Death of Absalom
全新四年樂活讀經
默想: 這句經文告訴我們，押沙龍很在意為自己留名於世上。他為了要達到這個目的，特別在王谷為自己立了一根石柱，稱之為押沙龍柱。但是在撒母耳記下 14章27節，我們卻看到下面的記載：押沙龍生了三個兒子，一個女兒。女兒名叫他瑪，是個容貌俊美的女子。釋經學家為了說明段經文表面上看來的彼此矛盾，所提出的解釋，是如此，押沙龍因為謀殺強暴自己同父同母妹妹他瑪的大哥暗嫩而逃亡到基述，在那邊住了三年之久，當時押沙龍沒有兒子，也覺得自己很有可能要終其一生老死在國外了。在如此絕望情況之下，想要青史留名的押沙龍就為自己在王谷中立了以自己的名字稱呼的石柱。後來由於約押將軍的巧思，請一位婦人到大衛面前作了一場角色扮演的獨白劇，而讓大衛王有機會表達他願意赦免押沙龍的決定。讓押沙龍有機會返國，並且與妻子一起生下了三個兒子與一個美貌的女兒他瑪。可惜的是押沙龍想要在青史留名的慾望並沒有因為得到父王大衛的赦免，而得以平安返回家園，並且生養兒女建立家室，而心存感恩。他進一步企圖以篡位的方式來成為以色列國王，為自己留下英雄美名。他細膩的心思與長期的經營，讓他累積了相當的政治資源，也讓他差一點就能夠成功的殺死父王大衛而成功竄位。他萬萬沒有想到，他所引以為傲的一頭烏黑密髮，卻成為讓他喪命決戰樹林中的罩門。用三根短槍把懸掛在樹上的押沙龍刺穿的約押，正是好幾次也採取謀殺手法，將自己的可能對手去除，而讓大衛感到愁煩與害怕的兵權在握的將軍。押沙龍所留在青史的，卻不是他所期望的成為篡位成功的英勇國王，或是在王谷為自己所建立的石柱，卻是一個由於貪戀權位，起兵造反，試圖弒君弒父的逆子，被一個也同樣有叛逆野心軍權在握的將軍約押，用手上三根短槍，在他被懸掛在樹上，無力抵抗的情況之下，刺入心臟而去世死亡。親愛的主，求你幫助我，不要企圖在這個世上留名，而是盼望我這一生所作所為，能夠被我的神記念，並且在天上賞賜給我一個新名 (啟2:17; 3:12) 。
題目: 押沙龍被殺，對身為君王的大衛是好消息，但對身為父親的大衛卻是惡耗。試問當我們身處這種相衝突的角色時，該如何面對？
18:1 大衛數點跟隨他的人，立千夫長、百夫長率領他們。
Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
18:2 大衛打發軍兵出戰，分為三隊：一隊在約押手下，一隊在洗魯雅的兒子、約押兄弟亞比篩手下，一隊在迦特人以太手下。大衛對軍兵說：「我必與你們一同出戰。」
And David sent forth the army, one third under the command of Jo'ab, one third under the command of Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah, Jo'ab's brother, and one third under the command of It'tai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you."
18:3 軍兵卻說：「你不可出戰。若是我們逃跑，敵人必不介意；我們陣亡一半，敵人也不介意。因為你一人強似我們萬人，你不如在城裡預備幫助我們。」
But the men said, "You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it is better that you send us help from the city."
18:4 王向他們說：「你們以為怎樣好，我就怎樣行。」於是王站在城門旁，軍兵或百或千地挨次出去了。
The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
18:5 王囑咐約押、亞比篩、以太說：「你們要為我的緣故寬待那少年人押沙龍。」王為押沙龍囑咐眾將的話，兵都聽見了。
And the king ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and It'tai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Ab'salom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Ab'salom.
18:6 兵就出到田野迎著以色列人，在以法蓮樹林裡交戰。
So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of E'phraim.
18:7 以色列人敗在大衛的僕人面前；那日陣亡的甚多，共有二萬人。
And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.
18:8 因為在那裡四面打仗，死於樹林的比死於刀劍的更多。
The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
18:9 押沙龍偶然遇見大衛的僕人。押沙龍騎著騾子，從大橡樹密枝底下經過，他的頭髮被樹枝繞住，就懸掛起來，所騎的騾子便離他去了。
And Ab'salom chanced to meet the servants of David. Ab'salom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
18:10 有個人看見，就告訴約押說：「我看見押沙龍掛在橡樹上了。」
And a certain man saw it, and told Jo'ab, "Behold, I saw Ab'salom hanging in an oak."
