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II Samuel

Chapter 15

{Note: At the end of Chapter 14, we see David's timing is again off. He should have forgiven Absalom if he was going to pardon him. But after two years, RBT says the time was not right for him to allow Absalom back in the palace when in bitterness, Absalom was plotting revolution and was just using David.}

{Verses 1-12: Conspiracy of Absalom}
{Verses 1-4: Absalom Undermines David's Authority}
1~~And it came to pass after this
  {after David's public display of 'forgiving' Absalom - people take it as
  David's 'approval' of Absalom making him the 'heir apparent' - so
  Absalom can use 'pseudo- authority' to overthrow true authority},
that Absalom prepared him 'a chariot of state' and horses . . .
  {merkabah - special chariot here capitalizing on David's public act of
  forgiveness - giving impression that Absalom is heir apparent}
and fifty men 'acting as couriers'
  {idiom: literally: 'to run before him'}.
{carrying the message of the blooming revolution}

{Note: In the David series, RBT says there are three basic groups in a revolutionary situation: 1) The core conspirators, 2) the masses/loipoy, and 3) the biblical conservatives opposing the revolution. The core conspirators start out with the arrogant crusaders. Really, a revolution is the quintessence of human arrogance. The arrogant crusaders believe that they have a cause that warrants a rejection of God's laws for establishment (ends justifies the means). People with criminal arrogance step forward and provide the brutality needed to get the revolution going. The common folk (loipoy), are duped into following the leaders based on the leaders charisma, personality, or some other superficial characteristic of the group. The biblical conservatives understand God's laws concerning respect for authority - they must be destroyed by the conspirators for the revolution to take place. Technically, a 'revolution' is the overthrow of legitimate authority by pseudo-authority with no respect for God's laws of authority. For example, the so called 'American Revolution' was NOT a revolution but instead of 'fight for freedom'. Without representation in the government, the colonies were not under God's laws for a established nation under Him. The colonists fought for their right to have a say in their own governments which is proper under God's laws for establishment.}

{Note: Vocabulary of Revolutions: 1) A plot is the plan of the revolution. 2) The means for carrying out the plot of a revolution is called 'intrigue'. 3) The foot solders of the core group RBT calls couriers. A 'courier' is one who carries a message or is an administrator. Here we have the beginning of the core conspiracy. These men are impressed by Absalom's looks and personality and intelligence and his apparent authority. They will give him their loyalty. So, this is an example of how 'loyalty' can be evil - loyalty to pseudo-authority is evil. 4) 'Cadre' is the word for those who rally around someone, regardless of how arrogant and anti-establishment that person is.}

2~~Now Absalom would rise up 'early in the morning',
and stand by the side of the 'castle gate road'
so that when anyone had a grievance/complaint
and came to the king for 'a judicial decision'/judgment,
then Absalom called out to him,
and said, "Of what city are . . . you?"
  {the delay gives 'special attention' to the malcontent}

And he would reply, "Your loyal subject is . . .
  {would name his tribe - this is a 'content quotation'}
'of one of the tribes of Israel'.
  {Jewish narrative does not give us every one of these discussions in
  detail - each man would name his own tribe - of Dan, of Judah, of
  Ruben, etc.}

{Note: The picture here is now Absalom is permitted to be at the castle. He is standing by the road that leads to the King's Court room. As malcontents come to ask for justice, he uses his great looks, personality, and authority, to woe the malcontents to being loyal to him instead of David. For revolution to succeed, the law of the land must be disrespected. Second, a malcontent is always impressed when someone in apparent authority gives him 'special attention' - it appeals to their arrogance.}

3~~Furthermore Absalom would say to him,
"Look, your grievances are valid and legitimate . . .
but 'you have no one authorized by the king'
  {Idiom: literally 'there is no man for you'}
to 'judge the case'
  {implying the judicial system is wrong - and attacking the laws of
  establishment such as law enforcement, military, marriage, judicial
  system - a tool of revolutionists is to take a perceived error and
  exploit it to overthrow the existing government}.

{Insinuates Only Arrogant Absalom is Qualified to Obtain Justice for the People}
4~~Then Absalom would add,
"Who will appoint me a judge in the land,
  {Absalom's arrogance and self-centeredness exposed}
that every man which has any suit or cause might come unto me,
and I would see to he, that he receives justice!

