2 Samuel 13:25

2Sa 13:25 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.

Ver. 25. Lest we be chargeable unto thee.] So tender was David over this his ungracious son: he was ever too passionately affected to his children, as is afore noted.

And he pressed him.] Too fair shows are a just argument of unsoundness. No natural face hath so clear a white and red as the painted.

But blessed him.] Benedixet, i.e., vale dixit ei, as Vatablus rendereth it: he dismissed him with good wishes, et fortassis etiam munere, and haply also with a gift, saith Junius.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, blessed.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

25. lest we be chargeable unto thee] Lest we be burdensome unto thee. Chargeable is derived from charge, in the now obsolete sense of ‘a load’ or ‘burden,’ cp. 1Th_2:9. It is “the first instance history offers of the ruinous cost of royal visits to those who are honoured with them.” Kitto’s Bible Illustr. p. 387.

blessed him] i.e. dismissed him with a farewell blessing. Cp. ch. 2Sa_19:39.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the king said to Absalom, nay, my son, let us not all now go,.... He did not object to the invitation entirely, he was willing some of the family should go, but not all; it seems probable that he particularly excepted himself and his eldest son, the heir to his crown, for the reason following:

lest we be chargeable unto thee; one or two persons more, supposing them to be private persons, would have added but little to the expense, if any; but as David was a king, he must have come with the retinue of a king, with a large number of servants and guards, and must be entertained as such; and Amnon, his eldest son, and heir apparent to the crown, must make a figure suitable to his quality, which would have considerably raised the expense; and perhaps Absalom's estate he had to live upon might be but small, which David knew, and therefore chose not to be burdensome to him:

and he pressed him; urged him to go; not that he expected he would, or really desired he should, but this he did to hide his intention, that he might have no suspicion of his design against Amnon; or otherwise he might think he would not have been so pressing upon him to go with him:

howbeit he would not go, but blessed him; thanked him for the invitation he gave him, and wished him much happiness and pleasure at his entertainment with his friends.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Blessed him, wishing him joy. Absalom kept a separate establishment, and had many children, chap. xiv. 27. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He pressed him; pretending great desire of his presence there, to prevent any jealousies, which otherwise he thought would arise in the breast of a king so wise and experienced, and under the expectation of God’s dreadful judgments to be inflicted upon his family.

Blessed him; dismissed him with thanks for his kindness, and with his fatherly blessing·

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. He would not go — Absalom doubtless expected the king would decline going, and thereby hoped to secure more certainly his permission for Amnon to go.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But blessed him. These words, in the courtly language of the East, not only mean that David parted from Absalom with kindly feelings and good wishes, but that he made him a rich present. (see note on 1Sa_25:27, where the same word occurs; and observe the nature of Abigail"s blessing described there) David"s court had evidently become lavish, when thus a visit from him to his son"s farm would be too costly for the young prince"s means; but had he so increased his present as to have made it reasonable for himself and his chief officers to go, Absalom must have deferred his crime. As it was, the invitation put David off his guard, and, forgetting the fatal consequences of his good nature in permitting Tamar"s visit to Amnon, he allowed his sons to go to the festival. Nor must we blame him for his compliance. He had probably at first been full of anxiety as to the course Absalom might pursue, but his silence and forbearance made him suppose that Tamar"s wrong had not caused her brother any deep sorrow. Himself a man of warm feelings, he had expected an immediate outburst of anger, but such stern rancour persevered in for so long a time with such feline calmness of manner was beyond the range of his suspicions; and the invitation, first to himself and then to all his sons, made him suppose that Absalom had nothing but affectionate feelings toward them all.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The king declined the invitation that he might not be burdensome to Absalom. Absalom pressed him indeed, but he would not go, and blessed him, i.e., wished him a pleasant and successful feast (see Sa1 25:14).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

please let my brother Amnon go with us

The oldest son could often represent his father in Israelite culture. Amnon was David's oldest son.

Why should Amnon go with you?

David knew that Amnon was not Absalom's friend.

translationWords

king

Absalom

bless

brother

Amnon

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.