2 Samuel 15:11
ESV
With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing.
NIV
Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter.
NASB
Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, for they did not know anything.
CSB
Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They had been invited and were going innocently, for they did not know the whole situation.
NLT
He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions.
KJV
And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.
NKJV
And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem, and they went along innocently and did not know anything.
What does 2 Samuel 15:11 mean?
Absalom has spent four years manipulating the people of Israel. He drives a chariot behind fifty running men to the city gates where he meets men from around the nation who have come with serious legal issues only David can solve. Before they can get too far, Absalom intercepts them and asks their story. He explains that David could help them but refuses to. And that he, Absalom, would help them, if only he had the authority. Then, Absalom, the royal prince, humbles himself and shows them honor. The travelers walk away resentful of David, impressed with Absalom, and no better off legally (2 Samuel 15:1–6).Some of these men are convinced that David is no longer a good king, and Absalom would lead the nation better. They know Absalom is planning a coup. They wait until he goes to Hebron, a significant city in Judah and his birthplace (2 Samuel 3:2–3), and sends the signal. Once they hear the rams' horns, they announce, "Absalom is king at Hebron!" (2 Samuel 15:10).
Absalom can't start his coup in Jerusalem. It's truly David's city (2 Samuel 5:7). He must amass his people outside the city and march in. He tells David he needs to go to Hebron to fulfill a vow to God. Somehow, he convinces two hundred men from Jerusalem to accompany him. Once the movement begins, these men accompany him and his co-conspirators back into Jerusalem.
That these men know nothing about Absalom's plan to overthrow David reveals three things. First, Absalom's network effectively kept the secret of his plan to take the throne by force. Second, perhaps Absalom knew that these men would have protected David from attack if they had remained in Jerusalem. By bringing them with him to Hebron, they leave David with less support in the capital city. Further, Absalom must know David doesn't want to fight his own people if he can at all avoid it. When Absalom marches in, David gathers his household and those loyal to him and flees the city (2 Samuel 15:13–23).
