2 Samuel 15:1 kjv
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2 Samuel 15:1 nkjv
After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2 Samuel 15:1 niv
In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 Samuel 15:1 esv
After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2 Samuel 15:1 nlt
After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.
2 Samuel 15 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:5 | For God knows that in the day you eat... you will be like God... | Human desire to usurp divine authority. |
| Deut 17:16 | But he shall not multiply horses for himself... | Kings cautioned against self-reliance through military power. |
| 1 Sam 8:5 | ...Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. | Israel's desire for a king; contrast with God-given. |
| 1 Kgs 1:5 | Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. | Direct parallel: Adonijah's later similar usurpation attempt. |
| 1 Kgs 2:15 | He said, "You know that the kingdom was mine... but the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the LORD." | Adonijah's failed claim and recognition of divine choice. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Universal truth about the consequences of pride. |
| Prov 27:2 | Let another praise you, and not your own mouth... | Warning against self-promotion and self-exaltation. |
| Isa 14:12-15 | How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer... I will ascend into heaven... I will be like the Most High. | Typological parallel of ambition and desire to usurp power. |
| Isa 31:1 | Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses... | Reliance on human strength (chariots, horses) rather than God. |
| Ps 20:7 | Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. | Contrasting reliance on worldly power vs. reliance on God. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another. | God alone exalts and brings low; against self-exaltation. |
| Hos 14:3 | Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses... | Forsaking reliance on horses/military for divine help. |
| Mt 20:26 | Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. | Christ's teaching on humble leadership versus worldly ambition. |
| Luke 12:47-48 | And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. | The responsibility of those who understand rightful authority. |
| Jas 4:6 | But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." | Divine opposition to pride. |
| 1 Jn 2:16 | For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. | The "pride of life" (worldly ambition) as antithetical to God. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | When your days are fulfilled... I will raise up your offspring after you... I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. | Davidic Covenant; the true king is appointed by God. |
| 2 Sam 12:10-12 | Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house... | Nathan's prophecy against David, leading to household turmoil. |
| 2 Sam 14:33 | So David arose and kissed Absalom. | The false reconciliation before Absalom's cunning act. |
| Acts 20:29-30 | For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you... speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. | Warning against those who lead others astray for self-gain. |
2 Samuel 15 verses
2 Samuel 15 1 Meaning
Absalom, after being reconciled with his father David, strategically and publicly initiated his campaign to usurp David's throne by acquiring significant symbols of royal power: chariots, horses, and a personal retinue of fifty men to run before him. This act, done independently and not by royal decree, clearly signaled his deliberate intent to elevate his own status and challenge David's authority, effectively setting himself up as a rival king.
2 Samuel 15 1 Context
2 Samuel 15:1 immediately follows the intricate process of Absalom's return from exile after murdering Amnon, his half-brother, and his subsequent reconciliation with his father, David (2 Sam 13:38-14:33). Absalom had been in Geshur for three years and then in Jerusalem for two more, excluded from David's presence. Chapter 14 concludes with David finally kissing Absalom, signaling an official reconciliation. However, the very next verse reveals Absalom's true intentions were not repentance or loyalty but a calculated self-promotion. Historically, this period marks a decline in David's once-unified kingdom, largely due to internal family strife, a fulfillment of Nathan's prophecy regarding the sword never departing David's house because of his sin (2 Sam 12:10). Culturally, chariots, horses, and a running retinue were unmistakable symbols of royal authority, prestige, and military power in ancient Near Eastern monarchies. For Absalom to acquire these for himself, rather than receiving them from the king, was a direct and public challenge to David's sovereignty and the first visible step of his rebellion.
2 Samuel 15 1 Word analysis
- After this (אַחֲרֵי-כֵן֙ - 'acharey-chen): This phrase indicates a direct chronological and causal link, highlighting that Absalom’s actions are a follow-up to his supposed reconciliation with David in chapter 14. It implies Absalom's intentions were not changed by the reconciliation; rather, he viewed it as an opportune moment to further his own ambitions.
