It was probably not long afterwards that the fruit of D.'s evil example appeared. His eldest son Amnon outraged his half-sister Tamar, and when D., though greatly displeased, yet partly from partiality for his firstborn (13-' LXX), partly perhaps from the remembrance of his own guilt, failed to punish the offender, the duty of avenging the maiden's wrong fell to her own brother Absalom. He waited his opportunity for two years, and then caused Amnon to be murdered at a sheep-shearing feast, to which all the king's sons had been invited. Absalom fled to the court of his grandfather, the king of Ijeshur. D. mourned long for his firstborn, then his longings turned to the son in exile ; but out of season he coulil sliow severity. For three years Absalom remained in banishment ; then .loab, divining the king's secret feelings, by the instrumentality of the woman of Tekoa procured his recall. For two years longer Absalom was excluded from the court, until he compelled Joab to intercede for him ; then he was brought to the king, and received a kiss of recon- ciliaticm (2 S i:!. 14). After the death of Amnon, and probably also of Chileab, Absalom was the natural heir to the throne. He was now com- ])letely estranged from his father, and soon began to endeavour to supjilant him. To impress the people, he assumed royal state ; to gain their favour, he would stand by the gate to meet all who came to the king with their suits, and lament that he was not king to do them justice. Thus he 'stole the hearts of tlie men of Israel.' There is no evidence that 1)., who used to 'execute judg- ments and justice to .all his people' (2 S 8'*), now neglected to do .so. The stories of Nathan and the woman of Tekoa iniiily the contrary, but with the extension of tlie borders of Israel the number of suits may well have increased beyond the king's power to deal with them. We cannot say whether the crimes in the royal household had shaken the loyalty of the people, — in certain matters the nation at large did not show itself very sensitive to moral irregularities (2 S Ki-i--'), — but it is probable that at Hebron the removal of the capital to Jerus. was still a grievance, and the tribesmen of .ludah seem to have considered themselves not sufficiently favoured by the king. Absalom made prepara- tions for four years (\i>' LXX, Luc), then under pretence of a vow he visited the old sacred city of Hebron. Here he was joined by D.'s counsellor, Ahithophel of Giloli, perhaps the grandfather nf Hath.sheba (of. 2 S ll^2:!'»), and Absalom's rebel- lion was proclaimed by messengers throughout the country. I), was taken entirely by sur|irise, and resolved to withdraw at once from Jerusalem. If he escaped the first .attack of the conspirators, he pcssessed better troops than were to be found <in the other side. Delay would increase the dillioul- ties of his op])onents, and give his supporters time to rally. Leaving the palace in charge of ten concubines, he cro.ssed the Kidron, accompanied by his household .and bodyguard, amid the weeji- ingof Ihe whole lanil, and took the ro.ad by Olivet to Jordan. Many traits of D.'s character are brought out during this llight, — the devotion which he inspired in his folluweis, when Ittai of (J.ath, thinigli but a .short time in his service, refused to
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leave him ; his piety and confitU-nce, when he commanded the priests to carry back the ark, trusting to J", without any outward symbol of Ills presence ; his craft and dissimulation, when lie bade Ilushai ingratiate himself with Absalom, and try to frustrate his plans ; his prudence, in estab- lishing communications between himself and the capital by means of Aliimaaz and Jonathan; his impetuous lia.sliness in judgment, when he promised Ziba the lands of Meribaal ; and at the same time his submission and forbearance, when he endured the curses of Shimei because J" had bidden him, and urged that a Benjamite had more riglit than his own son to seek his life (2 S 15. lU'-").
D.'s plan of meeting treachery by treachery was successful. By Ahithophel's advice, Absalom did take over his father's concubines as a token of succession to his throne ; but, instead of pursuing D. at once, he accepted the counsel of Hushai, to wait till he could muster troops from the whole country. Ahithophel, who realized the artificial nature of the enthusiasm for Absalom, foresaw that this delay was fatal to the rebellion, and forthwith hanged himself. Warned by the two priests' sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, of the need of haste, 1). and his followers crossed the Jordan in safety before daybreak. He took up his head- quarters at Mahanaim, the former capital of Eshbaal, and there received support from Shobi, the son of his old protector the king of Ammon, who may now have been a vassal prince ; from Machir, the guardian of Meribaal, and from a wealthy Gileadite named Barzillai (Iti'^-IT). Ab- salom was the first to act on the offensive, and crossed the Jordan with his army. D. was pre- vented from going into battle by the entreaty of the people, who urged that he was worth 10,000 of them ; but he publicly charged his generals, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, to deal gently with Absalom. Joab knew that he was strong enough to disobey, and tliat the death of the leader would put an end to the rebellion. D.'s soldiers were victorious, and Joab himself slew Absalom as he hung in the branches of a large terebinth. D. by the gate of Mahanaim awaited anxiously the issue of the day ; then he forgot all else in his passionate grief for his ungrateful son. Joab, however, roused him to put his duty as a king above his private feelings as a father, and 1). returned to the gate to receive the greetings of his servants who had risked their lives for him (18-198).