2 Samuel 14:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king 's weight.

NIV: Whenever he cut the hair of his head—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard.

NASB: And when he cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, because it was heavy on him, so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.

CSB: When he shaved his head—he shaved it at the end of every year because his hair got so heavy for him that he had to shave it off—he would weigh the hair from his head and it would be five pounds according to the royal standard.

NLT: He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!

KJV: And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

NKJV: And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard.

Absalom is the most handsome man in Israel (2 Samuel 14:25). A notable feature is his impressively long, thick, fast-growing hair. Absalom's unusual grooming habit is to allow his hair to grow for a full year until it becomes heavy and awkward and then cut it. Apparently curious, Absalom learns that his hair weighs roughly 3 pounds or 1500 grams. The description of Absalom's hair is significant.

First, the thickness and growth evoke memories of Samson. Samson was born under a Nazarite vow; so long as he didn't cut his hair, God gave him occasional superhuman strength. He used that strength to defend the Israelites against the Philistines (Judges 13:3–5).

Second, Joab used a crafty woman to convince David to bring Absalom home from exile. Responding to the woman's tale, David told her, "not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground" (2 Samuel 14:11).

The third connection is strongest reason of all. Absalom will betray his father and take the crown (2 Samuel 15). As he flees on his mule from Joab's soldiers, his hair will snag in a tree branch. Joab will find him dangling there and kill him where he is. Absalom will die without a single hair falling to the ground (2 Samuel 18:9–15).

Second Samuel 14:25–27 gives context for the surrounding chapters. David is handsome and loved (1 Samuel 16:12; 2 Samuel 5:1–3). His son, Absalom, will use good looks and charm to steal the people's hearts and grasp at David's throne (2 Samuel 15—17). Absalom's hair is so thick that it will get caught in a tree branch, leaving him vulnerable to Joab's javelins (2 Samuel 18:9–15). Absalom also has a beautiful daughter, named Tamar after the sister whom David neglected after she was raped (2 Samuel 13). This is a major factor in Absalom's rebellion against his father (2 Samuel 15).

Second Samuel 14 sets the scene for Absalom's rebellion against David. Joab wants David to forgive Absalom for murdering his brother and end his exile. Joab has a woman pretend to be a widow, who tells a story about a murderous son to convince David to pardon his own son. David brings Absalom home to Jerusalem, but not to the court or family. Joab eventually convinces David to see Absalom and the two are officially reconciled. With freedom, status, and ambition, Absalom starts a campaign to draw the people's hearts away from David and toward himself (2 Samuel 15:1–6).

Second Samuel 14 continues God's promise that tragedy will plague David's family. This is a curse for David's sin against Uriah and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:9–11). David's son Amnon raped his own half-sister Tamar. Tamar's full brother Absalom avenged her by killing Amnon, then fled to his maternal grandfather (2 Samuel 13). David thinks about Absalom, and Joab convinces David to bring him home and reconcile with him. Absalom wins the hearts of the people and takes the throne while David flees. Eventually, Absalom will be dead, and David will be a chastened man and wiser king. (2 Samuel 15–20).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.