18:11 約押對報信的人說：「你既看見他，為甚麼不將他打死落在地上呢？你若打死他，我就賞你十舍客勒銀子，一條帶子。」
Jo'ab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a girdle."
18:12 那人對約押說：「我就是得你一千舍客勒銀子，我也不敢伸手害王的兒子；因為我們聽見王囑咐你和亞比篩並以太說：『你們要謹慎，不可害那少年人押沙龍。』
But the man said to Jo'ab, "Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abi'shai and It'tai, `For my sake protect the young man Ab'salom.'
18:13 我若妄為害了他的性命，就是你自己也必與我為敵（原來，無論何事都瞞不過王。）」
On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof."
18:14 約押說：「我不能與你留連。」約押手拿三杆短槍，趁押沙龍在橡樹上還活著，就刺透他的心。
Jo'ab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Ab'salom, while he was still alive in the oak.
18:15 給約押拿兵器的十個少年人圍繞押沙龍，將他殺死。
And ten young men, Jo'ab's armor-bearers, surrounded Ab'salom and struck him, and killed him.
18:16 約押吹角，攔阻眾人，他們就回來，不再追趕以色列人。
Then Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel; for Jo'ab restrained them.
18:17 他們將押沙龍丟在林中一個大坑裡，上頭堆起一大堆石頭。以色列眾人都逃跑，各回各家去了。
And they took Ab'salom, and threw him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled every one to his own home.
18:18 押沙龍活著的時候，在王谷立了一根石柱，因他說：「我沒有兒子為我留名。」他就以自己的名稱那石柱叫押沙龍柱，直到今日。
Now Ab'salom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance"; he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Ab'salom's monument to this day.
18:19 撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯說：「容我跑去，將耶和華向仇敵給王報仇的信息報與王知。」
Then said Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok, "Let me run, and carry tidings to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the power of his enemies."
18:20 約押對他說：「你今日不可去報信，改日可以報信；因為今日王的兒子死了，所以你不可去報信。」
And Jo'ab said to him, "You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall carry no tidings, because the king's son is dead."
18:21 約押對古示人說：「你去將你所看見的告訴王。」古示人在約押面前下拜，就跑去了。
Then Jo'ab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed before Jo'ab, and ran.
18:22 撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯又對約押說：「無論怎樣，求你容我隨著古示人跑去。」約押說：「我兒，你報這信息，既不得賞賜，何必要跑去呢？」
Then Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok said again to Jo'ab, "Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite." And Jo'ab said, "Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the tidings?"
18:23 他又說：「無論怎樣，我要跑去。」約押說：「你跑去吧！」亞希瑪斯就從平原往前跑，跑過古示人去了。
"Come what may," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahi'ma-az ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
18:24 大衛正坐在城甕裡。守望的人上城門樓的頂上，舉目觀看，見有一個人獨自跑來。
Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone.
18:25 守望的人就大聲告訴王。王說：「他若獨自來，必是報口信的。」那人跑得漸漸近了。
And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he came apace, and drew near.
18:26 守望的人又見一人跑來，就對守城門的人說：「又有一人獨自跑來。」王說：「這也必是報信的。」
And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gate and said, "See, another man running alone!" The king said, "He also brings tidings."
18:27 守望的人說：「我看前頭人的跑法，好像撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯的跑法一樣。」王說：「他是個好人，必是報好信息。」
And the watchman said, "I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good tidings."
18:28 亞希瑪斯向王呼叫說：「平安了！」就在王面前臉伏於地叩拜，說：「耶和華─你的 神是應當稱頌的，因他已將那舉手攻擊我主我王的人交給王了。」
Then Ahi'ma-az cried out to the king, "All is well." And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth, and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."
18:29 王問說：「少年人押沙龍平安不平安？」亞希瑪斯回答說：「約押打發王的僕人，那時僕人聽見眾民大聲喧嘩，卻不知道是甚麼事。」
And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" Ahi'ma-az answered, "When Jo'ab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was."
18:30 王說：「你退去，站在旁邊。」他就退去，站在旁邊。
And the king said, "Turn aside, and stand here." So he turned aside, and stood still.
18:31 古示人也來到，說：「有信息報給我主我王！耶和華今日向一切興起攻擊你的人給你報仇了。」
And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Good tidings for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the power of all who rose up against you."
18:32 王問古示人說：「少年人押沙龍平安不平安？」古示人回答說：「願我主我王的仇敵，和一切興起要殺害你的人，都與那少年人一樣。」
The king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" And the Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be like that young man."
