After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 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?” But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.
While they were on the way, news came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king’s sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”
Comment: I don’t know if Absalom took the matter of his sister’s being raped to any courts of the day? Did he talk with his father? Was his punishment dealt out to his brother reasonable under the circumstances? We don’t know if Amnon repented; were there prisons available for holding such guilty people? I don’t know and am happy to say ‘it is not necessary for me to judge.’ But David, guilty of a similar sexual crime earlier, would have had difficulty in being judge of his son Amnon. All the other sons flee the site of the murder. No doubt they wondered if Absalom was planning to wrest the kingdom from their father’s hands for himself. Jonadab, the one who had led Amnon into his treachery against Tamar had the insight to understand that this was payment for Amnon’s action, not against David or his other sons.
Prayer: Help me to make wise decisions; to neither be judgemental nor gullible, Father God.
As I read it! 