Discovery Box2 Samuel 15:2-6 
Context15:2 Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, “What city are you from?” The person would answer, “I, your servant, 1 am from one of the tribes of Israel.” 15:3 Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. 2 But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.” 15:4 Absalom would then say, “If only they would make me 3 a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint 4 could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.”
15:5 When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom 5 would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. 15:6 Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty 6 of the citizens 7 of Israel.
1 tn Heb “your servant.” So also in vv. 8, 15, 21.
2 tn Heb “good and straight.”
3 tn Heb “Who will make me?”
4 tn Heb “a complaint and a judgment.” The expression is a hendiadys.
5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Absalom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “stole the heart.”
7 tn Heb “the men.”