18:33 王就心裡傷慟，上城門樓去哀哭，一面走一面說：「我兒押沙龍啊！我兒，我兒押沙龍啊！我恨不得替你死，押沙龍啊，我兒！我兒！」
And the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, "O my son Ab'salom, my son, my son Ab'salom! Would I had died instead of you, O Ab'salom, my son, my son!"
Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
18:2 大衛打發軍兵出戰，分為三隊：一隊在約押手下，一隊在洗魯雅的兒子、約押兄弟亞比篩手下，一隊在迦特人以太手下。大衛對軍兵說：「我必與你們一同出戰。」
And David sent forth the army, one third under the command of Jo'ab, one third under the command of Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah, Jo'ab's brother, and one third under the command of It'tai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you."
18:3 軍兵卻說：「你不可出戰。若是我們逃跑，敵人必不介意；我們陣亡一半，敵人也不介意。因為你一人強似我們萬人，你不如在城裡預備幫助我們。」
But the men said, "You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it is better that you send us help from the city."
18:4 王向他們說：「你們以為怎樣好，我就怎樣行。」於是王站在城門旁，軍兵或百或千地挨次出去了。
The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
18:5 王囑咐約押、亞比篩、以太說：「你們要為我的緣故寬待那少年人押沙龍。」王為押沙龍囑咐眾將的話，兵都聽見了。
And the king ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and It'tai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Ab'salom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Ab'salom.
18:6 兵就出到田野迎著以色列人，在以法蓮樹林裡交戰。
So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of E'phraim.
18:7 以色列人敗在大衛的僕人面前；那日陣亡的甚多，共有二萬人。
And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.
18:8 因為在那裡四面打仗，死於樹林的比死於刀劍的更多。
The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
18:9 押沙龍偶然遇見大衛的僕人。押沙龍騎著騾子，從大橡樹密枝底下經過，他的頭髮被樹枝繞住，就懸掛起來，所騎的騾子便離他去了。
And Ab'salom chanced to meet the servants of David. Ab'salom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
18:10 有個人看見，就告訴約押說：「我看見押沙龍掛在橡樹上了。」
And a certain man saw it, and told Jo'ab, "Behold, I saw Ab'salom hanging in an oak."
18:11 約押對報信的人說：「你既看見他，為甚麼不將他打死落在地上呢？你若打死他，我就賞你十舍客勒銀子，一條帶子。」
Jo'ab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a girdle."
18:12 那人對約押說：「我就是得你一千舍客勒銀子，我也不敢伸手害王的兒子；因為我們聽見王囑咐你和亞比篩並以太說：『你們要謹慎，不可害那少年人押沙龍。』
But the man said to Jo'ab, "Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abi'shai and It'tai, `For my sake protect the young man Ab'salom.'
18:13 我若妄為害了他的性命，就是你自己也必與我為敵（原來，無論何事都瞞不過王。）」
On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof."
18:14 約押說：「我不能與你留連。」約押手拿三杆短槍，趁押沙龍在橡樹上還活著，就刺透他的心。
Jo'ab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Ab'salom, while he was still alive in the oak.
18:15 給約押拿兵器的十個少年人圍繞押沙龍，將他殺死。
And ten young men, Jo'ab's armor-bearers, surrounded Ab'salom and struck him, and killed him.
18:16 約押吹角，攔阻眾人，他們就回來，不再追趕以色列人。
Then Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel; for Jo'ab restrained them.
18:17 他們將押沙龍丟在林中一個大坑裡，上頭堆起一大堆石頭。以色列眾人都逃跑，各回各家去了。
And they took Ab'salom, and threw him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled every one to his own home.
18:18 押沙龍活著的時候，在王谷立了一根石柱，因他說：「我沒有兒子為我留名。」他就以自己的名稱那石柱叫押沙龍柱，直到今日。
Now Ab'salom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance"; he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Ab'salom's monument to this day.
18:19 撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯說：「容我跑去，將耶和華向仇敵給王報仇的信息報與王知。」
Then said Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok, "Let me run, and carry tidings to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the power of his enemies."
18:20 約押對他說：「你今日不可去報信，改日可以報信；因為今日王的兒子死了，所以你不可去報信。」
And Jo'ab said to him, "You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall carry no tidings, because the king's son is dead."
18:21 約押對古示人說：「你去將你所看見的告訴王。」古示人在約押面前下拜，就跑去了。
Then Jo'ab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed before Jo'ab, and ran.
