"Did Absalom have sons?" (Alleged Contradiction #E2225)
And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
II Samuel 14:27
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.
II Samuel 18:18
Response
There are several possibilities:
-
Absalom’s three sons could have been dead at this point
- His sons were born when he was in exile. Perhaps they were not in Jerusalem and could not have carried his name on in the way Absalom wanted.
- Perhaps Absalom built this tower before he had sons (II Samuel 18:18 says he built the tower “in his lifetime”)
- Perhaps none of his sons accepted his rebellion against the king or his evil acts earlier in life, and so Absalom disowned them
Site Under Construction
This site is still under construction. It needs more references, citations, and debate arguments. If you would like to help, please view the community page.