letting no one outrun us.
His opening line matches what Ahimaaz had already said. The difference comes when David asks the one question he cares about.
The Cushite followed close behind. He too gave David the good news of his armies' victory first. But when David asked about Absalom, he told him, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do you harm, be like that young man!" No doubt this way of speaking was as considerate as anyone could expect while telling the truth of the matter.
The Cushite's words work both ways: they announce David's rescue and his son's death. The report is good news, and David cannot take it as good news.
No, David has no music at this time. Absalom had fallen, and the blood of Uriah was crying from the ground again in David's ears. It was not right that he should celebrate and be glad... Victory was defeat, and life was death to David. His path is still the perfect path of the penitent; and so he now goes to his chamber rather than to his throne.
The Cushite's last words describe a king rescued from everyone who rose against him. Older translations render that rescue as "avenged you." One writer hears in it a greater King than David.
But how all this speaks to us of One greater than David! He comes out of the trial to be acknowledged as King of Israel and Head of the nations. "Strangers come cringing to Him." God avenges Him and brings the peoples under Him. He lifts Him up above those who rose up against Him.
- The news. The Cushite's report is true and complete: the throne is safe, and the rebellion is finished.
- The messenger. Joab picked him because Ahimaaz was too tender to say Absalom was dead. Kindness that trims the truth is not faithfulness.
- The Giver. The runner credits no general and no army. The victory belongs to the LORD, and the wood devoured more than the sword.
- The grief. David heard news of rescue as news of a dead son. Victory was defeat, and he went to his room instead of his throne.
- The greater King. The rescue from "the hand of all who rose up against you" points beyond David to One whom God lifts above every enemy.
And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man.
David's army has won, the rebellion is over, and two runners arrive at the gate one after the other. The king lets the news of victory pass and asks only one question — and the answer he gets never uses the word "dead."
The runner brought news of triumph. But David's mind was elsewhere.
The watchman announces that he recognises the swift runner as Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. "And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news." All is well — that is his message. Meanwhile the anxious father's heart paid little attention to the victory won, and asked about the young man Absalom.
David had already asked the first runner the same question. He knew the answer and would not give it.
Ahimaaz knew he had been killed, but was afraid to tell David this. So instead he told him that he had seen a great commotion, but did not know anything of its outcome. In other words, the goodness of Ahimaaz's character led him to compromise the faithfulness of the message.
The second runner tells the truth. But he wraps it, and lets David draw the conclusion himself.
The Cushite, following close behind, also began with the good news of the victory of David's armies. But when David asked about Absalom, he told him, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man!" No doubt this way of speaking was as considerate as anyone could be while telling the truth.
Kindness and honesty are not rivals here. Ahimaaz was kind and unfaithful; the Cushite was faithful and still gentle.
To be "like that young man" was not just to lose a battle. It was to die a shameful death.
The battle is hot for a moment in the wood of Ephraim, but the Lord is in it... All is confusion and utter destruction in the ranks of the man who has turned from God. Absalom is caught in the branches of a great oak, and is taken up between heaven and earth, a spectacle to both. He is made a public show; for "he who is hanged is accursed of God," "and cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree."
The very thing people admired in Absalom became the instrument of his ruin.
The ungodly son is hanged in a tree to his cursing and shame. The magnificent hair that was his glory becomes the means of his ruin. In his youth, before he had any sons, this man had put up a monument "to keep my name in remembrance." Now he lies buried under an unknown heap of stones in the wood of Ephraim, while his monument, which stands to this day, is a reminder of his humiliation and his terrible judgment. So it will be with the Antichrist and the Beast, who will rise up against the Lord. Their fall will be all the more terrible, because they will have exalted themselves to be as God.
David's question expects a different answer. His hope goes back to the order he gave before the battle, in front of the whole army.
In the presence of one and all, David commands the leaders to "Deal gently... with the young man Absalom." What tenderness toward this rebellious son! There was weakness in it, perhaps. Yet it still makes us think of the Lord's boundless love for His enemies. Oh, if only they would return and repent at this eleventh hour! Does not His patience with them reach to the furthest limits? Only when His patience runs out will God pour out the cup of His wrath. Then there will be no more mercy.
Commentators differ on how to judge David here. Some see a picture of divine patience. Others call the same tenderness weakness, and say that bowing under God's hand would have been wiser than David's loud mourning.
Absalom had died with no sign of turning. That, not the loss itself, made the news unbearable.
No doubt if Absalom had shown any sign of faith in the living God, David may have had some comfort in his death. But it was sorrow beyond words to think of Absalom going out into the darkness of eternal judgment... David was hurt deeply. Yet to bow under God's hand would have been wiser than his loud mourning before the people, and a true evidence of faith.
