II Samuel 14:27 · Bible study
2 Samuel 14:27 Commentary: The Sons Who Did Not Survive
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does 2 Sam 14:27 mention three sons when Absalom later claims he has no son? Uncover the tragedy behind these unnamed children.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse records the birth of three unnamed sons and one named daughter to Absalom; the sons likely died young, explaining his later claim to have no son.
- Key words: “sons” (בָנִים, H1121), “daughter” (בַת, H1323), “beautiful of appearance” (יְפַת מַרְאֶה, H3303 H4758).
- Main debate: Whether the sons died in infancy or if the pillar of 18:18 was erected before they were born (most commentators favor the former).
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty over human legacy; the fragility of life; the continuity of God's purposes through unexpected means.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on grief, legacy, and hope in the midst of family tragedy.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.
KJV King James Version 1769
And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And there are born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter, and her name is Tamar; she was a woman of a fair appearance.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful countenance.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And there were born to Absalom three sons: and one daughter, whose name was Thamar, and she was very beautiful.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Naciéronle á Absalom tres hijos, y una hija que se llamó Thamar, la cual era hermosa de ver.
E nasceram-lhe a Absalão três filhos, e uma filha que se chamou Tamar, a qual era bela de ver.
Il naquit à Absalom trois fils, et une fille nommée Tamar, qui était une femme belle de figure.
Und Absalom wurden drei Söhne geboren und eine Tochter, die hieß Thamar und war ein Weib schön von Gestalt.
Ook werden Absalom drie zonen geboren, en een dochter, welker naam was Thamar; deze was een vrouw, schoon van aanzien.
Ad Absalom nacquero tre figliuoli e una figliuola per nome Tamar, che era donna di bell’aspetto.
I urodzili się Absalomowi trzej synowie, i córka jedna, której imię było Tamar, która niewiasta była piękna na wejrzeniu.
И родились у Авессалома три сына и одна дочь, по имени Фамарь; она была женщина красивая [и сделалась женою Ровоама, сына Соломонова, и родила ему Авию].
押沙龍 生了 三個 兒子，一個 女兒。女兒名叫 她瑪， 是 個容貌 俊美的 女子。
And Absalom was the father of three sons and of one daughter named Tamar, who was very beautiful.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 14:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the three sons born to Absalom died young. Wesley, Gill, Barnes, and the Cambridge Bible all point to 2 Samuel 18:18 as evidence: there Absalom erects a monument because he has no son to keep his name in memory. The sons' names are absent, which is unusual for a royal family, further suggesting they did not survive infancy. Adam Clarke notes that the Septuagint adds a tradition that Tamar became the wife of Rehoboam, connecting her to the royal line of Judah through her daughter Maachah (1 Kings 15:2). The verse introduces a tragic irony: Absalom, so concerned with legacy and beauty (vv. 25, 26), sees his sons die before him, leaving only a daughter to carry his memory forward, and she through a different branch of the family.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Sons died young: Absalom's statement in 2 Sam 18:18 and the lack of sons' names; supported by Wesley, Gill, Barnes, Cambridge Bible.
- Pillar erected before sons born: Gill mentions the possibility that the pillar of 2 Sam 18:18 was set up before Absalom had any sons, though he finds it unlikely.
What is clear: The text states Absalom had three sons and one daughter, naming only the daughter Tamar and describing her as beautiful.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Fate of the three sons | The sons died young, explaining Absalom's claim in 2 Sam 18:18 that he had no son. | Some propose the pillar of 2 Sam 18:18 was erected before the sons were born, but most commentators (Gill, Wesley, Cambridge, Barnes) hold that they died in infancy or childhood. |
| Tamar's marriage and descendants | Tamar is Absalom's only named child and likely married into the royal family. | The Septuagint claims she married Rehoboam and gave birth to Abijah, but 2 Chronicles 13:2 names Maachah (daughter of Uriel, granddaughter of Absalom) as Rehoboam's wife and Abijah's mother. Scholars differ on whether the Septuagint is a confused gloss or reflects an alternative tradition. |
| Significance of the daughter's beauty | The description 'beautiful of appearance' links her to her aunt Tamar and to Absalom's own beauty. | No significant debate; the phrase is seen as enhancing the narrative theme of superficial attractiveness masking inner tragedy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits at a pivot point in the narrative of Absalom's return. After killing his half-brother Amnon (2 Sam 13), Absalom fled to Geshur, his mother's homeland. Joab's clever stratagem brought him back to Jerusalem, but David refused to see him for two full years (v. 28). Immediately before this verse, the narrator pauses to describe Absalom's extraordinary beauty, no defect from head to foot, and hair so heavy it weighed two hundred shekels when cut (vv. 25, 26). Then comes the brief notice of his children.
Naming his daughter Tamar after his ravished sister (2 Sam 13) carries the family's trauma into the next generation. The three sons go unnamed, hinting at their early deaths. In ancient Israel, sons were vital for inheritance and memory; a father without sons often felt his name would perish. Absalom's later pillar (2 Sam 18:18) confirms this fear: “I have no son to keep my name in memory.”
The Septuagint adds that Tamar married Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and bore Abijah. While this is a debated gloss, it reflects an early attempt to show that Absalom's line did not end entirely. The verse thus stands as a quiet counterpoint to the grandeur of verses 25, 26: beauty and hair may draw praise, but only God determines lasting legacy.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant variants in the Hebrew for this verse. The Septuagint adds a line stating Tamar became the wife of Rehoboam and bore Abijah (apparatus in Cambridge Bible). This addition is not found in other ancient versions and is widely considered a gloss harmonizing with 1 Kings 15:2 and 2 Chronicles 11:20, 22. The Masoretic Text is stable.
