Everything now depends on the friendship of others. David had little need of counsel in this situation, for he is in his element. However, as in the past when on the run, he had desperate need of support. Absalom had the upper hand, but was too young to know what came next. He relied heavily on the advice of older men.
2 Samuel 16:1-4 -- The path of escape led from the city wall, down into the Kidron Valley, up the valley a ways to a cut that ran up the far side. This cut gave way to a pass between two small hilltops, which pass itself became a cut on the far slope downward. As David brought up the rear in this long train of escapees, he passed between the peaks and was met by Ziba. This is the Ziba whom David had directed to manage the lands Meribaal had inherited from Saul.
Ziba had brought a hearty snack for everyone in David's household. The small army with David would naturally have had some rations ready for short notice situations, quite likely. It was the family household that would have been most needy. We can only guess that Ziba had, in the course of conducting his master's business, come to cast a envious eye on the property or Meribaal. Taking advantage of the David's vulnerability, Ziba's thoughtfulness concealed an opportunist's greed.
While it is not clearly stated, Ziba's story about Meribaal's treachery was a lie. Meribaal could hardly have thought he would manage to knock off Absalom and keep David from returning at the same time. Ziba had carefully calculated David's response to this story, as the king awarded him ownership of Meribaal's inheritance. We should not see David as harshly judging Meribaal, but simply rewarding Ziba. Ziba's thanks was perhaps his one moment of honesty.
16:5-8 -- David's path from there is not exactly known. Bahurim doesn't appear on Bible maps, but we can guess it was in the tribal district of Benjamin, for the man coming out to meet David was clearly a Benjamite, of the same clan as Saul. This Shimei threw stones at them, not to injure, but as a sign of contempt. The road appeared to have run along the edge of a ridge here, and Shimei followed them atop a parallel ridge, from across a narrow valley.
16:9-14 -- Shimei's curses were technically illegal, and justified the offer of David's guards to execute him. Yet David was absorbed in his sorrow, showing a deeply depressed mood. This is in part an atonement for sin, because David knew it was his failures that brought on this whole affair. His response was, "No, I deserve this." If not, then it was typical of God to take a sinner's curses and make them blessings. Somewhere in that vicinity, they all stopped for rest and a meal. This was probably but an hour or two out of Jerusalem.
16:15-19 -- We are given the impression that Absalom had entered Jerusalem right behind his father's departure, and certainly on the same day. Immediately the tension between Ahitophel and Hushai set in, as Hushai greeted his new king. Absalom's questions should not be taken as a concern for insult to his father, but a justifiable suspicion. Hushai was able to deflect that suspicion and was accepted as a counselor to Absalom.
16:20-23 -- Ahitophel urged Absalom to strengthen his position in the eyes of the people. The symbolic act of taking the royal concubines was not an abhorrent or especially evil act. It is what one would expect a usurper and conqueror to do. It was just another ritual in claiming the throne. However, it was also proof Absalom was burning his bridges. There was no going back, no making peace with his father. Absalom meant to secure his position and would surely kill David at the first opportunity, and this public act of taking the women would make it clear to all his supporters that one of the two men would have to die before it was over. Such advice from Ahitophel was brilliant, as was everything he said.
17:1-4 -- That was the last chance Ahitophel had to shine. God had honored David's request to make him look a fool. The counselor asked Absalom to send the bulk of their current forces in pursuit of David. This was an excellent idea, as it gave the best chance to catch David at the only moment he was vulnerable. David having fled in such disarray, and having at best 1000 warriors at hand, a good organized attack as Ahitophel suggested could hardly fail. It would be their best chance to kill David, the only one that really mattered. Once that was done, all other resistance would fade to a level hardly worse than Saul or David faced during their reigns. Only so long as David lived could a concerted resistance be expected.
