Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 18:1-33
1 Samuel 18:1 to 1 Samuel 19:8 . Defeat and Death of Absalom. David’ s Grief (J). 2 Samuel 18:1-Ruth : . Absalom’ s followers are defeated with great slaughter. Nothing is known as to the battle-field, “ the Forest of Ephraim,” beyond what may be gathered from this story. Many fugitives lost their lives by falling headlong in the broken, rocky country; some perhaps, especially the wounded died of hunger and exhaustion in these inhospitable tracts, with which they were not familiar. “ Forest”... read more
Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 18:18-33
The Tidings Of Victory, And Of The Death Of Absalom, Reach David Who Falls Into A Fit Of Mourning (2 Samuel 18:18-33 ). This passage is placed within an inclusio which commences with Absalom having built a pillar for himself in order to preserve his name, and ends with David mourning the death of His son, and repeating his name three times (a complete number of time). He needed no pillar to remind him of his son. The passage as a whole describes the sending off and arrival of two messengers,... read more