2 Samuel 14:25-30

14:25 Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom. ¹  From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance. ²  14:26 When he would shave his head – at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too long ³  and he would shave it – he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds ⁴  according to the king’s weight. 14:27 Absalom had ⁵  three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman. ⁶ 

14:28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king’s face. 14:29 Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come. 14:30 So he said to his servants, “Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire.” ⁷  So Absalom’s servants set Joab’s ⁸  portion of the field on fire.

[14:25]  ¹ tn Heb “Like Absalom there was not a handsome man in all Israel to boast exceedingly.”

[14:25]  ² tn Heb “there was not in him a blemish.”

[14:26]  ³ tn Heb “for it was heavy upon him.”

[14:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “two hundred shekels.” The modern equivalent would be about three pounds (1.4 kg).

[14:27]  ⁵ tn Heb “and there were born.”

[14:27]  ⁶ tc The LXX adds here the following words: “And she became a wife to Rehoboam the son of Solomon and bore to him Abia.”

[14:30]  ⁷ tc The LXX adds here the following words: “And the servants of Absalom burned them up. And the servants of Joab came to him, rending their garments. They said….”

[14:30]  ⁸ tn The word “Joab’s” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.