Reception History
Early Jewish interpreters linked this verse to the tragedy of Absalom and the dynastic promise. The church fathers rarely commented directly on this verse, but the Septuagint tradition shaped medieval Christian understanding of Tamar as an ancestor of Christ through her daughter Maachah. Reformation-era commentators like Matthew Henry and John Wesley focused on the moral lesson of Absalom's fleeting glory and God's sovereignty over human plans. Modern scholarship notes the narrative irony: the beautiful daughter who continues the family line is of the very kind that earlier caused the family's fracture. The verse continues to comfort those who have lost children, reminding them that God sees and remembers even when human names fade.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Beauty and its shadow. Absalom and his daughter Tamar share the description “beautiful of appearance.” Beauty cannot prevent loss. This verse is sandwiched between a portrait of physical perfection and the start of a rebellion. Outward attractiveness does not guarantee inward health or a lasting legacy.
- Unnamed sons, known grief. The three sons have no names. They existed, but they are gone. The grief of losing children is acute. This verse invites compassion for parents who have buried children and reminds us that God sees every loss, even when human records pass over it.
- Legacy beyond our plans. Absalom wanted a monument. God gave him through Tamar a line that continued, her daughter Maachah became the mother of King Abijah (2 Chron 11:20, 22). God's redemptive purposes move forward even where human ambition fails.
Five-point outline
- The family of Absalom: a picture of promise fractured by sin.
- The missing sons: the silence speaks of death and disappointment.
- The daughter Tamar: a name that carries the past into the future.
- The irony of legacy: Absalom's pillar versus God's quiet preservation.
- The hope of the gospel: from broken branches comes the Root of Jesse.
Illustration hooks
- A family photograph album with blank pages where children who died young would be. The absence is a presence of its own.
- A memorial stone in a garden for a child lost too soon. Absalom's pillar (18:18) may have been a monument of grief, not pride.
- A granddaughter carrying the family name. Tamar's daughter Maachah was named after her great-grandmother, legacy continues through women, not only through the expected male line.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God allow Absalom's sons to die? The text does not answer, but it invites trust in God's sovereignty amid mystery.
- If my children die, is there hope for my family line? God's covenant faithfulness extends beyond biological continuity; we are children of God through faith.
- How do I process grief when my plans for legacy fail? The Psalms of lament, and this story, show that God welcomes honest despair and works through it.
Leading a Discussion
This short verse sits in the middle of a larger story of family conflict, exile, and the fragile hope of reconciliation. Absalom's children, especially his unnamed sons, raise questions about what we leave behind and how God works through loss.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the three sons are not named? What does their anonymity add to the story?
- Absalom later says he has “no son” (2 Sam 18:18). How does that statement change your reading of verse 27?
- The daughter Tamar shares a name and beauty with her aunt, who was raped (2 Sam 13). Why might the author highlight this connection?
- What does the beauty of Absalom and his daughter say about the value of outward appearance? How does the Bible caution us about this?
- How does this passage challenge our ideas about legacy and family name? What does it mean that our identity is in Christ, not in our children?
- If you have experienced the loss of a child or the death of a dream, how does this verse offer space for grief without easy answers?
- In what ways can we, like Tamar, be part of God's redemptive plan even when our circumstances seem small or hidden?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Samuel 13:1 | After this, Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. |
| II Samuel 18:18 | Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day. |
| Job 18:16 | His roots will be dried up beneath. His branch will be cut off above. |
| Job 18:19 | He will have neither son nor grandson among his people, nor any remaining where he lived. |
| Isaiah 14:22 | “I will rise up against them,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son,” says Yahweh. |
| Jeremiah 22:30 | Yahweh says, “Record this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no more will a man of his offspring prosper, sitting on David’s throne and ruling in Judah.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that these children did not outlive Absalom, as 2 Samuel 18:18 later confirms. He also notes that the Septuagint adds a detail not found in other versions: Tamar became the wife of Rehoboam and bore Abia, a tradition Josephus repeats.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that these three sons likely died in infancy. He identifies Tamar as the mother of Maachah, who became Rehoboam's favorite wife and the mother of King Abijah. This connects the brief mention of these sons to the later royal line.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator reconciles conflicting names for Abijah's mother by suggesting Michaiah and Maachah refer to the same woman, with one name possibly a textual error. He concludes Maachah was the daughter of Uriel and Tamar, making her Absalom's granddaughter and named after her great-grandmother.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws attention to Absalom naming his daughter Tamar, the same name as his violated sister, and adds that she was beautiful. This detail quietly echoes the earlier tragedy and may hint that Absalom’s household carried the memory of that crime into the next generation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that Absalom's three sons likely died young since their names go unrecorded and he later needed a pillar to preserve his name. His daughter Tamar, named after the ravished sister, grew to be a woman of fair beauty and, according to early tradition, became the wife of Rehoboam.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that David's heart was still against Absalom, not turning toward him, based on the Hebrew preposition and David's two-year refusal to see his son after his return. This interpretation is psychologically necessary to avoid portraying David as extremely weak.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees David's order to restore Absalom only after intercession as an image of divine grace. God is already inclined to mercy toward sinners, but He reconciles them through a Mediator who pleads their cause and brings them back from their banishment to God.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the sons mentioned in this verse all died shortly after birth. This explains why Absalom is later said to have had no son, as recorded in chapter 18.