{Absalom's Condescension/Politicking}
5~~Now it came to pass,
when anyone approached to 'salute'/'do obeisance'/greet him,
he {Absalom} put extend his hand, and take hold of him,
and 'kiss him'/'give him the customary warm greeting of the day'.

{Note: The Principal is the bible must be interpreted in conjunction with the time in which it was written. The normal greeting in this culture (and still in the Middle East today) was for men to kiss when they greeted each other. Oriental cultures tend to bow respectfully. Westerners shake hands. It is all the same thing.}

6~~Consequently, Absalom behaved in the manner,
to all Israel who came to the king for justice
and so Absalom stole the hearts/'right lobes' of the men of Israel.

{Note: Apparently the judicial system at this point was overwork and possibly even unjust. Incompetency in the government and the building of a huge incompetent bureaucracy is a government asking for revolution.}

{Absalom Deceives His Father to Start Revolution}
7-8~~Now it came to pass after four years
  {introduces new subject},
that Absalom spoke to the king {David},
" 'Please sir'/'I pray you',
let me go to Hebron and fulfill my vow,
which I have vowed to Jehovah/God . . . 8~~
for your servant vowed a vow
while I abode at Geshur in Syria, thinking,
"If Jehovah/God restores me and brings me back to Jerusalem,
then I will worship Jehovah/God {in Hebron}."
  {Absalom is lying about the vow to God - Absalom never had a
  change of heart this is the sin of lying + arrogance = evil . . . and
  revolution}

{Note: The KJV says 40 years, but RBT says 4 is the correct number in the Hebrew.}

{Note: Absalom needs to get outside of Jerusalem to start the revolution, but still stay close to Jerusalem so he can gather his forces and quickly capture Jerusalem. So it took 2 years to get Absalom pardoned (and he formed the hard core conspirators) and back in Jerusalem. Now after 4 more years the seeds of Revolution had taken root (the general public malcontents mislead to be for Absalom and against David). Coming up, we will see that Ahithophel - the grandfather of Bathsheba - is the real brains behind the revolution. Hebron was the first capital of Israel and the citizens were dissatisfied that David moved the capital to Jerusalem. It was a perfect location to brew revolution. Hebron is also only 20 miles from the Southern boarder if the revolution fails and Absalom needs to flee.}

{Criminal Manipulation}
9~~And the king replied to him,
"Go in peace/prosperity."

So he {Absalom} got up
  {quwm - indicates 'action under motivation' - so he stated one
  motivation but he had another motivation},
and went to Hebron.

{Hebron Strategy for Revolution}
10~~Meanwhile Absalom
sent slanderers/propagandists {ragal - hiphil stem}
throughout all the tribes of Israel, commanding,
"As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet,
then you will shout, 'Absalom is king in Hebron'."

{Note: To start a revolution slander must start it. But unless the people are in arrogance, the slander will not be believed. People must accept the lie as truth, for the revolution to occur. Legitimate systems of establishment are the victims of the slander - here David and his legal system.}

11a~~Incidently, two hundred men/'aristocratic men'
from Jerusalem who had been invited . . . followed Absalom.

{Note: These were 200 aristocrats who were impressed with Absalom's personality - the 'who you know' crowd - they were 'special' - Absalom invited 'them' - and this arrogance was their downfall.}

11b~~And they {the 200}
followed in the sphere of their sincerity {tom}
  {sincerity is never a virtue - it can be hypocrisy, arrogance,
  stupidity}
and they knew absolutely nothing {about the revolution}.

12a~~While Absalom offered sacrifices,
  {very pious, very religious looking - inwardly he is reversionistic
  and arrogant}
he {Absalom} sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite,
David's 'secretary of state'/counselor,
from his hometown of Giloh {about 5 miles from Hebron}.

{Note: Ahithophel is the grandfather of Bathsheba and the true brains behind Absalom's revolt just beginning his counsel was so good it was referred to 'as from God' (II Samuel 16:23). Ahithophel had a son who was one of David's generals. He most likely introduced Bathsheba to Uriah the Hittite and never forgave David for the rape of his granddaughter and murder of his son-in-law.}

12b~~Therefore the conspiracy gained momentum/strength
and the people kept coming to Absalom
in constantly increasing numbers.

