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18 When Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, “I don't have any sons[a] to keep my name alive.” He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.[b]

Ahimaaz Wants To Tell David

19 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Joab, let me run and tell King David that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”

20 Joab answered, “You're not the one to tell the king that his son is dead. You can take him a message some other time, but not today.”

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Footnotes

  1. 18.18 I don't have any sons: According to 14.27, Absalom had three sons. But they could have died young or been put to death for Absalom's murder of Amnon.
  2. 18.18 today: That is, at the time of writing. This monument is not the same as the structure now known as “Absalom's Tomb,” which was built at least 600 years later.

18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley(A) as a monument(B) to himself, for he thought, “I have no son(C) to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David Mourns

19 Now Ahimaaz(D) son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.(E)

20 “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

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