Bible Strands
2 Samuel 15:2
He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Absalom positions himself at the city gate road early each morning to intercept citizens bringing grievances before King David. He addresses these Israelites directly, asking for their tribal origin before evaluating their legal claims.
The words — The phrase וְ/הִשְׁכִּים (ve./hish.Kim) translates literally as "and he rose early," while עַל־יַד דֶּרֶךְ (al-yad derekh) means "at the side of the road." These terms establish the deliberate, repetitive nature of his public presence.
The thread — This pattern of intercepting legal petitions at a gate mirrors the judicial routines described in Exodus 18:14, 18:16, and 18:26. The parallel highlights how Absalom mimics established legal procedures to gain public favor.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of how strategic accessibility can manufacture political support. It asks the reader to observe how institutional access is leveraged to shift loyalty from established authority to a challenger.
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 Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
Cross-references
- Exodus 18:14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
- Exodus 18:16 “Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”
- Exodus 18:26 And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
- Ruth 4:1 Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
- 2 Samuel 19:8 So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home.
- 1 Kings 3:16 At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
- Job 24:14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.
- Proverbs 4:16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
- Matthew 27:1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.