2 Samuel 13:34-39--Absalom Flees to Geshur

2 Samuel 13:34-39
English Standard Version

Absalom Flees to Geshur
34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.

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Absalom fled to escape the wrath of his family, for they would have been just in hunting him down and killing him if they found him outside of a City of Refuge.  However, since he committed murder and not manslaughter, even the Cities of Refuge are not safe for him, since there he would be held for trial and if found guilty (which he certainly would be), then he would be executed.  He instead chooses to flee to the land of Geshur in the Trans-Jorden region, and area that was controlled by the Arameans.  This was the land of Absalom's and Tamar's mother, Maacah.  Apparently, David did not wish to give pursuit even though this land belonged to Israel and he probably knew where Absalom would flee to.

The text then tells us that the watchmen near David saw a great number of people coming over the hill and it was all his other sons, just as Jonadab, his nephew had said.  Only Amnon was killed by Absalom--all the others were simply there as witnesses.  However, they all wept for the loss of Amnon even though I would assume they all now knew of the evil that he had done.  All of David's house wept, even the servants.

Absalom went to his mother's father.(his grandfather), who was the son of the king of Geshur, making Absalom the great-grandson of the king of Geshur.  Absalom stayed there for three years, and David did not stop mourning for his son Absalom for the entire time that he was gone.  David wished to have Absalom come home because he understood what Absalom had done and it seems that David would have been willing to forgive Absalom because the text ends by telling us that it was a comfort to David that Amnon was dead.  How tragic is that?  It certainly seems like David is starting to reap what he has sown.