Bible Strands
2 Samuel 14:24
But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the face of the king.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — King David addresses Joab regarding Absalom immediately after the general secures the prince’s return to Jerusalem. David permits Absalom to reside in his own house but explicitly forbids him from appearing before the king.
The words — The Hebrew יִסֹּב (yi.sov), "he will turn," pairs with בֵּית/וֹ (bei.to), "his house," while לֹא יִרְאֶה (lo yireh), "he will not see," modifies וּ/פָנַ/י (u.panai), "and my face." This construction legally separates physical presence from royal audience.
The thread — The prohibition against seeing a ruler’s face appears in Genesis 43:3 and Exodus 10:28, where access is strictly conditional or punitive. Revelation 22:4 reverses this restriction by promising the redeemed will permanently behold God’s face.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to distinguish between geographical return and relational restoration. A reader must accept that proximity without access leaves the underlying breach unaddressed.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Revelation 22:4 They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
- Genesis 43:3 But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
- Exodus 10:28 “Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
- 2 Samuel 3:13 “Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
- 2 Samuel 14:28 Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.