David Hears of Absalom’s Death

II Samuel 18:19–33
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Ahimaaz wants to run and tell David that the Lord has delivered him from his enemies and he tells Joab (v. 19). Joab tells Ahimaaz it is best not to do it today because the king’s son is dead (v. 20). Soon a man from Ethiopia was standing there and Joab told him, “Go and tell the king what you have seen,” and the man got up and started running (v. 21). Ahimaaz still wanted to go so he asked Joab again if he could go along with the Ethiopian and reluctantly he told him to go ahead (vv. 22-23). He takes the road through the Jordan valley and outran the Ethiopian.

Meanwhile David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town while one of his soldiers was watching from the roof of the gate-tower and saw a man running toward the town, so shouted the news to the king  (v. 24). David answered, “If he is alone, he must have some good news” (v. 25). As the runner was getting closer the soldier saw another runner coming in the distance and shouted down to David (v. 26). The watchman recognized that the first man was Ahimaaz and at that point Ahimaaz shouted to David that the enemy has given victory over your enemies (vv. 27-28). “Is my son alright?” David asked and Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent me, I saw a noisy crowd. But I don’t know what it was all about” (v. 29).

Then, David told him to step aside and wait as the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. The Lord has rescued you from all your enemies” (vv. 30-31)! Is my son Absalom alright?” David asked (v. 32). The Ethiopian replied that he wished all of David’s enemies would end up like him. David started trembling and went up to the room above the city gate to cry (v. 33). As he went he kept saying, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

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