{Note: If politics (like unfair government - 'taxation without representation' or 'states rights verse national tyranny') is the cause of a civil war, the issue is freedom. If revolution (evil turnover of legitimate government) is the cause, then the issue is truth. Here the issue is truth.}

{Note: David wrote 3 conspiracy psalms. Psalm 39 fits here.}

{Verses 13-37: David's 3 Wise and Great Decisions}
13~~Now the 'intelligence agent'/G2 came to David and he reported,
  {probably a man sent out by Joab to keep tabs on Absalom}
"It has happened.
The 'right lobes'/hearts of the men of Israel follow Absalom."
  {means a revolution has begun}

{Verses 14-16: David's 1st Wise and Great Decision}
14~~Then David commanded {'amar}
  {'amar is used when thought precedes decision - he thought about
  it and thought about it and came to the conclusion that he
  needed to retreat and organize}
all his 'loyal officials'/servants
who were with him in Jerusalem,
"Get up!/Arise {Red Alert!},
because we must retreat/withdraw/flee
for 'none of us will escape from Absalom'.
  {idiom: literally 'there will not be to us an escape from the face of
  Absalom}

Be ready to move out rapidly . . .
lest he {Absalom} pursues rapidly and overtakes us
'and bring disaster to our cause'.
  {idiom: literally 'and bring down on us the evil}
and massacre/'be caused to strike/smite' {nakah}
the city with violence/'the edge of the sword'."

{Note: If David stays in his castle, the battle will be fought in Jerusalem at the base of the castle and will cause much civilian death and destruction of personal property. David knows his cause is right and he will win in the end. He has all it takes to meet the challenge - he just needs time to organize. He moves out with thousands and thousands of citizens faithful to him - this is not just a movement of David's army.}

{Response to Establishment Authority}
15~~And the king's staff replied to the king,
"Behold, your loyal staff are ready to do
whatever my lord the king decides."
  {idiom: literally 'According to all which my lord the king shall decide,
  here are your loyal subjects"}

16~~And the king departed with all of his family and his train
except the king left behind ten women,
who were his former concubines/mistresses,
to keep the palace.

{Verses 17-18: Orderly Withdraw and Review of Brigade of Guards}
17~~Therefore the king departed/moved out,
with all the {loyal} people in his train.

And they halted 'the last outpost/fort'.
  {idiom: literally: 'at the house of the distance'}

{Note: Before David could depart from the Mount of Olives, he had the people stop at the Eastern fort in the valley of Kidron. He set up an organized system for moving out of the land with flanks and rear guarded. That is why he stopped her at the last fort. This small fort guards the ford at the river/brook of Kidron - its depth depends on the season of the year - we don't know the season here.}

18~~Then all his loyal servants
  {civilians plus 3 regiments of the Royal Guard}
'passed in review'
including all the Cherethites,
and all the Pelethites,
and all the Gittites . . . six hundred {Gittite} men
  {the Gittites acted as the police force of Jerusalem - a special
  police force}
who accompanied him from Gath,
'passed in review' before the king.

19~~Then the {de jury} king said to Ittai the Gittite,
"Why should you also go with us?
  {he was the chief of police and he was needed to protect the
  people of Jerusalem}

Go back and remain with the {de facto} king.

You are a foreigner . . . and an immigrant . . .
  {means that this revolution does not have to involve him}
therefore, return to your place {of duty}.

{Note: Ittai was a Philistine who was well known to David. He was a good soldier, but RBT says he found his niche as Chief of Police (RBT concludes this since his duty was back in Jerusalem and the Gittite are usually not mentioned as part of the Royal guard - they must be the military police who controlled crime in Jerusalem). David wanted Ittai to remain and protect the rights and property of the civilians of Jerusalem. And, he is telling Ittai to respect the authority of the 'de facto king' - Absalom (means Absalom is, factually, sitting on the throne, yet David remains the king 'de jury' or under the law - as the one appointed king by God.}

Continued