2 Samuel 13:23-39 - Strike Amnon!

2 Samuel 13:23-39

Absalom Murders Amnon

23 And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; so Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 Then Absalom came to the king and said, “Kindly note, your servant has sheepshearers; please, let the king and his servants go with your servant.”

25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be a burden to you.” Then he urged him, but he would not go; and he blessed him.

26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.”

And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him; so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on his mule and fled.

30 And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!” 31 So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. 32 Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore, let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead. For only Amnon is dead.”

Absalom Flees to Geshur

34 Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was keeping watch lifted his eyes and looked, and there, many people were coming from the road on the hillside behind him. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons are coming; as your servant said, so it is.” 36 So it was, as soon as he had finished speaking, that the king’s sons indeed came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom. For he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead.

Strike Amnon!  Absalom, David’s son, finally found the moment to take revenge on his half-brother Amnon after two years for incestuously raping his sister Tamar.  Under the pretense of taking his brother with the group of sheepshearers, he persuaded king David to allow Amnon to come with him and all the king’s sons.  When Amnon was drunk, Absalom ordered his servants to murder him and all the king’s sons got on their mules and scurried away to,avoid being implicated in their brother’s death.  The news that reached David was that all were killed until Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, told him it was only Amnon who was killed in retribution by Absalom for the rape of Tamar his sister as he had determined to do from that event two years ago.  This was the same Jonadab who talked Amnon into following his heart and violating his sister according to his fleshly desires in opposition to God’s prohibition to such abominable actions according to the Law.  This man of evil subterfuge dared to plead for the life of the one who killed the man he had set up to commit the act for which he was murdered!  Absalom of course took off running on his own mule supposedly to  avoid the consequences of his unrighteous act of taking justice into his own hands.  Meanwhile, the rest of David’s sons came back with tears in their eyes for the loss of their brother as the king and his servants joined in their bitter sorrow.  Absalom hid with king of Geshur’s son for three years while David had healed from the loss and yearned to go to him.  This is why we are not to take justice into our own hands and become judge, jury, and executioner of those who wrong those we love.  Vengeance is the Lord’s (Leviticus 19:18, Psalm 98:9, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30) and He alone is the judge of all in this life or the next.  When our anger cries out, “Strike Amnon!” as it did with Absalom, we are to hand the offender over to the Judge of all, and to the rulers He put over us (Romans 13:1-2, 3-4) to hold them accountable.  Our anger does not work the righteousness (Matthew 5:21, James 1:19-20) of God, especially since it is our unbiblical attempt to take over the judgments of God for ourselves as if we know better than Him and have the right to violate His word in response to another’s unrighteousness.