提要
大衛是個出色的軍事策略家，他立刻將自己的人馬分成三隊，分別由經驗豐富的沙場老將約押、亞比篩、和以太率領。以太是迦特的非利士人，他與跟隨他的六百人都加入大衛的陣營（15：18~22）。以太可能是離棄了大袞神的偶像崇拜，歸向以色列的真神敬拜。從他對大衛表明心跡的優美話語中可知以太相信以色列的上帝是活神（15：21）。以太可能是在大衛流亡迦特時（撒上27：2~3）與大衛成了朋友，他也是大衛最忠誠的支持者之一。
由於押沙龍的目標是他的父親，因此大衛的隨員不讓他出戰，要他留在瑪哈念城內受保護。大衛真愛自己的兒子，在他的軍隊出戰前，他特別囑咐他們不要傷害押沙龍。不過約押不顧大衛的命令，他可能是怕押沙龍如果被活捉，大衛還是會像從前一樣寬容他。但押沙龍是該死的，他不只是個悖逆之子（申21：18~23），又企圖篡奪父親的王位。約押是個冷酷的人，他指責那看見押沙龍被掛在樹上而不下手殺他人。約押毫不憐憫的結束了押沙龍的性命，也為這場內亂畫下了句點。
大衛關心自己兒子的安危甚於戰爭的結果。他連續問兩位來報信的人，少年人押沙龍有沒有「沙龍」（希伯來文「平安」之意）。諷刺的是，押沙龍的名字雖有平安之意，但他終其一生不見平安，死時也不得善終。
第二位報信的古示人帶來押沙龍的死訊，他可能期待大衛會高興，誰知大衛心碎不已，他恨不得自己替押沙龍死。他在父親和國王的角色之間掙扎。他可能覺得錯在自己，因為押沙龍犯錯時大衛沒有及時管教，押沙龍年幼時他又沒有花時間教導他當行的路。大衛一定認為押沙龍的悲劇部分是肇因於自己和拔示巴犯罪的結果，他也沒有作兒子的好榜樣。大衛生命裡的所有問題有沒有可能都是源於多婚的罪行？大衛在擁有眾多妻妾之外還覬覦拔示巴；暗嫩貪戀同父異母的妹妹他瑪──大衛另一子押沙龍的親妹妹，而押沙龍又侵佔了大衛的十個妃嬪自立為王。
押沙龍籌畫已久的叛變宣告失敗──這是出於上帝的計畫。得罪上帝的事絕不會成功，至終必帶來毀滅（羅3：23）。押沙龍俊美的身體被扔在樹林中的一個大坑，上頭堆了一大堆石頭，他所有追求自我榮耀和建立國度的夢想也永遠被埋藏在地的深處。押沙龍的失敗向所有的人顯明，上帝揀選大衛繼續作以色列的王。
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Overview
David, a brilliant military strategist, immediately organized his men into three battalions, each commanded by an experienced and brave warrior: Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. Ittai was a Philistine from Gath who, for some unknown reason, had joined David's forces with 600 of his own men (15:18-22). Ittai was probably a worshipper of the true God of Israel who had left the idol worship of Dagon. In his beautiful words of faithfulness and commitment to David, he expressed that the God of Israel lives (15:21). Ittai probably became friends with David while David was living in exile among the Philistines in Gath (1 Samuel 27:2-3). He became one of David's most loyal supporters.
Since Absalom's target was his father, David's followers did not want him to go out on the battleground. They wanted him safe and protected behind the walls of Mahanaim. David truly loved his son, and before his men went to fight, he ordered them not to harm Absalom. Joab, however, disregarded David's order; possibly he was afraid that if Absalom were taken alive, David would be too gentle with him, as he had been in the past. But Absalom deserved death, not only for being a rebellious son (Deuteronomy 21:18-23), but for attempting to steal his father's throne. Joab was cold-hearted and rebuked the man who obeyed David's words by not killing Absalom when he saw him hanging with his head caught in the tree. Without mercy, Joab cruelly murdered him and signalled that the battle was over.
David was more concerned about his son than the result of the battle. He asked both messengers if there was shalom (in the Hebrew text) "peace" to the young man Absalom (18:29, 32). Ironically, Absalom, whose name has the word meaning peace in it, did not sow peace during his lifetime; and therefore in death he also met with no peace.
The second Cushite messenger brought the news of Absalom's death, possibly expecting David to rejoice; but David was brokenhearted, wishing he had been the one to die rather than his beloved son. He was torn between his role as a king and his role as a father. He possibly felt the fault was his for not disciplining Absalom nor taking the time from his heavy schedule while Absalom was still young to instruct him in the ways of the Lord. He surely thought that it was partly due to his sin with Bathsheba for which he was being punished by God, and for being a bad example to his sons. Could it be that all these problems in the life of David had their root in the evil of polygamy? David desired Bathsheba to include her as one of his many wives. Amnon lusted after his half sister, Tamar, who was a full sister of Absalom, the children of another wife of David. And Absalom proclaimed his kingship by taking ten of David's concubines.
Absalom's well-planned revolution came to an end which was planned by God. Sin against God will never lead to success, but rather ultimate defeat and death (Romans 3:23). All of Absalom's dreams for his own glory and his own kingdom came to a crashing end as his handsome body was thrown into a deep hole in the ground and covered with many stones. With Absalom's defeat, it was clear to all that God had chosen David to remain as the king of Israel.
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