Another writer sets this death beside an earlier death in David's family.
The death of his infant child by Bathsheba was very different. There David could say, "I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." David knew well that his separation from his much-loved son Absalom was an eternal one. Perhaps there is nothing so sad as death without hope.
- Question. David let the report of victory pass and asked only one thing: was it well with his son.
- Question refused. Ahimaaz knew the answer, feared to give it, and let kindness spoil the faithfulness of his message.
- Question answered. The Cushite told the truth without naming it — as considerate as truth-telling allows.
- Answer meaning. To be "like that young man" was to hang on a tree, accursed, and to lie under a heap of stones. The glory that raised him ruined him.
- Answer's weight. What crushed David was not death but death without hope — an eternal separation, and one God called him to bow under, not to wail against.
And the king was much moved, and went up to the upper chamber of the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said thus O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died in thy stead, O Absalom, my son, my son!
David has just won the battle that saved his throne. But the news from the field turns his victory into the bitterest moment of his life. Two questions follow. Why does a king weep like this over a son who tried to kill him? And why could his wish never come true?
Look at what David keeps saying. He does not name Absalom's crimes. He names the relationship, again and again.
When David was "deeply moved" at the news of the death of wicked and rebellious Absalom, the father's love in his bleeding heart showed itself in the moving repetition of two words, "my son."… Absalom had no kingly virtue, but he was still David's son. "My son," said the king. Death had touched a chord in the father's love, however unworthy its object, and however wronged the father had been by that son.
Years earlier David lost another child. Then he said he would go to him. Now he says nothing of the kind. Writers tie that silence to what David knew about Absalom.
Very different was the death of the infant child of Bathsheba, as recorded in 2 Samuel 12. There David could say: "I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." David knew well that his separation from his dearly loved son, Absalom, was for ever. Perhaps there is nothing so sad as death without hope.
Another writer adds that David's wish to change places would have solved nothing for the nation.
David's sorrow for his son completely overwhelmed him. He wept in anguish, wishing he had died in Absalom's place. If that had happened, Absalom would have had more time to repent. But Israel would have suffered his cruel rule, for he would have ruled as he pleased and pushed God aside. Yet God knew Absalom would never repent. He had formed a determined self-righteous character.
The wish is the one thing David had no power to do. Commentators point past him to Another.
"Would I had died instead of you!" David could not do this. Only One could do it — the One who would die for the ungodly, the only One who was counted among the transgressors and who bore the sin of many (Isaiah 53:12). But David could freely pour out his sorrow over the loss, beyond recall, of the one whose salvation he had so deeply desired.
There was also a reason inside David himself. He owed a penalty of his own.
Now he saw the only way. If only he could have borne the penalty of his son's crime himself! But he could not. He was a murderer himself. His own life was forfeit, and forfeit by his own sentence. He could not have paid the price.
The tears are not an accident of war. Writers tie them back to a warning God gave David years before, through the prophet Nathan.
Under the righteous government of God, the evil consequences of past folly may still appear. That is true even when someone has repented of that folly, or sin, and received forgiveness. David repented and was forgiven; the Lord put away his sin, but he felt the consequences all through his life. He felt the sword in his bitter cry for Absalom (2 Samuel 18:33), in the revolt of Sheba the Ephraimite, and in his last days, when Adonijah tried and failed to seize the crown. All of this simply carried out the word the Lord spoke through Nathan: "the sword shall never depart from your house" (2 Samuel 12:10).
Commentators differ here. One reads David's climb to the chamber as the honest sorrow of a man who knows his own guilt is behind the tragedy.
Absalom had fallen, and the blood of Uriah was crying from the ground afresh in David's ears… Victory was defeat, and life was death to David. His path is still the perfect path of a man who repents, and so he now goes to his chamber rather than to his throne.
Another writer finds something missing in the same cry.
The king shows the natural affection of a father's heart. But it may be that he had too little sense of his son's godless rebellion, or of God's righteous judgment.
- The son. David's grief clings to two words repeated over and over: "my son." Not his son's record, but his relationship. Death touched a chord in a father's love that a son's rebellion never cut.
- The sword. These tears fulfil a warning. Sin forgiven still leaves consequences, and David felt the sword in his own house to the end of his days.
- The silence. Over an infant David said he would go to him; over Absalom he says nothing of the kind. Death without hope is the heaviest grief a parent can carry.
- The impossible wish. David wanted to die in his son's place and could not. His own life was already forfeit by his own sentence; a guilty man cannot pay another's price.
- The One who could. What David only longed for, Another did. He died for the ungodly, numbered with the transgressors, bearing the sin of many.