Episode 126: Absalom rapes his father's concubines

2 Samuel 16-17

Ziba and David meet again

16¹ Sometime later, David met Ziba, the servant of Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth.

Ziba had a couple of donkeys, 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

² David asked, "Why did you bring all these things?"

Ziba answered, "It's all for you and your men."

³ David said, "And where is Jonathan's son?"

Ziba said, "He is in Jerusalem. Today he told me that the kingdom will be restored to his father."

⁴ David said, "Everything that used to belong to Mephibosheth, now belongs to you."

Shimei curses and throws stones at David

⁵ A man from Saul's family, Shimei, came forth and cursed David.

⁶ And he threw stones at him, saying,

⁷ Come out you bloody man, you man of Belial!

⁸ God is repaying you for killing Saul's family and stealing his kingdom by giving your kingdom to your son, Absalom. You are caught in your own mischief. You are a bloody man.

⁹ Abishai said,

Why should this dead dog curse the king? I'll go over and take off his head.

¹⁰ David said,

Shimei curses me because God told him to curse me.

¹¹ My son is trying to kill me; how much worse can this man do?

Let him curse, for God has told him to curse me.

¹³ As David and his men walked, Shimei went along with them, cursing as he went, throwing stones and dust.

Absalom rapes his father's ten concubines (in front God and everyone)

¹⁵ Absalom, Ahithophel, and all the people of Israel came to Jerusalem.

²⁰ Absalom asked Ahithophel for advice on what he should do.

²¹ Ahithophel said,

Have sex with your father's concubines in front of all the people.

²² So Absalom raped his father’s ten concubines on the roof of the house while everyone in Israel watched.

Ahithophel's plan

17 ¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom,

Let me choose twelve men, and I'll go kill David tonight.

² I'll arrive when he is weak and weary.

He’ll be afraid, and all the people with him will run away. Then I'll kill him.

³ After David is dead, I'll bring all the people to you, and everyone will live in peace.

⁴ Absalom and all the elders liked the idea.

Hushai's plan

⁵ Absalom called Hushai, David's spy, to see what he thought about Ahithophel's plan.

^7-10 Hushai said,

Ahithophel's plan won't work because David and his men are mighty men.

^11-12 Hushai proposed another plan. He said to Absalom,

Gather all of Israel together and then attack David, leading the battle yourself.

That way you will kill David and all of his men.

Hushai's plan is accepted (so God could bring evil on Absalom)

¹⁴ Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "Hushai's plan is better than Ahithophel's."

God made Absalom reject the advice of Ahithophel so that he could bring evil on Absalom.

David is warned

¹⁵ Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar, "Go warn David about Absalom's plan."

¹⁷ Zadock and Abiathar sent their sons to deliver the message to David.

Ahithophel hangs himself

²³ When Ahithophel saw that Absalom didn't follow his advice, he hanged himself.

²⁴ Absalom and all the men of Israel crossed the Jordan in pursuit of David.