Abronah (Hastings' Dictionary)

A station in the joomeyings, occurs only Nu 33'^- ", AV Ebronah. ABSALOM (dSpaiii, in 1 K 15»-"'o'iS|?-3i<AbiBhalom, ' father is peace '), the third son of David (2 S 3*, 1 Ch 3'). He first comes into prominence in con- nexion with the story of his sister Tamar (2 S 13). After the foul outrage done to the latter by Amnon, David's eldest son, A. determined upon revenge, but concealed his purpose for two years.

At the end of this period ne gave a feast at the time of sheep-shearing, and invited the king and his sons. David declined for himself, but permitted Amnon and his brothers to go. While the feast was at its height, the servants of A., upon a signal given by their master, fell upon Amnon and slew him. Having thus avenged the afTront put upon his sister, A. fled to the court of his maternal grandfather, Talmai, the king of Geshur, where he remained for three years.

Then Joab, percei\-ing that David longed for a reconciliation with his son, contrived, tlirough the medium of ' a wise woman of Tekoah,' to procure a reversal of the virtual sentence of banish- ment, and A. returned to Jems., but was not per- ABSALOM ABSALOM 19 mitt«d to ( pproach the presence of the king. This unnatural ixjndition of things continued for two years, wlieu A. applied to Joab to use his interest at court to procure a full reconciliation.

David's general had, however, for some reason become less hearty in the matter, and declined even to meet A., until the latter resorted to the expedient of ordering his servants to set fire to Joau's barley field. When the owner of the field came in person to demand an explanation of this injury, he was at lengtli persuaded to intercede with the king on behalf of his son, and his mediation proved success- ful.

It is easy to conceive that DaWd, by his injudicious mingling of leniency and severity, had completely forfeited the confidence of his son, and it was doubtless from this occasion onwards that A. began to hatch the plot that proved fatal to him, and which has gained for his name an unenviable immortality.

He took advantage of a misunderstanding that seems to have existed be- tween David and the men of Judah, and set him- self sedulously to gain the confidence and atfection of all visitors to the court. In particular, those who came to have matters of law decided were flattered by the attentions of the heir-apparent, who al.

so was careful to drop hints that the king might do far more to expedite the administration of justice, and that if he (Absalom) were only judge, a very dilferent state of things would be inaugur- ated. Thus he 'stole the hearts of the men of Israel.' He was greatly helped in the accomplish- ment of his scheme by the extraordinary personal charms he possessed (2 S 14'-^"*'). How long this preparatory sta^e lasted is un- certain.

The forty years of 2 S 15' manifestly cannot be correct, ana should perhaps be read _/b«r years. When at length he judged that the time was ripe for the execution of his rebellious enter- prise, A obtained leave of absence from his father, on pretence of having to go to Hebron to pay a vow he had ma*le during his sojourn in Geshur. His emissaries were at work throughout the whole land, preparing for a general rising, and his adherents became daily more numerous.

At the very outset he gained over David's famous counsellor Ahithophel the Gilonite, who may have had rea-ions of his own for deserting the king (see Bath.sheba). So alarming were the reports which reached David, that he resolved to abandon the capital and save himself and his household by flight to the eastern Jordanic territory. He was accompanied by the faithful Cherethites and Pele- thites, to whom were added on tliis occasion a body of (littites who ha<l prob.'

ibly formed part of David s followers in the old days at Ziklag. The otler of Zailok and Abiathar to a«companv him with the ark was declined, and Hushai the Archite was also directed to remain at Jerusalem and do his utmost to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. L'poii Absalom's arrival in Jerusalem, llushai played the part of rebel so skilfully that he gained the com- plete confidence of the aspirant to the throne. Ahithophel first of all counselled A.

to take a step which would make the breach between him and his father irreparable (2 S 16''"''), and then advi.sed that prompt measures should be taken to pursue and destroy David before he could rally around him any considerable number of troops. Hushai counselled delay and cautious measures, and his advice was followed, to the chagrin of Ahithophel, who, seeing that all was lost, went and set his house in order and hanged himself.

The two sons of Zadok and Abiathar were despatched by llushai with intelligence to David of what had transpircil at Jerusalem. The3'oungmen were hotly iiursucd, and narrowly escaped capture, but evadin" their pursuers by stratagem reached David, who the same niglit with his whole coinjiany passed over Jordan. At Mahanaim, BarzUlai the Gileadile aim others supplied him liberally with provisions.

