23 And it cometh to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom hath shearers in Baal-Hazor, which 'is' with Ephraim, and Absalom calleth for all the sons of the king. 24 And Absalom cometh unto the king, and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath shearers, let the king go, I pray thee, and his servants, with thy servant.' 25 And the king saith unto Absalom, 'Nay, my son, let us not all go, I pray thee, and we are not too heavy on thee;' and he presseth on him, and he hath not been willing to go, and he blesseth him. 26 And Absalom saith, 'If not—let, I pray thee, Amnon my brother go with us;' and the king saith to him, 'Why doth he go with thee?' 27 and Absalom urgeth on him, and he sendeth with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king. 28 And Absalom commandeth his young men, saying, 'See, I pray thee, when the heart of Amnon 'is' glad with wine, and I have said unto you, Smite Amnon, that ye have put him to death; fear not; is it not because I have commanded you? be strong, yea, become sons of valour.' 29 And the young men of Absalom do to Amnon as Absalom commanded, and rise do all the sons of the king, and they ride, each on his mule, and flee.
30 And it cometh to pass—they 'are' in the way—and the report hath come unto David, saying, 'Absalom hath smitten all the sons of the king, and there is not left of them one;' 31 and the king riseth, and rendeth his garments, and lieth on the earth, and all his servants are standing by 'with' rent garments. 32 And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answereth and saith, 'Let not my lord say, The whole of the young men, the sons of the king, they have put to death; for Amnon alone 'is' dead, for by the command of Absalom it hath been appointed from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister; 33 and now, let not my lord the king lay unto his heart the word, saying, All the sons of the king have died, for Amnon alone 'is' dead.' 34 And Absalom fleeth, and the young man who is watching lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill. 35 And Jonadab saith unto the king, 'Lo, the sons of the king have come; as the word of thy servant, so it hath been.' 36 And it cometh to pass at his finishing to speak, that lo, the sons of the king have come, and they lift up their voice, and weep, and also the king and all his servants have wept—a very great weeping. 37 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth unto Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and 'David' mourneth for his son all the days. 38 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth to Geshur, and is there three years;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Samuel 13:23-38
Commentary on 2 Samuel 13:21-29
(Read 2 Samuel 13:21-29)
Observe the aggravations of Absalom's sin: he would have Ammon slain, when least fit to go out of the world. He engaged his servants in the guilt. Those servants are ill-taught who obey wicked masters, against God's commands. Indulged children always prove crosses to godly parents, whose foolish love leads them to neglect their duty to God.
Commentary on 2 Samuel 13:30-39
(Read 2 Samuel 13:30-39)
Jonadab was as guilty of Ammon's death, as of his sin; such false friends do they prove, who counsel us to do wickedly. Instead of loathing Absalom as a murderer, David, after a time, longed to go forth to him. This was David's infirmity: God saw something in his heart that made a difference, else we should have thought that he, as much as Eli, honoured his sons more than God.