- it happened that Absalom (אַבְשָׁל֗וֹם - Avshalom): "Absalom" means "father of peace" or "my father is peace," which is deeply ironic considering he brought civil war and dispeace upon his father and the nation. As David's third son, his actions here are a manifestation of his cunning, vengeful nature, stemming from previous family conflicts (Tamar, Amnon).
- provided for himself (וַיִּעַשׂ-ל֤וֹ - vayyi'as-lo, lit. "and he made for himself"): This crucial Hebrew verb indicates Absalom actively and independently acquired or "made ready" these items for his own use. It explicitly means he did not receive them as a gift or a royal appointment from King David. This self-provision demonstrates his independent and usurping ambition, effectively circumventing and defying his father's royal prerogative.
- chariots (מֶרְכָּבָה - merkavah): In ancient Israel and the broader Near East, chariots were potent military assets and primary symbols of a king's wealth, prestige, and power. To possess chariots meant possessing military strength and the authority to command, an exclusive domain of the monarch. Absalom’s acquiring them signified his kingly aspirations.
- and horses (סוּסִים - susim): Essential for chariots, horses were also symbols of cavalry and swift movement, directly linked to military and royal display. The accumulation of horses for kings was even a point of caution in the Torah (Deut 17:16), implying a potential for relying on worldly power instead of divine provision. Absalom's actions disregarded this implicit caution by seeking self-exaltation.
- and fifty men to run before him (וַחֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אִישׁ֙ לָרוּץ֙ לְפָנָיו֙ - vaḥamishshīm 'ish lārūṣ ləfānāw): This specific number and action constituted a clear and public display of royal pomp and security. Such "runners" were typically part of a king’s retinue, serving as heralds, messengers, or personal bodyguards who literally "ran ahead" of the royal chariot or person. Absalom's meticulous formation of this fifty-man guard explicitly mimicked the king’s official entourage, projecting an image of sovereign authority to the public and systematically undermining David’s royal status.
- Absalom's Royal Imitation (phrasal analysis): The combined imagery of "chariots and horses" with "fifty men to run before him" portrays Absalom deliberately adopting the outward symbols of kingship. This was not a humble retinue, but a visible declaration of his personal royal ambitions, designed to impress and attract popular support, directly challenging the established monarchy.
2 Samuel 15 1 Bonus section
- Prophetic Fulfillment: This verse begins the direct unfolding of Nathan's prophecy against David, specifically that "the sword shall never depart from your house" and that God would raise up trouble against him from his own household (2 Sam 12:10-11). Absalom, David's own son, initiates this devastating conflict.
- Contrast with David: David, by divine anointing, was raised from a humble shepherd to king. Absalom, in contrast, actively seeks to build his own kingdom through self-promotion and manipulation, relying on worldly symbols of power rather than divine appointment.
- Adonijah's Echo: The striking similarity to Adonijah’s later attempt to seize the throne (1 Kgs 1:5)—using the exact same formula of chariots, horsemen, and fifty runners—underscores these as universally recognized symbols of royal usurpation, making Absalom's intention immediately clear to the ancient audience.
2 Samuel 15 1 Commentary
2 Samuel 15:1 encapsulates the dangerous nature of unchecked ambition. Following his "reconciliation" with David, Absalom wastes no time in leveraging his renewed access and visibility, not for family unity, but for self-exaltation. His acquisition of chariots, horses, and a fifty-man escort was a strategic and calculated appropriation of kingly symbols. This was a clear signal to the people and to David that Absalom intended to assume the throne, bypassing any legitimate process of succession. It demonstrated a cunning and manipulative spirit, focusing on outward pomp and image rather than true submission or godly leadership. This verse, therefore, sets the stage for a tragic internal conflict, directly stemming from Absalom’s pride and insatiable thirst for power, which ultimately fulfilled Nathan's prophecy regarding the turmoil within David's household.