Psalm 3/Notes/Grammar.v. 1.373809

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  • The phrase his son (בּנוֹ) is in apposition to "Absalom," highlighting Absalom's relationship to David. The addition of the phrase "his son" is not necessary for identifying Absalom. The text could have simply said, "When David was fleeing from Absalom," and readers would have been able to identify "Absalom" without the need for any further specification (cf. 2 Sam 13ff). The addition of the appositional phrase "his son" has two effects.
  1. It draws attention to the close relationship between David and Absalom and thus to the deep emotional pain of the conflict (2 Sam 13:39; 18:33); the fact that David is forced to flee from his son (as opposed to some other enemy) makes his situation especially distressing.
  2. It creates a connection with the previous psalm (Ps 2), which uses the word "son" (v. 7, cf. v. 12).