absalom

After reading my post titled, “The Poor”, Josef Ketzer, illustrious Austrian tutor, directed my attention to Absalom, third son of King David.
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According to the Wikipedia entry on Absalom, “His charming manners, personal beauty, insinuating ways, love of pomp, and royal pretensions captivated the hearts of the people from the beginning. He lived in great style, drove in a magnificent chariot, and had fifty men run before him.” My, my, my.

However, as happens with the proud, some fighting broke out.

I excerpted the gory, best bits.

“When Absalom fled from David’s army, his head was caught in the boughs of an oak tree, as the mule he was riding ran beneath it. He was discovered there still alive by one of David’s men … Joab, the king’s commander … accustomed to avenging himself, took this opportunity to even the score with Absalom … Joab injured Absalom with three darts through the heart, and Absalom was subsequently killed by ten of Joab’s armor-bearers.”

David lamented over Absalom’s death.

Lots of poetry, fiction, and music about Ab. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absalom

Is it better to be reasonably poor?