Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 13:25

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.

25. lest we be chargeable unto thee ] Lest we be burdensome unto thee. Chargeable is derived from charge, in the now obsolete sense of ‘a load’ or ‘burden,’ cp. 1Th 2:9. It is “the first instance history offers of the ruinous cost of royal visits to those who are honoured with them.” Kitto’s Bible Illustr. p. 387.

blessed him ] i.e. dismissed him with a farewell blessing. Cp. ch. 2Sa 19:39.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

He pressed him; pretending great desire of his presence there, to prevent any jealousies, which otherwise he thought would arise in the breast of a king so wise and experienced, and under the expectation of Gods dreadful judgments to be inflicted upon his family.

Blessed him; dismissed him with thanks for his kindness, and with his fatherly blessing

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And the king said to Absalom, nay, my son, let us not all now go,…. He did not object to the invitation entirely, he was willing some of the family should go, but not all; it seems probable that he particularly excepted himself and his eldest son, the heir to his crown, for the reason following:

lest we be chargeable unto thee; one or two persons more, supposing them to be private persons, would have added but little to the expense, if any; but as David was a king, he must have come with the retinue of a king, with a large number of servants and guards, and must be entertained as such; and Amnon, his eldest son, and heir apparent to the crown, must make a figure suitable to his quality, which would have considerably raised the expense; and perhaps Absalom’s estate he had to live upon might be but small, which David knew, and therefore chose not to be burdensome to him:

and he pressed him; urged him to go; not that he expected he would, or really desired he should, but this he did to hide his intention, that he might have no suspicion of his design against Amnon; or otherwise he might think he would not have been so pressing upon him to go with him:

howbeit he would not go, but blessed him; thanked him for the invitation he gave him, and wished him much happiness and pleasure at his entertainment with his friends.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The king declined the invitation that he might not be burdensome to Absalom. Absalom pressed him indeed, but he would not go, and blessed him, i.e., wished him a pleasant and successful feast (see 1Sa 25:14).

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

25. He would not go Absalom doubtless expected the king would decline going, and thereby hoped to secure more certainly his permission for Amnon to go.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2Sa 13:25 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.

Ver. 25. Lest we be chargeable unto thee. ] So tender was David over this his ungracious son: he was ever too passionately affected to his children, as is afore noted.

And he pressed him. ] Too fair shows are a just argument of unsoundness. No natural face hath so clear a white and red as the painted.

But blessed him. ] Benedixet, i.e., vale dixit ei, as Vatablus rendereth it: he dismissed him with good wishes, et fortassis etiam munere, and haply also with a gift, saith Junius.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

chargeable = burdensome.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

pressed: Gen 19:2, Gen 19:3, Jdg 19:7-10, Luk 14:23, Luk 24:29, Act 16:15

blessed: 2Sa 14:22, *marg. Rth 2:4

Reciprocal: 2Sa 19:35 – a burden 2Sa 19:39 – blessed

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge