DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links 2017 October 20
Image 1: Les tres riches heures du Duc de Berry: Mai (May) - (1412-1416)
Limbourg Brothers (fl. 1385 - 1416)
International Gothic Style
Musee Conde, Chantilly, France
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
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Image 2: David Mourning Absalom (1956)
Marc Chagall (1887-1985)
Modernist Style; Synthesis of Cubism, Symbolism, Expressionism, and Fauvism
Musee National Message Biblique, Nice, France
Image Source: Spaightwood Galleries
SPECIAL NOTE:
[ I will again be working through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. I will be adding links, resources, images, and the like, upgrading the former work-through which began with the 2013-10-12 posting which can be found, along with the full Genesis to Revelation postings, in the Archive Page. Postings will be at midnight Eastern Time, as I am able. However, no chapters will be skipped, even though a posting may be late. And all postings will be housed in the Archive Page. ]
Explanation: 2 Samuel 14 describes Absalom's return from exile. Joab realized that David's heart was toward his son, Absalom. So Joab brought a wise woman from Tekoah to Jerusalem and told her to present herself to the king as a woman in morning and gave her a fabricated story to tell (1-3).
The woman went to the king and fell on her face and asked for help. When the king asked her what was troubling her, she told him a story about her two sons who strove together, the one killing the other. She said that now the whole family wanted to kill her surviving son, which would leave her emotionally desolate, and would leave no heir for her husband (4-7).
The king promised to give her aid (8-11).
The woman then reminded the king that he was refusing to bring home Absalom, whom he banished and urged him to do for Absalom what he was willing to do for her and her son (12-17).
The king then asked her if Joab had sent her to say these things. She confessed that he had and marveled at his discernment (18-20).
The king then told Joab to bring Absalom back. Joab fell to his face and thanked the king. He then brought Absalom from Geshur to Jerusalem; but the king would not see him personally. Instead, he sent Absalom to his house (21-24).
Absalom was greatly admired for his handsomeness. He also had a massive head of hair which he cut yearly; and the cut hair weighed about six and one-quarter pounds. He had three sons and one daughter. He named his daughter Tamar, probably in honor of his sister, Tamar, who had been raped and rejected by his half-brother Ammon. His daughter was a beautiful woman. Various commentators understand Tamar to be the mother of Maachah (Michaiah) who married Rehoboam, the last king of the united kingdom and the first king of Judah when the kingdom split into Judah in the south and Israel in the north [see 1 Kings 14:31; 1 Kings 15:1-2; 1 Chronicles 12:16; 2 Chronicles 13:2; 2 Chronicles 11:20-21]. The son of Maachah and Rehoboam was Abijah, who was the second king of Judah. Indirectly, this fulfilled Absalom's ambition (and, we may conjecture, a wish of David, given his affection for Absalom) to enter into the kingship. Also, these family relationships would have made Tamar and ancestor of Christ (25-27).
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years without seeing the face of his father David. He sent two requests to Joab to bring him to the king; but Joab did not answer. Absalom then had his servants burn Joab's barley field. This got Joab's attention; and Joab arranged an audience with the king. David received Absalom favorably (28-33).
[ Sermons: William Still. Vern Picknally. Various. ]
[ Illustration: The First Painting above depicts courtly life where most of Absalom's story played out. The Second Painting symbolizes (among other things) the reconciliation between David and Absalom, in my opinion. The title of the painting is "David Mourning Absalom," but the event which gave David his greatest occasion for mourning, namely the death of Absalom, is represented in the background. In the foreground, one figure (whom I interpret as Absalom) embraces the other figure (David). I understand this to be the moment in which David was reconciled to Absalom. This reconciliation came out of David's mourning his exiled son. The other event depicted, which is the death of Absalom, is shown in the background. In both cases, David's mourning for his son is prominent. I therefore understand the title of the painting to represent both aspects of David's mourning for Absalom -- his mourning for his son's absence, and his mourning for his son's death.]
RESOURCES
PLEASE NOTE: Use the resources on this and other sites thoughtfully, particularly the commentaries and encyclopedias. I have attempted to list conservative, scholarly resources. However, some providers use liberal or liberal-influenced commentaries such as the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (in Bible Hub). Such commentaries are undoubtedly included by the provider for the wealth of useful information and comments which they provide. By consulting several commentaries, it should be fairly easy to sort out the wheat from the chaff. If, however, you would like personal assistance, write to me at AD LIB ARTS EMAIL.
[ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: 2 Samuel 14:
[1] Daniel 11:28.
[2] 2 Samuel 23:26.
[17] 2 Samuel 19:27; 1 Samuel 29:9.
[27] 2 Samuel 18:18; 1 Kings 15:2; 2 Chronicles 11:20-22; 2 Chronicles 13:2.
-- From Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers ]
[ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]
[ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]
[ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
[ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Micha'el Ben David. Sons of Korah. Fernando Ortega. Janet Isaac Morrison. Music of the Bible Revealed - Suzanne Haik-Vantoura. Dr. David Erb. Gregorian Chants. ]
HARMONY OF THE LAW
HEBREW AND GREEK INTERLINEAR BIBLES
2 Samuel Detailed Outline
2 Samuel 14
Note: In the Hebrew Bible 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel are one book. Also, 1 Kings and 2 Kings are one book.
Samuel and Kings reveal Israel's history from Samuel to the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.
1 and 2 Chronicles, originally one book, trace the history of God's people from creation to the end of the Babylonian Captivity.
David's Reign as God's Chosen Dynastic King (2 Samuel 1:1 - 24:25) - 1010 - 971 B.C. Israel
A. Phase 1: As King Over Judah (2 Samuel 1:1 - 4:12) - 1010 - 1003? B.C. Judah
B. Phase 2: As King Over Israel (2 Samuel 5:1 - 24:25) - 1003? - 971 B.C. Israel (United Kingdom)
1. Initial Consolidation of His Rule (2 Samuel 5:1 - 7:29)
2. Full Consolidation of His Rule (2 Samuel 8:1 - 24:25)
1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part [rescue between] them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
10 And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14 For we must needs die [dying we shall die], and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.
18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
20 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.
23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and bought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end [from the end of days to days] that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
28 So Absalom dwelt two full years [years of days] in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.
30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine [at hand], and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
33 So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
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