17:5-14 -- When Absalom asked for second opinion, Hushai sprang the trap. His claim was that, while David and his men might be disorganized, they'd fight fiercely like any cornered carnivore. Further, this was the best fighting men in the nation, led by the best commanders in Israel's history. This would be no quick and easy capture. Hushai proposed instead something that appealed very strongly to Absalom's arrogance. He suggested that the whole national army be mobilized, and that Absalom himself lead. At the head of a far superior force, he could expect to ride in victory regardless of David's wily tactics. No city could hide him. Absalom fell for it.
17:15-22 -- The two sons of the priests felt it best to keep out of sight. En-rogel was the name of a spring outside Jerusalem, situated in the junction of the Kiddron and Hinnom Valleys, and was somewhat across from the southern tip of David's capital city. There was probably a small village there, and this was most likely the local laundry center, or "Fuller's Field" during the monarchy. The arrangement was for the young men to wait there for a message from a young servant girl who could come and go into the city unnoticed. Most likely she was in service to someone at En-rogel.
On one of her trips into the city, delivering finished laundry, and retrieving the dirty, she came and told them a message from Hushai, warning of Ahitophel's counsel. Hushai's advice would only delay things but a few days, so he warned David not to camp in the plains of Jordan on the near side, but to cross over to the East Bank and take refuge in the cities. Despite their best efforts, a lad spotted Jonathan and Ahima-az and reported it to someone at Absalom's court. Still, they had time to get as far as Bahurim, where Shimei had cursed David.
We don't know what sources of water may have existed in this unknown town, but we do know it was common in the area for people to dig water pits or cisterns to catch rainfall in this rocky land. The man with whom the messengers took refuge had such a cistern, and they hid in it. The opening would have been as small as possible to limit evaporation loss, but still had to be just large enough for a man to enter for digging it in the first place, and cleaning it out later. Most of them had some sort of covering cut to fit. The maid servant tasked with processing the grain simply buried the covering in a heap of grain.
When Absalom's armed pursuit arrived, she dutifully misdirected them. Once the searchers left the area, the two men were pulled out of the cistern and continued their mission. They warned David not to dally in the plains of the Jordan, as pursuit may come soon. So all that night they continued fording the Jordan. By dawn, everyone had at least the river between them and any attack.
17:23 -- Ahitophel was now in an impossible position. He had publicly switched his loyalty from David to Absalom. There was no chance of reconciling with David, especially after advising Absalom to take the harem. He was quite certain his advice to pursue immediately was the one hope of winning. When he failed to convince Absalom of this, it was certain David would win. David would surely have him executed. Even if, by some chance, Absalom should succeed against David, not only would Hushai have taken the senior position, making Ahitophel less important, but he would have been proven wrong. His spotless reputation for perfect wisdom would be gone, and his career finished. Thus, his suicide was not a simple matter of childish personal pique. Better he felt to end his life while still quite the man, than to die in shame, and be executed as a criminal. Indeed, his kin felt safe giving him the standard burial in the family cemetery.
17:24-26 -- David managed to get all the way to Mahanaim. This was quite a powerful city at the time, and carried the mystique of being the home of "Jacob's Ladder" which the patriarch had seen in a dream on his own flight from the land.
When Absalom had mustered the national forces, he led them across to Gilead, indicating they were all around Mahanaim. At this time, the area was still heavily forested in places, so a massive bivouac would have been no great challenge. While Joab had fled with David, Absalom chose a new commander from the same part of Judah. There is some confusion over the man's family line among the various texts used for translation, but we will assume he was Ishmaelite, since there's hardly any reason to mention his ethnic background if he was an Israelite. This is also supported in 1 Chronicles 2:17. This Amasa was the son of one of those Ishmaelites that traveled to Canaan with Moses on the Exodus. His mother was of the same family as Joab's mother.
17:27-29 -- Though Absalom had the might of the Army of Israel, he did not have the whole of it. The tributary Ammonites came out in support of David, as well as Ahitophel's relatives living in Lo-debar of the Cities of Jair. Also there was Barzillai from Rogelim, another large city in the north of Gilead. His name suggests he was of Aramean stock. These brought equipment and supplies of food, and it is implied they brought troops, as well.
The stage was set for a great battle.
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Ed Hurst
04 September 2004
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