Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 2 Samuel 13:23
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And it came to pass after two full years, etc.] Two complete years after the rape was committed; so long Absalom kept it in his mind, and was contriving how to avenge it; he let it alone so long, that it might be thought by the king and Amnon, and all the family, that it was quite worn out of his mind, and entirely forgotten by him, and therefore might the more safely confide in him: that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which [is] beside Ephraim; though a prince, the son of a king, he had his flocks, and attended to the care of them, and had shearers to shear them at the proper time of the year, which it now was. The Chinese shear their sheep three times a year, the spring, summer, and autumn; but the first time of shearing yields the best wool f224. The place of shearing them was, no doubt, near where they were kept in Baalhazor, in the plain of Hazor, as the Targum, and so some versions; which was a city in the tribe of Judah, (<061525>Joshua 15:25); and near to Ephraim; not that it was a city in the tribe of Ephraim, as Josephus says f225; but it was near to another city called Ephraim, perhaps the same as in (<141319>2 Chronicles 13:19) and in (<431154>John 11:54); it lay to the northeast of Jerusalem, as you go to Jericho, and is thought by Reland f226 to lie between Bethel and Jericho; and, according to Eusebius f227, it was eight miles from Jerusalem; though Jerom f228, through mistake, says twenty; and both these places, according to Bunting f229, were eight miles from Jerusalem; it seems to be the same place that was spoken of in the Misnah f230 , called Ephraim in the valley, and which is said to be the second place in the land of Israel for fine flour, and might have its name from its fruitfulness: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons; to the sheepshearing: that is, to the feast which was usually made at such times, and still is; (see <013812>Genesis 38:12 <092502>1 Samuel 25:2,8,11,36).
How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.
