What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 18:28? Then Ahimaaz called out to the king Ahimaaz, the faithful son of Zadok, arrives breathless from the battlefield to the city gate where David waits (2 Samuel 18:24–26). By calling out first, he announces himself and signals that his message concerns the king personally, echoing his earlier role as courier during Absalom’s coup (2 Samuel 15:27, 35; 18:19–22). His approach models loyal service like the runners in 2 Kings 9:18–20—messengers who come not for themselves but for the anointed ruler. All is well! The single word “shalom” (peace) summarizes victory and safety. • It reassures David, who had ordered gentleness toward Absalom yet feared the worst (18:5, 12). • Like Abigail’s greeting in 1 Samuel 25:6 or Elisha’s inquiry in 2 Kings 4:26, the phrase covers body and soul: the army lives, the city stands. • It anticipates the ultimate Gospel greeting of peace in Luke 24:36, grounding hope in good news. He bowed facedown before the king Physical prostration signals both respect for David’s authority and personal humility (1 Samuel 24:8; 25:23; 2 Samuel 1:2). The messenger who brings glad tidings avoids self-exaltation, reflecting the posture all owe the true King (Philippians 2:10). Blessed be the LORD your God! Praise goes first to Yahweh, not to human strategy. • The covenant language (“your God”) reminds David that the same LORD who chose him keeps him (Genesis 24:27; 1 Samuel 25:32; Psalm 124:6). • Public blessing of God before the throne turns a political victory into a moment of worship, like Solomon’s later doxology in 1 Kings 8:56. He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king God, not the sword, secured the outcome (2 Samuel 18:7). • “Raised their hands” labels Absalom’s followers as rebels against the LORD’s anointed, echoing Saul’s warning in 1 Samuel 24:6. • Divine deliverance vindicates legitimate authority and foreshadows the fate of every uprising against God’s chosen (Psalm 3:1–3; 44:7). • The clause underscores a moral lesson: rebellion fails because God actively “delivers up” the aggressors. summary 2 Samuel 18:28 records a loyal messenger proclaiming peace, bowing in submission, blessing God, and crediting Him with victory over rebellion. The verse teaches that true peace comes from the LORD, that rightful authority deserves humble honor, and that God Himself defends His anointed against all who lift a hand against them. |
    |