John Gill's Exposition on 2 Samuel 18:17

A historical reference excerpt for this verse.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 they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, etc.] In the wood of Ephraim, near to which the battle was fought, and into which Absalom fled, and where he was slain: and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: his punishment was very exemplary; he was first hanged on an oak, and then thrust through with darts, and swords, and then covered with stones, (<101809>2 Samuel 18:9,14,15), pointing to the death that a rebellious son, according to the law, ought to die, (<052121>Deuteronomy 21:21); though this might be done in honour of him as a king’s son; for such “tumuli”, or heaps of stones or earth, were used by the ancients as sepulchral monuments, and the larger the more honourable f311; (see Gill on “<060726>Joshua 7:26”) and (see Gill on “<060829>Joshua 8:29”); and all Israel fled everyone to his tent; or to his city, as the Targum; everyone returned to their own house, and to their own business, and so the rebellion ceased.

Read 2 Samuel 18:17 →Read the full chapter →Jamieson, Fausset & Brown →Barnes' Notes →Tyndale Open Study Notes →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge →Keil & Delitzsch →

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