Meaning of the Name Absalom
From the Hebrew name Avshalom, meaning 'the father is peace' or 'my father is peace'. Av means 'father' and shalom 'peace, wholeness'; in most interpretations 'father' refers to God. The etymology is generally clear, and the contrast between a name meaning peace and Absalom's rebellion against his father is often noted.
Origin
The name Absalom is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Absalom in the Bible?
Absalom is King David's son by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, and is famous for his good looks. To avenge the wrong done to his sister Tamar he has his half-brother Amnon killed, then rebels against his father and has himself proclaimed king in Hebron. He dies in the battle in the forest of Ephraim, and David's mourning for him is one of the most moving scenes in Scripture.
The story of Absalom in the Bible
Absalom is the most striking of David's sons; Scripture specially notes his flawless beauty and his thick hair. His story begins with a family tragedy: his half-brother Amnon wrongs Absalom's full sister Tamar, and David leaves the crime unpunished. Absalom waits two years, then has Amnon killed at a feast and flees to Geshur, his grandfather's land. Three years later he returns to Jerusalem through Joab's mediation, but two more years pass before he sees his father's face. Meanwhile he greets litigants at the city gate and steals the hearts of Israel. At last he is proclaimed king in Hebron, and David is forced to flee Jerusalem. The two armies meet in the forest of Ephraim. David asks his men to deal gently with his son. But as Absalom rides his mule under an oak, his head catches in the branches and he is left hanging in the air; Joab and his armor-bearers kill him there. When the news reaches him, David is shaken, goes up to the room over the gate and weeps, wishing he had died in his son's place. The story of the son whose name speaks of peace ends with a father's deepest grief.
Is Absalom mentioned in the Quran?
The name Absalom does not appear in the Quran. In the Bible, Absalom is the son of King David who rebelled against his father, and his story is told in the books of Samuel.
Verses where Absalom appears
- 2 Samuel 3:3 —
and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
- 2 Samuel 15:10 —
But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’”
- 2 Samuel 18:9 —
Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the sky and…