2 Samuel 13:29
ESV
So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king 's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.
NIV
So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.
NASB
And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons got up and each mounted his mule and fled.
CSB
So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the rest of the king’s sons got up, and each fled on his mule.
NLT
So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.
KJV
And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.
NKJV
So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on his mule and fled.
What does 2 Samuel 13:29 mean?
Absalom has invited his brothers to feast to celebrate his sheep shearing. The party is a ruse. It's Absalom's way of getting his half-brother Amnon close, in a carefully arranged situation. Two years before, Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom's sister. David, their father, did nothing but stew in his own rage (2 Samuel 13:1–27).Absalom seems to think God has commissioned him to enact justice. When he instructed his servants to get Amnon drunk and kill him, he told them, "Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant" (2 Samuel 13:28). His words are strikingly close to those God told Joshua as the Israelites prepared to conquer the evil Canaanites (Joshua 1:9).
The main difference is the part where God told Joshua, "For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Absalom is not acting on God's behalf. The law of Moses has a very different penalty for men who rape young women who are not married. The man is to marry her, give her a proper life, and never divorce her (Deuteronomy 22:28–29).
In the culture of the time, a young woman's sexual purity was a direct reflection of her brother's honor. Absalom just wants revenge. When the other brothers realize what is happening, they flee for their lives. It's not unheard of for one son of a king to kill all his rivals (Judges 9:1–6). They needn't worry. Absalom doesn't have to kill them to take David's throne.
