2 Samuel 14:27

14:25-27 Nothing is said of Absalom's wisdom and piety. All here said of him is, that he was very handsome. A poor commendation for a man that had nothing else in him valuable. Many a polluted, deformed soul dwells in a fair and comely body. And we read that he had a very fine head of hair. It was a burden to him, but he would not cut it as long as he could bear the weight. That which feeds and gratifies pride, is not complained of, though uneasy. May the Lord grant us the beauty of holiness, and the adorning of a meek and quiet spirit! Only those who fear God are truly happy.

And unto Absalom there were born three sons,.... Who very probably died young; and the rather it may be thought so, since their names are not given, and more especially since it is said that Absalom had no sons, and therefore erected a pillar to keep up the remembrance of his name; unless it can be thought that that was set up before he had any sons, which is not so likely; see 2 Samuel 18:18 , and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; and whom he named after his sister Tamar, who was ravished by Amnon; the Septuagint version in some copies adds,"and she became the wife of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, and bore to him Abia;''and so says Josephus (b); see 1 Kings 15:22, she was a woman of a fair countenance; as was her aunt, after whom she was named, 2 Samuel 13:1; by this it appears that she lived to a woman's estate, though the sons of Absalom died young. (b) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 8. sect. 5.)

(27) Three sons. —Their names are not given, from which it might be supposed that they died in infancy, and this is made sure by 2Samuel 18:18 , where Absalom is reported as saying, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” One daughter.—This daughter bore the name of Absalom’s sister, Tamar, and shared her beauty. The LXX. here inserts the statement that she “became the wife of Roboam, the son of Solomon, and bore him a son, Abia.” But this is evidently a confused gloss, founded upon 1Kings 15:2; 2Chronicles 11:20-22. We are there told that Rehoboam’s favourite wife was Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, and mother of Abijah; but this must mean that Maachah was his granddaughter through Tamar, since in 2Chronicles 13:2 Abijah is called the son of Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel. Tamar then married Uriel, and her daughter became the mother of a line of kings.

27 . three sons ] Who are not named, because none of them lived to grow up. See ch. 2 Samuel 18:18 . Tamar ] Who inherited the beauty as well as the name of her aunt. The Sept. adds, “and she became the wife of Roboam the son of Solomon, and bare him Abia.” This however does not agree with the books of Kings and Chronicles. From 1 Kings 15:2 we learn that Maachah the daughter of Abishalom was the wife of Rehoboam and mother of Abijam: from 2 Chronicles 13:2 that Abijah’s mother’s name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah (cp. 2 Chronicles 11:20-22 ). The natural inference is that Michaiah is an alternative name or a textual error for Maachah , and that Maachah was the daughter or Uriel and Tamar, and granddaughter of Absalom, named after her great-grandmother.

Verse 27. - Three sons. Their names are not given, because they died early (see 2 Samuel 18:18 ). Of his daughter Tamar , named after her aunt, and, like her, possessed of great beauty, the Septuagint adds that she became the wife of Rehoboam, and mother of Abijah. In 1 Kings 15:2 we are told that Abijah's mother was "Maachah the daughter of Abishalom;" and in 2 Chronicles 13:2 that her name was "Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah." We thus gather that Tamar married Uriel, and that it was the granddaughter of Absalom who became Rehoboam's queen. It is strictly in accordance with Hebrew custom to call Absalom's granddaughter his daughter, and, as Uriel was a man of no political importance, he is passed over, as the narrator's object was to show that Abijah's mother was sprung from the handsome and notorious son of David (see also 2 Chronicles 11:20, 21 ). 2 Samuel 14:27

25, 26. But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty—This extraordinary popularity arose not only from his high spirit and courtly manners, but from his uncommonly handsome appearance. One distinguishing feature, seemingly an object of great admiration, was a profusion of beautiful hair. Its extraordinary luxuriance compelled him to cut it "at every year's end;" lit., "at times," "from time to time," when it was found to weigh two hundred shekels—equal to one hundred twelve ounces troy; but as "the weight was after the king's shekel," which was less than the common shekel, the rate has been reduced as low as three pounds, two ounces [Bochart], and even less by others.

Unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter named Tamar, who was beautiful in figure. Contrary to general usage, the names of the sons are not given, in all probability for no other reason than because they died in infancy. Consequently, as Absalom had no sons, he afterwards erected a pillar to preserve his name ( 2 Samuel 18:18 ). The daughter's name is probably given as a proof of Absalom's great affection for his sister Tamar, whom Amnon had violated. (Note: The lxx have this additional clause, καὶ γίνεται γυνὴ Ῥοβαὰμ υἱῷ Σαλωμὼν καὶ τίκτει αὐτῷ τὸν Ἀβιά (and she became the wife of Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and bore him a son named Abia). Although this is quite at variance with 1 Kings 15:2, where it is stated that the wife of Rehoboam and mother of Abia (Abijam) was named Maacah, the clause had been adopted by Thenius, who regards it as original, though for reasons which Bttcher has shown to be worthless.)