And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.
And the king said to Absalom, 'No, my son, we shouldn't all come with you, because that would be too much of a burden and expense for you.' Absalom kept insisting, but the king still wouldn't go, though he gave Absalom his blessing.
King David is politely declining his son Absalom's invitation, saying it would be too costly for Absalom to host the entire royal family, but he gives his blessing for the event.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Absalom's elaborate feast, which was actually a trap to murder his half-brother Amnon in revenge for raping their sister Tamar two years earlier. David's refusal to attend, while seeming considerate about costs, may have also reflected some suspicion about Absalom's true motives, as there had been obvious tension in the family since the Tamar incident.
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