And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
Absalom replied to Joab, 'Look, I sent for you and asked you to come here so I could send you to the king with this message: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there. Now let me see the king face to face. If I've done anything wrong, let him put me to death.'
Absalom is telling Joab that he's frustrated with being ignored by his father King David and would rather face death than continue living in this painful limbo.
📚 Historical Context
Absalom had been exiled to Geshur for three years after killing his brother Amnon in revenge for raping their sister Tamar. Joab had arranged for Absalom's return to Jerusalem, but King David refused to see his son for two more years. This created an unbearable situation where Absalom was back home but still cut off from his father.
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