18:22 撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯又對約押說：「無論怎樣，求你容我隨著古示人跑去。」約押說：「我兒，你報這信息，既不得賞賜，何必要跑去呢？」
Then Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok said again to Jo'ab, "Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite." And Jo'ab said, "Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the tidings?"
18:23 他又說：「無論怎樣，我要跑去。」約押說：「你跑去吧！」亞希瑪斯就從平原往前跑，跑過古示人去了。
"Come what may," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahi'ma-az ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
18:24 大衛正坐在城甕裡。守望的人上城門樓的頂上，舉目觀看，見有一個人獨自跑來。
Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone.
18:25 守望的人就大聲告訴王。王說：「他若獨自來，必是報口信的。」那人跑得漸漸近了。
And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he came apace, and drew near.
18:26 守望的人又見一人跑來，就對守城門的人說：「又有一人獨自跑來。」王說：「這也必是報信的。」
And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gate and said, "See, another man running alone!" The king said, "He also brings tidings."
18:27 守望的人說：「我看前頭人的跑法，好像撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯的跑法一樣。」王說：「他是個好人，必是報好信息。」
And the watchman said, "I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good tidings."
18:28 亞希瑪斯向王呼叫說：「平安了！」就在王面前臉伏於地叩拜，說：「耶和華─你的 神是應當稱頌的，因他已將那舉手攻擊我主我王的人交給王了。」
Then Ahi'ma-az cried out to the king, "All is well." And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth, and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."
18:29 王問說：「少年人押沙龍平安不平安？」亞希瑪斯回答說：「約押打發王的僕人，那時僕人聽見眾民大聲喧嘩，卻不知道是甚麼事。」
And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" Ahi'ma-az answered, "When Jo'ab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was."
18:30 王說：「你退去，站在旁邊。」他就退去，站在旁邊。
And the king said, "Turn aside, and stand here." So he turned aside, and stood still.
18:31 古示人也來到，說：「有信息報給我主我王！耶和華今日向一切興起攻擊你的人給你報仇了。」
And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Good tidings for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the power of all who rose up against you."
18:32 王問古示人說：「少年人押沙龍平安不平安？」古示人回答說：「願我主我王的仇敵，和一切興起要殺害你的人，都與那少年人一樣。」
The king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" And the Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be like that young man."
18:33 王就心裡傷慟，上城門樓去哀哭，一面走一面說：「我兒押沙龍啊！我兒，我兒押沙龍啊！我恨不得替你死，押沙龍啊，我兒！我兒！」
And the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, "O my son Ab'salom, my son, my son Ab'salom! Would I had died instead of you, O Ab'salom, my son, my son!"
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從這段經文記載我們可以看到大衛矛盾的心情，他既要記掛戰事的進展及結果，又恐兒子押沙龍遇害。臨出兵前，他明明的吩咐三個主帥要寬待押沙龍，這是何等令人困惑的事，彼此爭戰，當然希望能除滅敵人，既要與押沙龍對敵，又怕傷害他，這是一場甚麼戰爭呢？當古示人直告押沙龍已死的消息後，大衛隨即離座，上城門樓去哀哭。他深愛押沙龍，聽聞他慘死，愛子情切，顯出慈父的心腸。雖然押沙龍忤逆，大衛還是恨不得替他死。
回覆刪除作為國王和父親的大衛，發現自己在一個艱難的困境。嚴格地說，押沙龍是叛徒，但他也是大衛的兒子。起初，父親對兒子死亡的悲痛，遠遠超過那國王對勝利部隊的感謝來得多。難得的是他一直沒有發怨言，甘心順服神的帶領和管教，他的生命經此一役變得更成熟，對神更認識，他愛子女，同樣知道神愛他，他所寫的詩篇（詩篇 3:1-8（大衛逃避他兒子押沙龍的時候作的詩）；詩篇 69:18-23（示每痛罵大衛後，大衛反省寫的詩）和詩篇 69:1-4（大衛再次經歷喪子之痛後寫的詩）足以證明這一切。
看到大衛和押沙龍的故事，再次地提醒自己，萬一不幸，孩子長大了，自認為了不起，心裡剛硬，不敬畏神，成為叛逆之子與押沙龍一樣，我的心情一定會和大衛一樣，悲痛，傷心難過，自責。求主幫助我，從小要帶領孩子敬畏神，按神的法則，喜愛神的話，謹守遵行聖經的教導，教導孩子：『當孝敬父母，使你得福，並使你的日子在耶和華你神所賜你的地上得以長久。』（申命記 5:16），在生活中，與孩子一起來經歷神，認識神，尊重神，最後讓孩子清楚知道我們所說的和所作的都要榮耀神！