Absalom was David’s son with Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. He had three brothers—Amnon, Chileab, and Tamar —and two sisters. As a young man, Absalom was handsome and had much charm and charisma. He was well-liked by those around him; even so, he held a deep resentment towards his father for not avenging Amnon’s rape of Tamar. Some scholars believe that this deep-seated anger drove him to plot against David in order to gain power for himself.
Absalom also may have been ambitious, desiring to achieve greatness like his father before him. When he rebelled against David and declared himself king and gathered an army large enough to challenge the forces loyal to David. It seemed that Absalom wanted nothing less than total control over Israel—something that only a king could do. In addition, some speculate that perhaps he wanted to expand Israel’s borders and make it a formidable empire like Assyria or Babylon. His attempted coup may have been part of a larger plan to build an empire with himself at its head.
Finally, it is possible that Absalom resented how David treated him compared to his siblings. Throughout the Bible there are several instances where it appears that David favored Amnon over Absalom; for example, when Amnon raped Tamar, David refused to punish him but later punished Absalom severely for killing Amnon in revenge. This unequal treatment may have caused resentment on behalf of Absalom which eventually manifested itself as a desire for power and control.
