2 Samuel 18:12 meaning and explanation
The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
2 Samuel 18:12, Berean Standard Bible
Explanation preview
The speaker is an unnamed soldier in David's army, answering Joab, who has just offered a reward for striking down Absalom. The man refuses, not from cowardice but because he heard the king's explicit order to Joab, Abishai and Ittai to protect "the young man Absalom for my sake." His reply shows that David's command was public knowledge, and that even under battle pressure a common soldier holds the king's word in honor.
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