2 Samuel 14:21

KING DAVID GRANTED JOAB'S PETITION

"Then the king said to Joab, "Behold, now I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom." And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king, and said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant." So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, "Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So Absalom dwelt apart in his own house, and did not come into the king's presence."

"And the king said to Joab ... I grant this" (2 Samuel 14:21). It appears from this that Joab was present for this interview, and that the king at once transferred his attention from the woman to Joab, as Joab was the actual petitioner.

"I grant this" (2 Samuel 14:21). In this act, "David acted in the character of an Oriental despot rather than a constitutional king of Israel. His feelings as a father triumphed over his duty as a king, who, as the supreme magistrate over Israel, was bound to execute impartial justice on every murderer, according to the express commandment of God in Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:30-31, and which David had utterly no power to dispense with (Deuteronomy 18:18; Joshua 1:8; and 1 Samuel 10:25).[15] There is no doubt whatever that David's consenting to bring Absalom back from exile was as stupid as it was sinful and contrary to God's law. He paid in full the bitter price of this sinful indulgence of his affection for Absalom.

"He is not to come into my presence" (2 Samuel 14:24). This prohibition is hard to explain. It nullified the principal reason for David's bringing Absalom back to Jerusalem. Cook explained it as due: "Possibly to Bathsheba's influence, which may have been exerted to keep Absalom in disgrace for the sake of her son Solomon."