Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 14:26
And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end that he polled [it]: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it: ) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king’s weight.
25 27. Absalom’s person and family
26. polled ] From poll, the head, comes the verb to poll, to cut the hair.
two hundred shekels after the king’s weight ] If the royal shekel was the same as the sacred shekel, two hundred shekels would be about six pounds, an extraordinary weight. But perhaps the royal shekel was smaller, or as is so often the case with numbers, there may be some error in the text. It was not considered effeminate for men to wear their hair long: the Nazarites did so (Num 6:5), and Josephus says that Solomon’s body-guard had long flowing hair. Modern Arabs frequently allow the hair to grow to its natural length.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Two hundred shekels … – The exact weight cannot be determined. If these shekels after the kings weight were the same as shekels of the sanctuary, the weight would be about 6 lbs., which is incredible; twenty shekels is more probable.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. When he polled his head] Not at any particular period, but when the hair became too heavy for him. On this account of the extraordinary weight of Absalom’s hair, see the observations at the end of this chapter. 2Sa 14:30.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whereas ordinarily the hair of a mans head which grows in a years space comes not to half so much. But some mens hair grows much faster, and is much heavier, than others. But others understand this not of the weight, but of the price of his hair, which was sold by him that polled it at that rate.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when he polled his head,…. Or cut off the hair of it; for that was one thing, a good head of hair which he had, that made him look very comely and beautiful:
for it was at every year’s end that he polled [it]; or cut it off once a year; but the Jews say w he was a perpetual Nazarite:
because [the hair] was heavy upon him, and therefore he polled it; it grew so very thick and long in one year’s time, that he was obliged to cut it; and what might add to the weight of it, its being oiled and powdered; and, as some say, with the dust of gold, to make it look yellow and glistering:
he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight; and a shekel being the weight of half an ounce of avoirdupois weight, as Bishop Cumberland x has shown from various writers, the weight of his hair must be an hundred ounces; which was a very great weight indeed on his head. Some think that the price it was sold at, and not the weight of it, is meant; which they suppose was sold to women for ornament about their temples, and the money given either to the poor, or for the use of the sanctuary; and reckoning a shekel at two shillings and sixpence, as some do, the value of it came to twenty five pounds of our money; but the above mentioned writer y reduces it to about two shillings and four pence farthing; which makes the value somewhat less; but inasmuch as it is not so probable that a person of such rank should sell his hair, nor does it appear that any, such use was made of hair in those times as suggested; and this being said to be according to the king’s weight or stone, by which all weights were to be regulated, it is best to understand this of the weight, and not of the price of his hair; which, according to Josephus z, was five pounds; but, according to the above account, it must be six pounds and a quarter. The Jews say a this weight was according to what the inhabitants of Tiberias and Zippore used, but do not tell us what it was.
w Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Nazir, c 1. sect. 2. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 9. fol. 194. 3. Gloss. T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 10. 2. x Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 4. p. 103. y Ibid. p. 104. z Antiqu. l. 7. c. 8. sect. 5. a T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 10. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(26) Two hundred shekels.The value of the shekel after the kings weight is unknown. If it was the same with the shekel of the sanctuary, the weight mentioned would be about six pounds; if only half as much, the weight would still be very extraordinary. Some clerical error has probably arisen in copying the number in the MSS.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. Polled his head Cut or clipped off the superabundant growth of the hair.
At every year’s end Literally, from the end of days to days; that is, from time to time.
Two hundred shekels after the king’s weight The king’s shekel is supposed to have been less than the common shekel, and Bochart makes the weight of two hundred shekels equal to three pounds and two ounces avoirdupois. Others think there is an error in the text caused by the former use of letters for numbers, and the transcriber’s mistaking one for another. Thus, =4, =200, =30; and one of these might easily have been mistaken for another. It is impossible positively to solve the difficulty, but in any case it is clear that the weight of Absalom’s hair was surprisingly great, and this was regarded as adding to his beauty. “The hair of men will grow as thick as that of women, and perhaps thicker; and if we may judge from the cues of the Chinese, which sometimes reach to the ground, it will grow as long; and such hair, if of proportionate bulk, must, one would think, weigh at least three or four pounds. Indeed, we have read the well known case of a lady whose hair reached the ground, and weighed upon her head (and therefore without including the weight of the parts nearest the scalp) upwards of four pounds.” Kitto.