Kre long a sutUcient number of troops was assemhlcii to justify the king in joining battle with llie forces of A., which by this time had also passu.i the Jordan. The decisive battle was fought in 'the wood of Ephraim.' David, yielding to the wish of his supporters that he should not expose his life by takiu" the field in person, arranged his army in three divisions, commanded respectively by Joab, Abishai, and Ittai the Gittite.

To each of these three generals he gave the charge, ' Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even with Absalom.' From the very first the tide of battle set strongly against the rebel army, whiuli lost heavily in the engagement, and stxU uiuie heavily in its retreat through the fore.'*!. Ab.saloai himseff was hunied by his mule under an oak, ami becoming entauL'led by the head in the fork of a branch, hung defenceless.

In this situation he » as discovered by a soldier, who at once informed Joalj. The royal general, who appreciated the situation more justly than his master, unhesitatingly piercr.i the hapless youth to the heart. Having thus dis posed of the rebel leader, Joab recalled his troops from the pursuit of the vanquished army.

When news of the issue of the battle was brought to David, he forgot everything else in grief at his son's death, and exclaimed again and again, ' t) nij' son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom ! would tiud I hail died for thee, U Absalom, my son, my son ! ' This conduct, natural enough from one point of view, might have had serious results but lor the sturdy common-sense of Joab, who pointed out that the king had to think of his soliliers as well as his son.

The remonstrance was suliicieiitly rough in its expres.sion, yet David recognised its wisdom, and, stilling his emoticm for the time, came out and thanked his troops for tiieir gallant service in the field. A. was buried near the scene of his death, and the spot was marked by a great heap of stones. According to 2 S \\" he had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar. The latter is with much probability identified with Maacah of 1 K 15^ the wife of Kehoboam (cf. 2 S 3^ 2 Cli 1 1*').

The sons must have predecea-sed their father, or else a different tradition is followed in 2 S IS''*, where we are told that A. had no son. The story of Absalom forms part of the section 2 S 9-2U and 1 K 1-2, which, with the exception of a few pasifages, comes from a single pen. Its dominating aim is to trace the progress of Solomon to the throne.

Hence it has to explain how the three sons of David who seemed to have superior claims, Amnon, AUsalom, and Adonijah, failed to secure the succession. The style is bright and flowing, the descriptions are graphic, and, with all the writer's evident partiality for David and Solomon, the historical character of these chapters, down even to the minutest details, is established by proofs that are amongst the strongest in the O.T. LiTCRATUKE. — DrivtT, liHr^^iietion, p 172f. ; Bud<1«, li'Chtef u.

Samutt, )>)>. 247-2^5 ; W«llhauit«li, Composition (Ui lluuttucX*^ etc., pp. 26S-'>6S, alio UiMt. (if It. and Jud. &ur. J. A. Selbie. ABSALOM IN ApoCR. ('ASfffirdXwMO!, '.VvtdXwMol A). — 1. A. was the father of Mattatliias, one of the captains who stood by .lonathan the Maceabee when the main part of his army fled at the be- ginning of a battle against the Syrians at Ha/or in Northern Galilee (1 Mac ll"'=Jos. Ant. xill. v. 7). It is perhaps the same Absalom whose son .

lonathan was sent by Simon the Maceabee to secure Joppa after his brother Jonathan had been imprisoned by Tryphon (1 Mac i;{" = .Ios. Ant. Xlll. vi. 4) 2. Accordinj" to 2 Mac 11", one of two envoy sent by the Jews to Lysiius when he began to treat with tliem for peace aft«r his defeat at liethsuror 20 ABSALOM'S TOMB ACCAD, ACCADIANS (Beth-znr) in 165 B.c. In 1 Mao 4"-= Jos. Ant. XII. vii.

5, no mention is made of overtures for peace, but Lysiaa is stated to have \vithdrawn to Antioch for reinforcements. It is probable that the author of 2 Mac has made some confusion between the first expedition of Lysias and a second invasion two or tliree years later, when, after gaining a victoiy at Ueth-zur, he made terras with the Jews in consequence of troubles in Syria. H. A. White.