2 Samuel 13 25

2 Samuel 13:25 kjv

And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.

2 Samuel 13:25 nkjv

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.

2 Samuel 13:25 niv

"No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing.

2 Samuel 13:25 esv

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.

2 Samuel 13:25 nlt

The king replied, "No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you." Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing.

2 Samuel 13 verses

2 Samuel 13 25 Meaning

2 Samuel 13:25 depicts King David's polite refusal of Absalom's invitation to a sheep-shearing feast. Absalom had requested David and all his sons to attend, and David's response reveals his practical concern that such a large royal entourage would place an excessive financial and logistical "burden" upon Absalom, his son and the host. This seemingly mundane interaction is steeped in dramatic irony, as David's focus on a perceived material burden blinds him to the far greater, sinister intentions Absalom harbored – a plot of murderous revenge against Amnon for the rape of Tamar, their sister. David's politeness and concern for financial practicality stand in stark contrast to the deep familial turmoil and unaddressed grievances festering within his household, foreshadowing the violent tragedy to come.

2 Samuel 13 25 Context

2 Samuel chapter 13 details the horrific events surrounding Amnon's rape of his half-sister Tamar, David's daughter, and the subsequent vengeful plot concocted by Tamar's full brother, Absalom. Despite David hearing about Amnon's vile act, he fails to enact justice or confront Amnon adequately, being "very angry" but taking no decisive action (2 Sam 13:21). This lack of judgment and parental discipline creates a vacuum in which Absalom's bitterness festers into deep-seated hatred. For two years, Absalom hides his resentment (2 Sam 13:23). This verse (2 Sam 13:25) comes at the point when Absalom invites King David and all his sons to a sheep-shearing festival, an occasion that was traditionally a time of feasting and merriment but is here a cover for a murderous conspiracy. David's response here, a polite but firm refusal based on practical considerations, underscores his blind spot to the deeper, more dangerous undercurrents of anger and resentment within his own royal family, set to erupt with devastating consequences.

2 Samuel 13 25 Word analysis

• But the king: Indicates a change of speaker or a response. Ha-melech (הַמֶּלֶךְ) "the king," emphasizes David's regal position and authority, yet his human failings are simultaneously apparent. Despite being king, his perception of his family's crisis is flawed.
• said to Absalom: This corrects a common misconception; the verse specifies David is speaking to Absalom, the inviter, not Amnon. This highlights David's direct interaction with the one plotting harm.
• "No," Lo (לֹא): A direct, emphatic negative. While seemingly a simple refusal, it is couched in polite, familial terms. It represents David's initial resistance to the full invitation.
• my son, beni (בְּנִי): A term of endearment, reflecting paternal affection and trust. David addresses Absalom as a loving father, unaware of the malicious intent lurking beneath Absalom's invitation. This intimacy deepens the tragedy.
• let us not all go, al-na koleinu nelêk (אַל־נָא כֻלָּ֙נוּ נֵלֵ֤ךְ): "Please, let not all of us go." David implies that his and all the other princes' attendance would be a logistical challenge, seeking to alleviate a perceived strain on Absalom. He subtly limits the invitation rather than outright rejecting the host or the event.
• lest we be a burden to you." pen-nikbad ʻalekā (פֶּֽן־נִכְבַּ֥ד עָלֶֽיךָ). This is the stated reason for refusal.
  • lest (pen): Indicates a cautionary warning, an avoidance of a negative consequence.
  • we be a burden: The Hebrew root is kabad (כָּבַד), meaning "to be heavy," "to be weighty," "to be grievous," "to be burdensome," or "to be glorious/honored." In this context, David intends the meaning of imposing a financial and logistical weight or encumbrance.
  • to you: 'alekha, referring directly to Absalom as the host.

Words-Group Analysis

• "But the king said to Absalom, 'No, my son...'": This phrase immediately establishes David's response as both paternal and somewhat deferential to Absalom's plans. David is polite, even loving, in his refusal, which dramatically contrasts with the deep animosity Absalom harbors. This also shows David's perceived control over the situation versus the reality of Absalom's hidden agenda.
• "let us not all go, lest we be a burden to you": This entire phrase encapsulates the dramatic irony of the passage. David's focus on a financial/logistical burden ("heavy on you") highlights his limited scope of understanding. The true burden on Absalom is his unexpressed and murderous rage, the "heaviness" of unaddressed sin, and the plotting of vengeance. David's practical concerns about hosting expenses utterly miss the profound spiritual and moral "weight" of the situation, making his words tragically short-sighted and foreshadowing the violent "grievous" outcome (also from the root kabad). This statement unwittingly gives Absalom a tactical opening to refine his plot.

2 Samuel 13 25 Bonus section

• Dramatic Irony: The core of this verse's power lies in its dramatic irony. David's seemingly practical and fatherly concern ("lest we be a burden to you") is in stark opposition to the real burden that Absalom feels and intends to exact—the "burden" of vengeance for his sister Tamar, leading to murder. David's choice of words, unknowingly, sets the stage for a much heavier "grievance" to unfold.
• Parental Oblivion: This moment reinforces a pattern of David's parental failure. His lack of intervention after Amnon's rape left a void where justice should have been. This passivity enabled Absalom's hatred to grow, unnoticed and unaddressed, leading directly to the events foreshadowed here. David, renowned as "a man after God's own heart," nonetheless struggles with raising and disciplining his children, with devastating personal and kingdom-wide repercussions.
• The Nuance of "Kabad": The Hebrew root kabad used for "burden" is profoundly significant. It means to be heavy in various senses: literally heavy, honored/glorious, or grievous/burdensome. While David intends the financial "burden," the broader narrative utilizes the "grievous" or "heavy with judgment" aspect, foreshadowing the violent weight of vengeance and sin about to fall upon David's house, aligning with Nathan's earlier prophecy of the "sword not departing" from his house.

2 Samuel 13 25 Commentary

2 Samuel 13:25 serves as a poignant illustration of human blindness and the tragic consequences of unchecked sin within a family. David, though king, displays a fundamental failure in discernment. He correctly perceives that his full royal household would be a material "burden" on Absalom, yet he entirely misses the much more profound and dangerous spiritual burden that Absalom is carrying: a two-year-old, burning hatred for Amnon due to Tamar's rape, and a meticulously planned vengeance.

David's polite, almost detached, response highlights his characteristic passivity when confronting difficult family matters, a pattern evident from his inadequate handling of Amnon's initial crime. He assumes Absalom's invitation is purely social, unaware it's a carefully laid trap. This verse exemplifies the dramatic irony permeating the narrative: David, concerned about mere resources, overlooks a brewing catastrophe involving fratricide and familial dissolution. His paternal endearment ("my son") rings hollow against the backdrop of the murderous intentions he fails to perceive. It speaks to how an outwardly amicable facade can mask deeply destructive evil, and how unaddressed sin in one generation can fester and erupt with violence in the next. This also contrasts the worldly ruler's perception with God's perfect foresight and moral judgment.