Word In Life Study Bible
A SIGN OF STRENGTH
2 Sam.14:26
Absalom seems to have taken great pride in his hair, which apparently was so long and thick that it weighed several pounds when he cut it each year (2 Sam. 14:26).
In ancient Israel, a full head of hair was considered a sign of strength and vigor. Thus Samson wore his hair long, though he did so because he was under a Nazirite vow and his hair was the secret of his strength (Judg. 13:3–5; 16:17). Baldness, on the other hand, was considered something of a disgrace (2 Kin. 2:23).
Ironically, the deaths of both Samson and Absalom were related to their hair (and thus their strength). When Samson revealed to Delilah the secret of his strength, the Philistines cut his hair and paraded him in the temple of Dagon at Gaza, where he took his life in order to avenge himself (Judg. 16:15–30). Likewise, when Absalom fled from his army’s defeat in the forest of Ephraim, his head caught in a terebinth tree, and he was dragged off his mule. Many believe that his hair was the cause of this accident, which made him easy prey for his pursuers (2 Sam. 18:9–15).
Study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible, copyright 1993,1996, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible appearing at this web site are for personal use only.
Print
Email
