John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 15

And it came to pass after this
After the reconciliation of David and Absalom, and the latter was admitted to court again:

that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses ;
to make himself look grand and respectable among the people; perhaps he got these from his grandfather at Geshur in Syria:

and fifty men to run before him ;
which added to his pomp and magnificence; and such great personages in later time have had; Nero the Roman emperor never went on a journey with less than a thousand calashes or chariots, and a great number of men that ran before him {c}: and this was tacitly setting himself up for king, at least preparing for it, as Adonijah afterwards did in the same way and manner, (1 Kings 1:5) .

And Absalom rose up early
Every morning, to show how diligent and industrious he should be, and closely apply himself to business, was he in any office trader the king, and especially when he should be king himself; this he did to ingratiate himself into the affections of the people:

and stood beside the way of the gate ;
either of the king's palace, so Josephus ^F4 , or of the city, where courts of judicature are held: the former seems most probable by what follows:

and it was [so], that when any man that had a controversy came to the
king for judgment ;
that had a controversy with another man on any account, and came to the king to have it decided according to law, or the rules of justice and equity:

then Absalom called unto him, and said, of what city [art] you ?
which question he asked, only to lead on to some further discourse:

and he said, your servant [is] of one of the tribes ;
that is, of one of the cities of the tribes of Israel, and not of a city of another nation.

FOOTNOTES:

• F4: Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 1.

And Absalom said to him After some further talk, and finding he had a suit at law to bring on, and either seeing it drawn up in writing, or hearing his account of it, at once declared, without hearing the other party:

see, your matters [are] good and right; your cause is a good cause, and if it could be heard by proper persons there is no doubt but things would go on your side, and you would carry your cause:

but [there is] no man [deputed] of the king to hear you; the king is grown old himself and his sons are negligent, and do not attend to business, and there are none besides them appointed to hear causes; and he suggested, as appears by what follows, that he was not in commission, but if he was, or should he appointed a judge, he would attend to business, and people should not go away after this manner, without having justice administered to them,

Absalom said, moreover To the same persons, at the same time:

oh that I were made judge in the land; by which it appears that he had no office under the king; partly either because of his crime, and so not thought fit, and partly because he appeared to be an ambitious aspiring man, and so it was thought not safe to put him into any office:

that every man that has any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice; at once, without any further trouble, or coming often, and in vain, and to no purpose.

And it was [so], that when any man came nigh [to him] to do him
obeisance To pay his respects, and bow to him, as being the king's son, a prince of the blood, and heir to the crown, as was supposed:

he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him ;
he put out his hand and shook hands with him, or took him about the neck and kissed him, and by this free, familiar, affable, and courteous manner, strangely won upon and gained the affections of the people, as follows.

Fortunatus Schacchus ^F5 thinks he put forth his hand to be kissed by them, and then kissed them, which was more than was usual.

FOOTNOTES:

• F5: Eloeochrism. Myrothec. l. 3. c. 34. col. 964.