2 Samuel 13:29

13:21-29 Observe the aggravations of Absalom's sin: he would have Ammon slain, when least fit to go out of the world. He engaged his servants in the guilt. Those servants are ill-taught who obey wicked masters, against God's commands. Indulged children always prove crosses to godly parents, whose foolish love leads them to neglect their duty to God.

And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded,.... They smote him, and killed him, when he gave the word: then all the king's sons arose; from the feast, imagining they were all designed to be slain: and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled; creatures much used in Judea instead of horses, which, though they might not be bred, might be used (o). (o) Vid. Misn. Celaim, c. 8. sect. 1.

(29) As Absalom had commanded. —It was quite customary for the servants of a prince to obey his orders without question, leaving the entire responsibility to rest with him. In this case, if Chileab (or Daniel) was already dead, as seems probable, Absalom stood next in the succession to Amnon, and, however it may have been with himself, his retainers may have looked upon this as a preparatory step towards the throne. The blow was too sudden and unexpected to allow of interference by the other princes. Upon his mule.—Although David had reserved a number of horses from the spoil of his Syrian victories (2Samuel 8:4), the mule was still ridden by persons of distinction (2Samuel 18:9; 1Kings 1:33; 1Kings 1:38). The breeding of mules was forbidden in the Law (Leviticus 19:19), but they were brought in by commerce (1Kings 10:25).

29 . did unto Amnon , &c.] Though the princes were attended by a numerous retinue ( 2 Samuel 13:34 ), the blow was struck so suddenly and unexpectedly, that no resistance was possible, and Absalom escaped without difficulty. upon his mule ] Mules were generally used for riding at this time by persons of distinction, as Absalom (ch. 2 Samuel 18:9 ), David, and Solomon ( 1 Kings 1:33 ; 1 Kings 1:38 ). 2 Samuel 13:29

The servants did as he commanded, whereupon the other king's sons all fled upon their mules. - 2 Samuel 13:30 . But whilst they were on the road, the report of what Absalom had done reached the ears of the king, and, as generally happens in such cases, with very great exaggeration: "Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left."

His plan is the following: To the account of the murder of Amnon, and the consequent flight of the rest of the king's sons whom Absalom had invited to the feast (2 Samuel 13:29), there is first of all appended a notice of the report which preceded the fugitives and reached the king's ears in an exaggerated form, together with the impression which it made upon the king, and the rectification of that report by Jonadab (2 Samuel 13:30-33). Then follows the statement that Absalom fled, also the account of the arrival of the king's sons (2 Samuel 13:34-36). After this we have a statement as to the direction in which Absalom fled, the king's continued mourning, and the length of time that Absalom's banishment lasted (2 Samuel 13:37, 2 Samuel 13:38), and finally a remark as to David's feelings towards Absalom (2 Samuel 13:39). Jonadab's assertion, that Amnon only had been slain, was very speedily confirmed (2 Samuel 13:34). The young man, the spy, i.e., the young man who was looking out for the return of those who had been invited to the feast, "lifted up his eyes and saw," i.e., saw as he looked out into the distance, "much people (a crowd of men) coming from the way behind him along the side of the mountain." אחריו מדּרך, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ (lxx), per iter devium (Vulg.), is obscure; and אהר, "behind," is probably to be understood as meaning "to the west:" from the way at the back of the spy, i.e., to the west of his station.