Berean Standard Bible
2 Samuel 14:26
26And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels,1 according to the royal standard.
2 Samuel 14:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Whenever he cut the hair of his head—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king's weight.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard.
Context of 2 Samuel 14:26
24But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the face of the king. 25Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw. And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard. 27Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman. 28Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.
Read all of 2 Samuel 142 Samuel 14:26 word by word
וּֽבְגַלְּחוֹ֮ אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ֒ וְֽ֠הָיָה מִקֵּ֨ץ יָמִ֤ים׀ לַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְגַלֵּ֔חַ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד עָלָ֖יו וְגִלְּח֑וֹ וְשָׁקַל֙ אֶת־שְׂעַ֣ר רֹאשׁ֔וֹ מָאתַ֥יִם שְׁקָלִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥בֶן הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear
- And when he cut the hairגָּלַחgâlach · to shaveH1548
- ofאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- his headהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- it every yearקֵץqêts · endH7093
- it every yearיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
- his hair got so heavyכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
- his hair got so heavyעַל‛al · uponH5921
- he would weighשָׁקַלshâqal · to weighH8254
- ·שֵׂעָרώê‛âr ώa‛ar · hairH8181
- two hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- shekelsשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
- according to the royalמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- standardאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stone: weightH68
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 14:26
- 2 Samuel 18:9Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair.
- Isaiah 3:24Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame.
- 1 Corinthians 11:14Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
- Genesis 23:16Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
- Leviticus 19:36You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
- Ezekiel 45:9For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Enough, O princes of Israel! Cease your violence and oppression, and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing My people, declares the Lord GOD.’
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 14:26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26When 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, 2 Samuel 14:30; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Two hundred shekels - The exact weight cannot be determined. If these “shekels after the king‘s weight” were the same as “shekels of the sanctuary,” the weight would be about 6 lbs., which is incredible; “twenty” shekels is more probable.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25-27Verses 25-27 Nothing is said of Absalom's wisdom and piety. All here said of him is, that he was very handsome. A poor commendation for a man that had nothing else in him valuable. Many a polluted, deformed soul dwells in a fair and comely body. And we read that he had a very fine head of hair. It was a burden to him, but he would not cut it as long as he could bear the weight. That which feeds and gratifies pride, is not complained of, though uneasy. May…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26he shaved it every year: Absalom's hair, which made him attractive, became a deadly trap for him (see 2 Samuel 18:9–15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 25-2625-26. But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty--This extraordinary popularity arose not only from his high spirit and courtly manners, but from his uncommonly handsome appearance. One distinguishing feature, seemingly an object of great admiration, was a profusion of beautiful hair. Its extraordinary luxuriance compelled him to cut it "at every year's end;" lit., "at times," "from time to time," when it was found…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 14:26
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. 2 Samuel 14:26 200 shekels is approximately 5 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of hair. ↩
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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