Why did Absalom flee after killing Amnon?

Absalom fled because he knew he had committed murder on purpose and that the law called for death in such a case. There was no place of safety in Israel for someone who had planned a killing like this. He could not count on his father David to ignore such a serious crime, even though David had not punished Amnon earlier. So Absalom ran to Geshur, where his grandfather Talmai was king, hoping family ties there would protect him from justice in Israel.

Who were the people coming by the way of the hill side?

The people seen coming by the way of the hill side were the king’s sons and their attendants returning from Absalom’s feast. At first a young watchman only saw a large group of people in the distance and could not tell who they were. As they came closer, Jonadab could say confidently that they were David’s sons, just as he had said earlier that only Amnon was dead. Their return showed that the first report about all the king’s sons being killed was false.

Why did David and all his servants weep very sore?

David and his servants wept deeply when the king’s sons arrived home crying. Their return proved that the earlier rumor of all the sons being killed was wrong, but it also confirmed the hard truth that Amnon had really been murdered by his own brother. The mixture of relief and grief was heavy. David was thankful his other sons were alive, yet he mourned that Amnon was dead and that this had come through a cruel act within his own family. Sin in the family brought great sorrow.

Why did Absalom go specifically to Talmai king of Geshur?

Absalom went to Talmai because Talmai was his grandfather, the father of his mother. By going there, Absalom placed himself under the protection of family in a different kingdom, outside David’s direct reach. In Israel there was no safe place for someone guilty of planned murder. In Geshur, Absalom could hope that his grandfather would shelter him and feel no duty to hand him over unless David formally demanded it. This is why Absalom stayed there three years after Amnon’s death.

Why did David mourn for his son every day?

David mourned every day because his heart was broken by what had happened. Amnon, his firstborn and heir, had been killed, and not by an enemy but by his own brother. This loss also reminded David of his own past sin and the sword that had been warned would not leave his house. The passage suggests his long daily mourning mainly focused on Amnon at first. Over time, as he accepted that Amnon was gone, his grief eased, but his sadness over the whole situation remained.

How long did Absalom stay in Geshur, and what changed in David during that time?

Absalom stayed in Geshur for three years. During those years David’s grief slowly shifted. At first he mourned constantly for Amnon, the son who had been killed. As time passed, he was comforted about Amnon in the sense that he accepted his death and could not change it. As that pain dulled, David’s feelings toward Absalom softened. Instead of only seeing him as a murderer, David’s heart began to long to go out to him, though he still did not take action to bring Absalom home.

What does it mean that David longed to go forth unto Absalom?

The wording here is difficult and has been read in more than one way, but the passage shows David’s heart turning toward Absalom. After years of mourning Amnon, David’s sharp anger against Absalom eased, and he began to miss him. Many understand this as David wanting to go to Absalom or to send for him, yet holding back because of the seriousness of Absalom’s crime and the demands of justice. His longing shows a father torn between love for his son and the wrong his son had done.

Was David mourning for Amnon or for Absalom in this passage?

The passage mentions David mourning for “his son” every day, and then later says he was comforted about Amnon because he was dead and could not return. It makes sense to see his long daily mourning mainly as grief over Amnon’s death and the way he died. At the same time, Absalom’s exile also weighed on him. As the years passed and the shock of Amnon’s death lessened, David’s sorrow over what had happened in his family turned into a longing to be reconciled with Absalom.

What does this story show about the consequences of sin in David’s family?

This story shows how one sin leads to another and how a family can be torn apart. Amnon’s sin against Tamar was not dealt with by David, and that opened the door for Absalom to take revenge. Absalom then became a murderer and had to flee his home and country. David ended up with one son dead and another far away, and his whole household in tears. The passage quietly shows that when sin is ignored instead of faced, it does not simply disappear but grows and brings painful results.

2Sam.13.34

2 Samuel 13:34

KJV

But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.

Absalom Flees to Geshur

But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.

And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.

And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.

¶ But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

Cross References

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