Handsome Absalom

Absalom was a good-looking man. (1) In all Israel, there was no one praised for his beauty like him. Naturally, he must have become a proud man. (2) His beauty was such that “from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no impairment in him.” (3) He also had an abundance of hair. Taking pride in it, he would not cut his hair until it became too heavy to bear (some suggest he was a Nazirite, but there is no biblical evidence to support this. Because it became so heavy, he would cut it at the end of the year, and its weight was 200 shekels which is approximately 6 pounds). (4) He had three sons, but they all died young and did not become heirs (18:18). (5) He named his only daughter Tamar, which is the same name as his beautiful sister who had been violated by Amnon. Tamar’s daughter Maacah later became the wife of King Rehoboam (2 Chron. 11:20). These descriptions help explain why Absalom was able to win the hearts of the people of Israel.

The cause of pride

Physical beauty is also a gift from God, but in many cases, it becomes a cause for pride. Absalom took pride in his own appearance, especially in his hair, which he would not cut until it became too heavy. Yet that very hair later became part of his downfall. While fleeing, his head got caught in the branches of a terebinth tree, and he was left hanging in midair (18:9-15). Sadly, when it comes to Absalom, only his physical beauty is spoken of. There is no mention of his faith nor his wisdom. What, then, was the state of his spiritual life? It is often said that a sound soul dwells in a sound body, but in his case, it seems to have been an exception. A person who has nothing to boast of apart from their outward appearance is shallow and pitiable. Let us take to heart Peter’s exhortation and begin today with this mindset: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).