2Sa 14:26. And when he polled his head, &c. Houbigant remarks, that it is a mistake to suppose that Absalom polled his head every year: the Hebrew, mikkets yamim, which we render at every year’s end, signifies only at the return of a certain season, and he renders the passage, for there were certain seasons when he polled it, that he might deliver himself from the weight; and when he polled it, the weight was two hundred shekels. This seemingly prodigious weight of hair, according to Bochart, if computed by the Jewish shekel, amounted to three pounds and two ounces of our weight.
But Bishop Patrick remarks, that when the books of Samuel were revised after the Babylonish captivity, such weights were mentioned as were then known to them; and therefore, when the historian speaks of this weight of Absalom’s hair, he adds, by way of explanation, that it was after the king’s weight; i.e. after the weight of the king of Babylon, whose shekel was only one-third of that of the Jews; and therefore this large quantity of hair, which has given so much occasion to the enemies of revelation to ridicule the sacred text, is reduced so as not to seem at all enormous. Besides, we should recollect, that the hair, being in those days reckoned a great ornament, was perfumed with large quantities of fragrant oils, which would make it more heavy than otherwise it would have been: and further we should remark, that it is very evident from the peculiar manner in which it is mentioned in the sacred text, that there must have been something extremely singular, even at that time, in this large quantity of Absalom’s hair. Those, however, who are desirous to enter further on the subject, which has been very thoroughly examined, may find full satisfaction in Michaelis’s Comment. Gotting. tom. 2: or in Stackhouse on the place.
2Sa 14:26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end that he polled [it]: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king’s weight.
Ver. 26. And when he polled his head. ] He had a pride in his hair, and might well have feared some such fearful disease as is the Plica Polonica. The Romans abhorred those that wore long hair. Our Henry I repressed that vanity, though a gaiety of no charge, as undecent; and all other dissoluteness. a
He weighed the hair of his head. a Dan., Hist.
for, Note the Figure of speech Parenthesis. App-6.
king’s weight: to distinguish it from the sacred shekel. See App-51.
when he polled: 2Sa 18:9, Isa 3:24, 1Co 11:14
two hundred shekels: If the shekel be allowed to mean the common shekel, the amount will be utterly incredible; for Josephus says that “two hundred shekels make five mine” and the mina, he says, “weighs two pounds and a half;” which calculation makes Absalom’s hair weigh twelve pounds and a half! But it is probable that the king’s shekel was that which Epiphanius and Hesychius say was the fourth part of an ounce, half a stater, or two drachmas: the whole amount, therefore, of the 200 shekels is about 50 ounces, which make 4 lb. 2 oz. troy weight, or 3 lb. 2 oz. avoirdupois. This need not be accounted incredible, especially as abundance of oil and ointment was used by the ancients in dressing their heads. Josephus informs us, that the Jews also put gold dust in their hair. Gen 23:16, Lev 19:36, Eze 45:9-14
Reciprocal: 1Sa 9:2 – choice
2Sa 14:26. When he polled his head, &c. In those days hair was accounted a great ornament, and the longer it was, the more it was esteemed. And therefore it is no wonder that Absalom, who was proud, and courted popularity, should let his grow to a great length, as this rendered him still more beautiful in the peoples eyes. It was at every years end that he polled it The Hebrew here, , mekets jamim lajamim, does not properly signify, at every years end, but rather, at the return of a certain season. Houbigant renders the passage, For there were certain seasons when he polled it, that he might deliver himself from the weight; and when he polled it, the weight was two hundred shekels. This weight of hair, if computed by the Jewish shekel, according to Bochart, amounts to three pounds two ounces of our weight, which certainly is prodigious, considering that only a part of it was cut off, on account of its being grown too long. Some, however, understand the expression, not of the weight, but of the price of his hair. But the remark of Bishop Patrick here seems worthy of notice: That, when the books of Samuel were revised, after the Babylonish captivity, such weights were mentioned as were then known to them; and therefore, when the historian speaks of this weight of Absaloms hair, he adds, by way of explanation, that it was after the kings weight That is, after the weight of the king of Babylon, whose shekel was only one-third of that of the Jews; and thus this large quantity of hair, which has given so much occasion to the enemies of revelation to ridicule the sacred text, is reduced so as not to seem at all enormous. Besides, we should recollect that the hair, being in those days reckoned a great ornament, was perfumed with large quantities of fragrant oils, and powdered with gold-dust, which would make it more heavy than we could otherwise imagine; and further we should remark, that it is very evident from the peculiar manner in which it is mentioned in the sacred text, that there must have been something extremely singular, even at that time, in this large quantity of Absaloms hair. See Dr. Dodd, and Saurins 5th Dissert.
14:26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end that he polled [it]: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred {p} shekels after the king’s weight.
(p) Which weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces after half an ounce the shekel.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes