2 Samuel 15:8 kjv
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.
2 Samuel 15:8 nkjv
For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, 'If the LORD indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.' "
2 Samuel 15:8 niv
While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: 'If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.'?"
2 Samuel 15:8 esv
For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the LORD.'"
2 Samuel 15:8 nlt
For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the LORD in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem."
2 Samuel 15 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Vows & Fidelity | ||
| Num 30:2 | "When a man vows a vow to the LORD... he shall not break his word..." | Emphasizes the sacred nature of vows. |
| Deut 23:21 | "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it..." | Obligation to fulfill vows promptly. |
| Ps 66:13-14 | "I will come into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows..." | Illustrates the practice of paying vows. |
| Eccl 5:4-5 | "When you vow a vow to God, do not delay to pay it... it is better not to vow than to vow and not pay." | Reinforces the seriousness of vows. |
| Deception & Hypocrisy | ||
| Prov 12:22 | "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight." | Absalom's lie is an abomination. |
| Jer 9:8 | "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceitfully..." | Reflects the treachery in Absalom's words. |
| Ps 12:2 | "They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak." | Highlights Absalom's insincere speech. |
| Matt 23:27-28 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs..." | Parallel to outwardly religious but inwardly corrupt. |
| Acts 5:1-4 | Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit concerning their vow of giving. | Danger of feigning devotion/honesty to God. |
| Rebellion & Ambition | ||
| 2 Sam 15:1 | "After this Absalom got himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him." | Foreshadows his ambition and royal pretenses. |
| 2 Sam 15:7 | "Now it came to pass after forty years that Absalom said to the king, 'Please let me go... to pay my vow...'" | Context of Absalom's patient preparation. |
| Prov 30:11 | "There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother." | Relevant to Absalom's betrayal of his father. |
| Rom 13:1-2 | "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities... resist authority resists the ordinance of God..." | Absalom's rebellion is against divine order. |
| Isa 14:12-15 | Depicts the fall of Lucifer due to pride and ambition. | Pride leading to a fall. |
| False Service/Worship | ||
| Isa 29:13 | "These people draw near with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me..." | Directly applies to Absalom's false vow. |
| Tit 1:16 | "They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work." | Demonstrates disingenuous religious profession. |
| 1 Jn 2:4 | "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar..." | False claim of knowing/serving God. |
| Return to Jerusalem/Hebron Significance | ||
| 2 Sam 3:2 | David’s sons born in Hebron, including Absalom’s full brother Amnon. | Hebron's significance to Absalom's past. |
| 2 Sam 2:1-4 | David established his initial reign in Hebron. | Hebron's symbolic link to kingship/power. |
| Ps 122:3-4 | "Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together... tribes go up..." | Significance of Jerusalem as a holy city. |
| Jer 29:10-11 | God promises to bring His people back to Jerusalem for good purpose. | God's true bringing back contrasts Absalom's lie. |
2 Samuel 15 verses
2 Samuel 15 8 Meaning
This verse reveals Absalom's deceptive plea to King David. He feigns sincere religious devotion and presents himself as a dutiful "servant" fulfilling a solemn vow to the LORD, made during his exile in Geshur. His ostensible purpose for requesting to go to Hebron is to offer sacrifices in thanksgiving for his return to Jerusalem, thus cloaking his rebellious ambition in religious piety. This facade successfully manipulates David, highlighting the king's trusting nature and Absalom's deep cunning.
2 Samuel 15 8 Context
This verse is a pivotal moment in Absalom's rebellion against his father, King David. It immediately follows the statement that Absalom had been cultivating public support for four years (2 Sam 15:7), systematically endearing himself to the people and undermining David's rule. After his initial return from a three-year exile in Geshur (following his murder of Amnon in 2 Sam 13), Absalom had gradually been reinstated into David's favor, but harbored resentment and ambitious designs. Here, he employs a cunning stratagem, using a pretense of fulfilling a religious vow in Hebron—a city with historical and political significance (David's first capital)—as a means to secure David's permission to leave Jerusalem and then launch his coup. The setting is Absalom's final stage of preparation, revealing his calculated use of piety to exploit his father's trust and faith.
2 Samuel 15 8 Word analysis
- For thy servant vowed a vow:
- thy servant: Absalom uses a respectful and humble self-designation, masking his true rebellious intentions. This formal address to the king implies subservience and loyalty, a direct contrast to his inner thoughts and forthcoming actions.
- vowed a vow: (Hebrew: נָדַר נֶדֶר, nadar neder). This phrase employs a cognate accusative (verb and noun from the same root), which intensifies the meaning, emphasizing the solemnity and binding nature of the promise made to God. Vows were considered sacred obligations in Israelite law (e.g., Num 30, Deut 23:21-23). Absalom invokes the highest religious standard to deceive David.
- while I abode at Geshur in Syria:
- Geshur in Syria: Geshur was Absalom's place of exile for three years (2 Sam 13:38). It was his mother Maacah's homeland. Mentioning this place grounds the feigned vow in a period of presumed isolation and reflection, adding credibility to Absalom's religious claim. It suggests a time when one might naturally turn to God in difficult circumstances.
- saying, If the LORD shall bring me again to Jerusalem:
- If the LORD shall bring me again to Jerusalem: This is the conditional part of the fabricated vow. It portrays Absalom as humble and dependent on divine providence for his return from exile. This specific wording appeals to David's own faith and understanding of God's hand in his own life. The return to Jerusalem after being away would naturally elicit thankfulness and desire to honor God, which Absalom exploits.
- then I will serve the LORD:
- then I will serve the LORD: (Hebrew: עָבַד יְהוָה, 'avad YHWH). To "serve the LORD" primarily implied acts of worship, such as offering sacrifices, which is what Absalom explicitly states he intends to do in Hebron (2 Sam 15:7). This declaration positions Absalom as genuinely pious, eager to fulfill a divine obligation upon his restoration. It implies devotion and obedience, creating a powerful emotional and spiritual appeal to David.
2 Samuel 15 8 Bonus section
The deception Absalom weaves around the vow and his stated intention to "serve the LORD" reflects a recurrent biblical theme: the danger of hypocrisy. His act highlights the outward performance of religious duties without genuine inner transformation or devotion. This not only manipulates others but also deeply offends the Almighty, who "looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7). The ease with which David falls for this stratagem reveals the king's fatherly trust and potentially his own spiritual blindness to the manipulative tactics within his own household, contributing to the tragic downfall that unfolds. Absalom’s readiness to invoke God's name for a fraudulent purpose also illustrates the spiritual peril of taking the Lord's name in vain, not just through casual exclamations, but through the instrumentalization of sacred language for selfish or ungodly gain.
2 Samuel 15 8 Commentary
2 Samuel 15:8 stands as a stark illustration of religious pretense employed for deeply malicious ends. Absalom's carefully constructed narrative leverages the sacred covenant of a vow, portraying himself as a repentant and pious son returning to faith, a scenario that would deeply resonate with David's own devotion. The choice of Hebron, David's first capital and a significant religious site, as the location for this supposed vow fulfillment, adds another layer of calculated deceit, combining spiritual piety with political strategy. This verse underscores Absalom's insidious character—one who systematically undermines trust and exploits the most hallowed practices to achieve personal ambition. It serves as a somber reminder of how genuine religious sentiment can be manipulated and how discerning believers must be of outward displays of piety. The events that follow painfully demonstrate the profound cost of such deception, particularly when aimed at those in positions of authority or familial trust.