Absalom’s Total Defeat

Thanks to Hushai’s advice for Absalom and his army to wait until they were better organized before attacking David, David had time to get his own army organized, as II Samuel 18:1-2a. “And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.  And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite…”

One of the reasons people followed David was because he actually led them, physically doing the work and setting an example for them, earning their respect.  The people understood this battle was an attack on David personally, and that Absalom and his followers did not care how many of the people were killed as long as they killed David.  The attitude was very much like the attitude we see right now toward Donald trump, with a few of his enemies willing to destroy the entire country to stop him and a whole bunch just following along, as II Samuel 18:2b-3 describes.  “…And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.”

A second reason people willingly followed David was because respected them and valued their opinions, as we see in II Samuel 18:4.  “And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.”   When the people said they thought it would be better if he did not go with them, David didn’t argue or insist it had to be done his way, but stood aside and encouraged them as they went out. 

While Absalom was determined to kill his father, David did not hate him, anymore than he had hated Saul.  He insisted they not hurt Absalom if they could avoid it, in II Samuel 18:5.  “And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.”

There ws a tremendous battle that day, in a forested area most of the people were not familiar with.  Over twenty thousand were killed, with more being hurt or lost in the forest than were killed by the the other side, as II Samuel 18:6-8 tells us.  “So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.  For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.” 

One of the victims of the woods was Absalom himself, as II Samuel 18:9 describes.  “And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.”  Absalom was pretty vain, especially about his long beautiful hair, as we see in II Samuel 14:25-26.  “But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.  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.”  Once year he cut it and weighed it so he could brag about it.  As so often happens, it was that vanity that got him caught in the oak tree. 

Aman reported Absalom’s predicament to Joab, who demanded why he didn’t kill him on the spot.  As the man pointed out, David had commanded that Absalom was not to be hurt if it could be avoided, and had he done so, Joab himself would have seen that he was executed for breaking the king’s command, in II Samuel 18:10-12.  “And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? And I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.  Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.”

Joab had not forgotten how Absalom had burned his field to force him to get David to grant him an appointment.  This was his chance to get even, so he personal stuck three arrows or darts into Absalom’s heart, before having several young men shoot into him to make it look like a normal result of the intense fighting, as II Samuel 18:14-15 describes.  “Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.  And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.”

With Absalom dead, ther was no point in continuing the battle, so Joab signaled to stop the fighting.  Knowing that David had not wanted Absalom killed, the people hastily buried him in pit and fled home fearing he would get upset, as II Samuel 18:16-17 tells us.  “And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.  And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.”

Despite his pride and efforts to make himself some one of importance, the only thing Absalom left behind for people to remember him by was a monument he mad himself, as II Samuel 18:18 tells us.  “Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.”  There wasn’t even a tombstone to mark his grave or a son to pass on his name.