2 Samuel 15:4
ESV
Then Absalom would say, "Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice."
NIV
And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice."
NASB
Moreover, Absalom would say, 'Oh that someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has a lawsuit or claim could come to me, and I would give him justice!'
CSB
He added, "If only someone would appoint me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would make sure he received justice."
NLT
I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!'
KJV
Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
NKJV
Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.”
What does 2 Samuel 15:4 mean?
Absalom, David's son, has a threefold strategy to steal the people's hearts. First, he drives around town on a chariot, a bodyguard of fifty men running before him. With his good looks and his glorious hair (2 Samuel 14:25–27), he looks like a crowned prince (2 Samuel 15:1).Second, he convinces the people he's their crown prince: a ruler for the common man. He drives his chariot to the city gate where residents and travelers come to conduct business and bring their legal complaints. Absalom intercepts them and asks where they're from. When they tell him, he claims David doesn't have a judge for their tribe. But he can see their complaint is just, and if he were king, he'd take care of it straight away (2 Samuel 15:2–3).
We aren't explicitly told that Absalom is lying about David's apathy. But the accusation seems unlikely. David was very deliberate about establishing justice early in his reign (2 Samuel 15:8). Absalom goes very early, perhaps before the city elders arrive, and he's at the city gate, not the gate to the royal residence. It is clear Absalom isn't trying to fix their problems. He doesn't say he'll go to the king as their advocate, or even that he'll talk to his father about bringing more judges online. Like many politicians, he's leveraging blame to create leverage with the people. He's not trying to fix the situation; he's exploiting it. Fixing the issue, now, would prove that his father's administration works.
Third, Absalom makes the petitioners feel like he's one of them. When they reach for him to give him a kiss, as is custom for the man of lower rank, he again intercepts, grabs them first, and gives them the honor (2 Samuel 15:5). Once Absalom has stolen the people's hearts, he declares himself king, and they follow his lead (2 Samuel 15:10).
