John Gill Commentary 2 Samuel 18:13

"Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hid from the king), then thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against [me]." — 2 Samuel 18:13 (ASV)

Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against my own
life
Or "soul"; he should not only have exposed his life to danger, but acted falsely to the king by going contrary to his orders. Indeed, he would have done that which was contrary to his own conscience. And if he had buoyed himself up with the hope of impunity or of a reward, he would have found himself mistaken;

the textual reading is, "against his life" ^F12 , or "soul", the life of Absalom, by taking it away:

for there is no matter hid from the king ;
this, though done ever so secretly, would have come to his knowledge by some means or another, and then I should have incurred his displeasure, and suffered for it:

and you yourself would have set yourself against [me] ;
to accuse and bring him to justice; he would have been so far from protecting him, that he would have been the first man that would have insisted on it that he should be punished for it; or why do you not yourself set yourself against him and smite him? You may if you please; yonder he hangs, go and smite him.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F12: (wvpnb) (en th quch autou) , Sept. "contra animam illius", Piscator.